Dell 2900 Personal Computer User Manual


 
56 Installing System Components
NOTICE: Do not turn off or reboot your system while the drive is being formatted. Doing so can cause a drive
failure.
When you format a high-capacity hard drive, allow enough time for the formatting to be completed.
Long format times for these drives are normal. A 9-GB hard drive, for example, can take up to 2.5 hours
to format.
Removing a Drive Blank
NOTICE: To maintain proper system cooling, all empty hard-drive bays must have drive blanks installed. If you
remove a hard-drive carrier from the system and do not reinstall it, you must replace the carrier with a drive blank.
1
Remove the front bezel, if attached. See "Removing the Bezel" on page 50.
2
Insert your finger under the shrouded end of the blank and press in on the latch to eject the blank
outward from the bay.
3
Pry the ends of the blank outward until the blank is free.
Installing a Drive Blank
The drive blank is keyed to ensure correct insertion into the drive bay. To install a drive blank, insert the
blank into the drive bay and press evenly on the ends of the blank until it is fully inserted and latched.
Removing a Hot-Plug Hard Drive
1 Remove the front bezel, if attached. See
"Removing the Bezel" on page 50
.
2
From the RAID management software, prepare the drive for removal a
nd wait until the hard-drive
indicators on the drive carrier signal that the drive can be removed safely.
See your SAS RAID
controller documentation for information about hot-plug drive removal.
If the drive has been online, the green
activity/
fault indicator will flash as the drive is powered down.
When both drive indicators are off, the drive is ready for removal.
3 Open the drive carrier release handle to release the drive. See
Figure 3-6
.
4
Slide the hard drive out until it is free of the drive bay.
5
If you do not replace the hard drive, insert a drive blank in the vacated drive bay. See "Installing a Drive
Blank" on page 56.
NOTICE: To maintain proper system cooling, all empty hard-drive bays must have drive blanks installed.
Installing a Hot-Plug Hard Drive
1 Remove the front bezel, if attached. See
"Removing the Bezel" on page 50
.
2
If a drive blank is present in the bay, remove it. See "Removing a Drive Blank" on page 56.