Product Review: Bytecc 3.5" HD Enclosure

Front view.


Top view.


Rear view.

I finally received my hard drive enclosure from NewEgg. It's a Bytecc 3.5" Aluminum External Enclosure Model No. BT-380U2. It comes with CD, instructions and some screws. It seems to have a pretty solid casing and was heavier than I expected. It appears to be solidly constructed. I had read some reviewers mention the chrome trim being a bit cheesy with plastic but I didn't have any issues with that. It has 3 blue penguins that light up during operation that some people complained that it was too bright .I think they were being a bit too sensitive though they are bright but unless your eyes are six inches in front of it I doubt they'll be a bother. My one complaint though is the vague instructions. It told you how to install to computer but nothing on installing the drive itself. I would think that was an essential procedure.

Before installation.

Hard drive installed.

Installation is pretty much a snap.
1. You open the case.
2. Plug the hard drive cables onto the drive.
3. Mount the hard drive using the screws provided.
4. Insert drive 3/4 the way in and plug LED plug onto control board. Be careful I pinched the cables a bit when I pushed the drive in so just be aware of that.
5. Push drive rest of the way in. Be careful you may have manipulate the cables a bit to get it in.
6. Install screws to close it up.

Pretty blue penguins.

To install drive the instructions tell you to install while PC on I did it while it was off and it booted just fine. My Windows XP recognized it right away and it was working in minutes. I did install the CD software that came with just in case there is something I need on it. The whole operation took less than fifteen minutes. It has been working great ever since. Overall was a positive experience and I'd have no problem getting another of these.

How-to: Install CD/DVD drive

Want to upgrade your old CD/DVD drive? Recently I picked a newer CD/DVD Writer by LiteOn. This features "Lightscribe" which perhaps I'll demo at a later time. I'd like to show you the steps on how change one of these out. It's fairly simple, so easy a cavegeek could do it. If you know which end of a Phillips screwdriver to use then you can do it. I'll go over the steps here and maybe in the future you'll be changing yours out. I'll go over the parts and tools you'll need and then the steps to install your drive. OK here we go...

Items needed:

1. CD/DVD drive
2. Phillips screwdriver
3. ESD wrist strap
4. Instruction Manual
5. Cup of fresh coffee (Ok you don't need this but I do)

The patient is my trusty workhorse Gateway low-profile PC . It may have only a Pentium III but it hasn't let me down yet.

First step: Unplug the case and remove all attachments. Remove cover. Usually it's held by some screws in the rear of the case. This where you'll need your Phillips screwdriver. Take the cover off. Some cases can be a bit tricky to open so be careful some cases have sharp edges on inside.




Second step: After the case is open locate the CD drive inside. Remove the cables from the rear of the CD drive. Be careful removing cables the can be stubborn. More than once my hands have slipped and caused me to bang my hand. Sometimes resulting in the need of a band-aid. Just try and wiggle them out a bit they should come out. On a side note be aware of ESD. Which in simple terms static. Either use a wrist ground strap or at least touch the outside steel case that before sticking your hand inside case. Some components can be destroyed be static discharges you can't even feel. So be aware!


Third step: Then remove the screws holding the drive in. Remove the drive from the bay. Most of the time it should slide out the front of the case. In this case Gateway had a nice feature that they have a quick release mechanism, but for most cases though you may need a small Phillips head screwdriver to remove the drive screws.



Handy Tip: Oh yeah I almost forgot. It's probably good idea to read over the instructions before beginning. Even though I've done this many times before it's still a good ides to at least skim through it or keep them handy. I've been guilty of just tossing them aside and jumping ahead into project only to need them halfway through a project. These instructions came in so many languages that I think they even include Romulan and Klingon.

LiteOn was even nice enough to provide a drive opener.
That was the first time I'd seen that one. came handy when I changed the faceplate.

Fourth Step: Install the new drive in reverse order, secure the drive, plug cables back in,replace computer cover and plug everything back in. Power it back up and if all went well Windows should recognize and install your drive. You may have to install additional software depending on the drive.

When it's done reach around and pat yourself on the back. Not so hard is it? Well that's enough for now. I hope you learned something today. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. Thanks for coming by today and I hope you return.