Trouble putting a hard drive into my Dell Dimension E310

[Devdan]

Let me start out by saying I know next to nothing about computers, but hopefully this is the right place for this.

I got a hard drive a while back, but when I wanted to put it in my computer I was told by someone I knew you needed some kind of plastic thing that slides the hard drive in, and that usually Dells have an extra one on the inside, but mine didn't. Does anyone know what these things are, or where I can get them? Everyone I've asked so far has had no idea what I was talking about.

 

[Tmagic650]

So how was the original hard drive held in place? It is customary to use the old rails on the new drive. What happened to the old hard drive?

You can go to a computer repair shop and ask then for the Dell rails. I even have a few here. Go back and take another look inside your computers case. The rails are in groups, located sometimes in the empty hard drive bays or attached to the inside of the case in various places. They are made of colored plastic usually green or blue

 

[Devdan]

So they're called rails, are they? Thanks, now I at least know what to look for online.

My original hard drive is still in there. There's room for two inside my computer. The thing holding the first one in is made of blue plastic, but there aren't any extras.

 

[Tmagic650]

Yes they are rails and what is on the old drive is what you need. Any computer repair shop should have them for little or no cost

 

[Devdan]

Alright, I thought I had this problem solved, but evidently I do not.

I bought a set of Dell hard drive rails off eBay, and they arrived today. They are too big, and won't fit.

I took the thing holding in my old hard drive out to get a better look at it. It's actually not a set of rails like I thought, but rather a similar, but more box-like contraption. It covers most of the hard drive rather than just the sides. I'd assume whatever it is, it's not the same thing as a rail. Does anyone know what it's called, or where I can get one?

 

[kimsland]

bracket rails

From here:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim3100/en/sm/parts0.htm#wp1211782

 

[Tmagic650]

One more time,
try going to a computer repair shop, or you can use plastic ty-wraps to secure the second drive