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7 Posts
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47
June 15th, 2025 07:20
14 R1, lost DVD thingy that clicks the cable
I lost a tiny little part from an older Alienware model. (P39G001, ALIENWARE 14)
A tiny little plastic cap came out from the DVD ROM drive, the thingy that clicks the cable in place. What do you call this and where can I find some online, if applicable? And if not, how much is the extended warranty for the 14 if there is any, and can I get a new box for it & such as it would originally? (I managed to get this unit off of Ebay, and repaired it to the best of my ability, love Alienware)
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ejn63
10 Elder
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28.6K Posts
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June 15th, 2025 11:06
There's no way to extend a warranty on a system that's approaching a decade old.
Is the part you're referring to the latch that connects the drive to the mainboard?
User_1716582211
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June 15th, 2025 16:58
@ejn63 Makes sense, wouldn't expect nothing less.
I figured it out after doing some digging - a ZIF connector latch came loose from the DVD ROM drive. Don't know if random geeky type of stores carry such.
ejn63
10 Elder
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28.6K Posts
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June 15th, 2025 17:04
The drive is probably standard SATA, but the cable that connects to the mainboard is proprietary. The latch is probably part of the mainboard itself, and not sold as a separate part. It may be possible to find an otherwise dead board and salvage the latch -- but failing that, it is likely to be easier and far more cost-effective to simply purchase a USB external DVD drive.
mattyb3
5 Practitioner
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1.6K Posts
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June 16th, 2025 05:17
This is an extremely common issue with this system and I have a couple of 14 boards on the shelf with the exact same problem. The legs on the connector tab are very fragile.
You can usually find a thin piece of plastic or cardboard that will fit nicely and hold the cable in place. That is easier than trying to find the exact connector online that you can take the tab from. Even if you find the correct connector you will probably break the tab when you try to remove it.
User_1716582211
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7 Posts
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June 15th, 2025 17:07
Ah, well which ever way works is fine by me. Wishing to preserve the whole thing for as long as possible in any way, even if it carries some age.
I don't expect it to do much - just Roblox & a tiny bit of Steam. It's why I bought it at such a heavily reduced price. Intended on it. And the esthetics is a plus.
Thanks for the help!
User_1716582211
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June 16th, 2025 14:57
@mattyb3 Electronics are fragile, but c'mon. Thanks for the help.