atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Computers & Programming Computers, Software, Accessories Hard Drive mounting screws at Home Depot,ACE,ec..?

Hello.

I am setting up one of my old NAS systems and I in the process is attaching the hard drives to its brackets. I am in need of those small screws that are used to connect the hard drive to the bracket.

These are screws I normally have laying around however I can't find anymore and I was wondering if anyone here knew if maybe a home depot,Ace or maybe some place online might have them.

I did find one place but they wanted like $15 for 15 screws which is $1 a piece and kind of ridiculous. Anyway, if someone knows a easy way to get this screws, I would love to hear it.

Thanks.

Just check out your local Geek. Any computer shop would have them and probably sell them cheap, if not just give them to you.

home improvement stores no way

Ace or a real hardware store with isles of screws very likely ...I would try them

or like Dave says try some computer shops or even repair depts at office superstores or best buy ..or cruise the street on trash day looking for pcs by the curb

every flea mkt around here has one or two guys selling "refrubed " Pcs , since its a Saturday you could check with them

Take a hard drive with you to any home improvement store, (Lowes, Home Depot, etc) and go to the aisle with 6-10 screws in a bag. Figure out which one it is and make sure you get SHORT ones. Thread is,.... 4-40, maybe 6-32? If they aren't short enough, wire connector crimp tools usually have built in bolt-cutters of the correct size. Remember to run the screw in from the thread side of the tool. Otherwise, you only get to cut one bolt unless it's way long and hangs out the other side.

when you go to a real hardware store you don't need to guess you can take a screw from the bin and actually try it

What Skip says!
I've been working at the hardware store all week!

I'll buy the REAL hardware store. They're just so hard to find anymore!

OR do what I did. E-bay'd a plastic multi bin box full of all sorts of computer hardware bits and pieces for all of $14 including shipping. Of course, I wasn't on any deadline.

The screw is SAE 6-32 x either 1/4" or 1/2" depending on clearence in the hard drive housing. I must have a thousand of these rolling around the shop.

Rcaman

John-off topic but two other stores within 15 minutes of the one I work at have gone out of business or will be soon, within the last 6 months.

I have so many of those screws...when I gut computers I take all the screws and put them in my plano box with slot covers, jumpers, et cetera.

The mom and pop hardware stores just like the delis, family farms and pet stores are becoming a piece of American history. It's impossible to compete with the big box stores in terms of cost per square foot. When Home Depot buys 6-32 screws, they buy a train box car of them. Your local hardware store might carry a box of 100 if you are fortunate. It's not a matter of one being better than the other (my personal opinion is the mom & pop are ALWAYS better) but more a matter of plain economics. It's a sad state of affairs.

Rcaman

Trust me, I know. We survive on service though.
Just the other day I spent a half hour putting training wheels on a bike for a customer's child. We help people put license plates on their cars, build things, and I can't count how many windows and screens I have repaired.

The 3.5" hard-drives use a 6-32 screw around a 1/4" long.

The 2.5" Hard-drives, CD-Roms, Floppy Drives, use an M3 screw around 6mm long.

And you can probably find the 6-32 screws at a hardware store. Might need to snip the ends to length. Good luck on the M3 if you need them. Most hardware stores don't carry much smaller then M6.

Jeff, same here. I can't believe how much stuff we do that has nothing to do with our business any more. Some we bill for, some as a courtesy.

I'm one of those that sincerely believes it all comes back to you in the end.

--Bill.