Looking for a DVD drive connector plug.

General Questions
#1

Today I replaced a defective DVD drive in my less than year old HP Pavilion Slimline computer, kindly supplied, under warranty, by HP customer service. There is a 2-pin connector on the back of the drive which goes to an eject button on the front of the computer’s case. (The front of the drive itself is hidden behind a door which flops open when the drive tray ejects.) The connector I’m talking about can be seen in a picture here (labeled #1) in the fourth post down on this forum: http://forums.hexus.net/scan-care-hexus/234721-replacement-dvd-drive-hp-slimline-s5000.html

When trying to remove this connector from the defective drive, it would not budge from it’s plug no matter how hard I tried to pull it loose with needle nose pliers and fingernails. The 2 wires that go into the back of it DID come loose however. (Go ahead and laugh computer experts, you couldn’t have gotten it out either. And no, there is no tab to push down to release it.)

So, I need a replacement plug, with the wires still attached. Trouble is, HP, who quickly sent me a replacement DVD drive, says that little wire isn’t available separately and wants me to ship the whole computer to a service center to replace that wire.

Does anybody know of a source for this connector wire?

#2

This might be it: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/810-10053-00050/1175-1261-ND/3064992

But, you are probably better off just going to a local computer shop and seeing what they have in their junk box.

ETA:
Oh, and by the way - those connectors have a little indention that lets you use your fingernail (or a knife blade) to remove them without yanking on the wires.

#3

Unfortunately, this little plug doesn’t have any indention or anything to grab. And rest assure, I tried grabbing it every way I could before I tried pulling on the wires. I have to send the defective drive back to HP and it will have to go with the plug still lodged in the back of it.

#4

Do you have bare wires now, or did you manage to pull the internal contacts out with the wires?

If you have the contacts, just slip them on over the pins on the drive.