Drobo Mini and thin Intel Solid State Drives Getting Stuck

So I bought a Drobo Mini and stuck a couple Intel SSDs in it only to learn that the Drobo Mini isn’t compatible with the 520 series… Boo, but what can yah do, its a valid enough reason they don’t work.

So I would then use the drives elsewhere (they are still great drives), but when trying to eject them I found myself in a very frustrating situation. The Intel drives are thinner than usual and so to make them fit, Intel includes a plastic frame attached to the top of the drive. Its enough to make them fit snuggly in a drive bay without adding weight since the frame only wraps the outside edges.

Well the Drobo Mini has an (assuming its needed but still) annoying strip of flexible metal in it that holds the drive snug. Unfortunately it is not as wide as the drive and once loaded drops into the frame on the drive, holding it in place. Holds it snug nicely, however, when trying to remove the drive, this strip of metal prevents the drive from sliding out. I could slid it out enough to disconnect the drive but any further and the frame would hit the metal springy strip and stop.

The Drobo Mini is mini for a reason… Its packed in tight, with barely any space around the drive openings. With the drive part way out I had more room but the only thing flat and long enough to fit was a butter knife (as I cringe again at the thought) but as I could get part of the metal raised out of the way it was wide enough and flexible enough that the other corner stayed down. Two knives were just two hard to maneuver, so I took a break to let my mind process things.

I needed something wider and thin as paper. Nothing came to mind that would be thin enough but strong enough to lift the metal strip. Then it occurred to me that that it only had to be strong enough to not crumple since if wide enough it could ride along the frame and, with the frame supporting it, lift the metal strip up and out of the way of the frame.

I cut a piece of a cereal box out, almost as wide as the drive but twice as long. Slid the cardboard carefully along side the top of the drive and as far back as it would go, and success.

The cardboard held flat and was enough to lift the metal strip up and I was able to remove the drive.

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