Notebook Disassembly
Hard-Drive, DVD/ CD Burner Drive 15 Inch screen, One problem.. I can't use the damn
thing for more than 2 minutes without the power cutting out on me. Perhaps you have
had the same problem... The laptop is about 2 years old, but is still in its serviceable life
as a computer. The problem is with the power connector in the rear of the computer,
where the power cord plugs into the computer. When the computer reaches this age or
perhaps sooner if yours has had a hard life the solder connections come loose on the
power connector in the rear of the computer. The solder connections are the only thing
supporting this highly stressed connection, every time you plug and unplug your
computer you are slowly breaking it. On my computer the battery is about cooked so the
computer does not last long without the power cord plugged in, so I need to replace my
battery as well. Symptoms on a commuter with a good battery will be a red light coming
on when you plug it into to charge and the battery not being charged, without a good
battery the computer just shuts off :-( I sent my computer out to Hewlett Packard for
repair the first time this happened it lasted about 3.5 months before it quit again..
Conveniently a few weeks after the warranty on the service went out and it cost me
$98.00 to have it re soldered. So I decided to try and find a more permanent cheaper
repair. The major cost in the repair is in the disassembly of the computer which takes a
little over an hour with someone not familiar with the machine, $50-70 an hour for repairs
at a computer shop you do the math. So I decided to venture into the unknown and take
the computer apart myself.
WARNING: This is not for the faint
of heart or the mechanically
disinclined. Although common
sense and patients will go along
way. After you take the computer apart you can take it to an electronics repair
shop and have them solder the connection for about $20. However I have not
successfully had this done yet after trying one computer repair shop they tried to re solder
mine and failed, they did not replace the connections with a new connector so they have
it right now in an attempt to find a new connector, which is proving difficult because it is a
rare shape and size. If this is not possible I have devised a new and better idea to fix it
without the new connector making it my view better than the original. (See below)
First you will need to remember that
computers are very sensitive to static
electricity DO NOT WEAR A WOOL
SWEATER, try and keep yourself
grounded and DO NOT TOUCH ANY
OF THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS,
oils from your skin and the static
electricity you may and probably have
will transfer to them and ruin them.
Take it slow and use common sense..
This is only meant as a guide your
laptop may be different.
Tools:
Mini Screw Driver Set (shown Left)
Compressed air
(to clean dust and grime)
Paper and Pen, Scotch tape
(to label screws as you remove
them)
bottom of the computer. Then
remove the two small rubber circles
located at the back of the computer
(circled in red at right) use your
finger-nail or a screw driver.
Underneath will be two screws
remove both. Tape them to a
sheet of paper and label them.
You may think this is unnecessary
but they are very small and are
easy to loose plus when you are
done you will have a million of them
and they all look very alike.
the front panel in front of the
keyboard, (right above the "Page Up"
key works well) pry up slowly and
gently. The panel should pop up and
their is a connector on the back side.
Remove the connector from the
mother board.
either side of the speakers.
(Labeled in red at left)
Label and tape as before.
Then remove the speaker
connectors (yellow at left)
Next remove the three
screws above the keyboard,
label and tape again. (blue
circles at left)
keyboard (it kinda hinges towards you)
unplug the keyboard cable from the
connector on the mother board located
in the center of the Mother board.
of the fan located on the upper left
hand side. (Screws are circled in red
at left) And disconnect the fan wires.
hinges for the display (Circled in red).
This is the first step in removing the
display so lay the screen flat and
support it with something (a small
pillow, a book).
