
Unfortunately, sourcing replacement batteries is something of a minefield. Look for an online guide to show you how. With newer ultra-thin and convertible laptops you will probably need to remove the case back. Many laptops allow you to remove the battery simply by releasing a couple of catches. That said, what's easy on one laptop can require extensive disassembly on another, or vice versa. The various tasks you can undertake are listed below, grouped roughly according to difficulty for a typical clamshell laptop. The keyboard may be built into the case top and the RAM soldered directly to the motherboard making them much harder to replace.They are custom assemblies shaped to fit within the laptop case rather than made out of standard cylindrical lithium cells. Batteries tend not to be user-replaceable but built-in.Some are glued together and almost impossible to repair whereas with others simply removing the back gives access to the motherboard and main components.More modern ultra-thin and convertible laptops tend to be simpler in construction but not necessarily easier to take apart. In the case of traditional clamshell laptops, many are similar in construction, though some you open from the top and others from the bottom. A good disassembly guide will make this clear. If you put screws in those holes now you'll have a problem later.


This will be because the other holes are for screws to hold the case on. On reassembly you may sometimes find at a certain step you have more holes than screws to go in them. If the laptop case won't come apart, remember, there's always one more screw! If for instance you can ease it apart by a centimetre or two on the left side but only by a few millimetres on the right, the remaining screw is almost certainly close to the right hand side. These are the screws to undo leave any others, at least for the time being. Sometimes you will find arrows against some of the screws on the base of a laptop or on a motherboard. On reassembly, if Blu Tack sticks to the screw threads you can remove it by dabbing them on a piece of clean Blu Tack Blu Tack sticks to Blu Tack better than it sticks to screws. Write the disassembly step or where the screws came from next to each blob of Blu Tack. So long as you only use half the sheet you can fold it over in order to keep the screws reasonably safe if you need to put it aside and come back later to complete the job. You think you'll remember, but believe me, you won't!Īnother good solution is to stick the screws to a sheet of paper with Blu Tack. Be sure to record for each pill box or egg box compartment which disassembly step the screws came from. Pill boxes are an excellent choice but egg boxes will do. A knife, preferably with a thin blade and a round end and not too sharp will do if you have nothing else.įor the intermediate level tasks you will also need a means of organising the screws. A plastic spudger or pick is also useful to avoid damaging your laptop's case. The only tools you will normally need are a set of small screwdrivers and a prying tool - a thin-bladed tool for prying open the clips which very often hold the case together.
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE THINGS FIXED. REPLACED HOW TO
Many laptops come in several variants so if you can't find your precise model then look through the guides for the closest match and it should give you a very good idea how to proceed. One of the best places to look is but a search engine will give others. Brushes and vacuum cleaners can create static.įor any but the most basic tasks, the first thing to do is to search for an online repair or disassembly guide or video for your laptop model. Consider whether you need to take antistatic precautions.

Things don't often go badly wrong, but why take the risk? Before starting work, disconnect the power and remove a user-replaceable battery if there is one.

Unfortunately, newer ultra-thin laptops offer less scope, and a few are virtually unrepairable.īackup important data before you start. If you decide a laptop is beyond repair there may still be the possibility of reusing a few of the components. Although they don't contain as many standard parts as a desktop computer, most parts can be replaced and some can be upgraded. Most traditional "clamshell" laptops are relatively straightforward to disassemble and repair. 3.3.4 Replacing or upgrading the processor.3.1.3 Replacement of a damaged or faulty keyboard.
