STEPS OF

DISASSEMBLING
LAPTOP
 How to Disassemble a
Laptop – Take Apart ANY
Laptop Using These Steps
Learning to take apart a laptop

Let’s begin this section of laptop

disassembly in these steps by also
explaining that the purpose of the ‘laptop
teardown’ is to give you the confidence that
you can disassemble any laptop and how
laptop assembly works. You can use these
steps to take apart a laptop regardless of
make or model, as you gain more
experience you may adjust them slightly
but this is a tried and tested approach.
Computer system generally refers to a set of electronics hardware components
assembled together forAn introduction to laptop disassembly

Really the only time you would need to undertake full a complete laptop
disassembly is perhaps if you are to replace a motherboard or laptop case.  The
majority of repairs or replacement will only require a few of these steps to be
undertaken.

However, manufacturers DO tend to follow a common pattern and a system when

building laptops regardless of the brand and because of this we can follow as a
guide these 8 steps that can be applied to ANY laptop as a guide. They show you
how to disassemble or how to open a laptop regardless of manufacturer.
the purpose of performing some basic operation with much regard to speed and
accuracy.
The 8 steps of generic laptop disassembly

1. Remove the power supply and battery

2. Remove the accessible components
3. Remove the Hinge Plate Cover (HPC) /
Keyboard Bezel and keyboard
4. Remove any other cables under the
keyboard that you see
5.Remove the display unit
6. Continue to remove any other screws
from the case
7. Pry case apart
8. Remove the motherboard and
motherboard peripherals
The aim of this presentation is to give
you an overview of how to generically
disassemble a laptop.  The aim is to
introduce you to the various
components found within a typical
laptop and how you can replace
them.
1. Remove the power supply and battery
Removing the battery and
power adapter

- Move the locking slider to

the ‘unlock’ position.
- Move the other slider in
the direction of the arrow.
- Pull the battery out
straight and not on an
angle.
2. Remove the Accessible Components
How to unscrew a laptop?

- Use an appropriate magnet tipped

screwdriver, most of the time you will
use a Philips screwdriver for this.

- If you are removing a cover, e.g. a Hard

Drive or RAM cover, it may help if you
place masking tape over the screw hole
to keep the screws in place once the
cover is removed so as not to lose the
screws.
- If the screw spins and does not come
out first of all turn the laptop over and
gently tap the underside, try using the
magnetic tip of the screwdriver to pull
the screw out if this helps.

- If the threads on the screw have

became worn then consider using a
Dremel tool to drill the screw out.
How to take the back / bottom of a laptop
off?

- Undo the screws from all of the covers

that house the components found on the
underside of the laptop.

- The number of covers will vary from

laptop to laptop. For neatness and
efficiency put the screws back into their
holes on the covers once removed from
the laptop and consider putting some
masking tape over the hole.
- There is also a single screw that retains the CD/DVD drive. On most laptops
this appears as a small CD picture, in this case it is the picture of a padlock.
Sometimes this screw is located underneath a cover. Try to imagine the size
and length of a CD/DVD drive to get an idea where the screw will be located.
Remove this also.
- Remove the covers and lay them out
upon a cleared area of your workbench
in such a way that they are positioned
in rough relation to each other as they
were upon the laptop.

- HARD DRIVE: – Remove this by pulling

it in the opposite direction to its data
pins. There may be screws or maybe
not. The drive should pull out easily.
Place it on top of its cover in the cleared
area of your desk.
RAM: – There are clips either side of the
sticks of RAM that push outward. It is
advisable to use a plastic spudger tool
whenever possible to prevent any static
discharge from occurring. When release the
RAM will pop up at an angle of 30 degrees.
Remove both sticks of RAM and place them
on top of their cover in the cleared area of
your desk.

There may be more covers that you can

remove or not. If you can see more then
keep going until all covers and components
have been removed.
WIRELESS CARD: – There is a small gold
tipped cover which you can prise off with
minimum effort. This is the wireless
antennae. The wireless card itself can be
removed in the same manner as the sticks
of RAM. Remember to remove it at 30
degree angle.

For now if you see a heat sink under a

cover then leave it in place. If you remove
it you could damage the CPU.
3. Remove the Hinge Plate Cover (HPC) /
Keyboard Bezel and keyboard
With some laptops there are
additional screws that retain the
Hinge Cover Plate, (HCP) most of
the time they will be indicated by a
small picture of a keyboard (but
not always). These screws will
sometimes located inside the
removed battery area. Remove
them and take a note of their
position and type so you can
differentiate them from other
screws later on.
Once the hinge cover plate has
been prised up, use your fingers to
gently remove the whole part.
Place it with the other covers on
your work desk.
Remove the retaining screws found
underneath the hinge cover plate.
Check for any additional screws
near the bottom of the keyboard
too.
The keyboard will not simply lift up
you need to push it forward toward
the screen first.

THERE IS A RIBBON CABLE

UNDERNEATH THE KEYBOARD
– BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO
PULL IT OUT AT THIS POINT.

The ribbon cable is held in place

by a plastic hinge which you can
lift up using either your finger nail
or a plastic spudger tool.
4. Remove any other cables under the
keyboard that you see
It may be a good idea to take a
picture or draw a diagram of where
all the cables go.

The ribbon cable connectors only

come in a few varieties and they
either prise forward or upward. You
might also see small plastic plugs
for some cables. They just pull out.
5. Remove the Display Unit
Our next step will be to remove
the display unit.

As with most laptops before this

can be done we also need to
remove the antennae cable and
the LCD data cable.

These cables can be connected

in variety of manner but removal
is usually straight forward.
Take out the hinge screws for
the display assembly.
Sometimes they are on the back
and others they are inside.

Try to see where the hinges

might be connected, they
usually use longer screws.

Take out the hinge screws for

the display assembly and gently
removed the part.
SCREEN REPLACEMENT / FL
INVERTER

Remove the black rubber pads from

around the edge of the screen
surround. The retaining screws are
to be found under here. When
removing the pads using as little
force as possible as to not damage
them. Try and use your finger nails
at first before resorting to other
tools.

Undo the screws and place them

into a tub on your separate work
area.
Using a spudger tool or your fingers pry the
front cover away from the back part of the
screen.

Run the spudger tool around the outside if

required but at no point should you feel
resistance, you may have missed a screw if
you do.

With the front cover removed the LCD

screen is now exposed.
Remove the tiny screws
from the side of the
LCD screen and
remove the screen
taking care not to touch
the back part of the
screen that says ‘DO
NOT TOUCH’.
Most laptops allow you
to just remove 2 screws
from the top front part
of the metallic arms that
hold the LCD in place
which allows you to tilt
the screen and have
access to the FL
INVERTER.
6. Continue to remove any other screws from
the case
Remove them all and place
them either in pile so you can
identify them later or into a
small container. 

Make sure you label them so

you know where they came
from later on.

Repeat this procedure for the

other half of the laptop.
7. Pry Case Apart
Pry case apart – use
spudger, fingernails or
plastic tools. Again, if
you feel resistance
STOP and double
check you have
removed all of the
screws.
8. Remove the motherboard and motherboard
peripherals
Take note that the touchpad
comes as part of an
assembly and when you buy
a replacement one of these it
comes as the assembly and
not just the touchpad.

Remove all screws securing

the system board, the power
board, the video board, etc.
Disconnect all cables,
connecting the boards.
Sometimes the screws on the
motherboard have a letter
assigned or white arrows.
They are the ones you have
to unscrew to get the
motherboard off because you
don’t always have to take all
the screws out.
Take the screw numbers as a
guide for fitting and removal.

Slowly take the motherboard

out and feel for where the
pressure seems to keep the
board in place. It should
come out with no pressure.
PUTTING IT ALL
BACK
TOGETHER
The process is simply the reverse.
STEP 1

 Put the motherboard

back into the case and
reconnect the sound
cable.

 Put all screws back into

the white arrow holes.
 Put the case parts back
together. Remember to
thread the cables
including the antennae
cable back through.
Make sure no cable is
snagged or caught up
anywhere.
STEP 2

Put the retaining screws

back into the bottom half
of the laptop. Then put
the top screws back in.
STEP 3

 Put the screen back in place

and reconnect the antennae
and the data cable.

 Replace the display hinge

screws.
STEP 4

 Replace the keyboard. First of all put

the ribbon cable back in. Remember
there is a plastic hinge which holds the
ribbon in place, remember to lift this up
first (gently).

 The ribbon has a darker side and a

lighter side. It is the lighter side that
faces upward, so there is no twist in the
ribbon.

 Replace the keyboard retaining screws.

STEP 5

 Click the Hinge Cover Plate

(HCP) back into place. Use
even pressure to ensure it fits
properly.
STEP 6

Replace the RAM. Remember

it is fed into the slots at 30
degree angles and not straight
on.

Once it has been fed at a 30

degree angle, click it
downwards into place.
 Replace the other components such as
the wireless card, again remember it has
to inserted at a 30 degree angle. Click it
into place and gently replace the gold
connector.

 Replace the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) by

sliding it in the opposite direction to the
arrow. Make sure it fits securely and is
not loose.

 Insert the CD/DVD drive and put the

retaining screw back into the underside
of the laptop.
STEP 7

 Finally, replace the component

covers and replace all of the
screws.

 These steps give you a generic

overview that you can use to
take any laptop apart.
THANK YOU!!!