How Much To Repair Laptop Water Damage

Wondering how to repair a cleaved laptop? We're going to crack open up three common laptops; a netbook, an older gaming laptop and a modern Intel model.

In the process we're going to take a look at just how we got within, how piece of cake it is to remove cases and components and once inside merely what y'all tin can do in there.

From replacing dodgy sound and data connections, to upgrading or replacing damaged parts. Past the time y'all've read this guide no longer should you be afraid to open your laptop.

Like any epic quest you'll need the help of some trusty companions. The almost important is a good precision screwdriver set. Nosotros picked upwards a cheap 11-piece set up from a big yellow DIY store for £viii. To shift firm screws a gear up of pliers is useful for giving a trivial more buy to your screwdriver.

For soldering duties a soldering kit including a stand and helper will too be required, these cost around £15 from eBay. A well-lit, clear piece of work space is also advantageous.

Somewhere you can shop all the parts you remove and containers for the many, many tiny, easily lost screws laptops seem to produce. With all of that to mitt let's start our teardown.

How to repair your netbook

Starting pocket-sized seems like a proficient idea to us and our first Dexter-style victim is a trusty netbook. This is an ideal identify to start as the structure and internal components are at a minimum, reducing the internal clutter and confusion, plus it provides a perfect way of getting to know the bones insides of a laptop before we movement on to more than complex models.

The first thing to practice is disconnect this thing from the mains and remove the battery. This makes sure the damn netbook isn't going to try and spring back into life equally nosotros're poking around within it. The other reason is that many models hibernate securing screws within the battery bay, so we need to poke around in at that place anyway.

Before attempting any teardown it's worth stepping back and assessing how the land lies. For the states this means checking to see what screws are clearly visible in the base of operations, flexing obvious areas to meet if they look like they will united nations-clip and trying to spot screws hidden backside condom feet or stickers.

The beginning task is to remove all the visible screws.

Gentle stripping

We suggest having some sort of system for storing the screws. We tend to try and identify them on the bench in a mirror of where they were unscrewed from. You could take a piece of A4 and draw an outline of the laptop and identify the screws in the corresponding position on the paper.

We practise that every bit there's such a varied mix of sizes it saves trying to remember and judge where they should go. Alternatively you could sling them all into various tupperware pots, we but hope you take the kind of listen that can remember where they all go!

If there are any access panels these will besides demand to be removed , but this is more of an issue with laptop models. Oft on netbooks this simply isn't the case, they're non designed to be upgraded in this fashion, which is another expert reason for performing a teardown. So you know but how to supersede the hidden internals.

With all the visible screws out of the way information technology'southward time to start teasing off the lesser of the netbook's chassis. There are defended pry tools for this ordinarily made from plastic, though small flat-head precision screwdrivers work as well. Be as gentle as possible at this stage, the main thing is to bank check for whatever subconscious screws that can often be hiding in the case.

Once the principal dorsum has been removed equally, you'll meet for the other models, netbooks effectively come in ii main pieces: the base and the display. Usually you won't desire to disassemble the two unless you're performing a screen replacement only they will always come up autonomously in two stages: the beginning being the electrical connections and the second existence the physical hinge.

Delving further than this into a netbook is a example of continuing to remove visible screen and cable connections, the side by side main piece being the motherboard and with that out of the fashion you're done.

Dismantling an old friend

Armed with but a screwdriver and our cunning

01. First with the screws

We'll start with removing all the screws. Switching to your finger tools see how amenable the lesser of the example is to being removed, in this case the bottom pretty much barbarous off.

Normally you'll need a minor apartment-caput driver to carefully un-clip the loosest area of the case and take it from there. Proceed an eye out for screws hidden behind stickers or rubber feet.

02. Look at what you've done

Often this is every bit far as you'll need to venture every bit yous have access to all the main components including the hard drive, retention expansion, wireless mini-PCI-e module, cooling module and fill-in battery. For keyboard and touchpad repairs, screen replacements and motherboard repairs y'all accept to venture further. First, taking a photo for reference.

03. Getting glutinous

There will exist a lot of record belongings diverse wires and components tidily in place. You'll need to remove all of these, which is why a reference photo will exist handy when putting everything back.

Some removable components, such equally the difficult drive or wireless module will be screwed into identify. It's likely these volition need to be removed if you desire to remove the mobo.

04. The screening process

The terminal major component to become is the screen. On most models this is firmly held in place by a screw beside each hinge.

On top of this you'll find a number of cables going into the screen that acquit the power, the video data, any wireless antenna that are embedded in information technology, plus data cables for webcams or mics. Undo and unplug these and the screen should come away.

05. Get your mother out

The keyboard, touchpad, speakers, chassis, LEDs and other sensors, such every bit Bluetooth adaptors volition trail cables to the tiptop and bottom sides of the mobo.

The ribbon connectors usually flip up; older types have a pull up section. You'll often find the keyboard ribbon awkwardly connects to the underside, yous may have to yank the mobo abroad from this.

06. Keyboard popping

Keyboards are usually stronger than they look as they are designed to be highly flexible. The main event is trying to work out if they're designed to be removed from the exterior or from inside. Ofttimes if you wait forth the meridian row of keys you lot can spy tabbed areas to insert a flat-head screwdriver and pop them out. With this model it had to be popped from the rear.