Laptop Repairing Precautions

Please don’t do laptop computer repair without going through this tutorial first. I’ll guide you how you can keep yourself away from making costly mistakes that could lead your laptop computer useless.

First of all have a good understanding of what it is you need to do and what you might need in the way of tools. A big mistake people make is to sit down with a part and their laptop and use whatever they have around to open up the laptop and replace the part.

What you should try and have before you start..

• 1 x Philips Head Screwdriver type 0
• 1 x Philips Head Screwdriver type 1
• Tweezers ( long nose )
• ESD mat or grounded ESD wrist strap (ElectroStatic Discharge)
• Needle nose pliers
• A Teflon wedge or splade

Also take a look at the environment you are going to do your laptop computer repair in, static electricity can ruin your day and you won’t even know it..

Back up your laptop's hard drive just in case you do something you shouldn’t have. Avoid doing your laptop computer repair in a carpeted room, use the kitchen or garage.

Keep in mind that if you are playing with the LCD the backlight inverter can give you a nasty shock if the unit is powered, switch the laptop off and unplug it, you should also remove the laptop's battery and hard drive.

I understand that most people won’t have any anti-static gear like wrist straps and so on but if you are going to be doing some laptop computer repair on a regular basis, it may be worth while getting some, although the laptop you have may be a cheap one there is no point killing it off and dumping it in the trash.

Some points to remember when undertaking laptop computer repairs..

• Don’t disassemble a machine if it doesn’t need it.
• Use the right tools.
• Try to do it in a clean environment.
• Test the machine properly beforehand
• Keep any parts you remove in a safe place.
• Keep the screws with the parts they have been taken from.
• Put the right size screws back into parts when it's time to reassemble it.
• Observe how connectors work before disconnecting them.
• Make notes for yourself if you need to as you pull apart the machine.
• Check all cables and connectors are fastened as you go along.
• Try not to use screwdrivers to lever or remove plastic parts.
• If a part won't budge look for hidden screws or a screw you may have missed.
• TAKE YOUR TIME.

Note: Some laptops have the screw holes marked with screw types and sizes. Some use symbols to indicate screw types. Take notice of what screws come out of where.

The laptop computer repair tips page is subject to many variations for different laptops and it is hard to be very specific. We have put this page together taking best and most common practices in mind.