global Laptop and motherboard repair tutorial | Page 24

out and set it aside. To do this, you can usually just grab the edge of the drives faceplate and gently
pull it outward. Some laptops will not be so easy and you will need a plastic pry tool to pull it
outward (use a guitar pick). Then some laptops will have a lever located nearby that you will
slide/pull to ―popǁ the optical drive out of the laptop.
Once the drive is removed, you will look for any screws on the empty bay that would secure the
lower base to the upper palm rest… some laptops will use 2 to 4 screws here.
Another thing to check while still on the bottom side of the laptop is whether the Fan and Heat
sink assembly needs to be removed prior to motherboard removal. Most laptops will be obvious that
the fan/heat sink will need removal, though some it can be hard to tell… If the fan and heat sink are
accessible from the open areas of the underside of the laptop, then you can go ahead and unplug the
fan(s) and unscrew/remove the fan and heat sink assembly. Some model Laptops like the Gateway
Ma3/7 series will have unlabeled keyboard screws hidden here near the fan. And one hidden in the
Wi-Fi bay, both screws are silver in color and need to be removed. Take a minute to look for any
hidden accessible screws on the underside of the laptop, removing them all, then double check all the
open bays on the underside for remaining screws, like the hard drive bay where it is common to place
1 to 4 screws there. Finish removing all visible screws on the bottom of the laptop, when done, flip
the laptop over and open the screen slightly past a 90 degree angle… You want it like this to be able
to remove the media strip / hinge covers. So start the upper half disassembly by removing the hinge
caps using a micro size flat head screwdriver or using a plastic pry tool (recommended).
The photo above shows
you where the hidden 2 screws are on the Gateway Ma3 and Ma7 that secure the keyboard to the
base.
Continuing on with the Upper Half disassembly, you will remove the media/power button strip
and hinge covers. Removing this strip can sometimes be a little tricky, Dell makes it easier by adding
a pry access area on the right side of the strip, you stick your pry tool in it and pull upward to unsnap
the strip of plastic. Most of these strips will be snapped on and you will need to pull outward while
slightly pulling up and down on the area you are unsnapping to release the tab locks. You will get the
hang of this the more you have to unsnap… it becomes easier when you know how the snaps loosen
because simply pulling outward doesn’t always release the tab. It’s now a good time to use the guitar
or plastic pry tool here to help pull the media strip away. Note that some laptops like the Toshiba
also have a thin plastic snap strip just above the keyboard that need removing prior to removing hinge
caps or keyboard.
To remove these, ensure all bottom side screws are removed, then, use a plastic pry tool or a
micro flat head screwdriver. Start in the center of the thin plastic strip and right where the keyboard