global Laptop and motherboard repair tutorial | Page 27

removed before the palm rest can be removed. So look for strangely placed screw locations on both
the bottom and top before removing the palm rest.
The palm rest will have a data ribbon cable that attaches to itself and leads to the motherboard,
usually directly in the middle of the palm rest, though some models like the older dells will run the
cable to the left side then it plugs into the motherboard using a plug/socket connection. The typical
touchpad ribbon cable connection port will be the slide locking tab type, and you will gently slide
both left and right sides of the locking tab upward to release the cable.
Look around the exposed areas of the palm rest and carefully unplug any cables that you can see.
Also untrack any remaining cables or wires away from the palm rest. You should now be ready to
remove the palm rest from the lower base.
Most all palm rests will be snapped down to the base and to remove the palm rest you will need
to unsnap all the tabs. To do this, you will use a guitar pick or similar plastic pry tool, starting at a
corner and making your way around the entire palm rest to unsnap all the locking tabs. You should
now be able to pull the palm rest away from the bottom base of the laptop. You will be left with the
bottom base and motherboard.
Some Sony Vaio and Toshiba laptops have reversed this process and you will be removing the
bottom base first, as the motherboard is attached to the palm rest.
You should now have the bottom base and motherboard left over to disassemble, or the opposite
and you have the palm rest and motherboard left, this process will be the same for either, so I will
just refer to the bottom base method and you can use that in the same fashion to remove the
motherboard from palm rest.
Now, with the bottom base in front of you, you will disconnect any remaining wires or cables that
hinder the removal of the motherboard. You can remove any screws securing the motherboard to the
base. These screws will usually be marked on the motherboard with either a number or a symbol. If
not, you can use a marker to draw an x over the hole to remind yourself that it needs to have a
securing screw upon reassembly of the laptop.
Some laptops will have mini boards or daughter boards attached to them that will also need to be
removed or detached from the motherboard to complete the removal process.
Once you think you have removed all the retaining screws, you can attempt to remove the
motherboard from the base. Start this process by slightly lifting up on any given corner. I will usually
start near the area opposite from the onboard headphone jack port or volume knob. I pull upward
slightly then outward making sure to pull any components like the audio out ports, or the VGA or