How to Take Apart a Laptop

Level of difficulty: Intermediate

There will be times when you would need to take your laptop apart. It is possible that you spilled something on it and you want to dry it, or it may not be functioning properly and you want to take a look. Whatever the reason may be, it is easy for you to take a look at the interior part of your laptop. However, make sure that you are confident that you will be able to do the disassembling and that you can put the parts back together. Here is a guide on how to take your laptop apart without losing any of its components.

Materials Needed:
- Laptop
- small containers
- small screw set
- permanent marker
Step 1
First, make sure that you are in a clean and safe environment, free of dust and contaminants. The working area should neither be too hot or too cold. Also check your wires and ensure that there is no static electricity present.
Step 2
If your laptop is under warranty, check with the manufacturer first before attempting to take it apart. Some manufacturers will not honor your warranty if you open the case. Back up your files as well to ensure that no data is lost.
Step 3
Each laptop is different and is assembled by the manufacturer according to their standards. Visit the computer manufacturer’s website to know the best way to disassemble the laptop and the order of the screws that should be removed. A technical manual may also be available online and you may follow the steps outlined there.
Step 4
Remove the battery pack and hard drive to ensure that your system is intact and data files will not be lost.
Step 5
Using the small screw set, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to remove the screws. Place the screws in small containers and label each component where you removed the pieces from to avoid confusion.
Step 6
Re-assemble the laptop’s parts in the exact same order you took them apart. Reconnect the cables and make sure that you use all the screws for each of the component.
Step 7
Insert the battery pack back into your laptop and turn on your machine. If there are no errors or malfunctions, turn off the laptop and put the hard drive back on. Check if the laptop is functioning properly by turning it on and running the Operating System. In case of error or malfunction, bring your laptop to the service center immediately.