Disassembling the Computer

• 1). Save all the important information on your computer on a removable media device, if possible. If the motherboard is dead, you won't be able to do this.
  
  
• 2). Shut down the computer and strip it of its power cable, peripheral devices, and the battery.
  
  
• 3). Turn over the computer and locate the hard drive compartment at the back-left corner of the base near the battery bay. Extract the two screws on the hard drive compartment cover and remove the cover.
  
  
• 4). Remove the hard drive from the compartment.
  
  
• 5). Locate the optical drive and extract the screw between it and the Mini PCI card compartment. Push the tab underneath the screw toward the optical drive and it will pop out of the computer. Pull the drive out of its bay.
  
  
• 6). Extract the two screws from the Mini PCI card compartment cover and remove the cover.
  
  
• 7). Disconnect the antenna cables from the Mini PCI card and spread the retainers on the sides of the card. The card will pop up at an angle. Pull the card out of its port.
  
  
• 8). Locate the modem underneath the Mini PCI card and disconnect the cable that's attached to it.
  
  
• 9). Extract the screw that secures it and remove the modem from the compartment.
  
  
• 10
  
  Locate the Bluetooth module in the part of the Mini PCI card compartment that's closest to the front of the computer and extract the screw from it.
  
  
• 11
  
  Lift the Bluetooth module and disconnect it from its cable.
  
  
• 12
  
  Extract the two screws from the battery bay and turn the computer over. Open the display.
  
  
• 13
  
  Insert a flat-head screwdriver into the indentation on the far-right side of the hinge cover and pry it up. Lift the hinge cover off the computer.
  
  
• 14
  
  Insert a flat-head screwdriver under the keyboard release tab between the frame and the "Page Dn" and "Backspace" keys and lift the keyboard up.
  
  
• 15
  
  Disconnect the flat cable underneath the keyboard and remove the keyboard from the computer.
  
  
• 16
  
  Locate the display cable at the top-left area of the vacated keyboard space and disconnect it. Take the Mini PCI card antenna cables out of their channel so they can move freely.
  
  
• 17
  
  Extract the two screws on each display hinge and lift the display off the computer.
  
  
• 18
  
  Turn over the computer and locate the memory module compartment in the center of the computer base. Extract the two screws on the compartment cover and remove the cover.
  
  
• 19
  
  Spread the retainers on the sides of the module and the module will pop up. Pull the module out of its port.
  
  
• 20
  
  Locate the microprocessor L-shaped thermal-cooling assembly compartment on the right side of the computer base and extract the three screws on the cover. Remove the cover.
  
  
• 21
  
  Extract the four screws on the thermal-cooling assembly and lift it out of the compartment.
  
  
• 22
  
  Locate the microprocessor underneath the themal-cooling assembly and turn the screw on it counterclockwise until it can't turn anymore. Lift the microprocessor out of the compartment.
  
  
• 23
  
  Extract all eleven screws from the computer base. One screw is located in the lower-right corner of the microprocessor thermal-cooling assembly compartment.
  
  
• 24
  
  Turn the computer over and extract four palm rest screws. Three are aligned at the top of the space vacated by the hinge cover and the fourth screw is located in the middle of the area vacated by the keyboard near the LED board cable, which comes down from the hinge cover area.
  
  
• 25
  
  Locate the touchpad cable above the touchpad buttons and the LED board cable and disconnect them.
  
  

Finishing the Replacement

• 1). Separate the palm rest from the computer base by lifting it up going from the left side to the right until it's completely removed from the base.
  
  
• 2). Turn the computer over and extract the two screws from the memory module compartment. Turn the computer over again when you're done.
  
  
• 3). Extract the screw from the top-left corner of the motherboard.
  
  
• 4). Disconnect the speaker cable from the top of the motherboard.
  
  
• 5). Disconnect the modem cable from the left side of the motherboard.
  
  
• 6). Locate the fan on the right side of the motherboard and disconnect the cable.
  
  
• 7). Turn the computer so that the back is facing toward you and gently lift the left side of the motherboard and then lift the right to remove it from the computer base.
  
  
• 8). Follow the instructions in reverse order with a new motherboard to assemble the computer.
  
  
• 9). Turn on the computer and enter the System BIOS. Enter the computer's Service Tag where prompted and restart the computer.
  
  
• 10
  
  Install the software from the disc that came with the new motherboard to complete the replacement.