How to open a laptop case - remove parts

Caution: Before working inside a computer, disconnect all the cables, including the power cable from the back of the computer. Also, make sure you're aware of the potential dangers of ESD (electrostatic discharge), and take precautions to prevent it.

Removing the battery and power adapter:

Move the locking slider to the ‘unlock’ position

Move the other slider in the direction of the arrow

Pull the battery out straight and not at an angle

Remove accessible components:

How to unscrew a laptop:

Use an appropriate magnet-tipped screwdriver. Most of the time, you will use a Philips screwdriver for this.

If you are removing a cover, for example, a Hard Drive or RAM cover, it may help if you place masking tape over the screw hole to keep the screws in place once the cover is removed so as not to lose the screws.

How to take the back/bottom of a laptop off:

Undo the screws from all the covers that house the components found on the underside of the laptop.

The number of covers will vary from laptop to laptop.

There is also a single screw that retains the CD/DVD drive. On most laptops, this appears as a small CD picture, in this case, the picture of a padlock. Sometimes this screw is located underneath a cover.

Remove the covers and lay them out upon a cleared area of your workbench where they position in rough relation to each other as they were upon the laptop.

HARD DRIVE: – Remove this by pulling it in the opposite direction to its data pins. There may be screws, or maybe not. The drive should pull out easily. Place it on top of its cover in the cleared area of your desk.

RAM: – There are clips on either side of the sticks of RAM that push outward. It is advisable to use a plastic spudger tool whenever possible to prevent any static discharge from occurring. When releasing the RAM, it will pop up at an angle of 30 degrees. Remove both sticks of RAM. Place them on top of their cover in the cleared area of your desk.

There may be more covers that you can remove or not. If you can see more, keep going until all covers and components have been removed.

WIRELESS CARD: – There is a small gold-tipped cover that you can prise off with minimum effort. This is the wireless antenna. The wireless card itself can be removed in the same manner as the sticks of RAM. Remember to remove it at a 30-degree angle.