Figuring Out Laptop Repair

By Author: mohanchen
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Aside from a few basic troubleshooting tricks, laptop repair is not for the faint of heart. But don't get discouraged, it's not that bad. Just remember the following points to help you avoid costly mistakes.
Essential tools include:
One Type 0 Philips head screwdriver
One Type 1 Philips Head Screwdriver
A pair of long-nose tweezers
A Teflon wedge.
A grounded ESD wrist strap to prevent electrical shocks from damaging the machine.
A pair of Needle nose pliers

Always watch where you're working. Avoid carpets because they cause dust and static which are bad news for electronic equipment.

Before you start any kind of computer repair, back up your hard drive.

Turn off the machine. Unplug it and remove the battery and hard drive. Wear a wrist strap for static, they're cheap and easy to find in any computer repair parts store.
Other things to remember:
Keep any disassembled parts in a safe place.
Keep the parts together with their screws.
Take a close look at any parts before disconnecting them.
Keep ...
... a notepad handy to refresh your memory. Remember where the screws came from.
Don't force any parts that won't budge.
Laptops have all the same problems desk tops have as well as a few of their own such as battery issues and DC jacks.
Laptops are subject to manufacturers' variations; some repairs are specific to a particular make. Some machines are more inclined to have certain problems such as Toshiba power plugs and Dells catching fire.
Having a laptop repair manual specific to your machine is essential when you're doing your own repairs. Manuals and service guides provide information such as:
machine model numbers specific to each country.
component lists and layouts.
disassembly and service guides.
wiring configurations and assignments for cables and connectors.
Problems common to laptops include spilt liquids, shocks caused by dropping the machine causing disruptions with motherboards, connectors and spare parts. Screens and AC adapters are often a problem. They overheat.
Other points are how to solder and where to get parts.
Some quick solutions to common problems: the machine overheats and freezes or turns itself off. That's usually dust in the module and the fastest approach is to blow compressed air into the fan grills on the bottom and the side of the machine.
Liquid spilt into the keyboard: anything with sugar in it and you'll need a new keyboard. For water, turn the machine off immediately and wait till you're sure it's dried. You can tilt it on its side to drain out the water. Broken keys: get out your tweezers and gently pry off the key. There are online dealers specializing in keyboard parts, it's cheaper than having a technician replacing the whole keyboard.