15.01.2024 Views

CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

  • No tags were found...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

and the shrinking size of portable devices mean there are many exceptions,

especially for very compact portables; these devices may be trickier to take

apart, and components may be soldered on or use less-common interfaces.

Disassembly Process

Disassembling a portable PC is usually pretty easy, if it was designed to be

upgraded or serviced by casual users. Putting it back together in working

condition is the hard part! You need to follow a four-step process to succeed

in disassembly/reassembly.

First, document and label every cable and screw location. Laptops don’t

use standard connectors or screws. Often you’ll run into many tiny screws of

varying threads. If you try to put a screw into the wrong hole, you could end

up stripping the screw, stripping the hole, or getting the screw wedged into

the wrong place.

Second, organize any parts you extract from the laptop. Seriously, put a

big white piece of construction paper on your work surface, lay each

extracted piece out in logical fashion, and clearly mark where each

component connects and what it connects to as well. You may even want to

use a smartphone camera to take pictures or a webcam to record your

workspace in case something goes missing.

Third, refer to the manufacturer’s resources. I can’t stress this point

enough. Unlike desktops, portables have no standardization of internal

structure. Everything in the portable is designed according to the

manufacturer’s best engineering efforts. Two portables from the same

manufacturer might have a similar layout inside, but it’s far more likely that

every model differs a lot.

Finally, you need to use the appropriate hand tools. A portable, especially

on the inside, will have a remarkable variety of tiny screws that you can’t

remove/reinsert without tiny-headed Phillips or Torx drivers. You’ll need

tiny pry bars—metal and plastic—to open components. Figure 23-29 shows

an entry-level toolkit for a laptop tech that you can order from iFixit.com

(more on this site in a moment). Their professional toolkit version has 70

tools, plus there’s an expansion kit! Like I said at the beginning of this

section, portable techs are specialists.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!