Laptop Repair

[Mrs Peel]

My laptop's LCD screen is broken (cracked), and I recently bought another machine on ebay for parts as well as a CD copy of the repair manual.

I'd like to take the broken screen out of mine, get the screen out of the new purchase, swap it in...and have the darned thing work.

Are there any special tools I'll need (aside from a regular flat head or phillips screwdriver) (it's a Toshiba), or any issues I may not have considered?

Thanks.

 

[Weird Harold]

My laptop's LCD screen is broken (cracked), and I recently bought another machine on ebay for parts as well as a CD copy of the repair manual.

I'd like to take the broken screen out of mine, get the screen out of the new purchase, swap it in...and have the darned thing work.

Are there any special tools I'll need (aside from a regular flat head or phillips screwdriver) (it's a Toshiba), or any issues I may not have considered?

Thanks.

The repair manual should tell you if you need a special screwdrive but if you do it's probably a Torx (star bit) and they're not hard to come by. I've seen a few computers that use square drive screws but screw drivers fo those aren't hard to find either.

The only thing you can do is look at the screws holding the case together -- most of the screws inside will be the same type.

Two issues youneed to be aware of:

1: Static Electricity: computers (and solid state devices in general) are susceptible to damge from "electrostatic discharge" Make sure you are "grounded" at all times while you're working inside the computer.

Radio Shack sells grounding straps and mats -- what you probably need is just a wrist-band style static guard; it's wrist band attached to a ground wire connected to the household ground circuit.

2: fragile connectors, cables and pins: The screen of your laptop is probably connected via a ribbon cable that is relatively easy to damage and a small "edge connector" that is also relatively fragile. They're very similar to the ribbon cables and bar connectors to a desktop computers drives, but much more fragile. The pins the connector mates with are probably equally fragile and easy to bend.

Replacing your screen should require very little force on the connectors and cables. If there is resistance you probably have things lined up wrong and using more force will damage something.

othe rthan those two points, changing the screen should be fairly straight forward -- especially if you follow the manual step by step.

 

[Dstorage]

Emma <G>,

Start by taking your donor screen laptop apart first, so if you screw something up it won't be as big a deal. As weird Harold pointed out, you might run into some small torx head screws, they look like small pointy stars but I think it will be mostly phillips head screws. If you can buy one of those cheap small screwdriver sets that should work well enough for you. If you need to buy them at a sears store you'll need either a #00, #0, or #1 or probably a combination of them that is why I suggest getting a set. They are usually called "Jewellers screwdriver" sets. Here is one from home depot

Regarding static, do this- take a bounce softener sheet and rub it all over both computers, and on your hands, arms, feet and your chair. Wear a cotton shirt and nothing synthetic, well underwear is OK I guess. You don't really need to do anything else for a casual and quick repair. If you get up from the table rub yourself and the cases down when you start. Just a quick swipe, you do not need to scrub, more like you are wiping some dust off them. If you can work somewhere that has a concrete floor it is much better than carpet, which is the last choice. Wood and linoleum are in the middle.

If you do need a torx bit press a piece of gum into the screw and carefully take it in to the hardware store, when they get that small all the sizes start looking the same.


Good luck!

Good luck!

 

[TIKIman]

alright, this is easy

you dont need to worry too much about static, just put the laptop on a table and make sure you touch something metal before you start (so your body does not hold a static charge)

first off you will have to remove those little round black things on the front of the display, probly located under the screen. they are stickers that cover up screws. there will probly be two on each side of the display as well

once you have done this, the screen is held in place by some snaps, carefully pull the two plastic pieces that are on the front and back of the display (use a flathead screwdriver to do this, its different on all laptops, but as long as you are carefull you will not have problems) you may have buttons or a contrast switch on one of the parts, you should not have to disconnect them

once this is done, you should have a pile of screws (you will probly find two different types, remember where they go) some black things that you will want to keep and stick back on, and a plastic "frame"

there is a thin plastic ribbon cable (looks like a piece or ribbon, obviously) be VERRY carefull with this, try not to put any kinks in it, if you do then it will not work, it is connected to the screen, and also to the computer (they are all different, some unplug from the computer, and some from the screen) it plugs into a clip, you want to pull the top part of this clip up, releasing the ribbon cable

after this you should have yourself a screen in hand. repeat this on the working laptop, and then replace the old with the new

MAKE SURE IT WORKS BEFORE YOU PUT IT BACK TOGEATHER

then, put it back togeather, the side screws are probly what you want to put back in first, then snap the front on, put in the screws, and replace the sticky things

ive done this a few times, on some ibm laptops, a dell, and a compaq, and never run into any problems

 

[Mrs Peel]

Thanks all.

The "new" one hasn't arrived yet, but it should show up within the next few days.

I do have a jeweler's screwdriver set; but if it turns out that I need to get a Torx, are they more of a Radio Shack or a Home Depot item? And do you buy them in a set or by the individual size (Torx 6, Torx 8, etc.)?

Thanks again.

 

[Weird Harold]

I do have a jeweler's screwdriver set; but if it turns out that I need to get a Torx, are they more of a Radio Shack or a Home Depot item? And do you buy them in a set or by the individual size (Torx 6, Torx 8, etc.)?

Depending on the size you need, an auto parts store would have individual screwdrivers or complete sets. Sears or other department chain with a tool line like Craftman(tm) would be my next choice if the Pep Boys store across the street didn't have the right size.

Radio Shack may have a "jewelers" set of very small Torx screwdrivers but I'd check a more "tool oriented" outlet first unless the Radio Shack is right next door to you.

For very small Torx, a straight bladed jewelers' screwdrive can be used because the splines in a Torx line up on opposite sides of the socket and they usually don't require much torque to remove and replace.

A Torx "T10" (the smallest bit in my Torx set) is 2.5mm wide. Auotomotive Trim is usually T10 or T12 sized screws where they're used. That's close to the size you're likely to find in the laptop case.

Once you get inside the case and get the screen hinge loose, you're not likely to have to unscrew anything to disconnect the cable -- if you do, your jewelers' set should be able to handle it.


Radi