anyone know how to disassemble a laptop?

a couple of years ago I was forced to buy a new laptop when the charger port in my laptop at the time broke apart/came loose. I gave up on the idea of getting it fixed when I found out I'd have to replace the entire motherboard which would cost around $400. Well, I recently found the motherboard for that computer, a Gateway 4536GZ, at a really good price on ebay, so I bought it. Now I am trying to get the laptop apart, for obvious reasons. It's a pretty straight-forward process, taking out a lot of screws, and I'm being careful, but I've reached a snag. I can't get the cover completely apart. There is a screw on the INSIDE holding the top and bottom covers together, and there doesn't seem to be any way to access it. No panels, it's located close to where the battery connects. Does anyone know if there's some sort of trick I'm missing? Right now I can't even see how a professional could get the thing apart. I need the cover to come off completely so I can reach the rest of the screwes holding the motherboard in place, and remove it with ease and care.

I hope someone can help, I've googled my heart out and all the tutorials I've found read as if getting the cover apart is the easiest step.

I've been subscribed to Da Lan Tech for about 8 years. It's got members in the IT field.

"Gateway 4536GZ"
"I can't get the cover completely apart. There is a screw on the INSIDE holding the top and bottom covers together, and there doesn't seem to be any way to access it."

I can crosspost if you like or I'm sure they'd like to gain a new member: free registation.

They don't sell or share any personal info. Interested in either way ?

hey cool, if you could crosspost that would be great, I appreciate it

TheStargazer wrote:hey cool, if you could crosspost that would be great, I appreciate it

It's cross posted. As I said though, members haven't been around a lot lately. Keep your fingers crossed.

UPDATE

The good news: I got the thing apart!!!

The possibly bad news: I may have spent money on a motherboard I don't need. I was led to believe the power jack was part of the motherboard and the motherboard itself needed replacing. Now that I have gotten the whole laptop apart, I can see that the jack is on it's own, separate board...I just purchased that on ebay.

Now, I just have to wait for my part(s) to arrive and see if I can put this thing back together properly...hope it works!

Glad to hear it. The reply I got:

matt619 wrote:You've usually gotta remove the keyboard to get the 2 halves apart. They like to hide little screws under there. That being said, every time I'm trying to crack open a laptop, I just google for "disassembly instructions" and the model number, and I usually find a pretty decent guide.

You've found the down side to ordering parts to an unknown assembly beforehand - it's a guess.

Have fun.

RBM wrote:Glad to hear it. The reply I got:

matt619 wrote:You've usually gotta remove the keyboard to get the 2 halves apart. They like to hide little screws under there. That being said, every time I'm trying to crack open a laptop, I just google for "disassembly instructions" and the model number, and I usually find a pretty decent guide.

You've found the down side to ordering parts to an unknown assembly beforehand - it's a guess.

Have fun.

The laptop I have must have been a short-lived model because I've found very little info specific to it. But yeah, I did have to go through the keyboard/power panel, which I didn't even know came apart.

I had the computer looked at by a professional at the time that the jack failed, they took it with them, and said I needed a new motherboard in order to fix the jack, so I was operating off that info. Thankfully I paid MUCH less than retail for this motherboard so it's not a huge loss...and I just might need it anyway after my many failed attempts at disassembling the laptop

I've got a laptop I have yet to really use, much because of the intricate engineering involved.

Finding GOOD and HONEST computer tech's seems to be harder and harder to find. You seem to be getting along fine, though :-)

Computer repair can be nerve racking, but it sounds like you're doing fine Stargazer. As you know, the secret is being careful, going slow, and taking lots of notes/pictures/whatever so you know how it all goes back together. Be especially careful to note the orientation on connectors - not all of them are marked/keyed, and it can be quite difficult figuring out which way they go on sometimes.

After you get it all back together, you get to go through the fun part of discovering what drivers you need and what changes (if any) you should make in the CMOS BIOS settings. My advice - if it works don't mess with the BIOS settings unless you've got a good reason to do so. Hopefully, you won't need any drivers, since that process is all about getting lucky with internet searches. A good support site for your computer is really handy - or a forum full of knowledgeable people can be even better.

That's excellent advice.