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There is a huge percentage of Computer Technicians out there know how to fix both laptops and desktops. However, the problem with repairing laptops is getting them apart. There are often screws hidden under stickers, special clips that need to be squeezed in a certain way and usually the laptop needs to be disassembled in a certain order.
Of course, it helps if you have a Service Guide to show you how to get the laptop apart; but they are sometimes difficult to get. For example, Apple only allows their service manuals to be viewed by AASP certified businesses/technicians and other brands guard their service manuals fairly closely as well.
Because of this, I have created this small list of sites where you can obtain Laptop teardown guides.
Official Sources
These are some of the manufacturers that actually share their tear down guides. The majority do not.
Many of these links contain other information about the laptop (drivers, specifications etc..), so look for either the “Maintenance Guide” or “Service Guide” on these pages.
Other Sources
Tims Laptop Service Manuals – Large list of laptop repair manuals. Scroll about 1/4 down the page to see the manuals.
Large list of laptop repair manuals
Inside My Laptop – Guide on how to replace various laptop parts.
EServiceInfo – A large (somewhat unorganised) archive of service manuals.
IFixIt – IFixIt has teardown guides for Apple computers, PCs and many other consumer electronics.
Of course, if you want to know how to repair laptops (brand unspecific) then I highly recommend Podnutz’s Laptop Repair Videos.
It is difficult to get service guides for many brands so if you know of any other resources, please post them in the comments below.
Inside My Laptop has been an essential source for doing laptop repairs for me. I would have been lost without it at first, and it’s still the first place I go to find a teardown guide. Highly recommended.
Same here! Insidemylaptop.com has helped me with an old Lenovo laptop that I had to replace the fan assembly on and the pictures were very easy to follow. I have that site bookmarked on my browser. I ended giving a donation to the hard-working efforts of the person (I can’t pronouce his name-:) who keeps that site updated. Best part about it’s it’s FREE! Excellent site!
Great source of links Bryce. I have used a few of those sites a lot. It is very helpful if you have the service tag of certain laptops. Otherwise, I find insidemylaptop to be very helpful.
Bryce,
IBM/Lenovo have ThinkPad hardware maintenance manuals (which I’ve used a number of times) at:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/migr-39298.html
Stan Mocek
If anyone has some links on some desktop ones that would be cool… yea i’ve take probably hundreds apart, but I have had a couple in my time (namely old IBMs and some Sony’s), where it was almost like opening a puzzle box. Even had a couple old dells where you have to take the front panel off to open it, but you have to open it to take the front panel off (catch 22 of case design). Usually I just googled the specific model and eventually found someone that had the same problem and solution.
But definitely adding these links to my Computer Repair Utility Kit – Useful Sites list.
Another good one is http://www.takeitapart.net/, I have found very good info on certain models there.
blablabla
1, The third link is incorrect. Thinkpad is for IBM and the link points to IBM/Lenovo, not Toshiba.
2, Have a look at this:
http://repair4laptop.org/notebook.html
Here is a link that is specific to Toshiba. Step by steps guides with pictures. A great resource.
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/
I am having serious laughter here, I’ve always heard the Rolls Royce company locked the hood of their cars so that only certified factory trained techs can service. What’s with Apple. after watching a tech attach a Mac with a putty knife, it’s just a PC inside. Great resource list, thanks.
I find it hard to set prices for laptop repair jobs. Especially when you have to tell a customer that several hours of work to disassemble and re-assemble a laptop just to solder a power jack may not actually fix the problem because the motherboard is already fried. Do you charge a flat rate or by the hour? Do you give a discount on a failed attempt to fix it? Any recommendations?
“I find it hard to set prices for laptop repair jobs. Especially when you have to tell a customer that several hours of work to disassemble and re-assemble a laptop just to solder a power jack may not actually fix the problem because the motherboard is already fried. Do you charge a flat rate or by the hour? Do you give a discount on a failed attempt to fix it? Any recommendations?”
I always charge a flat rate. Once you start taking these things apart on a regular basis, it does not take several hours. Sometimes you do all the work and the computer still does not work, which is why I charge a diagnostic fee. This assures you get something for your efforts.
Bryce,
I’ve been following your site for a while now and I just wanted to say, it’s a Godsend. I don’t know how you find the time to do it but your articles are always fantastic, timely and well written. I was looking for some specs on a laptop for a while yesterday and was having a hard time, then you post this article and I find the info in a minute. Thank You.
Excellent resources Bryce (and others). Trying to step up my laptop knowledge and these sources will help immensely.
This is greatly appreciated. I have not had a problem figuring how to take laptops apart but you never know.
This is a great resource..wish I had known last year!
I found this one for Acer laptops but they also carry other makes as well and they cover other peripherals such as printers (ever tried to fix a printer?)
http://www.mk-electronic.com/
I don’t know who they are but their website is amazing for pdf manuals
Extra Dell info:
I had a Dell Inspiron 8200 laptop that was not listed on the Dell resource page. Lo and behold, inspecting the link to the Inspiron 1010 (dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1010), I noticed at the end ‘ins1010′. After replacing the ‘1010′ with ‘8200′, I was able to navigate the long dead page for the inspiron 8200.
Whenever I see a product page or info link, I try to pick apart the URL for tidbits of info, like the above solution, if I can’t find one specific to my situation. It really is surprising how often it works!
nice post, thanks again Bryce! these are all going to be on my bookmarks.
How about some resources for parts to repair these laptops
that would be nice. Anyone has any suggestions?
Awesome. It seems like I have generally been able to make my way around them, but I will admit I have been stumped once or twice. You never know where some of these manufacturers are going to decide to put the last screw to keep it all together and screw with the technician’s head. Great link library as always!
And you’re right Graham…. printers are my worst enemy in the computer world. I did my first maintenance kit about 6 months ago on a savin copy machine…. about 25 rollers on that thing. That was a pain. We have bigger copier machines over here, too, so I’m sure I will run across worse eventually.
Thanks for these, have book marked also :)
Some of these laptops are like Rubik Cubes! Thanks for the links.
Informative source, never ever possible to find out such resource, bookmarked.
All the sites above are great and I have used a few my self to get knowledge and insight on repairing laptops . Although I don’t have that much experience repairing laptops maybe like one model that I have worked with which was a Dell D600 I did a mother board replacement for a faimly member after if was found out that it wouldn’t power on and that seemed to solve the problem .
But the thing I want to say is if all else fails. http://www.Ebay.com is another great place to shop for service and repair related manuals for many top electronics. Many times on Ebay the sellers will sell multiple manuals on one DVD with Multiple manufacturing laptop companies including utilities. At the most they will run between $5.00 and $30.00 depending on what extra utilities are included. when doing search on Ebay type in laptop manuals or laptop service manuals or even sometimes just typing in the name of manual your looking for such as Sony laptop manuals And you will get many Ebayer’s selling manuals. other than that Nice meeting you all.
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=Laptop+service+manuals&_sacat=See-All-Categories
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=Laptop+manuals&_sacat=0&_odkw=Laptop+service+manuals&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313
That is a useful collection of resources for disassembling and reassembling laptops.Needless to say,the more you work on laptops,the more you sharpen your skill.
Fantastic article – thanks Bryce!
As others have commented, it might be also good to have a list resources for part purchases.
very useful – thanks :)
I think Dell and HP has the best service and guide. They provide best customer care also.
We used to tear down laptops and repair them, (our shop recently closed). I think you have to charge some kind of fee, the owner of the shop always did free estimates.
Problem is you tear down the laptop and discover the motherboard is bad so then the customer says no to the repair. Well then you have to put the laptop all back together again before giving it back to the customer of course. How much wasted time is that?
I think it’s one of reasons our shop went down the tubes. We work hard but then at the end of the day don’t have any money to pay ourselves.
It is very helpful if you have the service tag of certain laptops.
I spent 2 hours trying to figure out an old IBM laptop… and the CMOS Battery was hidden in a plastic wrap under some foam under the CD Drive. Could have really used those manual sites at that time, oh well.
That is a useful collection of resources for disassembling and reassembling laptops. ;)