Replace an HP Laptop Motherboard
The motherboard is a large, flat circuit board that is used to connect all of the different components on a laptop. Your HP laptop may not boot up anymore or different components on the computer may stop working intermittently if the motherboard has suffered a mechanical failure. Although the process can be time-consuming, it is possible to disassemble your HP laptop and manually replace the motherboard with a new one.
Instructions
1. Check the user's manual that came with your HP laptop or navigate to the HP support website and find the model of motherboard your laptop uses. Buy a corresponding replacement motherboard. Power off the HP laptop and close the screen's lid. Turn the HP laptop computer over so that the battery is facing up toward you. Hold down the battery's latch and then remove the battery.
2. Remove all of the screws from the bottom of the case. Lift up the two plastic covers near the middle of the case that protect the hard drive and RAM modules. Pull the hard drive directly out of the case and set it aside. Grab both ends of the exposed RAM module and remove it from the case at a 30-degree angle. Repeat the process with the second RAM module if your particular model of HP laptop has a second memory module.
3. Pull the disc drive on the left side of the HP laptop directly out of the case and set it aside. Turn the computer back over and open up the screen's lid. Push a flat object, such as a screwdriver head, underneath the large plastic piece above the keyboard that houses the indicator lights and power button. Pop the plastic piece off the HP laptop. Disconnect the cable connecting the plastic piece to the motherboard.
4. Pull the HP laptop's keyboard off the case and then disconnect the cable connecting it to the motherboard. Remove the screws holding the screen hinges to the case. Pull out the hinges and set them aside. Locate the network card at the left end of the motherboard. Pull the card off its port on the motherboard and set it aside.
5. Remove the screws holding the graphics card to the motherboard if your model of HP laptop has an extra graphics adapter. Pull the card off the motherboard and set it aside. Remove the screws holding the fan and heat sink unit to the laptop's processor. Remove the unit and then pull the processor off its motherboard socket. Set both pieces aside.
6. Pull out the screws along the edges of the motherboard. Lift the motherboard straight up and remove it completely from the HP laptop's case. Line up the ports on the sides of the new motherboard with the corresponding holes on the case. Push the motherboard down into the case and reconnect the screws.
7. Reassemble all of the internal parts you removed to get to the laptop. Set the plastic piece and keyboard back onto the case. Replace the battery and then reconnect the hard drive, disc drive, RAM modules and plastic covers. Replace all of the screws. Power on the HP laptop and wait for the operating system to load completely to make sure the motherboard is working.
Tags: plastic piece, Remove screws, hard drive, Remove screws holding, screws holding, aside Remove