Replace the Motherboard on a Dell Latitude C600
A blown motherboard doesn't mean the death of a computer, unless the motherboard to replace the old one costs more than the computer is worth--in that case, just get a new computer. If you can find a low-priced motherboard for your Dell Latitude C600, you can replace it in a little more than an hour's time. This computer is easier to disassemble than many other Dell laptops, and laptops in general, because there aren't a bunch of components on top of the hard drive that have to be removed.
Instructions
1. Back up all the important information on your computer to a CD, a USB thumb drive or some other removable device. Do this just in case the hard drive is damaged during the procedure. This is an unlikely occurrence, but you should always have a plan "B" in case plan "A" is a failure.
2. Shut down the computer, remove all the cables from the computer and slide the battery out of the left bay in the front of the computer.
3. Turn the computer over and locate the hard drive on the right side of the computer frame. Extract the screw that secures it in the bay and slide it out of the computer.
4. Extract the five screws on the base that are labeled with a "K" and then flip the computer over and open the display.
5. Locate the blank key on the right side of the keyboard and pry it up with a flat-head screwdriver.
6. Flip the keyboard over so that the keys lay on the palm rest. Disconnect the ribbon cable on the bottom of the keyboard from its connector on the motherboard and take the keyboard off the computer.
7. Insert a flat-head screwdriver into the indentation in the center control cover--also called the hinge cover or keyboard bezel--and lift it. Remove the center control cover by lifting it with your hand from the right to the left until it's off the computer.
8. Close the display and turn the computer around so that the back faces toward you. Extract the five screws that are labeled with a "D."
9. Turn the computer around, open the display, and extract the two screws that secure the EMI bracket to the left hinge. Remove the EMI bracket.
10. Disconnect the display cable from its port near the left display hinge and lift the display off the computer.
11. Turn the computer over and extract the three screws on the base and the two screws inside the hard drive bay that are labeled with a "P."
12. Turn over the computer and extract three screws. One is located on the right edge of the computer, just inside the plastic cover and the other two are located on the back edge.
13. Locate the touchpad cable directly above the touchpad buttons and disconnect it from its port.
14. Lift the palm rest off the computer.
15. Locate the microprocessor thermal-cooling assembly at the top-right corner of the computer, extract the four screws on it, and remove it from the computer.
16. Locate the microprocessor in the space vacated by the thermal-cooling assembly, twist the screw on it counterclockwise, and lift it straight out of its connector.
17.Remove all the expansion cards or plastic card place holders from the PC card slots and turn the computer over.
18. Extract the nine screws that are labeled with a "B."
19. Turn the computer over again and extract the screw that is located in the middle of the computer, right where the motherboard meets the partition between the battery bay and the optical drive bay.
20. Lift the motherboard out of the computer.
21. Install the new motherboard by following the instructions in reverse.
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