Re: [tlug] Laptop repair: Screws are Welcome and Disassembly Techniques

[jep200404@example.com]

Lyle wrote:

> Screws are welcome? 

YES!

> I'm not sure what you mean ...

Screws are vastly preferrable to hidden plastic latches for 
holding things together. Screws are easy to remove and replace. 
Even when you know where they are, plastic latches can be very 
difficult to release without damaging. Screws can be hidden 
underneath rubber things and labels, but are not hard to find. 

> Sometimes though, by removing too many, 
> complicated assemblies come to pieces! 

Follow disassembly instructions found on the web. 

When there are a large number of screws to deal with, 
take a picture of an area with screws, print out the picture, 
then remove one screw at a time and tape it to the corresponding 
spot on the picture. This takes time and can be tedious, 
but reduces adventure[2] and stress during stress. I call this the 
Rhode Island Red Method[1] (or is it the Foghorn Leghorn Method?). 
If necessary, number the screws in the order of their disassembly. 

Take pictures as you are disassembling things, 
so you know how things should go back together. 
I find this handy for cables. Board usually only fit one way, 
but cables can often go in more than place. 
Pictures avoid the need to figure out how to put things 
back together. It's better to take too many pictures than 
too few. Things that were obvious on disassembly sometimes 
are less so on reassembly. 

The dumpster is a good teacher. Learn general disassembly 
techniques on junk electronics. Often, you'll learn the easy 
way to take something apart after you've buggered things up 
by opening it with brute force. 

[1] Number your feathers before you get into a fight (with Dawg), 
    so you know where to put them back. 

[2] "Adventure is a sign of incompetence."
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilhjalmur_Stefansson#Legacy