getting practical experience in fixing laptops

Laptops generally aren't that hard to take apart, often you'll find the screws located on the underside. Sometimes some of them are also located under the rubber standoffs that give the notebook better hold on the surface it stands on. Usually, if there is DVD drive installed, that can easily be removed via a kind of lever. If the battery is external, remove that too. Once everything is removed that can be easily removed from the outside, look for further screws that are now visible, & remove them. After that you should be able to pry off the bottom cover...

But be aware, laptops usually don't have many parts that are replaceable or repairable. If the CPU is socketed, that is replaceable. Usually so is the RAM (sometimes though, it is placed under the keyboard, so you may also have to remove that first). Of course you should also be able to clean out any dust, particularly from the fan, & replace the thermal transfer paste.

The other thing you may be able to replace is the display, but often it is hard to get the correct model which works with your notebook, & it will usually cost more than what the notebook is worth.

If you are looking at modern tablet type subnotebooks, then it will be even more difficult, as many are glued together rather than using screws. So chances of damaging the case or more is higher. Besides, on those devices almost everything is soldered & can't easily be replaced. If those die, i'd pronounce them dead...

Start by using an old, working laptop that you won't care if you accidentally damage it.  Open it up carefully and take pictures as you go.  Start by just removing parts, then assemble them back.  Test that it works when you've reassembled it.  Do that a few times until you're comfortable with it.

The main things you want to be able to remove and put back are the battery.  RAM, if it's removable. Fans for cleaning.  WiFi if it's removeable.  SSD or HD.

Leave the screen alone unless you're willing to spend money, or you have multiple identical systems where you can swap a screen from a dead laptop to a working laptop with a broken screen.  Screens are expensive.  Newer screens are lit by LEDs, but older ones, with thicker panels, use fluorescent tubes which require high voltage circuits.  Don't mess with those without some electrical knowledge.

Next, try with a medium age laptop that you wish to upgrade RAM or SSD/HD.  Upgrade that part and make sure it works.

There are sites with instructions where people have disassembled one already and you can follow them step by step.  https://www.ifixit.com/  Just search for your model online and you can generally find something for the vast majority of popular models out there.

In my opinion, the best way to learn is by doing.  Look on ebay for laptops for sale for parts - laptops known to not work.  Then buy them and buy the parts to fix them.  Changing a hard drive or RAM is generally easy.  But every laptop is different and there ARE models with RAM soldered on to the motherboard which cannot be upgraded or replaced (without replacing the main board which is often not worth the time, effort, and cost.

Also, I would avoid doing anything with devices that are currently under warranty.  Anything, that is, other than upgrading the RAM or hard drive which, again, generally easy and generally won't affect the entire device's warranty.

Then follow videos for disassembly and re-assembly.  Recently, I had a phone with a cracked screen I wanted to replace.  I *COULD* have done it, but given the cost, time, and complexity of the job, I decided to use a third party (especially since insurance was handling the costs).

Most laptop parts are not that expensive individually.  The real cost is in the mainboard.  Even the laptop screens have become pretty cheap and can be purchased for between $40 and $100. Don't worry about the esoteric parts; typically the only thing that really gets repairs on a laptop is the screen, keyboard, or power connection point (the latter is often the most difficult and could require a new mainboard if you're not comfortable soldering).

There is a huge difference between replacing user-replaceable parts and repairing. i.e. replacing display cable and replacing video driver chip. The first requires less than $50 in tools and the latter more than $500 in tools. (microscope/heat gun, micro soldering pencil)

I'm more interested in swapping parts but the latter

Dell are easiest to work on because (unlike other manufacturers) each model has a technical guide that Dell actually makes available on the internet.

Go to your local computer recycler, get some used / dead laptops (shouldn't cost more than a few bucks each if you promise to bring them back disassembled) and go from there.  Experience will teach the difference between screws driven into plastic which strip out, screws driven into brass inserts which will break or pull out, the filth found in fans when a cat is in the house, why a big piece of magnetic sheet is useful to hold screws, the need to take pictures at each stage, and why a set of clip-over magnifying specs is useful.  Better to learn these things on the cheap by playing with things that no longer have value as working systems.

I find this guy on Youtube strangely engaging when viewing any of his somewhat lengthy videos. He works at board level but has a very practical approach to repairing laptops, focussed on repairing rather than replacing major parts like motherboards.

​Electronics repair school​​​

In our throw away world it has become increasingly more difficult to justify spending time on repairing laptop(s)/desktop(s)  So beyond spending time to swap out a bad hard drive, and reinstall or re-image it, the first question to ask is, is it worth the time to repair it.

How much is the device worth?

We use a lot of chrome books that are worth about $200 - $400 dollars each and when they go bad we recycle them and buy a new one.

We also have some high end SurfaceBooks and MacBook Pros which are a pain to work on even if you have much experience.

If you want to learn then any of the books for a CompTia A+ Certification will give you a lot of book knowledge but there is no substitute for hands on experience.

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