Before you open it
In the app this list is a gate: the first step does not play until every line is ticked.
- Shut down fully (not sleep), unplug the charger, then hold the power button for ten seconds to drain the board.
- Touch bare metal, or wear the anti-static strap, before you touch the module. A static spark you never feel kills memory.
- Every screw goes into its own cell of the screw map. The two near the hinge are shorter; a long one there pushes through the keyboard.
- Hold the module by its edges. Never touch the gold contacts.
- Disconnect the battery before you touch anything else inside.
Tools
- Phillips #0 driver, steps 3 and 11
- Spudger, steps 4, 5 and 6
Parts (5)
| Part | Count | Size | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laptop, upside down | 1 | 320 × 220 × 15 mm | Lid closed, on a cloth, keyboard down. The hinge is at the back (away from you). |
| Bottom cover | 1 | 320 × 220 × 2.5 mm | Eight screws: six 6 mm around the front and sides, two 4 mm at the hinge. |
| Battery pack | 1 | 120 × 80 × 6 mm | Stays in place; only its connector comes off. |
| Memory module, old | 1 | 67 × 30 × 1.2 mm | Held flat by a clip at each end. Released, it springs up to 30 degrees. |
| Memory module, new | 1 | 67 × 30 × 1.2 mm | Same notch position as the old one. Edges only. |
Hardware (8 pieces)
| Hardware | Count | Size | Used in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips 6 mm cover screw | ×6 | Ø 2 × 6 mm | steps 3 and 11 |
| Phillips 4 mm hinge screw | ×2 | Ø 2 × 4 mm | steps 3 and 11 |
Sizes are the blueprint's, as drawn in the 3D: diameter × length for fasteners, in millimetres. Every screw goes into its own cell of the screw map, a tray beside the device that fills in step order, so each one goes back into the hole it came from.
The 12 steps
-
Step 1: Before you open it
Shut down, unplug, close the lid and turn the laptop over onto a cloth with the hinge away from you. Read the safety list and put the screw map beside your driver hand.
Watch out: Shut down, not sleep. A sleeping laptop still has the board powered when you pull the module.
-
Step 2: Drain the board
With the charger unplugged, hold the power button down for ten seconds. Then touch the metal of the hinge with your hand, or clip on the strap.
Watch out: Static you cannot feel is enough to kill a memory module. Touch metal every time you come back to the bench.
-
Step 3: Take out the eight cover screws
Back out the six 6 mm screws around the front and sides, then the two shorter 4 mm screws at the hinge. Each one goes into the next cell of the screw map, in order.
Watch out: The two hinge screws are shorter. Mixed up on the way back, a 6 mm screw at the hinge pushes through the keyboard deck.
-
Step 4: Pry the cover and lift it off
Slide the spudger into the seam at a front corner and run it along the front edge and both sides; the clips let go with small clicks. Lift the cover from the front and set it aside.
Watch out: Plastic only in the seam. A screwdriver blade chews the edge and marks the lid for good.
-
Step 5: Disconnect the battery
Find the battery connector where the pack meets the board. Slide the spudger under its edge and lift it straight up off the socket.
Watch out: Battery first, always. The board is live until this plug is off, even with the laptop shut down.
-
Step 6: Release the clips: the module pops up
Push the metal clip at each end of the module outward at the same time with two fingernails or the spudger. The module springs up to about 30 degrees.
Watch out: Push the clips outward, never pry the module up. Prying tears the socket off the board.
-
Step 7: Slide the old module out
Hold the module by its edges at the angle it sits, and pull it straight out of the slot. Put it in its antistatic bag.
Watch out: Edges only. The gold contacts along the bottom edge do not like fingers.
-
Step 8: Slide the new module in at 30 degrees
Line the notch in the new module up with the key in the slot, hold it at the same angle the old one sat, and push it firmly into the slot until the gold contacts are almost hidden.
Watch out: The notch is off-centre so the module only fits one way. If it will not go in, it is turned round; do not push harder.
-
Step 9: Press it flat until the clips click
Press the far edge of the module down toward the board until both clips snap over its corners. You will hear two clicks.
Watch out: Both clips must click. One click and the laptop boots with half the memory, or not at all.
-
Step 10: Reconnect the battery
Line the battery connector up over its socket and press it straight down until it seats with a click.
Watch out: Straight down with a fingertip, never at an angle; bent pins in this socket mean a new board.
-
Step 11: Fit the cover and the right screws in the right holes
Lower the cover on, hinge edge first, and press the clips home around the edge. Drive the two 4 mm screws at the hinge, then the six 6 mm screws around the front and sides, each from the cell it came from.
Watch out: Short screws at the hinge. Snug, not tight: the threads are in plastic.
-
Step 12: Turn it over and check the memory
Turn the laptop right side up, plug in the charger and power on. It may take longer than usual on the first boot. Check the memory total in the system settings.
Watch out: If it beeps or shows a black screen, the module is not fully clicked in. Power off, open the cover, press it flat again.
Tip: Keep the old module in its bag. It is the first thing to swap back if anything odd shows up in the next week.
After the repair
Finish it in the app and it parks itself in My Garage with this care guide:
- Clear the vents and check the fan: every 180 days, about 10 minutes. A laptop on a bed or a sofa breathes through fabric. A hard surface or a stand adds years.
How the reminders work is in the garage post.