Is it poss to fix laptops yourself?

[chris watton]

We have been given a non-working Toshiba laptop - I have discovered its not working due to the hard drive being faulty (managed to do a HD test) Trouble is, no screwdriver will fit! I have never had or opened up a laptop before, although have made quite a few standard PCs. Do I have to pay someone to change the HD for me, or is it entirely feasible I can do it myself, and finally, are the hard drives a different size to 'normal' PCs?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Chris

[jimmyjimjim]

The screws are probably torx ; you can pick up a torx set for a few quid - I bought a set of 24 security bits for about a fiver.
The hdd will be 2.5" instead of 3.5" - smaller, with a different connector, but you can still buy them online at lots of places.

[chris watton]

jimmyjimjim said:

The screws are probably torx ; you can pick up a torx set for a few quid - I bought a set of 24 security bits for about a fiver. The hdd will be 2.5" instead of 3.5" - smaller, with a different connector, but you can still buy them online at lots of places.

Thank you for that, Jimmy , I shall have a look on Ebuyer at lunchtime. )Any perticular place I need to look for a torx set?)

[jimmyjimjim]

I got mine in the US a few years back - this one from maplins looks like its the same set, or very similar:-

www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=11520&TabID=1&C=SEO&U=StaticPages&doy=search&MenuName=33-PIECE%20SECURITY%20BIT%20SET

Should be all you ever need. I'll be surprised however if you actually need any security bits - most user accessible compartments (memory, HDD, mini pci) should be accessible by normal screws.

[ErnestM]

Laptops are fairly easy to work on. Just remember that it's a bit crowded in there compared to your average tower case. Take care not to be too aggressive when unplugging things. Also, most laptops require some sort of "lifting out" of the keyboard to get to the hard drive.

Your best bet would be to go to the Toshiba site and download any documentation that they have for your model prior to getting the tools out.

Cheers

ErnestM

[chris watton]

Thanks guys, as always P/H comes up trumps, much appreciated.

[Plotloss]

Laptop HD replacement is a simple task.

Getting to it often isnt.

They'll almost certaintly be Torx, ebay is your chum.

[pdV6]

Plotloss said:

Laptop HD replacement is a simple task. Getting to it often isnt.

Look up the specs on t'interweb - someone will have a manual that explains how to get to it.
Not sure about Toshibas, but some makes/models are really simple whereas others involve dismantling ½ the machine to get to it.

[aldi]

'tis usually only one screw to get into the HD compartment.

[maddog-uk]

Chris there is a place on sussex parade ( i think thats the road going from cheltenham college towards gloucester) in cheltenham if you get really stuck. But basically once you have the thing apart and have bought your replacement hard disk it should be pretty easy. What OS are you going to put on it.

[mcflurry]

B&Q, Halford and ebay normally sell Torx bits for not a lot of £

[chris watton]

maddog-uk said:

Chris there is a place on sussex parade ( i think thats the road going from cheltenham college towards gloucester) in cheltenham if you get really stuck. But basically once you have the thing apart and have bought your replacement hard disk it should be pretty easy. What OS are you going to put on it.

Cheers Simon (and others )

Its got '98 on it at the mo, but I assume the Toshiba OS disc will be as much use as the proverbial chocolate fireguard once the new hard drive is in place, so I was going to install XP on it. (its for my wife, who would use it for Word etc) I am assuming you don't need a laptop version of XP, they're all the same? (never had a laptop before in my life!)
If its just the HD and a new OEM OS I need to buy, I think its worth getting it up and running again.

[pdV6]

What spec is the laptop - i.e. is it man enough for the task of running XP if it originally had '98 on it?

[maddog-uk]

Yes the spec is the important bit here, if you flip it over it should have it on the back. They are a pig normally with XP on older machines.

[chris watton]

It 'should' be OK, its not too old, 2000, (well, it is old, it just doesn't seem too long ago!) I have found that older PCs, when installed with XP, run better than the 98 OS that was previously installed, However, I shall look at the spec again when I get home, just to make sure its not an old P11 450, or similar!

[Roop]

Some laptops, particularly older ones have a special partition on the HDD that holds the system information of some sort or another. Worth checking the manufacturer's website to see if there's some stuff you need to do to a new HDD to make the laptop work properly. I had this issue with an old Compaq and I had to install the BIOS (yeah, I know, WTF...?) onto a special partition on the HDD before I could add the OS. It was dead easy to do though so don't worry.

[maddog-uk]

At work we consider a laptop over 18 months old as a disposal item! The reality was until recently Centrino M onwards the chips were seriously behind in the processing stakes. The ironic thing is the modern chips are actually forming the future for the intel desktop processor range. Alas we can not sell our old stuff to the public thanks to the EU waste disposal rules.

What do you actually want to run on it? Because that may well drive the OS you want to use. Bearing in mind you can buy a brand new dell laptop for £449. That includes os and ms works etc and even wireless.

[chris watton]

Roop said:

Some laptops, particularly older ones have a special partition on the HDD that holds the system information of some sort or another. Worth checking the manufacturer's website to see if there's some stuff you need to do to a new HDD to make the laptop work properly. I had this issue with an old Compaq and I had to install the BIOS (yeah, I know, WTF...?) onto a special partition on the HDD before I could add the OS. It was dead easy to do though so don't worry.

Cheers for that, updating the BIOS should be easy enough, I just need to re-check the spec, so that I know I'm not wasting money on a new HD and O/S before I order the stuff. (plus, if it means a working laptop for the wife, she won't need to to use mine so often when I'm in the middle of conquering in Rome!!! )

[whatever]

If you get your 98 back on it, isn't there a tool on the MS site that will scan your machine for compatibility with an upgrade to XP? (also, an upgrade is cheaper than a clean install version).

I seem to remember running such a tool / wizard on my 98 machine a while back.

ETA:

Stuff about upgrades:

www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/howtobuy/system.mspx

"How to prepare to upgrade Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition to Windows XP" :

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316639 (this includes links to the tool I was talking about ("Upgrade Adviser" )

www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/checkcompat.mspx (page to download the tool)


>> Edited by whatever on Thursday 9th February 13:11

[chris watton]

whatever said:

If you get your 98 back on it, isn't there a tool on the MS site that will scan your machine for compatibility with an upgrade to XP? (also, an upgrade is cheaper than a clean install version). I seem to remember running such a tool / wizard on my 98 machine a while back. ETA: Stuff about upgrades: www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/howtobuy/system.mspx Article on what to look for: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316639 (this includes links to the tool I was talking about ("Upgrade Adviser" ) www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/checkcompat.mspx (page to download the tool) >> Edited by whatever on Thursday 9th February 13:09 >> Edited by whatever on Thursday 9th February 13:10

Thanks for the links , it all hinges on me being able to re-install the original software though, now, I know factory built PCs do not like anything at all chaged in the system, especially the hard drive, and I can only assume laptops/notebooks are the same. I do have a proper full licenced copy of 98 at home (as well as no less than 3 cds for XP pro, all kosha, but all on PCs already), so if the worst came to the worst, she could have 98 on there (trouble is, I have Office XP, and damn expensive it was too, that I'd need to install)
I have a feeling that the original OS cd with refuse to co-operate as soon as a new HD is installed, I need to be sure it's only the original cd that will throw a hissy fit, and not any of the hardware. (would come to just over £100 for an OEM XP Home Ed. and 40GB 2.5" HD)