Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

35

Time Required

                          30 - 45 minutes

Sections

9

  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • Hard Drive
  • 1 step
  • CD Drive
  • 2 steps
  • Floppy Disk Drive
  • 2 steps
  • Upper Case
  • 7 steps
  • Display Assembly
  • 5 steps
  • CPU Fan
  • 3 steps
  • CPU
  • 1 step
  • Motherboard
  • 13 steps

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  • BackIBM ThinkPad A30

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What you need

Step 1

              Battery
  • Flip the ThinkPad over so that it is upside down.
  • Slide the highlighted tab to the left.
  • With your finger on the tab, remove the battery by lifting it upwards away from the laptop.

Flip the ThinkPad over so that it is upside down.

Slide the highlighted tab to the left.

With your finger on the tab, remove the battery by lifting it upwards away from the laptop.

1024

Step 2

              Hard Drive
  • Remove the highlighted screw with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
  • Pull the hard drive out.

Remove the highlighted screw with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.

Pull the hard drive out.

Step 3

              CD Drive
  • Hold the laptop in the same orientation as the picture. Then, locate the switch immediately above and to the left of the drive.
  • Slide the switch to the right. A black plastic tab will pop out.
  • Pull the plastic tab to expose the CD drive.
  • If there is a problem with your tab, whether it doesn’t pop out or it doesn’t expose the CD drive, please check the corresponding entry in the troubleshooting page.

Hold the laptop in the same orientation as the picture. Then, locate the switch immediately above and to the left of the drive.

Slide the switch to the right. A black plastic tab will pop out.

Pull the plastic tab to expose the CD drive.

If there is a problem with your tab, whether it doesn’t pop out or it doesn’t expose the CD drive, please check the corresponding entry in the troubleshooting page.

Step 4

  • Carefully pull the CD drive out from the laptop.

Carefully pull the CD drive out from the laptop.

Step 5

              Floppy Disk Drive
  • Hold the Thinkpad as the picture shows.
  • There is a switch located just above and to the right of the drive.
  • Slide the switch to the right. A small, black tab will pop out.

Hold the Thinkpad as the picture shows.

There is a switch located just above and to the right of the drive.

Slide the switch to the right. A small, black tab will pop out.

Step 6

  • Pull the small black tab away from the computer to access the drive.
  • Gently pull the drive out from the laptop.
  • If there is a problem with your tab, whether it doesn’t pop out or it doesn’t expose the floppy drive, please check the corresponding entry in the troubleshooting page.

Pull the small black tab away from the computer to access the drive.

Gently pull the drive out from the laptop.

If there is a problem with your tab, whether it doesn’t pop out or it doesn’t expose the floppy drive, please check the corresponding entry in the troubleshooting page.

Step 7

              Upper Case
  • Make sure the laptop is upside down and oriented in the direction shown.
  • Remove the six 16.7mm screws inside the circled holes.

Make sure the laptop is upside down and oriented in the direction shown.

Remove the six 16.7mm screws inside the circled holes.

Step 8

  • Rotate the ThinkPad so that the hard drive bay is facing you.
  • Remove the black cover to reveal a 14.8mm screw.
  • Remove the uncovered screw with a Phillips #0 screwdriver.

Rotate the ThinkPad so that the hard drive bay is facing you.

Remove the black cover to reveal a 14.8mm screw.

Remove the uncovered screw with a Phillips #0 screwdriver.

Step 9

  • Flip the ThinkPad over and open the LCD panel.
  • Pry apart the keyboard with a plastic opening tool or with your fingers.

Flip the ThinkPad over and open the LCD panel.

Pry apart the keyboard with a plastic opening tool or with your fingers.

Step 10

  • Be careful not to pull out the keyboard carelessly; there is a connector underneath it!
  • Lift the front end of the keyboard as shown.
  • Using your fingers, remove the black film cover.

Be careful not to pull out the keyboard carelessly; there is a connector underneath it!

Lift the front end of the keyboard as shown.

Using your fingers, remove the black film cover.

Step 11

  • Locate the connector attached to the motherboard.
  • Disconnect the ribbon cable by removing the connector.

Locate the connector attached to the motherboard.

Disconnect the ribbon cable by removing the connector.

Step 12

  • Lift and remove the keyboard.
  • Remove the two 5.6mm screws.
  • Remove the 16.7mm screw.

Lift and remove the keyboard.

Remove the two 5.6mm screws.

Remove the 16.7mm screw.

Step 13

  • You will need to use a little force. Be wary of the tabs.
  • Pry off the upper case with your hands.

You will need to use a little force. Be wary of the tabs.

Pry off the upper case with your hands.

Step 14

              Display Assembly
  • Remove the 5.6mm screw that holds the LCD to the upper case.

Remove the 5.6mm screw that holds the LCD to the upper case.

Step 15

  • Remove the 5.6mm screw on the left side of the three-pronged connector.
  • Remove the other two 16.7mm screws.
  • Lift and remove connector.

Remove the 5.6mm screw on the left side of the three-pronged connector.

Remove the other two 16.7mm screws.

Lift and remove connector.

Step 16

  • Pull out the white tab connecting the LCD to the motherboard.

Pull out the white tab connecting the LCD to the motherboard.

Step 17

  • Turn the laptop so that the back is facing you.
  • Remove the four 5.6mm long screws.

Turn the laptop so that the back is facing you.

Remove the four 5.6mm long screws.

Step 18

  • Place the laptop so that the LCD is facing you again.
  • Gently lift the LCD monitor up and out.
  • Remove the black plastic tab.

Place the laptop so that the LCD is facing you again.

Gently lift the LCD monitor up and out.

Remove the black plastic tab.

Step 19

              CPU Fan
  • Locate the 4 screws that will need to be removed.
  • One screw (yellow) is observable. The three other screws (red) are below the heatsink bracket.
  • Remove the 5.6mm (yellow) and three 16.1mm (red) screws.

Locate the 4 screws that will need to be removed.

One screw (yellow) is observable. The three other screws (red) are below the heatsink bracket.

Remove the 5.6mm (yellow) and three 16.1mm (red) screws.

Step 20

  • Lift the heatsink bracket up.

Lift the heatsink bracket up.

Step 21

  • Be careful not to pull too hard! There is a cable attached to the fan!
  • Lift the fan/heatsink assembly up.
  • Locate the fan power cable and pull upwards near the connector.
  • Remove the fan/heatsink assembly.

Be careful not to pull too hard! There is a cable attached to the fan!

Lift the fan/heatsink assembly up.

Locate the fan power cable and pull upwards near the connector.

Remove the fan/heatsink assembly.

Step 22

              CPU
  • Use a flathead to turn the screw 180 degrees.
  • Remove the CPU by lifting it upwards.
  • If the CPU is reusable, place it in an antistatic bag and away from moisture.

Use a flathead to turn the screw 180 degrees.

Remove the CPU by lifting it upwards.

If the CPU is reusable, place it in an antistatic bag and away from moisture.

Step 23

              Motherboard
  • Locate the floppy drive bay.
  • Remove the four 5.6mm screws.
  • Remove the 16mm screw.

Locate the floppy drive bay.

Remove the four 5.6mm screws.

Remove the 16mm screw.

Step 24

  • Turn the laptop over so that the battery is towards you.
  • Locate the modem and ethernet card bay.
  • Remove the two 5.3mm cover screws.
  • Gently lift the cover.

Turn the laptop over so that the battery is towards you.

Locate the modem and ethernet card bay.

Remove the two 5.3mm cover screws.

Gently lift the cover.

Step 25

  • Remove the four 9.1mm screws attached to the modem and ethernet cards.
  • When lifting the cards, be careful not to rip out the cables!
  • Gently lift the modem and ethernet cards.

Remove the four 9.1mm screws attached to the modem and ethernet cards.

When lifting the cards, be careful not to rip out the cables!

Gently lift the modem and ethernet cards.

Step 26

  • Locate the hard drive slot.
  • Remove the 8.8mm screw with a Phillips #0 screwdriver.

Locate the hard drive slot.

Remove the 8.8mm screw with a Phillips #0 screwdriver.

Step 27

  • Turn the laptop over again and orient it as shown.
  • Lift the left side of the floppy disk bay and and pull it out.
  • The black lever will pop out.

Turn the laptop over again and orient it as shown.

Lift the left side of the floppy disk bay and and pull it out.

The black lever will pop out.

Step 28

  • Locate the CD Drive Bay
  • Remove the three 5.6mm screws.
  • Remove the 16mm screw.
  • Lift the right side and pull the CD drive bay out.
  • The black lever will pop out.

Locate the CD Drive Bay

Remove the three 5.6mm screws.

Lift the right side and pull the CD drive bay out.

Step 29

  • Once the CD drive bay is removed, locate the speaker data and power cables.
  • Remove the cables from the motherboard.

Once the CD drive bay is removed, locate the speaker data and power cables.

Remove the cables from the motherboard.

Step 30

  • Locate the expansion bay.
  • Remove the 16mm screw.
  • Lift and remove the expansion bay.

Locate the expansion bay.

Lift and remove the expansion bay.

Step 31

  • Rotate the laptop so that the back ports are facing you.

Rotate the laptop so that the back ports are facing you.

Step 32

  • Remove the three 5.8mm screws with a Phillips #0 screwdriver.

Remove the three 5.8mm screws with a Phillips #0 screwdriver.

Step 33

  • Remove the six 11mm nuts with a wrench.
  • Pliers can be used, but are not recommended.

Remove the six 11mm nuts with a wrench.

Pliers can be used, but are not recommended.

Step 34

  • Rotate the laptop to its original position.
  • Remove the 5.6mm screw located on the upper right corner of the motherboard.

Rotate the laptop to its original position.

Remove the 5.6mm screw located on the upper right corner of the motherboard.

Step 35

  • The wireless and bluetooth cards are connected to the motherboard!
  • Pull out the motherboard towards you carefully.
  • Place the motherboard somewhere dry and clean.

The wireless and bluetooth cards are connected to the motherboard!

Pull out the motherboard towards you carefully.

Place the motherboard somewhere dry and clean.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                       Cal Poly, Team 4-44, Amido Fall 2010                        

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