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In this guide I explain how to disassemble a Compaq Presario F700 notebook. The guide might work for some other Compaq and HP models. I think the disassembly steps will be very similar for Compaq Presario F500 and HP G6000 notebook PC. If this guide works for your notebook, please mention the model name in the comments below.
You’ll find tons of spare parts for Compaq Presario F700, F500 notebooks here.
In this particular guide I’m taking apart a Presario F730US notebook.
Before you start, turn off the laptop, unplug the power adapter and remove the battery.
COMPAQ PRESARIO F700 DISASSEMBLY GUIDE.
STEP 1.
Remove three screws securing the memory cover and two screws securing the hard drive cover. Remove both covers.
STEP 2.
Lift up the right side of the hard drive by the plastic tab to disconnect it from the motherboard. Remove the hard drive.
STEP 3.
Remove both memory modules.
UPDATE (January, 2011):
Compaq Presario F700 specification says this laptop can support only 2GB RAM max (1GB per slot).
I just tested a Compaq Presario F700 (running Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit OS) with two 2GB modules. I used Crucial DDR2 PC-6400 memory modules.
After I installed two 2GB modules the laptop started properly. In system properties I can see 3.19GB total RAM reported.
The BIOS shows all 4GB.
I think that 3.19GB is only limitation of a 32-bit OS. Most likely if you install a 64-bit OS, you can use all 4GB.
Were you able to upgrade your Presario F700 to 4GB? Please leave a comment.
STEP 4.
Disconnect both antenna cables from the wireless card. Remove two screws securing the wireless card in the top left and right corners. Pull the wireless card from the slot and remove it.
STEP 5.
Remove one screw securing the CD/DVD drive and pull the drive from the notebook. Remove the drive.
STEP 6.
Remove all marked screws from the bottom of the notebook.
Yellow screws securing the switch cover (keyboard cover).
Green screws securing the keyboard.
STEP 7.
Start lifting up the switch cover as it shown on the picture below. You’ll have to work with your fingers to disengage small plastic latches holding the switch cover.
Be careful, there is a thin ribbon cable running from the switch cover to the motherboard.
STEP 8.
Now you can lift up the top side of the keyboard and access the connector underneath the keyboard.
The keyboard cable connector is located above the touch pad. Before you pull the cable and remove the keyboard you have to unlock the connector.
Move both sides of the locking tab about 1-2 millimeter up and release the keyboard cable. Now you can pull the cable and remove the keyboard.
STEP 9.
Disconnect the switch cover cable from the motherboard.
Remove the cover.
STEP 10.
Unplug the LCD cable from the motherboard.
Release the wireless card antenna cables. Pull them through a hole in the motherboard.
Remove four screws securing the display panel.
STEP 11.
Lift up and remove the display panel assembly.
In the next guide I will explain how to access and remove the LCD screen with inverter board.
STEP 12.
Remove four screws securing the top cover assembly.
Disconnect the power button board cable.
Disconnect the touch pad cable.
STEP 13.
Remove all screws securing the top cover assembly from the bottom of the notebook. Do not forget three (green) screws in the CD/DVD drive bay.
Remove two hex studs located close to the memory slots.
By the way, the RTC (CMOS) battery can be accessed when you remove the memory cover.
STEP 14.
Start separating the top cover assembly from the bottom assembly. You’ll have to work with your fingers to disengage plastic latches securing the top cover.
Carefully lift up and remove the top cover assembly.
STEP 15.
Now I’m going to remove the motherboard.
Remove one screw securing the motherboard. In other Compaq/HP models there could be more then one screw securing the motherboard.
STEP 16.
Lift up the right side of the motherboard as it shown on the picture below.
Before you remove the motherboard from the base assembly you have to disconnect the audio board cable.
STEP 17.
Remove the motherboard and turn it upside down. There are two more cables to disconnect.
These cables connect the motherboard to the USB/Power connector board.
Finally, the motherboard is removed. As you see on the picture below, the audio board and USB/power connector board are secured to the base assembly.
The motherboard has been removed. Now you can access and replace the cooling fan if you have to.
You can access and replace the processor if you remove the heat sink.
April 3rd, 2013 at 11:33 am
@ M Johnson,
I doubt you can replace them at home. Also, there is good chance that some other components are damaged too.
I think the motherboard has to be replaced.
April 1st, 2013 at 9:33 am
Susie, God bless you! I have been trying to fix this problem for months and finally decided to go the external sound card route. Just reading your confirmation of the problem makes me feel all fuzzy inside to know I made the right decision before tearing apart my computer.. You should make this a general post somewhere out on the www. saving other poor suckers trying to find out why their sound no longer works. Have a rousing day and treat yourself to ice cream and cookies.
March 29th, 2013 at 9:15 am
After disassembling the Compaq Presario F700 notebook I discovered that three almost microscopic capacitors of values of 220P50V/G looked as though they were toast. Can components this small be bought and replaced? Or is the motherboard un-fixable and needs replacing?
March 28th, 2013 at 12:44 pm
I got to try this. Just to clean my heat sink before buying another laptop. Thanks.
March 6th, 2013 at 2:51 am
This laptop is crazy. When the plug is in the power jack it lights up but nothing happens when the power button is pressed. The battery charging light is on so the board is getting power. The ram is good, tested in another computer. There is also a little button under the touchpad, what is that for?
March 5th, 2013 at 9:50 pm
To those of you who are having a problem with HP laptops especially the HP compaq presario f700 because of the sound card STOP RIGHT NOW. You will not be able to fix this problem if you have tried everything and it says no sound card installed even after going through all the safe mode steps. Let me tell you how you can fix this nasty little problem that was made on purpose by HP manufacturer in order to make more money through tech support selling warranties ok? Go to amazon and buy a virtual 5.1 channel USB sound card for under $5 right now. Get it in 3-5 days and plug it in and it will work to get you sound. You wont have a speaker but you can use a $1 pair of headphones or buy a $5 speaker at Walmart. You can fix this. Dont grow any more gray hairs over this dumb problem. God knows I have. My ethernet plug in port went out, my sound card port went out and one other thing too. These are suppose to happen because of the way HP made the laptops though!! They did this on purpose. All you need is the USB sound card. Just type in the search on amazon — 3d sound card usb — . God bless you all and have fun.
January 17th, 2013 at 2:31 am
Thanks for the help: the pc wasn’t boot anymore (just a brief led and then restart). I disassembled it and re-soldered with a Dremel Versatip the GPU. It now work (I don’t know for how long, but at least I can recover the content with tranquillity)
January 15th, 2013 at 4:14 am
Do you see the photo showing the USB/power connector board (3rd picture up from the bottom)? I think that I damaged the connection for the connector on the right. I hope that I did not destroy my motherboard by doing this. Are both connections required to power the board or is only one (hopefully the one on the left) required. Is the one on the right only for the USB? thanks
December 11th, 2012 at 11:59 am
Para que sirven dos cables finos que salen al lado del power boton y siguen para dentro del display de una Presario F 700 Gracias.
November 22nd, 2012 at 4:55 am
Hi,
Just changed the CMOS battery (dime shape battery), for a new one and the laptop does not start!!
Nothing else changed. Any ideas?
Thanks,
JF