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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. As an example I took 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.
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.
Static electricity can kill your laptop. I recommend wearing an anti-static wrist strap while working with internal parts of your laptop.
If you find this article useful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you!
May 30th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I can’t thank you enough! I stopped at the top cover assembly and couldn’t figure out why it wont separate. I was the the two hex studs that I didn’t notice. Simple things like that, how ironic is that.
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:47 am
i have a 750 that has problems .. so i have to open it up … since this is the first time i have attempted a repair on a notebook … i need a bit of help opening it up …. so i am very appreciative to you for posting this …. thank you
June 8th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
thank you you make my live very simple with this
June 9th, 2009 at 8:42 am
works in v3617la
June 11th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Great except missing the one thing I wanted: how to get that deuced cover off the battery compartment! Thanks anyway.
June 17th, 2009 at 5:34 am
Thanks heaps! helped so much!~
June 19th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Thanks for the instructions! This is a great resource for me. I repair PCs but hardly ever have to disassemble laptops (usually Windows OS probs). I’m going to bookmark this site for the future, you guys will be my first resource. Thanks again!
June 20th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Very well and easy instructions. I do thank and appreciate your excellent work.
June 21st, 2009 at 4:36 am
Thanks for the simple explanation on taking it apart. And you happened to pick the exact laptop I own. But, what about the fan and heatsink? These are what I need to replace on mine now I believe. Oh well I’ll just try and dig a bit deeper.
June 21st, 2009 at 9:42 am
Cassandra,
In order to remove the cooling module you’ll have to remove the motherboard first. If you can remove the motherboard, replacing the heat sink with cooling fan shouldn’t be a problem.
June 21st, 2009 at 5:28 pm
How do you take apart the LCD bezel to check the Inverter?
I have removed all the screws around but im afraid to pry it open for fear im prying in the wrong spot and will break it.
If you could send me instructions or publish photos i would appreciate it GREATLY
my LCD flickers when i open and close it. the screen does not turn off so i know its somthing to do with lamps.
June 21st, 2009 at 5:29 pm
IM A MORON! Just went to your home page its like the second post you have on there from the top lol
June 22nd, 2009 at 11:33 am
need to know how to replace fan in compaq presario f700 thank you Tom
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Thank You Thank You.
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Wow Verry Happy Khanks
June 22nd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I have the f500 and it was exactly the same as this
thank you very much for posting this
June 24th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Tom,
1. Remove the motherboard.
2. Remove the cooling assembly (heat sink and fan).
3. Unscrew the bad fan and replace it with a new one.
I believe you can use this part number to search for a new fan/heat sink assembly: 449961-001
June 26th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Hope somebody can help me out with this, I have this exact laptop & when i try to turn it on all it does it show ( by power light only ) that it is trying to turn on & then shuts off. Just keeps repeating that step & never even turns the screen on. Anybody know where i should start to find the problem?
Thank you …
July 1st, 2009 at 1:34 am
I do very appreciate and thank for the easy steps to disassemble the Compaq Presario F500.
It is possible show us how to make them back together step by step with out any problems.
Also I wish to know what is the problem of my Laptop F500 (GG199 PA#ABG) that it is sometime on and sometime does not start t all, sometime comes to bios check and disappear suddenly. If you can help me greatly appreciate.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:45 am
De Alwis,
Instead of reading the guide from Step 1 to Step 17, do it backwards. Go from Step 17 to Step 1.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:50 am
Thanks so much! I have built many desktops but never had a laptop apart and was stumped at how to get it apart.
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:12 am
I was wondering if you knew a little about the problem Josh commented on. I’ve got the same model as the computer in your picture and it just won’t load. I’ll press the power button and the lights will turn on, the screen will flicker, and the fan will start turning, but after 5 seconds or so, it’ll just shut off. Then it’ll try to turn on by itself, but the same thing happens. Is there something I can do to fix this?
July 5th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
I have this laptop & a month after my warranty expired, it started having trouble recognizing that it was plugged in (2 days ago. LOVELY!). I have to fiddle around with the connection for it to start charging. I’ve found the usb/power connector board online for $50. is it as simple as tearing it down per your directions, unplugging the old one & plugging in the new one? geeksquad told me it’s not worth the repair because the motherboard would need replacing, but the part I found & your pics make it appear to be a simple unplug-replug….no soldering.
THANKS!
July 6th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
rc,
Yes, if your problem is related to the power jack failure. You disassemble the laptop, remove the failed USB/power connector board and replace it with a new one.
Before you do that, make sure it’s not the power adapter failure. You can test adapter with a multimeter.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:01 am
This tutorial is brilliant. However, I am not.
I am having the identical problem with the Compaq presario F700 as described by Josh and Jamal. Did either one of you figure out how to fix it? I had a friend suggest it might be a fuse on the motherboard? Like you, I don’t want to dump a ton of cash at geek squad as they will tell you the motherboard is deceased. However, I want to fix rather than buy a new one given the current economy and the relative newness of the machine. Any and all help will be appreciated. Thanks a million!
July 13th, 2009 at 11:02 am
rc, I’ve got this f730us laptop, same problem you describe and as I’ve found numerous other places on the web. It’s been collecting dust for months and I’ve tried all sorts of attempts to solve it and wondering if I should replace the motherboard.
I don’t suspect the power board is the culprit (HP is the dirty culprit, really) but please post any findings here; I’ll do likewise.
July 20th, 2009 at 3:13 am
I have a F500 (just out of warranty). When the AC adapter cable is plugged in the lights are on as they should be. However, when you press the power button, the blue light on the power button comes on for 2 seconds and then goes out. Nothing else happens -no fans spinning no disc spinning -nothing. ANy ideas on what might be causing this? I’m thinking of replacing the fanto see if that does anything. Should it start even if the fan is faulty/stuck? I’ll post here if I get it working!
July 21st, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Works on F572US Thanks!!
July 22nd, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I’d like to know where the graphics chip and the cpu are, and maybe some details on possibly upgrading. I know laptops aren’t normally meant to be upgraded but I’d still like to take a whack at it.
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
this worked great on a F750us. had to take it apart for a power plug replacement. found the 2 screws i wasnt noticing before becuase of this. thansk alot for posting such a great blog
July 26th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Were can I get the mother board for the lowest price?
Nick
August 4th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I had a HP laptop DV6607rs, it had starting problem and then it was repeating on/off cycle itself. I managed to solve that problem by putting RAM in to a single slot instead of both the slots. check for both the slot one by one.
Hope this should work on Compaq too.
August 4th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I bumped the top of my LCD display by accident a couble of weeks ago. at first the screen started fading in and out but it still work for about a week. After that then the screen just wouldnt turn on and i havent gotten and desk top monitor to work with it either. If anybody has any solutions please email me at Madcowsking@hotmail.com thank u.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
i am first time see in the web site very intresting
August 11th, 2009 at 1:13 am
Your website is very interesting..i want to know, my laptop is compaq presario F700. Currently, my computer cannot be started when i push on/off button. The light of the on/off button only appear for 3 seconds and after that turning off again.
Could you tell me how to repair this problem?
August 11th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Burhanudin,
Try taking your battery out and starting the laptop with just the ac cord plugged in, if it works, then your battery needs to be replaced.
August 12th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Hi I REALLY need your help, how did you release the ZIF connector that has a cable going to the power button board?
It’s the one in step 12. did you just pull the cable out, or is there a latch that’s hard to get open?
Thank you so much if you can help.
I have looked everywhere.
August 12th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Tyler,
I don’t remember this model of the top of my head. If this connector doesn’t have the locking clip (like keyboard connector has) you simply pull the cable from the connector.
August 12th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Okay, although i did do that, now i have a replacement cable, and when i try to push it back in, its going to bend the pins on the end of the cable….
August 12th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Hi,
i have the model laptop and i was wondering if someone can help me fixing sound problem.
i rarely have sound on my laptop. is that a hardware problem or software problem.
i think if that was a hardware i wont have sound at all.
in the notification area there is red cross over the sound icon. No audio output device is installed.
may someone help me please
August 13th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Bre,
It’s hard to tell if your problem is hardware or software related.
Back up all personal files and reimage the hard drive from the recovery disc. Running the recovery disc will reinstall everything back to factory defaults.
If you still missing sound even after running the recovery disc, it’s definitely a hardware related problem.
August 13th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Burhanudin Suhaimin,
1. Test the AC power adapter. Make sure the adapter outputs correct voltage. It’s possible that your adapter is dead and the battery doesn’t have enough charge to start the laptop. Replace the adapter if needed.
2. Could be memory related problem. Try reconnecting memory modules. Remove them one by one if you have two modules installed. Test the laptop with each memory module separately.
If it’s not AC adapter or memory, most likely you have a problem with the motherboard.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Hi, my compaq presario F700 has some trouble with powering up, When I press the power button, the blue light comes on. And you can hear the ‘breathy fanny’ noise it usually makes when it turns on. But the blue light just stays on, the screen doesn’t go to the compaq logo an the boot up screen. It just stays where it is -just a black screen-. Even if i turn it off and turn it back on its the same way. Or if i wait for even half an hour it doesn nothing. Did the screen burn out? or it overheated or what?
August 16th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
My CD/DVD drive doesn’t work. I have the Compaq f700. I did a system restore thinking that was it and that a virus messed it up but when I go to my computer it doesn’t show my CD/DVD drive. When I go to burn a CD it says, “Connect Burner And Try Again.” I didn’t drop it or anything so why is it saying that I don’t have a CD/DVD drive? Can someone help me? This also didn’t tell me how to just get to the CD/DVD drive. I don’t want to take the whole thing apart, just the CD driver part to see if the cable came lose or something.
August 16th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Oh yeah, my email is jesusangeles01 @ yahoo . com if someone can help me with my CD/DVD drive issue.
September 5th, 2009 at 11:16 am
okay, my laptops video card, temp will not go below 68c, while playing GTA San Andreas, it gets up to 94c. i need to know the location of it, so i can buy a cooling pad with a fan that will blow right where it is located.
Thanks
September 8th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
I’m having a big issue with this laptop, my dvdrw unit suddenly disappeared from the bios, and the dvdrw is working just fine, i tested with another laptop and i was able to burn discs so… many people told me in hp forums that probably the dvdrw connector has a problem, but when i turn on the laptop, the unit turns on but its not recognized by the bios.
Any of you has this issue please help!!!!!
September 10th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
I have a Compaq Presario CQ50-139 WM. It has a similar set up to this laptop. I am replacing the LCD screen, but I am having trouble removing the keyboard from the laptop. I don’t want to take the whole laptop apart. What do you suggest, and how do I do it?
September 10th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Tami,
I think you can replace the LCD screen without removing the keyboard. Try removing the screen bezel without separating the display panel. Take a look at the service and maintenance guide for Presario CQ-50.
To to “Removal and replacement procedures” – “Component replacement procedures” – “Display assembly”. The screen bezel removal instructions are on the page 59.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Gerard,
If the DVD drive is connected directly to the motherboard, most likely you have a problem with the motherboard. Apparently fired IDE channel.
There is not much you can do besides replacing the motherboard or using an external USB DVD drive.
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:30 pm
IM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS A LOT OF YOU ARE… my dvd drive won’t recognize any type of disks… It was working fine until a couple weeks ago… ????? (i havent dropped it)
HAVE ANY OF YOU FIGURED IT OUT??? plz help..
-zero
September 24th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
zero,
Can you see DVD drive icon in My Computer?
Can you see DVD drive in the device manager?
Can you boot from a bootable CD/DVD (recovery disc, Windows installation CD, live Linux CD, etc…)?
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Thanks, man, worked like a charm!
October 7th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I have the f700 and noticed that bottom was hot when I used laptop and power cable was attached. Slowly the battery began to die and now its dead so I have to use the cable always. Now it is beginning to lock up. Sometimes it boots and works for awhile but eventually locks up. I suspect the heat is involved. Is it worthwhile to check processor to see if heatsink is seated properly? Perhaps add some silver stuff (can’t remember what its called) between processor and heat sink? Then a new battery. Thoughts? Ideas?
October 7th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
nate,
Take a look inside the heat sink assembly. It’s possible that the heat sink is clogged with dust and the laptop overheats because of that. You can blow off dust with compressed air. Clean the heat sink and test the laptop again.
Why? Did you drop the laptop? If not, most likely the heat sink is seated as it should be.
It’s called thermal grease or thermal compound. Your laptop is not too old and most likely thermal grease is still in good shape.
By the way, listen for the cooling fan. Does it spin at all? Maybe the fan is dead?
October 8th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
The wifi on my notebook quit working (hardware) and a couple weeks later it doesn’t turn on anymore.
Powersupply is providing power (tested with a voltmeter). The blue power button LED turns on for about 2 sec when pushed, and then it turns off again. Switched RAM, took out HDD, DVD, WIFI module, resetted bios (took out the battery) no change.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:07 am
My daughters Compaq Presario c502us has the same problem as post # 35. Her husband had ordered a replacement battery and also a power supply and still the same problem. [they did say that when they inserted the new battery the computer started up for about 30 min but was not operating properly and then shut down again.This would make you think that the new battery had some charge in it and eventually ran down which would make you think that there is a problem in the cir that allows the power supply to furnish power to the computer and also charge the battery. I have checked the voltage output of power supply and it is 18.7 vdc right up to the terminal block behind the battery? I would like to check the battery voltage but I am not sure which of the 6 little knife blade connections is which? I have tried to remove the case on the bottom and I have removed the wireless card, the hard drive, the battery and everything I can find, but there is still something holding it together in the area of the fan? I have looked at the F-700 diss/ass guide and even though some things are the same it is not exactly. The whole back is loose except for the area around one corner of the fan which seems to be held with a screw from above possibly under the key board? I was an et in the navy and have worked on “stuff” my whole life but this has about stumped me. Any suggestions sure would be appreciated.
October 15th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Just an update on my previous post regarding problems with my daughters Compaq Presario c502us, I finally was able to fully remove the back, [2 screws under the keyboard] I still was unable to determine why it will not start up with a working power supply? The only indication I get when I plug in the power supply is a little flashing light on the left front of the case [right below the lid] and when I pust the power button a little flashing light right in the middle of the button for a few seconds but nothing else? I found that the cooling fan was full of lint and etc. Does the power supply go straight to the battery/computer, or does it go thru the mother board or? and it controls the charge of the battery and etc? Again, thanks in advance for any info.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I think im having the same or similar problem as Terris. When i attempt to power on my laptop the blue power light comes on, i can hear the fan and hard drive attempt to start up. Then it goes quiet, remains that way with the blue light still on for about 10 seconds, then powers down on its own. It then attempts to power on again and repeats this process over and over again if left alone. Ive tried manually restarting it many times but it has no affect. My online research thus far has been completly unhelpful with possible causes ranging from the mother board, to the hard drive, to the battery. (I tried pluggin it in and starting it without the battery but still same result, so i dont think its the battery).
October 20th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
o and apparently the same problem as Josh, Jamal, and Mrs.L!!!!!!!!! Help us tech dude!!!!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:03 am
Great, I ordered a new mainboard. I didn’t realize that it was coming from china when I ordered. I mean it’s okay, it was shipped to my door in less than 7 days and it was pretty cheap. I installed it and it seems to work (windows runs) . But it has the wrong Bios on it. It doesn’t recognize my CPU, WiFi module and some keys are not working. So I belive that this mainboard has a ‘chineese’ or whatever version of the Bios on it. (it is exactly the same mainboard as the original (same product, serial and HP replacement number)). So I downloaded the bios from the compaq website. But not matter what I try, it wont flash because the stupid flash program thinks it is the wrong bios file for the wrong PC (recognizes the wrong bios on the board and wants to flash the same crap only on it). But it’s not.
I don’t know how to use the swinflash.exe in vista to force it to flash. ANOYING ! And I cannot find a dos flasher that runs of from an USB stick…
I am so close to get this notebook running again…
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:41 am
These instructions worked for my Compaq Presario V6000 model.
October 22nd, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Cameron,
This is not related to the battery or hard drive, that’s for sure.
1. It’s not likely but possible that one of the memory modules is bad. Try removing memory one by one and test the laptop with each module separately. This way you can find which one is causing the problem.
2. Most likely (I would say 95%) you have the motherboard failure. You’ll have to replace the motherboard.
October 29th, 2009 at 6:34 am
I was just about ready to tell my daughter that we probably ought to purchase a new motherboard for her Compaq Presario C502US when I read comment 61 from the “Alien” , so now I am not so sure? I have purchased a few things from Tiger Direct and they were fine and were reasonably priced, but I have not checked to see if they sell motherboards for this laptop. Any suggestions where I might get a good deal on a motherboard that would work right out of the box would be appreciated.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Bill,
Find the motherboard part number (probably on a sticker in the memory compartment) and google it.
Find the seller with good return and exchange policy.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:11 am
Really appreciate ur efforts.
All these manuals really assist me in my training and repairs.
more grace to ur elbows.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Alien, good luck with that fix. Sounds like it’s do or die.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Per your response to my comment #65
I removed the memory from the mother board of my Compaq Presario C502US looking for the “Motherboard” part number and I found a lot of barcodes and numbers on one sticker.
The bigger sticker had these numbers.
2064704701066
1 of 2
1BL30LA2 [in bold letters]
46145932L02
CT:OU003F21UU6YMH [also in bold]
The smaller sticker had these numbers
SPS441696
Date code 7J0724
Are any of these the motherboard part numbers or should I look somewhere else?
Thanks
Bill
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Bill,
SPS:441696 is the part number.
Google 441696 or look up the same number on eBay.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
I’ve been working on a Compaq f700 that also has a power issue, but this one is different. The laptop has not been charging the battery, but it would run off the AC adapter. The owner stated that it would “shut down” on him while he was using it. I have not been able to reinact that symptom(I don’t think he understands that it hibernates, because if you let it sit, it shuts the screen off), but I have discovered another symptom. First thing that happened was the plug on the AC adapter came apart, the wire was weak and worn out and the plug was pretty much dangling. After I unplugged it a few times trying to diagnose it, the plug just came apart. I thought I had figured it out, but replacing the AC adapter doesn’t seem to help. The laptop will run, but the battery never charged. According to Vista, the battery was charging, but the percentage would never go above zero. My first instinct now was that the battery must be dead, but I was wrong again. A new battery changed nothing. At this point, having the battery in it is almost worse than not having it. With the battery in, the laptop will never shut down, it only goes to hibernate because its trying to charge the battery, which never happens. I noticed that the HP battery checker was not working either, so I reinstalled that from the utility and now Battery Checker will open, but lists an “invalid battery” for both the batteries I have for it. As soon as I take the battery out, the laptop works like it should. If it were my laptop, I wouldn’t care because I never take mine anywhere. I feel terrible that I already ordered a battery that didn’t fix the problem, and now its still not fixed. Is it possible that the power board needs to be replaced? The laptop still works, so I figured if that was the case, the laptop would not work at all. Any ideas?
November 4th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Zig90tsi,
New AC adapter, new battery and still same issue? Man, sounds like a problem with the motherboard. Apparently the battery charging circuit is not working properly anymore. That would be my best guess. Of course, I assume your new power adapter and battery are good.
Check the BIOS update. I know that on some Toshiba laptops had a similar problem and Toshiba fixed it with the BIOS update.
Here’s something else you can try. Remove the battery, start the laptop from AC and then insert the battery while the laptop is on. It might shock the motherboard and the battery will start charging.
I’m typing on a laptop with a similar problem right now (Satellite X205). I know it needs a new motherboard, but works absolutely fine from AC with the battery removed. There is no way I’m replacing the motherboard in this thing.
I really doubt that replacing the power board will make any difference. I think it’s just a board where the DC jack is mounted.
You shouldn’t. Without any test equipment I would do exactly the same. But when I’m not sure what the problem is, I always mention all possible needed parts upfront.
Just talk to the customer, explain what’s going on. If he’s going to approve a new motherboard, make sure to include the power board price into your quote for a new motherboard. I would.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
For F700 series ( I have the F730US):
When it crashes and the screen won’t come on, unplug, remove all memory, remove hard drive, remove battery, hit the start button for a few seconds, plug lapttop to electricity, 3 beeps will sound, unplug, press start button, installl memory, plug to electricity, start laptop, screen comes on with message no hard drive, shut down, unplug , press start button for a few seconds, install hard drive, plug to power, start computer, all should be normal, maybe for a few minutes, maybe for hours or days…
November 9th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Your site helped me replace the cooling fan in my F700 a few months ago. I’m having another problem with it now that I’d appreciate your opinion on: The WiFi switch on the front of the laptop has broken (switch just slides easily as if it’s not connected to anything), naturally in the “off” position and I can no longer use the WiFi. I think I can probably find a new switch and replace it without too much trouble, but wondered if there might be a “work-around” or some other way to just bypass the thing. I don’t need that switch and would be happier without it, anyway. Thanks so much for your great site and the help! Mark
November 9th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Mark,
I don’t remember this model off the top of my head, but basing on your description I assume it’s a physical switch.
Is it an easy repair? Most likely not. The wireless switch is soldered to the motherboard and I think the plastic knob on the switch is broken and stays in off position.
Here’s what you can try to do. Disassemble the laptop and access the wireless switch. Move the knob on the wireless switch (actually whatever left from it) into the on position with a needle. This will enable wireless connection and it will be on all the time.
You can always turn it off through software.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Thanks a lot for the reply. It is a mechanical switch, and it must be attached to the motherboard as I don’t remember disconnecting it when I had the motherboard out to replace the fan. I was hoping I could just disable it through the wireless settings in the control panel, but the computer doesn’t even realize that it has any wireless capability at all with the switch turned off. I’ve never had more problems with a computer than I’ve had with this Compaq. Oh well, at least it’s probably easier to take apart the second time! Thanks again, Mark
November 19th, 2009 at 7:50 am
I have a compac presario F700 lap top. The USB ports have stopped working after my girl unplugged her Ipod without logging it out! Is there a board or chip or something that I can buy and replace? I’ve tried new bios and new software with no luck. USB is not found! Printer not found! etc.! I was woundering about this USB power board that is shown in your lesson on taking my lap top apart!
November 19th, 2009 at 8:17 am
i have a presario f730us and the wireless light is amber, there is no wireless signal and the wireless driver does not show up under the device manager in networks.
so i wire to my router and get a signal. i downloaded the driver from the hp site and installed it.
it still didn’t show up in the device manager. then out of the blue a few days ago it started installling the wlan software and it started working again and the blue light was on.
the next morning i started the pc and back to the same problem. so i ordered a wireless card and replaced it. it is still not working. do you think it’s the motherboard? thank you and hope you have some suggestion(s).
November 19th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Clay,
If ALL USB ports stopped working at the same time, it’s either corrupted software or motherboard problem. You said new software didn’t fix it, so, it looks like the motherboard problem.
I believe only one USB port is located on that board. There are two more ports on the left side of the notebook, correct. If those ports stopped working too, replacing the USB board will not help.
The circuit controlling USB ports is integrated into the motherboard.
I guess you can use a PCMCIA USB card now. You plug this card into the PC slot and get 2 or 4 USB ports instead. It’s better than replacing the motherboard.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:57 am
laura,
Yes, there is a chance that you have a problem with the motherboard, but also it could be software related problem.
Back up all personal files and reinstall Windows from scratch using the recovery disc (or recovery partition on the hard drive if you have any).
If you still experience the same problem with newly installed Windows, this is the motherboard problem.
Let me know if reinstalling Windows fixes your problem please.