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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.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Tengo un Compaq Presario F756LA el cual no me reconoce la unidad de DVD (La probe en otro pc y funiona) y la camara Web, desarme por completo el PC a ver si se debia a una conexion falsa ya que el dueño anterior me dijo que lo habia llevado a revisar y se lo delvolvieron asi, el problemas aún persiste que debo hacer?
December 9th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Thanks for your quick response !! Yes, I checked the memory and reseated it, still the same scenario. I unplugged the cmos battery for a little bit yesterday but that did not solve anything, maybe I didn’t leave it unplugged long enough. I’m going to leave it unplugged for a few hours and see what that does.
December 8th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
PC Literates,
Did you check memory modules? Maybe one of the modules got dislocated. Try reconnecting both modules.
December 8th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Your site has helped me once again – once with replacing a broken, pushed in power connector on a Toshiba Satellite laptop and now with taking a client’s Compaq Presario F572 apart. I wore a static wristband, took the laptop apart, replaced the broken touchpad assembly (the whole top assembly actually) with one I purchased from eBay, put everything step by step back together and now the laptop will not start. I disconnected the touchpad and keyboard and still nothing, I get power but nothing happens if I hit the power button. I double and triple checked all connections, took everything apart again and put it back together. I don’t know if the reason for the laptop not starting at all could be the power button board or the system board. I’m about to order both – not sure what to do here. Do you have any advice for me ? PS: The humidity was very low in our office yesterday and I got zapped a few times, once when I picked the laptop up before I took it apart. Could that have caused it? I know that static electricity is any laptops biggest enemy.
November 26th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Neil,
It depends on the laptop configuration. Different Presario F700 laptops have different motherboards. Take a look at sticker in the memory compartment. Usually motherboard part number printed on that sticker.
HP part number looks like SPS: 461860-001, though you might have a different one.
Even though this laptop has a separate audio board, I believe the audio chip located on the motherboard. The audio board used just for audio jacks.
Yes, if the audio chip failed, I believe you have to replace the entire motherboard.
November 26th, 2010 at 4:05 am
Hello, what is the HP part number for the Mother Board for this laptop? (HP Presario F700)
Also, I know the audio chip is bad, do I need to replace the whole Mother Board?
November 23rd, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Thanks for the info… I put the info up on my other laptop,,,, and looked at your guide step by step,,,. and got to my fan out that was clogged be on blowing it out Took the whole cooling system flushed it out with dish soap and hot water man it was really filled with a like tar substance. I guess cause i smoke lol well it works perfect now thanks to you. I also maxed out the ram to 2gig and 500 gig hardrive.7200rpm its a good unit i would recomend to any one ..It takes a beaten and keeps on jamming Am running Ubuntu 10.10 with Firefox and Coolirs 12.1 its a perfect match for this uint windows just slows this unit down from what it can really do take care my friend and happy T day.
November 22nd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
@mangpeps
The motherboard connection to the hard drive could be bad bad (make sure it actually is connected), or you could have fried it with static electricity during physical contact with the connectors from the motherboard to the HD. Did you make sure to properly ground yourself if you took it apart? Ubuntu w00t!
November 21st, 2010 at 12:56 am
SHARON,
It’s hard to tell without testing the laptop.
Both lights located on the keyboard and the keyboard connected directly to the motherboard.
Most likely it’s either bad keyboard or motherboard problem.
You can try replacing the keyboard, it might help.
November 21st, 2010 at 12:54 am
sharon,
I believe a Compaq Presario F700 can up to 2GB RAM, it means you can install up to 1GB memory module into each slot.
This model has a SATA hard drive installed. You should be able to install any large SATA hard drive in Compaq Presario F700: 320GB, 500GB, 640GB hard drives should work just fine.