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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.
July 13th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
@ Bryan,
Thank you for the warm words and your kind donation.
July 13th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
I can’t thank you enough for this. HP doesn’t ship instructions with their replacement parts, which (a) is apparently industry standard and (b) blows dead soggy donkey chunks through a bendy straw.
What I’m trying to say, anonymous author, is thank you for your meticulous walkthrough, which may very well have saved my doctoral thesis.
July 12th, 2011 at 4:52 am
I have a compaq and I breake the microphone internal connector, let me know in what pin goes the red cable and the black cable, tks a lot. (this one is te connector 4 in the switch card p/n 33A0030t8BB)
June 5th, 2011 at 7:34 am
@ Bruce,
Was the old hard drive still bootable?
Are you getting any error message while booting from the new 500GB HDD?
June 5th, 2011 at 6:50 am
I was able to upgrade my presario f700 to 4 Gb no problem. The 3.19 Gb limit is the addressing limit of 32 bit operating systems.
What I have not been able to do is upgrade the hard drive. The disk is almost full. I cloned it to a 500 Gb drive but its like the machine does not recognize it at boot time. With the original drive in I can see all the files across the USB/SATA adapter. I cant get the new drive to even start the boot process. Any advice would be appreciated
May 21st, 2011 at 6:14 am
i really was saying that the compaq presairo f700 will not let you down and it does make a great backup computer so please do not misunderstand me this
is a great computer for those who are looking to rebuild a backup system and save money at the same time
May 21st, 2011 at 5:53 am
hello guys and i just want to say that i brought an old compaq presairo f700 laptop computer from a neighborhood pawn shop in louisville kentucky and me myself upgraded this computer with windows 7 home preuim on a 32bit system and i must say it runs fine.with a gig of memory in the system. the video card drivers for my acer monitor have to be updated other than that this computer rus great.it really tripped me out how commputer experts and lovers had so many negitve things about this computer this computer just needs fresh memory and a new upgrade. the compaq presairo f700 laptop computer will let you down for a windows7 upgrade just as long as your laptop is in good shape it makes a good back up computer for me and maybe for you.
May 20th, 2011 at 8:33 pm
I would not have attempted this level of dis-assembly without these detailed instructions. “HAD” the same “2 seconds of blue LED and a dead computer at start up” issue that appears many times in this site. Was able to diagnose my Compaq Presario F700GPU issue and reflow the solder. I used the aluminum foil covered cardboard with a hole to heat up the GPU from the back side method. Used a 125W floodlight about 1″ above the motherboard for an hour, then flipped the motherboard over with the GPU on top, used the same foil covered cardboard exposing only the top of the GPU and used my heat gun for 1 minute until it started to smell like something was happening. Let it cool for 1/2 hour, put it all back together and it has been working for 3 days so far. Without this fix, the laptop was headed for scrap. Thanks for the support!
April 28th, 2011 at 10:25 am
I have a Presario F700 with a bad DC power jack. Anybody ever tried to replace one of these? If so, do you have any advice? Is it more frustration than the machine is worth and I should just offer it on e-bay for parts? Thanks in advance!
April 27th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
I’ve reassembled my laptop and it boots-up fine and I hear Windows starting, but get nothing back to my display. I’ve taken it appart and reseated the monitor strip cable tightly, but still nothing…any ideas or suggestions?