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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.
February 15th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
@ Adrian,
Just follow steps 1-17.
February 13th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
I upgrade from 2gb to 4gb with no problem 4 35$.
but now i need to disassemble it to change the cooling fan
February 2nd, 2012 at 7:59 am
@ Daniel,
There is no way I can tell what went wrong without looking at the laptop but this could be assembly related problem. Maybe you didn’t plug some cables correctly.
Did you check memory modules? Have you tried reseating them?
February 1st, 2012 at 7:56 pm
Hi, I followed all the steps to replace the power jack (succesfully, thanks to you), I put all the stuff togheter again but it didn´t showed video, it doesn´t make any sound; the hard disc drive indicator flashes twice, so the cdrom light and the lan indicator. I tried to plug the vga output to an external monitor but nothing happened, still no video, I tried to reset bios, I took out the battery of bios and leave it unplugged around 16 hours (I took the main battery also) but nothing happens still the same result, if you have an idea please let me know, thank you
February 1st, 2012 at 9:14 am
@ Chad,
This connector doesn’t have any locking tab. In order to disconnect the cable you just carefully pull it from the connector. When assembling it back together, push the cable into the connector.
January 30th, 2012 at 5:07 am
This do-it-yourself is very helpful to me because I have a compaq presario f750 notebook pc that wasn’t working since 1 month.
January 28th, 2012 at 9:31 am
Yes, about step 9. You didn’t specifically say how to remove the power button ribbon. I don’t want to fiddle with it too much and break it. How do you do it?
January 25th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
I’m good now – must not have seated a module properly
BTW, any processor upgrades you feel are worthwhile on this machine?
Again,
Thanks!
January 25th, 2012 at 1:37 pm
@ John,
PC-6400 suppose be backward compatible with PC-5300.
But I’ve seen some laptops working properly with PC-5300 modules but failing to boot with PC-6400. Not sure if your laptop is one of those.
Make sure memory module properly connected to slots.
According to HP, F730US should be able to run with 4GB.
What happens if you install only one 2GB RAM module? Will it boot?
January 25th, 2012 at 11:07 am
I tried upgrading my F730US’ memory to 4Gb using 2 DDR2 PC-6400 memory modules from PNY and it would not boot. Kept repeating a pattern when I turned it on: accessing the DVD and hard disk and then the power light would flash twice. Put old 1GB modules back and no issues. I have the latest BIOS on as well.
Any ideas? Should I have used PC-5300 instead?
Thanks!