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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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 7th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
i am first time see in the web site very intresting
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 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.