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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.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:42 am
I have a Compaq F700 with no image in the screen.
I already have changed the inversor and nothing happen, so I changed the Backlight (It was not easy) and when I power it on I can see the light is working but the screen is nos showing anything, the screen is in black. When I power it on I note a change in the screen color because is black and when I power it on the screen changes to a black but closer to gray.
What is your oppinion? the cable? or I need a new screen?
By the way, If I use the computer with an external monitor it works but not with the screen.
Thank you
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Hey, Glad I found this! I’m probably taking my F500 apart to clean tomorrow, but I have a major problem here,
I can only use one Stick of RAM in it, One day it wouldn’t restart, does the thing where it shuts itself off, turns back on, repeats, I found out that taking the stick of RAM closest to the mobo “fixes” the problem and it starts up, but what could be causing it?
(I tried other RAM)
I looked at it real good and see no spots where it may have fried.
Could this be an easy fix or no? Thanks
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I have Compaq f700 I have it now about 1 year and 5 months. But now the DVD/CD it’s now working. When I insert DVD or CD it makes very loud sound like kir kirrrrrr, I think when the DVD is spininig it reach something. so what can you suggest me to fix this Problem?
I believe your suggesting will help me to fix the problem
many thanks
Abe
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I have the presario f700, and am ready to shoot-drop from a high building-burn it. When I try to turn it on somtimes it will come on for a few seconds then shut off for a few then come on for a few…it will do this sometimes for a minute or two, once it happened for about a half an hour. When I do get it to come on, it will either stay on the black screen that says COMPAC, or it will go to the windows repair screen and stay there for a really long time scanning. It all started off with my cd/dvd drive not working, then the card readers not working. Oh yea it will get really hot then shut off in under an hour even though the fan is running. I had to get one of those tower fans and lay it down behind the laptop to cool it. I am a college student, and I have a lot of stuff that I don’t want to lose. Is there anything that I can do to save it, is it worth saving, or do I just shoot-drop-burn it?
November 21st, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Alien, make sure when you are downloading the correct driver.. the model numbers can vary from F700 – F790 or whatever.. mine is a F730US.. had to type in this exact model number to get the correct drivers. Plus, I’ve had some issues updating the BIOS to 1.F.. might want to try and find an older version (1.D , 1.C, 1.B, or 1.A) …
These directions are very helpful ! I am having an issue with my S-video .. I think I need to replace this part.. Something I may suggest is making the hex screws a little more obvious (i know they are circled in red but I don’t even have the right tool for those)
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.
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 8:17 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 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 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