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In this guide I’ll explain how to take apart an Acer Aspire 5100 laptop. I’ll show how to remove and replace major laptop components such as CD/DVD drive, memory, hard drive, wireless card, cooling fan and keyboard.
In the next article I’ll explain how to remove LCD screen and replace inverter board.
First of all, make sure the laptop is turned off, the power adapter is disconnected and the battery is removed.
Both memory modules, wireless card, cooling and and hard drive can be accessed from the bottom. Remove four screws marked with red circles and loosen two screws marked with green circles. Remove both covers.
You can search for Acer Aspire 5100 spare parts here.
Removing DVD drive:
1. Remove one screw (red circle) securing the drive.
2. Push the drive from the laptop with a flathead screwdriver.
3. Pull the drive form the laptop.
Removing hard drive:
1. Pull the hard drive to the right side until it’s disconnected from the motherboard.
2. Lift up the hard drive.
If you are replacing the hard drive with a new one, you’ll have to transfer the mounting bracket to a new drive.
My laptop had a 80GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive installed. You can upgrade it to a larger and faster SATA drive.
100GB, 120GB, 160GB and 250GB SATA drives should work just fine in this laptop.
Removing laptop memory:
1. Carefully spread latches on both sides of the memory module until it pops up at a 30 degree angle.
2. Pull the memory module by the edges.
Acer Aspire 5100 has two memory slots. You can install up to 4GB RAM total. Up to 2GB memory module into each slot. You should use PC2-533 DDR2-667MHz 200pin SODIMM RAM modules.
Removing wireless card:
1. Disconnect both antenna cables. Grab the antenna cable connector with your fingers and unsnap it from the connector on the wireless card.
2. Spread latches on both sides of the wireless card same way as you did with RAM modules.
3. When the wireless card pops up at a 30 degree angle, pull it from the slot by the edges. Remove wireless card.
Removing cooling fan:
1. Remove two screws securing the fan.
2. Carefully disconnect fan cable from the motherboard.
3. Lift up and remove the fan.
My laptop had a lot of dust trapped between the fan and heatsink. This dust buildup kills normal airflow inside the cooling module and causes laptop overheating. You can blow off dust using canned air.
Here’s how you can replace thermal paste between the heatsink and CPU.
Removing laptop keyboard.
In the following steps I’ll explain how to disconnect and remove the keyboard.
1. Lift up the keyboard bezel with a flathead screwdriver as it shown on the picture below.
2. Remove keyboard bezel.
3. Remove two screws securing the keyboard.
4. Carefully lift up the keyboard, it’s still attached to the motherboard.
5. The keyboard is connected to the motherboard via a flat ribbon cable. Before you can remove the keyboard, you’ll have to unlock the connector and release the cable.
6. Carefully move the black tab about 1-2 millimeters up with your fingernails as it shown on the picture below.
DO NOT SEPARATE THIS TAB FROM THE CONNECTOR, IT HAS TO STAY ATTACHED TO THE CONNECTOR.
If you break the keyboard connector, you’ll have to replace the whole motherboard. Be careful.
7. Now you can release the cable and remove the keyboard.
Static electricity can kill your laptop. I recommend wearing an anti-static wrist strap while working with internal parts of your laptop.
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November 20th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Randy,
Not sure what’s going on but it does look like a coincidence. Is there any way to downgrade the BIOS. Do you want to try that?
November 19th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
My bad, I should have clarified. Only one memory bank works now. The one closest to the motherboard is the only one that works. just seems like a coincidence that right after I flashed to 3.13 it stopped working. Worked perfect before. Thank you for your help.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:31 am
randy,
Do you mean one memory bank stopped working completely, or you still can use both banks but only with one module at a time?
November 18th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I have a BL51, Aspire 5100. I have 2- 2 gig memory chips and they were working perfect. I upgraded the CPU to a TL-50 and flashed the bios. Now both memory banks won’t work. The laptop will only run with 1 -2 gig chip. It doesn’t seem to be the chips. I’ve switched them and they both work but only at 1 chip at a time. I also put the chip in another laptop and it was fine. Any thoughts on what it might be?
November 13th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Dario G,
Take a look at the sticker in the memory compartment and search for the motherboard part number. It looks something like this MBABE02001.
After you find the part number, search on eBay.
November 13th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I have a Acer Aspire 5100-5674 / model BL51 and I need to replace the motherboard but on Ebay got many of them.. what’s the reference number or code to buy that match with my laptop?
November 4th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Thanks to this site, it helps me a lot and save money for the repair of laptop!
October 28th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Man, absolutely thanks.
I had to adjust the cable for the LCD cause it was blinking.
Since I knew how to find it… peace of cake with this tutorial.
And the best is that I saved some good money.
God bless ya!
October 28th, 2009 at 4:10 am
Acer Aspire 5100 will take up to 4GB total. You can install up to 2GB memory module into each slot.
Use PC2-5300 DDR2-667 200pin SDRAM SODIMM.
Thanks.
October 27th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Ben,
Acer Aspire 5100 will take up to 4GB total. You can install up to 2GB memory module into each slot.
Use PC2-5300 DDR2-667 200pin SDRAM SODIMM.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Hi. I have an acer aspire 5100 and just looking to upgrade the memory on it. Have you got a link to some that would be suitable please. Looking to go to 4GB if thats possible? Thanks if you can help me.