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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.
Find brand new replacement laptop batteries in stock and ready to ship your way.
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.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Hello
My scree is bad on my 5100 where can I purcase one and is it hard to change myself. I also need to purcahse a power cord.
Thanks
alan
February 9th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
My another problem is that Laptop comes with Microsoft Vista Operating system. Now I want to change with Window XP. Where I get the drivers of my laptop Acer Aspire 5100 with Windown XP. Please guide at my email id. Thanx.
February 9th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
I have Acer Aspire 5100. I am facing the two problems. First one is, when I press the power button some time it is show own but hang after that. The light is on on the power button but no processing is done. Second when I am working on it or move the laptop from one side to another side the screen hang up. Please guide me at my email id how I solve this problem.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Jose,
Turn on the laptop and try entering the BIOS setup menu. I’m not sure which keys you should use, try Esc, F1, F2. Can you? This will tell you if the keyboard works in the BIOS. Can you navigate the BIOS using keyboard keys?
If the keyboard works fine in the BIOS setup menu, your problem could be related to the operating system. Try reinstalling it from the recovery disc.
If the keyboard do not work on the BIOS level, there could be a problem with the motherboard.
February 8th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Hello, my acer 5100 has problems with the keyboard, touchpad and us ports. They just don’t work. I think It is a board problem. Do you think it is the end of this laptop? any advice?
February 8th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Laptop Tech,
Just to let you know that I’ve fixed my Acer laptop fully by purchasing and installing a replacement internal keyboard (bad keyboard was the only problem). This relates to my question #98 and your response #102. Thanks for your help!
February 8th, 2009 at 10:23 am
I have fixed computers for a living for the last 15 years full time so i know a little of what I am talking about though I do not work on laptops full time. This is a defective product and the culprit is most likely the motherboard. I have worked on two of these. Here are the symptoms:
USB stops working
CD/DVD stops working
Keyboard/mouse fail
Black screen
BIOS errors- PCI errors usually
Time setting in bios lost
Freeze if you get it to boot
It is not a BIOS issue,OS issue, memory issue, hard drive issue, cd issue, keyboard issue, mouse issue. I have tested/replaced all of these. It is a motherboard issue- defective from the manufacture.
This is a progressive issue- whatever you have will get worse. Cut your losses. Pull the hard drive and put the data somewhere else.
I have purchased for my employees/family/clients 30 Acer products over the last few years but I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ACER AGAIN!
BUYER BEWARE!
February 8th, 2009 at 10:04 am
John Edwards,
If the laptop fails the same way with many different USB devices, then most likely you have a problem with the USB controller which is integrated into the motherboard. I guess you’ll have to replace the motherboard or use the laptop as is.
Also, you can try updating/reflashing the BIOS. I’m not sure if it’s going to help but at least something to try.
February 8th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Hello Sir
I have a friend’s Acer Aspire 3100 laptop and it has an issue where the laptop freezes whenever any usb device is inserted. It then has to be turned off to commence operations. At first I thought (was hoping) it was software related but after reloading the OS ans all the drivers I still have the problem.
What do you think? Do you have a solution and if so, can you let me know what I can do to renmedy this?
February 7th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Jack,
I’m not sure if it’s going to help but you can try using an external USB keyboard.