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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.
March 18th, 2012 at 10:06 am
I have an acer aspire 5100 and what part exactly is the spot where you plug the charger in the computer? what do they call it? because ive been trying to find a new one to buy. mine is messed up, the metal pin inside of mine is weak and keeps moving over so that my laptop wont charge anymore. i used to have to either push it back over after everytime i used the charger or hold the charger cord over to the right side of my computer tightly so that it would charge, i know that this is the problem, but i just need help with the name of this piece.
Thanks
March 14th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
@ nathan,
The service manual (Chapter 5, page 88) says it’s: “Mini card connector”.
I’m not sure what you can install in there.
March 14th, 2012 at 11:02 am
Hey,
i have this laptop and there is an empty slot. I was hopeing you would explain what that was.
it’s reight above where it says “memory in the one picture.
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 16th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
@ norman,
Was it working before the hard drive replacement.
Here’s something you can try. Remove the hard drive and enter the BIOS setup menu. Can you use the keyboard in the BIOS?
February 16th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
i have a problem with acer aspire 5101awlmi ,i had to replace the hard drive and when i put my restore disc in it boots to the language screen but i cannot go any further as the mouse and keyboard dont seem to work,,i have tried a usb one but that wont work either…any sugestions please,,i need it working…thanks
January 23rd, 2012 at 1:10 pm
@ Bent,
Acer 9303WSMI could be similar to Acer Aspire 9300.
Here’s the manual.
If this is the same model, in order to access and replace the cooling fan you’ll have to remove the motherboard.
The laptop disassembly procedure starts on the page 60.
Hope it helps.
January 22nd, 2012 at 4:00 pm
I have an Acer 9303WSMI and my cooling fan is dead.Any knowlegde how to dismantle this laptop?How to enter the fan?
January 17th, 2012 at 6:58 pm
@ Brent,
Probably this is motherboard related issue. Before you give up, test your laptop with Ubuntu OS (live Linux CD).
Burn Ubuntu OS on a CD and boot your laptop from it. Test all USB ports in Ubuntu OS. If they still do not work, probably this is motherboard issue.
In this case you can buy a PCMCIA USB card, plug it into the PC slot and get working USB ports.
If USB ports work in Ubuntu OS but not Windows OS, try reinstalling Windows OS.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:09 am
This is very helpfull. thank you guys.
January 16th, 2012 at 10:15 pm
I have this laptop recently the usb ports stopped working displays message usb device not recognized have checked out the device manager one of the root hubs has changed to device unknown i have disabled and enable the drivers uninstalled the drivers and restarted the computer many times also checked the acer web site for new drivers but no sign of anything useful any help would be great