Know your Laptop......

Laptops are not like desktop machines where there is at least
some symmetry to the interior layout of components. Laptops
are all different. Hard drive placement, battery placement, DVD &
CD-ROM drives and memory all vary in their type, size and location
from machine to machine. On the other hand, no matter which
laptop you've got (or which one you have to service) the components
are all there, inside that small case, in some shape or form
somewhere.

Most laptops have custom motherboards, many with proprietary components.

Did you know your laptop can have up to three different types of batteries? The main battery, of course, that makes it a portable,
but also a suspend/standby battery and a CMOS/clock battery.
The first two batteries are rechargeable, but the CMOS battery is
not and may need replacement after a while. Good to know?

A kind of corollary benefit provided by this course is that it will help
you better understand laptops when you go out to buy one. What the internal components are, how they work and fail, what you may need
to get the job done and what you’re actually buying with your hard earned money. I've listened to a few store salespeople provide wrong answers to questions from the general public wishing to buy their first laptop for themselves, their children, or grandchildren.

TIP:
The tiny screws used in laptops can be of different lengths and types. When you take a laptop apart, pay attention to where the screws
came from (around the edge of the bottom case), how long they are
and put them in separate, well marked little plastic storage boxes.
A magnetic tipped screwdriver can be a great help here.

Work slowly and carefully and diagram and mark where things come from especially if you have to order a part from the manufacturer. In
fact, if you have a good digital camera, a few stored pictures can be
a real help when a few weeks later you need to put the machine and
all its short little ribbon cables and plugs back together again.

This course is an educational primer and a time saver. This is true whether you’re a computer repairman or a laptop owner looking to upgrade an older machine with a larger hard drive or more memory.
As a former owner of a repair shop for a number of years, I know the value of courses of this type. They not only provide you with
information, but save you from costly mistakes and lost time.

I no longer own that repair shop, but I still love to pick up a good deal
on a used older laptop, upgrade it and give it away to family members and friends as gifts. I did that three times last year alone and was examining a couple of other laptops to purchase just yesterday. It
keeps my skills and knowledge up and makes for wonderful and surprising gifts.