1. Back up any important files from the original drive. If you are upgrading to a larger drive, consider making an image of the drive and copying it to the new drive so that you won’t have to reinstall the operating system.

2. Turn off the computer and disconnect all cables, including the power cable. You may wish to use an anti-static wrist band to avoid damaging the computer with static electricity as well.

3. Turn the computer around so you can access the back. Remove the thumbscrew about mid-way up the left side, then grab the handle above the screw and pull the side panel back toward you and lift it away from the chassis. Gently lay the computer down on its side so that the open side is facing up.

4. Locate the hard drive cage inside near the bottom rear of the chassis. Remove the two screws that hold it in place.

5. Push down on the latch near the front of the cage and slide the hard drive cage away from the chassis. Lift the cage until you have access to the cables, and remove them from the drive. Make note of where the cables were so you can reconnect them to the new drive.

6. Remove the four screws securing the drive to the cage. There are two screws on either side. Slide the drive out of the cage.

7. Slide the drive into the cage in the same orientation as the previous drive, and secure it in place with the four screws.

8. Reconnect the cables and place the cage back in the chassis. Align the guides at the bottom and slide it into place, then replace the two screws that hold the cage in place.

9. Replace the side panel on the chassis and the thumb screw.

You can now reconnect all cables and boot the computer to confirm that the hard drive is recognized by the system. If you did not image your original drive, you may need to reinstall the operating system.

1. Turn off the laptop and disconnect all cables, including the AC power cable. Remove the battery.

2. If your laptop has a SIM card installed, remove it by pressing on the card in the battery compartment until it releases, then grip it and pull it out.

3. Close the lid and flip the laptop over to the back. Remove the three screws located inside the back of the battery compartment. These screws hold the keyboard in place.

4. Flip the laptop back over and open the lid.

5. Look for the small slots on the left and right sides of the keyboard near the Tab and Enter keys. Insert a small screwdriver into the slots and gently apply pressure to release the keyboard on each side.

6. Gently lift the keyboard from the right side and press down on the retention tabs with the small screwdriver to release them as you continue to lift the keyboard. There are a total of three tabs along the top that must be released.

7. Lift the keyboard up and tilt it forward. Release the ribbon connector that attaches the keyboard to the motherboard, remove the keyboard and set it aside.

8. Connect the ribbon cable from the new keyboard to the motherboard, then put the keyboard in place and press down to snap the retention clips into place. Reverse the instructions to re-assemble the laptop.

Once your laptop is re-assembled, replace the battery and reconnect the power cord. Turn on the laptop and test the keyboard functionality. If the keyboard is working properly, you have successfully repaired your laptop.

Dust

When a laptop overheats, it is most likely caused by dust or other obstructions preventing air from flowing in and out of the laptop. Laptops generally have a cooling system that relies on a fan circulating air into and out of the laptop, and taking heat with it. When there is dust, dirt, or another obstruction blocking the vents, the heat can collect and cause the machine to overheat. Use a can of compressed air to gently blow the dust out of any vents you have access to, or have a repair shop clean out your laptop professionally to resolve this issue.

Malfunctioning Fan

As mentioned above, the fan is responsible for circulating cool air into the laptop, and blowing hot air out. If the fan starts to malfunction, heat can collect and cause the laptop to overheat. If you suspect your fan is malfunctioning, search for a replacement part and instructions online, or take it to a professional repair shop to have the fan replaced before it causes more damage to your laptop.

Poor Heat Sink

In many cases, the heat sink for the CPU of the laptop can become dislodged, no longer providing adequate cooling. In other cases, poor design provides inadequate cooling for the laptop. If you suspect your CPU is overheating, check with the manufacturer as many have implemented recalls of laptops due to design defects which caused overheating. You may be eligible for a free repair or replacement.

Taking a few moments to prevent overheating in your laptop can save you costly repairs and downtime in the future. By following the suggestions above, you can help your laptop to run cooler and more efficient for many years to come.

1. Crashes and Blue Screens

If you are experiencing crashing or blue screens while using your laptop normally, this could be a sign of defective memory. When the system tries to read from or write to a bad sector of the memory stick, it can often crash, causing the system to freeze up or display a blue screen error message. Try replacing the memory or running the system with only one memory stick at a time and see if the problem improves.

2. Crashes during Windows Installation

When installing Windows on a laptop, the system memory is utilized to a high degree. If you are continually experiencing crashes during installation of the operating system, you may have defective memory. Replace the memory to see if the problem is resolved.

3. System Won’t Boot

If your laptop will not boot correctly, it could be caused by defective memory, but this problem is trickier to diagnose as the symptom could also be caused by other faulty components, such as the mainboard. Try replacing the memory to see if the problem improves, as running a memory testing program may be impossible if the system will not boot.

4. Distorted Graphics

Faulty memory can sometimes cause flickering, discoloration, or other graphics problems, but this is also difficult to diagnose as a problem with the video card can also cause these problems. Rum a memory diagnostic tool or replace the memory to see if the situation improves.

Problems caused by defective laptop memory are certainly annoying, but replacing the memory is usually a very simple process for most laptops. Be sure to find memory that is specific to your model, and you may also consider upgrading the amount of memory in your laptop while you are doing the replacement.

First, before removing or touching any hardware components in your machine, always disable the power. Remove the AC adapter from both wall and laptop, and remove the battery as well. If there are any peripherals attached to your machine, remove them as well. Then, if you were recently using the machine, leave it alone until it is completely cool before you begin disassembly. Now, with the machine upside down, carefully remove the screws attached to both the keyboard and the palm rest.

Flip the machine back right side up and open the computer. Push on both sides of the palm rest until the middle comes up slightly, detach its connector, and pull away from the monitor to remove the palm rest completely. Next, lift the keyboard up slightly until you can see its connector. Remove the connector and you have successfully removed your keyboard.

After you have consulted with your manual, manufacturer, or have gotten a part number form the keyboard itself, you should be able to purchase a replacement keyboard for your machine. Once you have it, you will basically reverse the removal process. Find the connector beneath your keyboard and reattach it to your machine, then set the keyboard into the appropriate recess. Reattach the connector for your palm rest, snap it back into place over the keyboard, and secure.

Once that it complete, close the laptop and flip it upside down. Reinsert and secure tightly the screws for both keyboard and palm rest. Reinsert your battery and reattach your AC adapter, then power on your machine. Your computer should resume function with no problem.

While it is not common for the DC-in jack to fail, it can happen. There are a few symptoms that may occur that can alert you to a failure.

Laptop Not Charging

Most operating systems have an icon which shows users the power status of the laptop. This icon will change from showing a battery when running on battery power, to a bolt or other indicator when the laptop is connected to an AC adapter and charging. If the AC adapter is connected properly to a known good power outlet and the laptop is not charging, there may be a problem with the DC-in jack.

Intermittent Charging

If the indicator that the laptop is charging is intermittent, a faulty DC-in jack could be the problem. If possible, test the AC adapter with another compatible laptop, or test another AC adapter with your laptop to eliminate the possibility that the AC adapter is faulty. In some cases, slightly moving the AC adapter tip while plugged into the laptop may make charging stop and start. In this case, it is likely the fault of the DC-in jack.

When a DC-in jack fails, the best course is usually a replacement. This replacement may require soldering skills and should not be attempted by someone without experience. Take the laptop to a repair center where they can test the part and provide repair service for you.

Since every model is different, it is difficult to give detailed instructions that will cover every situation. The basics are similar for each model, however. For more detailed instructions, you may want to consult a service manual for your Toshiba laptop, which will give instructions specific to your model.

The basic procedure for a Toshiba laptop CD/DVD drive replacement is as follows:

1. Remove the battery and disconnect AC power to avoid the risk of electric shock. It is also recommended that you use an anti-static wrist band when repairing any computer to avoid damaging sensitive components with static electricity. You will also want to remove the battery pack.

2. Some models require you to remove one or two screws securing the optical drive in place. These should be located directly below the drive on the bottom of the laptop. Once these are removed, the optical drive can be slid out.

3. For other models, you must gently pry the plastic strip above the keyboard to remove it. You then need to remove one or two screws securing the keyboard. Gently remove the keyboard and disconnect its cable.

4. At this point, you will have access to the screws holding the CD/DVD drive in place. These screws can be accessed from the top once the keyboard has been removed. Remove these screws and slide the drive out.

5. Slide the replacement drive into place and replace the screws to secure it in place. Be sure to properly engage the drive connector into the mainboard connector for the drive.

6. Reverse the disassembly instructions to reassemble the laptop and test the drive to ensure it is working properly.

You will most likely want to test the different read and write functions of the drive to confirm your success. If all is working well you can now enjoy your new CD/DVD drive.

Replacing the CMOS battery is not usually difficult, but the procedure can vary greatly depending on the laptop’s model. The easiest way to find specific instructions is to do an internet search for the term “service manual” and your laptop’s manufacturer and model. Often, you can find a PDF version of the service manual for your specific laptop, which will give you detailed instructions for repairs and upgrades.

Most CMOS batteries are located under the keyboard, which can require removing the keyboard. Other common locations are under the touchpad, behind the battery, and some are accessible from the bottom of the machine via a small plastic cover. While it is difficult to give detailed instructions for the multitude of laptop models on the market, here are a few guidelines for replacing the laptop CMOS battery.

1. Wear an anti-static wrist strap when disassembling any laptop. This reduces the risk of damage from static electricity.

2. Remove the battery completely and disconnect all power cables to avoid the risk of electric shock or damage to the laptop or notebook.

3. Remove the Keyboard or associated cover to expose the CMOS Battery and remove. Carefully keep track of all screws removed. Group and label them to avoid confusion when reassembling.

4. When prying ribbon cables or plastic parts apart, be gentle to avoid damaging sensitive components.

With some preparation and planning, replacing the CMOS battery should be possible for most users. If you cannot find a suitable service manual or you don’t feel confident in your abilities, it is a good idea to take it to a repair center.

1. Open more programs at once

Each program that a user opens resides in RAM. The more programs that are open at once, the more RAM that is required. When the system runs out of available RAM it begins using the hard drive for storing open programs. This can seriously degrade performance of the laptop, as reading and writing from the hard drive is much slower than reading and writing from RAM. Adding more RAM allows users to run more programs at once without slowing down performance.

2. Faster processing

Many high-end software programs, such as Photoshop and video-editing software, have to process large amounts of data while editing. This data is stored in RAM during processing. If the RAM is already full or nearly full, it will require more reading and writing, which results in slower processing. Adding more RAM to your laptop allows more of this data to be stored for processing, making the programs run faster.

3. Faster gaming

Most modern computer games process a lot of information. This makes them similar to the high-end software mentioned above. Many computer games require a minimum amount of RAM for good performance, but to get the best performance from any game, it is recommended that users exceed the minimum requirements.

RAM upgrades are some of the least expensive upgrades a user can make, and it is a very quick and simple upgrade. With the low cost of most RAM upgrades, it is often a good idea to install the maximum amount of RAM that a laptop can handle to ensure the most performance boost possible from the upgrade.

Most laptops have a single-screw door that can be opened for easy access to the RAM, and simple spring-loaders that hold the unit in place. Slowly press each side of the spring-loader’s release, and carefully extract the RAM, making sure that the RAM will not pop up into the air, and damage other parts inside the laptop.

Next, take the replacement RAM and line it up with the slots, but also while checking to see if it is being placed in properly (most are slotted to ensure proper placement). This can be checked by looking at the other RAM modules that are currently installed and follow the direction that the old RAM faces.

The notches on many laptops are located differently, and they also prevent the installation of older RAM modules, that require a higher voltage, from being placed into the slot. As with all computer parts, always handle the RAM by the edges, and never touch the gold contacts. The oils from your fingers can degrade the connection and cause a failure within the module. The next step requires seating the memory module by pressing down, firmly, with your thumbs on both ends of the module to confirm a safe and strong hold on the RAM.

Finally, after successfully placing the RAM into the slot, the only step left is to replace the door and screw it into place again. To verify the attempted RAM upgrade was successfully installed right-click on “My Computer” and select “Properties”. Under the selection of “Computer,” your expanded RAM size should be listed.