First, why did I decide to repair my notebook myself? It being no longer under warranty, my only other option was to take it to a repair shop. But wait, not just any repair shop, but a Fujitsu "Authorised Service Provider" (ASP). The reason is that Fujitsu would not provide me with the part I needed (a fan) . Therefore, this ostensibly prevents the consumer from either doing the repair him or herself, or taking the notebook to a random repair shop. This is collusion on a despicable scale between the manufacturer and select service providers. The intent is to gouge consumers (this is the thanks they get for buying the product) by charging them exorbitant fees for repairs. I mean a fan, an otherwise non-essential item (in the meantime I used a fan from an external source) would end up costing me up to $500 to replace if I let them get away with this racket. Let me explain: The ASP quoted me a rate of $65 an hour times an estimated five hours for the repair, plus the cost of the part, of course. Fujitsu Canada, after blatantly refusing to sell me just the part said they'd do the repair for a flat fee of $500.
Here was my solution: Found the fan on Ebay for $45 plus $15 for shipping, and I did the repair myself in just TWO HOURS, even though it was the first time I've opened up a laptop. The sad thing is these creeps get away with their little monopoly because unsuspecting consumers are brainwashed into thinking laptop repair is "difficult" as compared to desktop repair for example.
Anyway, here's how to get started:
First, ensure that the room you'll work in has no carpets and that you are not wearing any staticky clothing. Better yet, ground yourself securely by wearing an anti-static wristband while working on repairing your computer. Find a Phillips (star) screwdriver. The best kind is the short, jewellery kind. It's helpful to have a magnetic screwdriver, either the same jewellery one or another one.
It is a good idea to keep track of which screws were removed from where. I admit I didn't but luckily I was left with only 4 screws at the end out of a total of about 30 that I removed.
The first step is to remove all the screws from the bottom of the case and the back side (where the display is). This will not get you very far in terms of removing the cover but nevertheless try to pry loose gently the front of the computer (away from the display) just enough so that you can peer inside the machine.
Then remove the battery and the hard-drive cover and unsecure and unplug the hard drive. Underneath the hard drive space and the battery space you will unfasten more screws.
Now comes the most difficult part of the operation: removing the display. This part is absolutely necessary for opening the case. The first step is to locate the plastic hinges on the back and to notice that they each have a small horizontal plastic tab in their centre. This tab must be pushed very carefully up or down with a thin flat-head jewellery screwdriver in order to detach it from the hinge. Then the hinges must be pulled out, again carefully.
Now, the panel containing the speakers and application quick-start buttons and battery indicator should be easy to remove.
Now you have to unplug the display cable and the speaker cable from the motherboard. The display should be free now (or nearly).
You should remove the keyboard (it just unsticks from some tape) and then remove whatever screws or plugs are underneath.
The rest is not hard. Do not be afraid of slightly bending the circuit boards so you can see inside. Just try to locate the part you want and if some piece of board is in the way, remove more screws. In general, some screws are hiding and you have to be calm and look around carefully. You may have to bend the parts slightly in order to get at them.
Now, putting it back together is not the puzzle some make it out to be. It is easier than taking it apart:
Just work backwards. Make sure you examine the exposed parts carefully at each stage and for any holes you find, put the screws back. Do not forget to replugin anything. Sometimes the screw holes are just barely reachable but bend the boards slightly if you have to.
Putting the display and application panel back on is not hard: just the reverse of what I described above.
When putting it back is almost complete, you will find some parts inside may have holes that need screws but the holes are partially eclipsed. Just use a small screwdriver to move the inner parts such that the full hole is visible such that now a screw can be put into place.
Good Luck!
