Taking Apart A Computer

Although it might seem simplistic, there is some very important knowledge that you MUST know. Because more and more people are trying to make their computers last longer and longer, being able to upgrade a system is an important skill you must have.

Don't Be Shocked

The most important piece of information you need for this section is a thorough understanding of Electro Static Discharge, or ESD.  ESD occurs when an electrical charge passes from your body to an electrical component, which damages the component and sometimes damages you.  Humans can feel this static passing through their body at about 3,000 volts.  An IC begins degrading and failing at around 30 volts.  Therefore, you won't even feel yourself damaging your computer until it's too late.

The easiest methods of avoiding ESD should be fairly routine for you now.  Use an ESD wrist strap, and place anti-static mats under working areas.  You should leave AT computers plugged into the wall while working on them, but ATX cases continue to run current through the motherboard even when turned off.  Therefore, remember that you leave AT alone and you unplug ATX.

I remember the first time I blew up a case.  It was a wonderful sight.  The sparks that flew made a wonderful pattern in the now-dark room, seeing as I popped every circuit on that side of the house.  The most interesting part was the burning hair smell that I faintly noticed.  Apparently the power supply arced some current through my hand and burn off all the hair on part of my hand and arm.  Moral of the story : Don't mess around with electricity, as much as you may love the smell of burning hair.

More Electrical Knowledge

Another safety issue you should be aware of is the use of anti-static bags.  Most people think that anti-static bags are an insulator that protects components from static.  This is exactly wrong.  Anti-static bags are a conductor that protects components from static.  They shield components by absorbing the static charges instead of passing them on to the component.  

What does this matter?  Well, let's say you just bought a $500 GeForce 3 video card and want to install it.  You place the anti-static bag on the chassis of the case and place the video card on top of it.  You go to pick up the video card and feel a small charge run through your body, even though you're grounded.  What happened?  

The chassis on a computer is a ground.  With the computer still plugged in (Assuming an AT case or not having read the above section yet) you created a path for a static charge from your body through the video card through the anti-static bag to the grounded chassis.  This is why anti-static bags must be used with better care than most of us usually do.

Even More Fun With Electricity

Tired of the warnings yet?  Well,  I warned you that opening a computer monitor was a bad thing.  I will repeat that to you now.  OPENING A COMPUTER MONITOR IS A BAD THING!  There are capacitors that hold enough power to curl even hair on your body, and maybe even stop your heart while you're at it.  The fly-back transformer holds enough power to throw you a couple feet if you touch it.  Simply put, there's nothing in a computer monitor that you would be expected to fix without a certification in electronics.

If you do feel brave and want to try opening a monitor, toss away your ESD wrist strap first.  Remember how you want to stop charges from going to a computer by having them go through the strap to the ground instead?  With a monitor's large power sources, the path you create with an ESD wrist strap allows all the power in the monitor to pass through your body.  In other words, wearing an ESD wrist strap while working on a monitor can kill you. 

Before You Start

The first thing you should do before you start ripping the guts out of your computer is the first thing you should do every time you work on a computer system; Back-up the hard drive.  If you mess up the hard drive you'll need this backup to avoid looking like an imbecile.  Believe me, there's nothing worse than sitting in front of a computer you just blew up and having to look your client in the eye and tell them what you did.  Back-up the system and you're less likely to have to make that apology.

Secondly, make sure you have all the tools you will need in your possession.  This includes screwdrivers, thermal grease, your multimeter, compressed air, rubbing alcohol, q-tips, pliers, cutters.........  Bring your whole toolbox every time.

Lastly, write everything down.  Network cable positions, CMOS and BIOS settings, IRQ's, driver names, modem types, card placements, cable positions....  The more you write down, the less you have to try to pull out of a hat (Or the gray matter upstairs) later on when you run into a problem.

Lesson #1 - Opening the Case

Okay, so you want to disassemble the computer.  Pop open the case and....  Wait...   what's that little sticker on the back.  "Void if Broken"  What does that mean?  

If you see this sticker, stop.  This means the manufacturer has sealed the unit, and breaking that little sticker can void the warranty.  Not all manufacturers do this, and in some cases they'll even have you open the case yourself.  The key to this is to check first, and if you see a sticker call the manufacturer before you attempt anything.

Okay, so we're beyond the sticker situation.  What next?  First, disconnect all the cables from the back of the computer.  If it isn't obvious, make sure you mark where each connection is supposed to go.  It will come in very handy when you have to reattach the cables later on.

Secondly, examine the case to find the screws that hold it all together.  You should only need to take off the top of a desktop case, or the sides of a tower case.  99% of the cases use Phillips screws, so one screw driver should be adequate.  Remove just enough screws to get the sections of case off that are required.  If you remove more screws, it's more chances for you to lose a screw and screw (pardon the pun) something up.

If you don't see any screws, you've probably come across one of those old evil screwless cases.  Although my first instinct would be to run, generally there is a simple method of disassembling these types of cases.  You just have to figure it out. <snicker>  It's easy.  <snort>  They were designed to be easy to use.  <snicker>