Computer users have long dreamed of shedding the bonds of their desk and wall outlet to take their computing tasks "on the road". PC manufacturers have been eager to respond, and the heavy, bulky, "portable" computers of years past have been replaced by a new generation of notebook and sub-notebook systems. Today's notebook computer (Fig. 3-1) offers levels of speed, performance, and storage capacity that rival almost any desktop system - and they do so in packages that are small, light, and energy-efficient. Unfortunately, compressing so much utility into such a small volume results in very specialized and complex assemblies. This chapter of the book takes you inside a typical notebook PC to illustrate its major assemblies. You will also learn some disassembly and re-assembly guidelines, along with a selection of security tips.

In spite of its small appearance, a notebook computer is an astoundingly complex assembly as you see in the exploded diagram of Fig. 3-2. Each sub-assembly must be fit together very carefully in order to make best use of the limited available space. This concentration of devices makes notebook disassembly and reassembly particularly difficult - there is literally "no room for error" here. Fortunately, most full-featured notebook and sub-notebook PCs are quite similar in the sub-assemblies used (and the relative location where each device is located). You can expect to find seven key items in a modern notebook: the enclosure, the power source, the motherboard, a floppy disk/CD-ROM drive, a hard disk drive, a display, and a keyboard. You may also encounter one or two slots available for PC Cards, as well as an LCD status display. Notice that unlike desktop and tower PCs, notebooks incorporate a display and keyboard.

The typical notebook enclosure is fabricated out of injection-molded plastic components (which you can see in Fig. 3-2). The lower base enclosure (marked K45 in the lower left of the diagram) serves as the chassis for the entire PC - just about all other sub-assemblies are attached to the base in one way or another. Once the motherboard, floppy drive, hard drive, and keyboard are assembled onto the base, the upper base enclosure (marked K37 in the upper right of the diagram) can be seated over the base and secured into place. The battery pack (marked K34) plugs into the motherboard and seats into the remaining opening at the rear of the upper enclosure. This essentially completes the lower half of the overall enclosure.

The rear display enclosure (marked K22) serves as the chassis for the upper half of the enclosure. It is this component that provides support for the display system. The backlight, display panel, and backlight power converter are mounted to the rear display enclosure, then covered with the front display enclosure (marked K1 in the middle left of the diagram) which virtually completes the upper half of the overall enclosure. The completed display system is then plugged into the motherboard and mated with the finished lower enclosure. When the upper and lower halves of the enclosure are mated together, the display panel swings down and interlocks with the lower enclosure. This classic enclosure scheme is known as a clamshell design. When the display is closed, the rear display enclosure not only protects the display, but the keyboard as well.

As a general rule, notebook and sub-notebook PCs are only designed with a minimum amount of expandability in mind - that is the price users pay for the smallest, lightest package. Traditionally, the only add-ons that most notebook systems are designed to tolerate are a modem and a memory expansion module, along with . In both cases, the enclosure will reserve space expressly for the add-on. The net result of this trend is that notebook add-ons tend to be expensive, manufacturer-specific products. Today, however, this trend is changing with the use of PC Card (formerly PCMCIA) ports in notebook and sub-notebook designs. PC Cards allow a whole suite of different functions (i.e. memory cards, modem cards, LAN cards, hard drive cards, and so on) to be added through a standard interface and driver software. There is also mounting pressure from third-party memory manufacturers (such as Kingston and PNY) who are offering suitable memory alternatives for many notebook models.

Early laptop and notebook computers were small, but not truly mobile. These vintage systems required too much power to rely on an internal battery pack. To achieve true mobility, the PC would have to work from an internal rechargeable battery. By the late 1980s, portable PC designs improved (requiring substantially less power) and better batteries became available, so it became feasible to incorporate internal batteries which could be charged quickly from an external AC/DC power pack. This was the point where portable computing really took off. Fig. 3-2 illustrates both of these elements. The AC Adapter (marked A1) plugs into an available AC outlet and provides a level of DC (usually 12 to 24 volts) directly to a power regulating circuit on the motherboard. While external power is available, the battery pack (marked K34) will charge and remain charged. When external power is absent, the system will run from battery power. In most cases, you will not find power supplies built into a notebook PC - there simply is not enough room in the system. Only older laptop and portable PCs will incorporate full supplies. You will also find a CMOS backup battery in the notebook PC. The CMOS battery is used to backup the system’s CMOS settings just as it does in a regular desktop or tower system.

Modern notebook systems may also include a "bridge battery". The bridge battery is used to maintain memory and system activity information if the main battery level becomes too low. The system will automatically enter a power-down mode, saving some information to the hard drive, and some information to memory. The bridge battery preserves this "minimum" suspended system until the AC adapter can be connected, or until the main battery can be replaced with a fresh one.

A notebook computer will also use a small power converter circuit to power the display backlight. liquid crystal displays (LCDs) cannot be seen in indoor or low-light environments without the use a light source located behind the display. In the diagram of Fig. 3-2, backlighting is provided by a fluorescent tube (marked K13). A fluorescent tube requires several hundred volts AC in order to light properly. A circuit called an AC inverter (marked E2) is used to chop DC into a low-current AC signal which drives the fluorescent tube. Note that the AC inverter is usually located in the display assembly. Chapter 27 covers displays and backlighting in detail. Chapter 43 details the operation and troubleshooting of high-voltage supply circuits.

The notebook motherboard (marked E1 in Fig. 3-2) contains virtually all of the processing and controller circuitry needed by a small-computer. Not only will you find the CPU, co-processor, clock/timing circuits, RAM, and BIOS ROM, but the motherboard must also carry a serial port, parallel port, video control circuits and memory, drive controller circuits, and power regulation/battery-charging circuits. In effect, the notebook motherboard is a complete single-board computer. As you see in Fig. 3-3, there are also no expansion slots. With the exception of a modem and a bit of extra memory, most notebook PCs can not be expanded beyond their original scope. Since portable PCs are advancing so rapidly, it is unlikely that you will even be able to find an upgraded motherboard to enhance the system. When you detect a fault on a notebook motherboard, your best bet is usually to exchange the motherboard outright with an exact replacement obtained from the manufacturer or their distributor(s).

Notebook computers typically offer two drives. An externally-mounted "removable media" drive such as a floppy drive or CD-ROM drive can often be swapped as needed. For Fig. 3-2, a floppy disk drive (marked E8) s located in the right front quarter of the lower enclosure. In virtually all cases, a 1GB to 3GB hard disk drive is also included. Figure 3-2 shows an internally-mounted hard disk drive (marked E9) bolted in the rear left quarter of the lower enclosure - under and behind the keyboard. As you might expect, there are several variations to this theme. Some sub-notebook systems abandon the built-in floppy drive which is then sold as a separate module. Unfortunately, carrying around a separate floppy drive limits the portability of the sub-notebook. In addition to a floppy drive, you’ll probably find one or more PCMCIA slots designed to accommodate memory cards used to transfer data back and forth between the notebook and a desktop "host" machine. Hard drives are rarely overlooked in notebook and sub-notebook PCs, and many newer notebook systems allow for "replaceable" hard drives which can be swapped as needed to provide almost limitless storage.

Unlike desktop and tower PCs which rely on stand-alone monitors, all notebook and sub-notebook systems are equipped with a built-in display. Although the display is obvious to spot on-sight, you should be familiar with some of their variations. There are generally two types of display systems that you will encounter; liquid crystal and plasma. Older laptop and notebook PCs often used plasma displays. You can identify a plasma display by its bright monochrome red-orange image. However, plasma displays tend to use a great deal of power, so virtually all portable systems today have abandoned plasma displays in favor of liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Liquid crystal displays are also easily identified; they produce either gray scale or full-color images. Fig. 3-2 illustrates an LCD panel (marked E6).

In spite of its simple appearance, an LCD panel actually contains all of the circuitry needed to drive each picture element (or pixel). An LCD providing a resolution of 640 pixels wide and 480 pixels high will require enough circuitry to drive (640x480) 307200 pixels. It is this large concentration of circuitry that makes an LCD panel one of the most delicate and expensive parts of a small-computer. Chapter 27 covers LCD technology and troubleshooting in detail.

Notebook and sub-notebook computers contain built-in keyboards. You can see the entire keyboard sub-assembly (marked as E7) in Fig. 3-2. The actual keyboard unit itself is marked as E7-8. Fortunately keyboards are obvious enough to spot on-sight.

Generally speaking, ports allow the PC to communicate with other devices. There are three major port connectors accessible from the rear panel of a notebook or sub-notebook PC; a serial port, a parallel port, and an auxiliary video port. Figure 3-4 illustrates each of these connectors. The parallel port is identified as a 25-pin D-type female connector. Parallel ports are traditionally used to drive printers, but current ports are bi-directional, and can be used to support peripheral devices such as parallel port CD-ROMs, sound devices, joystick adapters, tape drives, and so on. You can also expect to find at least one serial port available. Older portable systems implement the serial port as a 25-pin D-type male connector. Do not confuse this with the parallel port connector. Since most serial communication can be accomplished with far fewer than 25 pins, newer computer designs implement the serial port as a 9-pin D-type male connector. Serial ports can also operate printers, but are more popular for communication between two or more PCs.

There are three other types of ports that you should be familiar with, although not all notebook or sub-notebook PCs will have them. First is the auxiliary video port. The current video standard for PCs is the Video Graphics Array (VGA). VGA typically supports 16 colors at 640x480 resolution, and 256 colors at 320x200 resolution. The video controller circuits in small-computers support this color just fine, but many inexpensive small-computers employ gray-scale displays. To take full advantage of the color potential, an auxiliary 15-pin D-type female VGA port is added to the motherboard. This allows a color monitor to be attached to the notebook. Earlier notebooks (prior to the wide acceptance of VGA) do not support auxiliary video outputs.

Second, widespread use of the mouse and trackball require an available port to connect the pointing device. Traditionally, the serial port has been used to support pointing devices, but with the growing popularity of external modems (which require a serial port), a dedicated mouse port is being added to newer systems. As you see in Fig. 3-4, the mouse port is often a dedicated PS/2 style connector. Third, you can tell when an internal modem is installed by the presence of an RJ11 telephone line connector. It is interesting to note that if an internal modem and dedicated mouse port are available, the serial port will probably remain unused.

Notebook computers frequently employ PC Cards in order to add extra memory, modems, network features, video capture, sound support, or other features (see Chapter 39). Most modern notebook PCs will support up to two "type II" (standard-sized) PC Cards, or one "type III" (thick-sized) PC Card. PC Cards are typically installed on one end of the notebook as shown in Fig. 3-5, and should be inserted facing up while system power is off.

Some notebook systems employ an LCD status bar to provide a convenient visual indication of critical system events. The status bar is typically situated on the base enclosure right below the LCD display. A variety of graphic icons appear on the LCD bar indicating that a device is being accessed, an operation is being performed, or a power mode is activated. The graphic icons displayed on the LCD bar resemble either their physical characteristics or their primary function (Fig. 3-6). The following list defines the status icons displayed in the system status bar:

• Suspend (a crescent moon) appears when the system is in suspend mode. Suspend mode conserves system power by shutting down devices in the system while retaining data and system status.
• Power Management (various symbols) shows the current power management mode in use, including Off, Custom, High Performance or Longest Life. The icon which appears depends on the power management mode.
• Diskette Drive (floppy disk icon) appears when the notebook writes data to - or retrieves data from - a diskette.
• Hard Disk (a drum or cylinder icon) shows when the notebook writes data to - or retrieves data from - the hard disk.
• Caps Lock (a switch symbol with a capital letter) appears when the Caps Lock key is in on.
• Scroll Lock (a switch symbol with up/down arrows) shows that the Scroll Lock key is on.
• Num Lock (a switch symbol with a number) appears when the Num Lock key is on. Num Lock lets you enter numbers for calculations via the numeric keypad.
• Battery Status (the numerical readout) displays the total percentage of battery power available.
• Battery 1 (the battery symbol with the "1") appears when you have the main battery installed in the battery bay.
• Battery 2 (the battery symbol with the "2") appears when you have an optional or "backup" battery installed in the notebook.

NOTE: The icons and functions listed here are typical, but there is no uniform standard for status icons adopted by the PC industry. Your system may employ more or fewer icons, and the icons for your particular system may appear different.

Unfortunately, one of the greatest causes of collateral damage to a notebook or sub-notebook computer is not static discharge, but technician error. Notebook and laptop PC assemblies are almost diabolical in their intricacy, so excessive force applied to the wrong place at the wrong time can easily do more harm than good. In the "best" of circumstances, you will mar or scratch the plastic enclosures. In the worst of circumstances, you will rip out a cable or fracture a printed circuit board. As you might expect, the process of disassembly for a notebook or sub-notebook PC is much more involved than for a desktop or tower system. This part of the chapter explains some basic tricks of disassembly and reassembly for notebook computers.

NOTE: The following discussion reflects current assemblies used on a variety of small-computers. Your own notebook or sub-notebook PC is probably similar, but is not necessarily the same. You should interpret the following material as a general guide rather than product-specific procedures.

Although you may have seen this section in Chapter 2, it’s worth repeating here. It is a fact of modern computing that the data contained on a customer's hard drive is usually more valuable than the PC hardware itself. If your customer is an entrepreneur or corporate client, you can expect that the system contains valuable accounting, technical, reference, design, or operations information that is vital to their business. As a consequence, you should make it a priority to protect yourself from any potential liability issues connected with your customer's data. Even if a drive is causing the problem, a customer may hold you responsible if you are unable to restore or recover their precious information. Start a consistent regimen of written and oral precautions. Such precautions should include (but are not limited to):

• Always advise your customers to backup their systems regularly. Before the customer brings in their system, advise them to perform a complete backup of their drives if possible.
• Always advise your customers to check their backups - a backup is useless if it can’t be restored.
• When a customer delivers a system for repair, be sure that they sign a work order. Work orders should expressly give you authority and permission to work on the customer's system, outline such things as your hourly rate, labor minimums for evaluation and service, and show all applicable disclaimers. Your work order should include a strong disclaimer expressly relieving you of any and all liability for the contents of any magnetic media (i.e. hard drives) in the system. If you attempt data recovery, the disclaimer should also disclaim any warranty or guarantee of results - that way, you're not liable if you are unable to recover vital files. Since liability issues vary from state to state and country to country, a local attorney can advise you on specific wording.

Computer manufacturers use two clever tricks to hide screws in order to achieve a smooth, seamless enclosure. First, many screws are hidden under slide-in or snap-in panels. Second, enclosures use pieces that snap together. Snap-fit pieces look great and provide even support, but taking the enclosure apart may be a nightmare unless you know where each snap point is located and how to disengage them. Once you are aware of these two factors, you will not be surprised when every visible screw has been removed - and the enclosures still won't part. When working with a notebook or sub-notebook enclosure, remember the golden rule of disassembly; force NOTHING! Before beginning a disassembly, be sure to remove any expansion devices such as memory add-ons or PCMCIA cards which might interfere with the disassembly.

Base enclosure - start your disassembly by closing the PC and placing it on a very soft cushion such as plush towels or foam. Remember that notebook computers use plastic enclosures, and plastic is highly prone to marks and scratches. The first step is to decouple the lower base enclosure from the upper base enclosure. Place the PC with its bottom up. You will likely find a series of six or eight small screws (several around the edges with one or two somewhere in the middle). Be sure to look under stickers, rubber feet, and snap-in panels for any hidden screws. When removing screws, be extremely cautious of their lengths and locations. Where desktop and tower systems use screws of the same length, notebook computers often do not. Sort each screw and diagram their locations if necessary.

Hold the entire PC carefully (so nothing falls apart in your hands) and place it bottom-down. Open the display panel and look for any screws around the keyboard that might be holding the base enclosures together. They will rarely be obvious. Check under hidden panels just behind the keyboard. Also check in the area of the display hinges. At this point, the upper base enclosure should be free. If not, the keyboard should be free, and the remaining screws that hold the upper base enclosure will probably be located under the keyboard. Remember to document your screw lengths and locations carefully. You can likely remove the upper base enclosure and entire display. If the enclosures still refuse to part, check for plastic snaps or latches. However, the base enclosure rarely relies on plastic latches. Gently ease the upper base enclosure off the lower base enclosure - remember that there will be display and power wiring connected to the motherboard. If you must disconnect any such cabling to free the upper enclosure and display, make careful note of the connector's position and orientation. Make a reference mark with an indelible marker if necessary.

Working the base enclosure - now that the upper base enclosure and display have been moved aside, you should see the system's floppy drive, hard drive, motherboard, and battery compartment all bolted to the lower base enclosure. If the keyboard has not yet been freed, there will probably be several screws holding the keyboard in place. At this stage of disassembly, you can probably access the drives, motherboard, battery compartment (and keyboard if necessary) to replace the defective sub-assembly.

Display enclosure - the display enclosure contains three items; the display panel itself, the backlight assembly, and an AC inverter to drive the backlight. When any of these three sub-assemblies must be replaced, you can usually remove the front display enclosure without disassembling the base enclosure at all. In fact, you can even replace the plastic housings without touching the base enclosures. The only time you may ever need to break down the entire PC at the same time is when replacing fatigued or damaged wiring between the display and motherboard.

The front and rear display enclosures are usually held together with four screws as shown in Fig. 3-7 - two in the upper corners, and one in each of the hinges. It is important to realize that most displays hide these screws. The upper screws are usually hidden by small rubber plugs in either corner. If you gently pry out these plugs, you should find the screws. The lower screws are hidden by adhesive squares. Gently pry away these adhesive squares (but be very careful not to loose them). Once you remove the four screws, the front and rear display enclosures are interlocked by a series of plastic latches around the entire enclosure seam. You must gently disengage each latch without marking or breaking the enclosure.

Use wide, thin tools such as a wide metal ruler. Insert the wide end into the seam and use it as a lever to gently try to pull the rear display enclosure up. Remember - force NOTHING! If there is a latch, you will see it. NEVER rock or rotate the tool! Otherwise, the tool will leave permanent scars in the plastic. If you can free the latch, move onto the next adjacent latch. Free each latch in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The bottom latches are the most difficult since there is little room to work, but if you save those until last, there should be enough space between the enclosures where you can clearly see each remaining latch. When the front display enclosure is free, put it aside in a safe place. You can then replace the display panel, backlight, or AC inverter as required.

Once again, be extremely careful not to mark or gouge the molded plastic enclosures. Customers are rightfully possessive of their PC investment (especially expensive portable PCs), and putting a scratch or crack in an enclosure is tantamount to dinging their new car (a careless reputation is very bad for business). Be equally careful of the enclosure after removing and setting it aside. Second, store all screws in a safe, organized place. The old "egg carton" trick may seem cliché, but it really does work. Of course, you are free to use plastic bags or organizer boxes as well - the idea here is to keep screws and other hardware off the work surface (unless you enjoy picking them up off the floor). Third, take note of each screw as you remove it, and keep groups of screws separated. This allows you put the right screws back into the corresponding locations. Notebook computers regularly mix screws of varying lengths to accommodate their tight spaces.

After your repair or upgrade is complete, you will need to close the system. Before securing the enclosures back into place, however, make it a point to check the PC carefully. Make sure that every sub-assembly is installed and secured into place with the proper screws and hardware - leftover parts are unacceptable. A little care in organizing and sorting hardware during disassembly really pay off here. Remember to re-attach power and signal cables as required. Each cable must be installed properly and completely (in its correct orientation). Take time to route each signal cable with care and avoid jamming them into the system haphazardly. Remember that there is virtually no extra room to work with, and careless cable runs stand a good chance of being caught and compressed by the enclosure during re-assembly which can lead to damage or premature failure. Properly routed cables also reduce the chance of signal problems (such as noise or crosstalk) that can result in unstable long-term operation.

Seat the enclosures into place but do not secure them yet. Apply power to the PC and run a set of diagnostics to test the system. If diagnostics still register a fault, you will be spared the time and aggravation of having to disassemble the enclosures again. When the system checks properly, remove all power from the PC and re-assemble the enclosures securely. Restore power once again and run final diagnostics to check the system.

Now that you’ve had the chance to review some general guidelines for notebook disassembly, it’s time to look at a "typical" disassembly procedure for a modern modular notebook (reassembly would simply be the reverse). Our sample system for disassembly appears in the exploded diagram of Fig. 3-8, and there are 28 parts identified in Table 3-1. The disassembly can be categorized into nine steps:

• remove the hard disk drive
• remove the floppy drive/CD-ROM drive module
• remove the battery pack assembly
• remove the main LCD and top cover
• remove the power button, microphone assembly, and keyboard assembly
• remove the LCD status bar, pointing device, and keyboard supports
• remove the bridge battery, CMOS battery, and buzzer
• remove the CPU board
• remove the I/O board

Before you proceed with a notebook disassembly, be sure to keep the following points in mind:

• Keep all power off. Turn off and disconnect all power and all options (including the AC adapter and battery packs) before starting any internal disassembly.
• Work gentle. The plastics used in notebook systems are VERY sensitive to scratches and other damage to the finish. When working on a notebook system, be sure to use static-safe towels or other coverings which will not mark the enclosures.
• Take all static precautions. All PC electronics are VERY static sensitive, so use a properly grounded anti-static wrist strap to prevent accidental static discharges which can damage the main board or modules in the notebook. Keep some anti-static bags or boxes on hand to hold the boards or modules being removed.
• Label all connectors. Be sure to note where each connector goes, and what orientation it is installed in.

Remove the hard disk drive - in today’s modern notebooks, the hard drive is replaceable, and is typically the first item to be removed. Check once again that the notebook’s power is off, then turn the unit upside-down with the front of the unit facing you. Remove the hard disk compartment cover (24) by locating the hard drive cover release latch (Fig. 3-9). Push the drive cover release latch up while using some pressure to slide the cover off the notebook. Now, using your fingers, gently press down on the hard disk drive (25) at the end closest to the connector. While maintaining pressure, slide the hard drive towards the front of the system. Once the hard drive is disconnected, lift it up and out of the system. Remember to place the hard drive is a safe place where it will not be knocked over or otherwise damaged.

NOTE: Do not lift the hard drive out of the system before releasing it from the connectors. Otherwise, you can damage the connectors.

Remove the floppy drive/CD-ROM drive module - most modern notebook systems provide a modular drive bay which will accept any of several removable drive modules. The two common modules are a floppy disk drive and a CD-ROM drive. Fortunately, the "modular" drive will pop right out. The notebook system should be powered off, and the system should be upside-down with the front facing you. Locate the modular bay’s release latches on the bottom housing (Fig. 3-9). Release the modular drive latches until the drive (26) pops part way out of the unit. Continue to hold the release latch and pull the drive all the way out of the system (if you release the front latch before completely removing the device, the device casing catches on the inside of the latch). Place the modular drive in its protective case or other safe place.

Remove the battery pack assembly - newer notebook PCs often allow for the fast and convenient replacement of battery packs. This allows users to extend their mobile time by carrying additional battery packs, and exchanging packs as needed. Before removing a battery pack, be sure to save all files and exit Windows. Power down the system, close the display, and turn the unit upside-down with the front facing you. Release the battery compartment cover (4), and slide the cover away. Gently lift the main battery (27) out of the system. Remove the battery carefully - otherwise, the battery terminals may be damaged.

Remove the main LCD and top cover - with the hard drive, modular drive, and main battery removed, it’s now time to remove the notebook display panel and top cover of the base enclosure. Position the notebook upside-down with the front facing you. Locate the screws that secure the bottom enclosure. For our example notebook, there are a total of ten screws; two long screws, two medium length screws, and six short screws. It is extremely important for you to note exactly which screw is removed from which hole so that you can reassemble the unit properly. After all the screws are removed, gently detach the LCD top cover assembly (18) from the bottom enclosure. You may need a thin tool such as a metal ruler to separate the two halves of the base enclosure. As you lift the top cover and display panel off the base enclosure, remember to disconnect the LCD cables from their connection in the base. Note the installation and orientation of each LCD cable. Set the top cover and LCD assembly aside in a safe place - preferably in a well-cushioned anti-static box.

Remove the power button, microphone, and keyboard assemblies - now that the top cover and display panel have been removed, you can start disassembling some of the more internal items that remain in the base enclosure:

• Power button - the power button (19) is held in place almost exclusively by the notebook’s top cover. Once the LCD top cover (18) is removed, just lift the power button out of its retaining inserts.
• Microphone assembly - locate the microphone assembly (10) cable that attaches to a connector on the audio board or CPU board. Use a flat-head screwdriver to gently disconnect the microphone cable. Slide the microphone assembly forward and remove it from the unit.
• Keyboard - locate the two ribbon cables that attach the keyboard (11) to the CPU board. Use a flat-head screwdriver to gently push open the connector tabs and remove the keyboard cables, then lift the keyboard assembly out of the unit. You may choose to clean off the keyboard assembly and store it in an anti-static bag or box.

Remove the LCD status bar, pointing device, and keyboard supports - at this point, the disassembly is almost complete, but you’ll need to remove a few more items before exposing the main boards in the notebook (Fig. 3-10):

• LCD status bar - the LCD status bar (14) assembly is only held in by a single ribbon cable to the CPU board. Locate the ribbon cable and use the tip of a screwdriver and carefully open the connector tabs, then lift up the LCD status bar. Store the LCD bar in an anti-static bag or box.
• GlidePoint pointing device - Locate the GlidePoint pointing device (12) and the pointing device cable (13). Disconnect the cable from its connector on the CPU board, then lift the entire GlidePoint assembly and cable out of the notebook.
• Audio board - If the notebook contains an audio board, locate the system sound board module (23) - also referred to as an "audio board". The audio board often rests on the top of the metal keyboard supports. Remove the screw and metal bracket holding the audio board in place, then lift the audio board out of its connector on the CPU board. Store the sound board module in an anti-static bag or box.
• Keyboard supports - remove the screw(s) in the metal keyboard support, then lift the metal keyboard supports from the chassis.

Remove the bridge battery, CMOS battery, and buzzer - with the LCD status bar, pointing device, and metal keyboard support out of the way, you can take out the bridge battery, the CMOS battery, and the speaker assembly. Each removal is extremely straightforward:

• Bridge battery - to remove the bridge battery (3), disconnect the battery cable from its connector on the I/O board (9) and remove the bridge battery.
• CMOS battery - locate the cable on the CMOS battery (2). Disconnect the cable from its connector on the I/O board (9) and lift the CMOS battery out of the base unit.
• Buzzer (speaker) - to remove the speaker (1), disconnect the cable assembly from its connector on the I/O board (9) and remove the speaker.

NOTE: Remember that removing the CMOS backup battery will clear any settings in the notebook’s CMOS setup. After the CMOS battery is replaced, the system may not boot, may not recognize some peripheral devices, or may perform below previous levels until the CMOS is reconfigured properly.

Remove the CPU board - at this point, you should really only see the major notebook circuit boards remaining in the base enclosure. You can remove the CPU board (22) - also called the motherboard - by gently lifting the board out and disconnecting any connectors from the I/O board (9). It is VERY important that you store the CPU board in a good-quality anti-static bag or well-cushioned anti-static box.

Remove the I/O board - the last two items which need to be removed are the PC Card shield (5) and the I/O board (9). Start by removing the PC Card shield and set it aside in a safe place. Next, remove the screw(s) holding the I/O board to the bottom base assembly (28), then lift the I/O board out of the base. It is VERY important that you store the CPU board in a good-quality anti-static bag or well-cushioned anti-static box.

One of the problems with notebooks, laptops, or any portable PC is its insatiable need for cleaning and routine maintenance. Notebooks on the go tend to pick up dust and debris from all sorts of environments, drives act up, battery handling can be a real problem, and heat can take a toll on LCDs. This part of the chapter looks at some of the most important issues for notebook maintenance.

Case cleaning involves removing dirt, fingerprints, and other foreign matter from the plastic enclosure. Before cleaning a notebook, remove any floppy disks or CDs from the unit. Then power the system down and remove the main battery pack. Wipe the outside of the enclosure and keyboard with a soft, clean cloth. If there are any stains, you can use a cloth lightly dampened with ammonia-based cleaner. You can clean the keyboard with a damp cloth, and a small, soft-bristle brush may be used to clean between the keys. To clean an LCD, use a soft, clean, lint-free cloth which is completely dry - NEVER use water or any sort of liquid to clean an LCD. Chemicals can easily damage a delicate polarizer and degrade the display quality.

NOTE: Never use harsh cleaners or industrial chemicals on a notebook enclosure.

Your notebook drives must also be protected. Hard drives, CD-ROM drives, and floppy drives all have unique demands when it comes to notebook maintenance:

• Hard drives are certainly the most critical drive in any PC. Backup your hard drive contents periodically, and run a virus checking utility regularly to uncover any rogue software. Run ScanDisk and Defrag occasionally to uncover any problems with the disk’s file structure (such as cross-linked files and lost allocation units), and keep the disk files organized. Do not turn off system power while the hard drive is reading or writing, and do not bump or jar the system during disk access - any impacts can cause a disk crash.
• Floppy drives are usually the most reliable and robust PC drives, but they do require periodic cleaning with a cleaning diskette (perhaps as much as once a month depending on how often you use the floppy drive). Also, modular floppy drive connectors can wear and become loose as the drive is swapped in and out of the modular bay.
• CD-ROM drives are also quite reliable, but can be very sensitive to accumulations of dust and debris which can interfere with disc reading. Keep the modular CD-ROM drive in a protective case when not in use. Also, modular CD-ROM drive connectors can wear and become loose as the drive is swapped in and out of the modular bay.

There’s nothing more frustrating than going "on the road" with a mobile PC - only to have the battery go dead, and not have another one on-hand. Even though new mobile PCs slashing power requirements and extending battery life, there are some common-sense tips that you can use to extend battery life even further:

• Drives take a great deal of power, so try to avoid accessing the floppy drive or CD-ROM drive unless it’s absolutely necessary.
• Turn down the LCD brightness to the lowest comfortable level. This reduces backlight power demands which can increase the battery operating time.
• Set your notebook’s power management to a configuration that emphasizes saving power - even at the expense of some performance.
• When working with software that uses a serial port or an input/output (I/O) card, ensure that the software is closed when not in use.
• Remove any I/O PC Card devices such as modems or network cards while not in use. Some I/O PC Cards use significant power, even while they are inactive.

PC users want to get the maximum amount of time from a charge, and also get the longest working life for a battery, so battery handling is a major concern with notebook systems. Take the following precautions when handling a notebook battery pack:

• Periodically inspect the battery terminals and the batteries for evidence of corrosion and oxide build-up. You may be able to clean corroded terminals with a cotton swab moistened in good-quality electronics contact cleaner.
• Do not drop a notebook battery pack or subject them to excessive shock and vibration.
• Do not expose notebook battery packs to direct sunlight, moisture, or chemicals, or extreme heat.
• Do not disassemble notebook battery packs.
• Do not use notebook battery packs to power other devices.
• Do not short notebook battery leads or connect the battery with reversed polarity.
• Never attempt to charge the battery packs in any way other than the means intended for your notebook PC.
• Always charge the battery packs as soon as possible after a low battery indication.

Heat is a big contributing factor to display problems. After a long working session, the typical routine is to shut down the notebook and close the display cover. Now, a display surface (no matter what type of display it is) radiates heat, and when you close the cover, you trap that heat against the display. Make it a point to leave the computer's LCD open for about ten minutes while the heat disperses before closing the display.

The great advantage to notebook and sub-notebook computers is their easy portability. Unfortunately, that same portability makes small-computers an easy target for PC thieves. As notebook, laptop, and other hand-held computers have proliferated in homes and businesses around the world, so has their theft. Not only does theft result in a loss of physical hardware, but the loss of productivity and the loss of vital information as well. This part of the chapter shows you some ways to protect notebook and sub-notebook PCs from becoming a statistic.

One of the most tried-and-true methods of protecting valuable property (although certainly not the cheapest) is to insure it. If you own a PC for your home, ordinary homeowner's or renter's insurance can usually be arranged to cover the property. You should check with your current insurance broker to arrange the specific coverage (and determine the limitations of coverage). Be very cautious and inquisitive when arranging insurance for a portable computer. Some insurance policies may only cover the PC if it is stolen from a certain location (i.e. your home). Since portable PCs may also be stolen from your home, office, automobile, airplane luggage, and so on, make sure that any insurance covers the PC wherever it may be. When arranging insurance, also be sure to protect the replacement value of the PC rather than its book or depreciated value. For example, Toshiba 220CDS notebook you buy today for $1899 (US) may only be valued at $500 (US) in two years. If you only receive the "value" of the property, it is very unlikely that you will be able to purchase a comparable system for that amount.

Another strategy is to inscribe the PC with traceable identification markings. Thieves rarely steal for themselves. In most cases, stolen property is sold to others looking for a "bargain". However, most thieves look for "clean" property - items which cannot easily be traced back to the original owner. An effective means of deterring crime is to mark your property in a way which can be easily traced back to you. No thief wants to be caught with marked property - especially when marked property is more difficult to unload.

While the idea of inscription is a good one, most people are not sure just what to inscribe. After all, phone numbers and addresses change - even then, you don't want thieves to know your phone number or address. Under most circumstances, you can inscribe three pieces of information; your name, your company's name (if appropriate), and the serial number of the unit. Although a serial number is usually included on an adhesive label, a label can be removed, an inscribed number cannot. You should also note the model and serial number on a piece of paper and include it with your purchase documentation for the PC. If the unit is stolen, law authorities can trace the PC by its serial number.

One of the most reliable ways to prevent a theft is to keep the PC under lock and key whenever you must leave it unattended for any period of time. Thieves look for a "quick grab". Locking the system in your car, desk, or filing cabinet keeps the PC hidden and provides a line of defense against any thief who has the inclination to search for goodies. As a general rule, avoid tether systems that require you to use adhesive mounts and tie your PC to a desk or wall with plastic or metal wire. Adhesives are rarely strong enough to withstand a determined tug, and the connecting cable can usually be defeated with a pair of heavy diagonal cutters.

Data has value - in some cases, lots of value. Hardware can be replaced fairly easily, but more than one company has gone under after loosing valuable computerized records. The best protection of your data can be accomplished with a full backup to tape or CD-R. Backup NOW, and backup REGULARLY. Keep your backups in an area that is physically separate from your hardware - perhaps a locked cabinet or fire-proof safe. Even if a thief manages to make off with your PC, you can restore a good-quality backup to an alternate PC and continue operating virtually without interruption.

But what about the information on the stolen PC? Even though a regimen of backups can preserve your data, thieves still have access to your sensitive or valuable information. In many cases, the thief has little interest in data, but rendering the hard drive useless to a thief is often important for your piece of mind. Try a hard drive locking utility such as The Guardian which is included on the companion disk. When installed, The Guardian shows an initialization screen showing that the PC is protected. It then asks for a password. After three inaccurate passwords, The Guardian locks the hard drive by scrambling the hard drive 's directory. Only the proper password will unlock the disk again. If you want extra security, you can use The Guardian to lock your drive manually (i.e. before you power down the system for the evening). Of course, a bootable floppy disk can be used to circumvent the password request, but if the hard drive is already locked, your data is relatively safe from prying eyes. Even disk reconstruction programs can not return the drive to its pre-locked state.

That’s it for Chapter 3. Be sure to review the glossary and chapter questions on the accompanying CD. If you have access to the Internet, point your web browser to some of the contacts below:

Compaq support: http://www.compaq.com/support/index.html

Gateway 2000: http://www.gw2k.com/

Kingston: http://www.kingston.com

NEC support: http://support.neccsdeast.com/

PNY: http://www.pny.com

Toshiba support: http://www.toshiba.com/tais/csd/support/index.htm