Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

49

Time Required

                          30 - 35 minutes

Sections

12

  • Keyboard
  • 4 steps
  • Trackpad
  • 4 steps
  • RAM
  • 2 steps
  • Wireless Network Card
  • 3 steps
  • CMOS Battery
  • 2 steps
  • Speakers
  • 2 steps
  • Expansion Slot
  • 4 steps
  • Modem
  • 3 steps
  • Screen
  • 7 steps
  • Fan
  • 10 steps
  • CPU
  • 1 step
  • Motherboard
  • 7 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Keyboard
  • Close the screen and turn the closed laptop over.
  • Remove all 17 screws on the bottom of the computer.
  • The multiple colors (turquoise, red, blue, orange, yellow, and purple) are for organizational purposes, indicating different screws.
  • The yellow marker at the rear denotes the UltraBay device retaining screw. This screw is optional as the UltraBay mechanism will hold the drive or battery in place anyway. The yellow marker at the front denotes the hard disk caddy retaining screw.

Close the screen and turn the closed laptop over.

Remove all 17 screws on the bottom of the computer.

The multiple colors (turquoise, red, blue, orange, yellow, and purple) are for organizational purposes, indicating different screws.

The yellow marker at the rear denotes the UltraBay device retaining screw. This screw is optional as the UltraBay mechanism will hold the drive or battery in place anyway. The yellow marker at the front denotes the hard disk caddy retaining screw.

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Step 2

  • Remove the extra RAM cover, by lifting where the screw was and pulling out.

Remove the extra RAM cover, by lifting where the screw was and pulling out.

Step 3

  • Turn the laptop right side up and open the screen.
  • Lift the keyboard, using a spudger at the seam between the keyboard and trackpad.
  • Careful of the ribbon cable underneath, which may tear if the keyboard is lifted too vigorously.

Turn the laptop right side up and open the screen.

Lift the keyboard, using a spudger at the seam between the keyboard and trackpad.

Careful of the ribbon cable underneath, which may tear if the keyboard is lifted too vigorously.

Step 4

  • Unplug the keyboard’s ribbon cable, by lifting up the edges of the plug.
  • Remove the keyboard.

Unplug the keyboard’s ribbon cable, by lifting up the edges of the plug.

Remove the keyboard.

Step 5

              Trackpad
  • Close the laptop and turn it over.
  • Remove the five plastic stickers covering the screws on the front edge of the case.
  • In order to reuse the stickers, remove them carefully.

Close the laptop and turn it over.

Remove the five plastic stickers covering the screws on the front edge of the case.

In order to reuse the stickers, remove them carefully.

Step 6

  • Unscrew the five screws that were hidden by the stickers.

Unscrew the five screws that were hidden by the stickers.

Step 7

  • Turn the computer right side up and open the screen.
  • Lift the trackpad assembly by placing hands on both edges and then pull towards you till it is free of the case.
  • Be careful of the ribbon cable underneath. It may tear if the trackpad is pulled too vigorously.

Turn the computer right side up and open the screen.

Lift the trackpad assembly by placing hands on both edges and then pull towards you till it is free of the case.

Be careful of the ribbon cable underneath. It may tear if the trackpad is pulled too vigorously.

Step 8

  • Unplug the trackpad’s ribbon cable by pulling on the white plastic tab.

Unplug the trackpad’s ribbon cable by pulling on the white plastic tab.

Step 9

              RAM
  • Push apart the retaining clips on the RAM.
  • Note: The RAM should pop up a little bit.

Push apart the retaining clips on the RAM.

Note: The RAM should pop up a little bit.

Step 10

  • Lift out the RAM chip.

Lift out the RAM chip.

Step 11

              Wireless Network Card
  • Pull off the one black and one white coaxial cables by lifting the tabs labeled main and aux (for auxiliary).

Pull off the one black and one white coaxial cables by lifting the tabs labeled main and aux (for auxiliary).

Step 12

  • Push apart the retaining clips.
  • Note: The card should pop up a little bit.

Push apart the retaining clips.

Note: The card should pop up a little bit.

Step 13

  • Pull the wireless network card out.

Pull the wireless network card out.

Step 14

              CMOS Battery
  • Lift the yellow plastic-covered battery up.

Lift the yellow plastic-covered battery up.

Step 15

  • Unplug the battery connector.

Unplug the battery connector.

Step 16

              Speakers
  • Lift the speakers out by starting with the left end and then unsnake the wires.

Lift the speakers out by starting with the left end and then unsnake the wires.

Step 17

  • Unplug the wires from the motherboard.

Unplug the wires from the motherboard.

Step 18

              Expansion Slot
  • Remove the screw on the left hand side of the case, above the expansion slot.

Remove the screw on the left hand side of the case, above the expansion slot.

Step 19

  • Lift the black plastic border by lifting on either side.
  • Once the sides are up, pull the border towards you and away from the screen.
  • When lifting up, there are two pairs of plastic clips hooking into the fan grill. If you pull hard enough the border will come away, but it’s better to push the clips with the spudger.

Lift the black plastic border by lifting on either side.

Once the sides are up, pull the border towards you and away from the screen.

When lifting up, there are two pairs of plastic clips hooking into the fan grill. If you pull hard enough the border will come away, but it’s better to push the clips with the spudger.

Step 20

  • Pull the sheet metal cover away from slot.

Pull the sheet metal cover away from slot.

Step 21

  • Lift out the expansion slot by starting at the entrance hole and pulling upward.
  • Note: Try wiggling the slot from side to side until it comes out all the way.

Lift out the expansion slot by starting at the entrance hole and pulling upward.

Note: Try wiggling the slot from side to side until it comes out all the way.

Step 22

              Modem
  • Remove the three screws holding down the modem in the upper left corner of the laptop.

Remove the three screws holding down the modem in the upper left corner of the laptop.

Step 23

  • Lift the modem up, unplugging it from the motherboard as you lift.

Lift the modem up, unplugging it from the motherboard as you lift.

Step 24

  • Pull out the wire that connects the modem to the screen.
  • Unplug the other cable that attaches the modem to the motherboard

Pull out the wire that connects the modem to the screen.

Unplug the other cable that attaches the modem to the motherboard

Step 25

              Screen
  • Close the computer screen.
  • Remove the four screws on the back of the laptop, near the right and left hinges.

Close the computer screen.

Remove the four screws on the back of the laptop, near the right and left hinges.

Step 26

  • Open the laptop screen.
  • Remove the single screw that secures the left hinge to top of the computer.

Open the laptop screen.

Remove the single screw that secures the left hinge to top of the computer.

Step 27

  • Remove a single screw from the metal plate that secures the display cable.

Remove a single screw from the metal plate that secures the display cable.

Step 28

  • Pull the metal plate away from the display cable.

Pull the metal plate away from the display cable.

Step 29

  • Disconnect the display cable.

Disconnect the display cable.

Step 30

  • Carefully pull up the long antenna cables that were attached to the wireless network card.

Carefully pull up the long antenna cables that were attached to the wireless network card.

Step 31

  • Lift out the screen.

Lift out the screen.

Step 32

              Fan
  • Unsnake the black cable from the black plastic frame.

Unsnake the black cable from the black plastic frame.

Step 33

  • Remove the sheet metal piece, which was underneath the modem.

Remove the sheet metal piece, which was underneath the modem.

Step 34

  • Remove the rubber microphone cover in the upper left hand corner by lifting up the gray metal frame.

Remove the rubber microphone cover in the upper left hand corner by lifting up the gray metal frame.

Step 35

  • Lift away the gray metal frame.

Lift away the gray metal frame.

Step 36

  • Remove three screws near the edge of the computer, holding the optical bay and HDD covers.
  • Remove three other screws on the other side of the covers.
  • You should have six screws in total, three of one size and three of another size.

Remove three screws near the edge of the computer, holding the optical bay and HDD covers.

Remove three other screws on the other side of the covers.

You should have six screws in total, three of one size and three of another size.

Step 37

  • Lift out the optical bay and HDD covers.

Lift out the optical bay and HDD covers.

Step 38

  • Lift out the black plastic frame.

Lift out the black plastic frame.

Step 39

  • Unplug the fan from the motherboard.

Unplug the fan from the motherboard.

Step 40

  • Remove the three screws on the fan.

Remove the three screws on the fan.

Step 41

  • Lift the fan out.

Lift the fan out.

Step 42

              CPU
  • Turn the CPU retaining screw 90 degrees counterclockwise.
  • Carefully pull the CPU out of its socket.

Turn the CPU retaining screw 90 degrees counterclockwise.

Carefully pull the CPU out of its socket.

Step 43

              Motherboard
  • Remove the two screws in the upper right corner that secure the gray metal frame.

Remove the two screws in the upper right corner that secure the gray metal frame.

Step 44

  • Unplug the small ribbon cable attached to the motherboard.

Unplug the small ribbon cable attached to the motherboard.

Step 45

  • Remove the single screw located next to the USB slots.

Remove the single screw located next to the USB slots.

Step 46

  • Rotate the device so that the front faces you.
  • Lift the entire motherboard assembly out of the case.

Rotate the device so that the front faces you.

Lift the entire motherboard assembly out of the case.

Step 47

  • Disconnect the power connector from the motherboard.

Disconnect the power connector from the motherboard.

Step 48

  • Using a nut driver or a pair of thin nose pliers, remove the two stand off screws next to the pink parallel port on the back of the computer.

Using a nut driver or a pair of thin nose pliers, remove the two stand off screws next to the pink parallel port on the back of the computer.

Step 49

  • Lift up the outer end of the grey metal frame.
  • Carefully rotate the frame clockwise to release it from the motherboard.

Lift up the outer end of the grey metal frame.

Carefully rotate the frame clockwise to release it from the motherboard.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                                      with 8 other contributors 


                    Marissa Blustein

Member since: 04/16/2010

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                       Cal Poly, Team 7-8, Maness Spring 2010                        

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                                            26 Guides authored

Philippe - Jan 31, 2016

Reply

Hello,

Thanks for this !

When assembling again, I noticed that at the contact between the micro-processor and the cooler the thermal paste there was a very small amount of thermal paste.

I had none to add, therefore I reassembled as is.

After starting the machine again I note that the cooling fan never stops.

I suggest that at reassembling should thermal paste added.

Himanshu Kumar - Mar 31, 2017

Reply

ibm thinkpad t42 laptop driver are not download please sir my laptop motherboard information send in my email id . how can download driver download for ibm laptop

genese_cranford - Jun 13, 2018

Reply

Excellent tutorial. Thank you.

Geburtswehe - Oct 29, 2018

Reply

thanks alot!

Christine Segatti - Dec 12, 2018

Reply

It’s tempting to try, but I’d feel much braver with a reassembly tutorial!