Fixing Your Laptop's Broken Power Jack

A broken laptop jack is a recipe for disaster. Not only does it render your laptop useless, but it makes it difficult for the laptop's battery to be recharged. You're probably asking"What causes the power jack to be broken? Well, the breakage takes place when you move your laptop without unplugging the power chord.  This puts excess pressure, causing the soldered connection to break. Instead dishing out a few hundred dollars to get ti fixed, how about I show you how to go about fixing your laptop's broken power jack.

Tools You Need

• Replacement Power Jack,
• Soldering iron and solder
• Desolder Pump

Now onward!

Attach Electrostatic Strap To Your Wrist

Attach an electrostatic strap to your wrist to avoid  static electricity damaging your laptop. Then connect the other end to a piece of metal.Now disassemble your laptop by removing the battery and power chord. After disassembling your laptop, lay it face down and remove any covers from the bottom of the laptop.

Remove Hard Drive

Next remove the hard drive, optical drive, and memory sticks from your laptop. The hard drive is located towards the front of the laptop. Next, remove all screws holding the hard drive and then slide it to one side to disconnect from to the motherboard. The optical drive is held by one screw, Having made that discovery, remove  the screw and slide the drive out of the laptop. Finally the memory sticks are held by two clips... With that in mind, spread the clips apart to cause the memory sticks to pop up. Grab them by the edges and slide them out of the holding area.
  Remove any other screws holding the bottom of the laptop. Pu them aside , and for those of you with memory problems, document them so you can replace them later.

Turn The Laptop's Right Side Up

Turn the laptop's right side up and pry the keyboard bezel along the top of the keyboard. Once removed, proceed to remove the keyboard itself. The keyboard is  connected to the motherboard by a data cable. Then remove the screws holding the keyboard and disconnect the data cable to remove the keyboard. Now disconnect and  the display panel, and remove any screws connecting the display panel to the laptop base.Remove any screws located along the top cover of your laptop.,and  then carefully pry the cover and remove the it from the base.  Next   remove any screws connecting the motherboard to the laptop base and any other components connected to the motherboard including the wireless adapter. After that, remove the motherboard from the laptop base.

Locate Power Jack

Locate the power jack which should be on the back corner of the motherboard, and heat up your soldering iron at this point. Now use your soldering iron to heat the solder holding the power jack and use the desolder pump to remove it as it melts. Dont  press too much on the solder or you damage the motherboard. Next remove the old power jack. Now place fresh solder around  the inputs of the motherboard for the power jack and slide the new power jack in place.(Purchase soldering  toolkit at Amazon.com)Finally reassemble your laptop and reconnect the power cable. After reassembling your laptop,  your new power jack should be raring to go. (Purchase new power jack at Amazon.com )

That's a wrap for "Fixing Your Laptop's Broken Power Jack". Hope this tutorial helps as you try to fix your power jack. Till next time, cheers!

Till then take care

If you are here and you want to learn how to fix laptops as a career or past time, Download Laptop Repair Made Easy

Replacing A Wireless Adapter.

One benefit of The wireless network adapter, or network card is that you can connect to your wireless network without utilizing network cables through your house.  For those who don't know, the wireless adapter is plugged into the motherboard with the wireless antennae receiving the wireless signal at the rear of your laptop. Unfortunately if your wireless card fails to pick up the wireless signal it means your wireless adapter is defective and needs to be replaced. Here is how to replace a wireless adapter.

Turn Off The Laptop

First Turn off the laptop and unplug the power cord. Then unplug or unscrew the wireless antennae Now remove two thumbscrews on the edge of the laptop side cover, and then  slide the panel towards the laptop's rear to disengage the tabs. After disengaging remove the tab. and   set the cover aside. You will then go on to remove the screw holding the network adapter bracket inside the rear wall of the laptop. Dont forget to set the screws aside.

Get a Hold of The Wireless Adapter

Now get a hold of the wireless adapter and pull it out of its slot - .gently of course. After pulling the card out, set the card aside. Next insert the new wireless card into that same slot from which you pulled the old wireless adapter. You then align the wireless adapter with the rear of the slot, and then push the card back in firmly but gently. Now align the tab on the wireless adapter bracket with the slot in the rear  wall of the laptop case.  Keep pushing the wireless card in the slot until it fits.

Reinstall the Side Cover

After fitting the wireless card reinstall the side cover.Next reinstall the screw  holding the wireless adapter bracket.You then install the antennae on the wireless card before  plugging it or screwing it in.Next plug in the power chord and then turn On your laptop. You will then see  a message saying "Found New Hardware". That's your queue to install new drivers

You then insert the CD that comes with  your new network card. Now select the option to install or update the driver from the CD menu, and  follow the prompts in the installation wizard  to complete the installation.  After that reboot the laptop...Your network card should work like a charm.

Looking for a wireless adapter for your laptop? buy it at Amazon.con

Till then take care

If you are here and you want to learn how to fix laptops as a career or past time, Download Laptop Repair Made Easy