Laptop

A place to put info on LAPTOP REPAIRS at Free Geek

Laptop Class   1/14/2005

=Ground Rules: =


 * Bringing personal laptops into the laptop repair area -- FORBIDDEN
 * Removing parts from the laptop repair area -- FORBIDDEN


 * Students are committing to:
 * spend 80 hours doing Freegeek laptop repair ONLY
 * students are committing to teach future laptop classes

=Tools:=

Hardware

 * grounding strap
 * magnifying glass
 * set of tiny double headed screwdrivers (weiss sets include torx)
 * dental pick
 * penlight or small flashlight
 * x-acto knife set
 * security torx bits - aka tamper proof
 * chip puller
 * tiny tweezers
 * power splitter
 * tiny zipties
 * ps/2 "Y" - for keyboard + mouse to 1 port on laptop
 * jewler's saw
 * caliper
 * 3 1/2 inch -> 2 1/2 inch hard-drive adapter
 * voltmeter (digital)
 * fine emery boards
 * alcohol pads
 * q-tips & alcohol

Software Tools
http://www.knoppix.net/get.php
 * Download Knoppix

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/laptops.html
 * Laptop-HOWTO

http://www.mepis.org/book/view/1462
 * Download MEPIS Linux MEPIS.org

http://www.lostboxen.net/laptopfloppies
 * Phoo's laptop floppies

= TOOLS SOURCES:=
 * Winks hardware - 200 se stark
 * Frys - wilsonville
 * Wheeler dealer - 144th & se stark
 * Andy & bax - 324 se grand
 * Wacky willys surplus - 2374 nw vaughn
 * Norvac Electronics  - Progress
 * United Radio Supply - NE 9th & Davis

=ToDo:=
 * syllabus, repair howto(s) & triage charts, website to FG's store, wiki
 * keeper tags showing:
 * clockspeed (pentium is a given?),
 * ram (slots?),
 * co-processor y/n,
 * hd size,
 * card slots
 * standardize software load - "somebody start a sub-group" - instructor
 * add more tool sources - also sources to AVOID

=The Process=

Evaluation:

 * 1) note Printed material on laptop. MfG, MODEL, Serial
 * 2) Google your laptop
 * 3) Test your laptop
 * 4) Document your laptop
 * 5) * FG Asset tags
 * 6) * Mfg
 * 7) * Model number
 * 8) * Proc speed / Mem size / Drive size
 * 9) Repair your Laptop
 * 10) Burn in your laptop.
 * 11) QA someone Elses laptop.
 * 12) Finish

Power & Batteries
General battery FAQ (large):

http://www.buchmann.ca/faq.asp

question from table author: is this useful here? takes up a lot of space, and tables are tricky to edit

Compaq Battery Chart

Dell Battery Chart

Docks & Port Replicators
Whats the diff?

Port replicators just extend existing connectors. Docks give new functionality.

CD DVD & External drives
=Links=

Laptop Links
http://www.linux-laptop.net/
 * Linux on Laptops

http://www.tuxmobil.org/howtos.html
 * TuxMobil Linux HOWTOs For Mobile Computers

http://www.eserviceinfo.com/equipment_type/Notebooks_43.html
 * Free laptop schematics

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/product.do?doctypeind=8&template=%2Fproductselection%2Flandingpages%2FonlinePublicationsLandingPage.vm
 * IBM Service Manuals