As-Is Checklist

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GOALS

  • Learn to use the Laptop Build Room tools to identify hardware components.
  • Practice installing and removing hardware.
  • Figure out an organizational strategy that works for you when disassembling and reassembling parts.
  • Learn POST troubleshooting for laptops.

REFERENCES

1. Data security check

We are responsible for securely wiping or destroying any data storage device that is donated to Free Geek. This is the most important step in this process. In most cases this means removing hard drives from computers so the data can be wiped, but keep an eye out for other kinds of data storage devices.

Check for Hard Drives
☐ Separate any hard drive caddies and adapters from the hard drive.
☐ Tape them (along with their screws) back inside the hard drive bay. These should stay with the system unless your instructor needs them for parts.
☐ If a hard drive or other storage device is found, it should always be given to your instructor.
☐ Some laptops (especially larger models) may have two hard drive bays, so don't stop looking just because you've found one.

Check for Other Storage Devices
☐ Check the Optical Drive for disks.

  • You can manually open the drive by pusing a paper clip into the small quick-release hole in the drive faceplate.

☐ Look inside and around the chassis for other less common storage devices, such as:

  • 1.8” or other small-form-factor hard drives
  • Mini PCI, mini-PCIe, or mSATA solid state drives (SSDs)
  • SD cards or MemorySticks
  • SIM cards (usually under the battery)
  • Floppy disks
  • PCMCIA (PC Card slot) hard drives


Examples

  • Hard Drives
    3.5", 2.5", 1.8" and 1" sizes

  • PCMCIA Hard Drive
    (PC Card)

  • SD Memory Card

  • Mini-PCIe SSD
    (Solid State Drive)

2. Find an appropriate AC adapter

Requirements
For an AC adapter to power the device correctly, it must:

  • Match the input voltage (V) of the laptop exactly.
  • Match or exceed the recommended amperage (A).
  • Have a plug that fits into the laptop snugly and provides power.

☐ Find the input voltage and amperage listed on the laptop. This may be printed on the back of the laptop, or on the chassis under the battery.
☐ Find an AC adapter that matches the voltage and amperage listed on the laptop. You will be looking in the output section printed on the AC adapter, which should look like this:

INPUT:  100-240V~1.9A
        50/60Hz
OUTPUT: 16V ⎓ 4.5A

Tip
AC adapters are sorted in bins by voltage, amperage, and brand; the bins are color-coded by brand.

3. POST

☐ Try turning the machine on.

  • If the system loads the BIOS splash screen, you can move to the next step.
  • If the system does not boot, or appears to have screen or video problems, use sections 1 and 2 only in the Laptop POST Troubleshooting Guide (A-1) in the Appendix.
    • As-Is laptops with video or screen problems should be recyled unless they are high-end systems. Double-check with your instructor if you are not sure. Use the Recycle guide in your binder.

4. Determine specifications

☐ Enter BIOS.

  • Note the processor type and speed.
  • Note the amount of RAM installed.

☐ If processor and RAM information is not listed in BIOS, boot to the Free Geek network boot menu and use CPU Lookup or the Hardware Detection Tool.

  • Instructions for how to access the network boot are in the Appendix, in the Laptop Network Boot(A-2) guide if you need help.

☐ Remove extra RAM.

  • Reduce the amount of installed RAM to no more than 1GB as needed.
    • Use lower-capacity RAM sticks where possible (i.e. two 256MB sticks vs. one 512MB stick).

5. As-Is sticker

Grab an As-Is Laptop Label from the clipboard.
☐ Fill out the following fields:

  • Processor type
  • Processor speed
  • Amount of RAM installed

Do not fill out the AC adapter field, the store folks will take care of that one.

6. Remove stickers

Not all stickers have to be removed from the laptop; leave decorative stickers and stickers added by the manufacturer (specs, model number, etc) on the system. Stickers that MUST be removed are listed below.

☐ Remove:

  • Microsoft stickers.
  • Sticker identifying the previous owner.
  • Any offensive sticker, images or words (if you're not sure if it's offensive, it's safer to remove it).

7. Sign-off and final steps

☐ Make sure the system is completely reassembled.
☐ Have your instructor sign off on your work.

  • Ask your instructor if the AC adapter should stay with the laptop.

☐ Put the laptop in the outgoing cart.

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