Laptop Screw Symbol Tricks

[Vicenarian]

Ok, forgive me for being a n00b, but hey I thought this was neat. If you take apart a newer HP laptop, certain symbols beside the screw holes kind of let you know what the screws are for. Obviously, a keyboard shaped symbol means the screw is for the keyboard, etc.

But there are less obvious ones, like a triangle symbol means those screws are for removing the power switch bezel (don't know if that's the right term). Are there other symbols on other laptops that can come in handy like this?

 

[vdub12]

Many notebooks are like that.

Some Dell notebooks have the screw size labeled at each hole. It makes it nice when reassembling if you get twisted at which screw goes where.

 

[repairit]

It does help during reassembly quite a bit. Now if we could get a better way to keep track of the 12 billion screws on the rest of the laptop during a tear down lol.

 

[Vicenarian]

Well, I also noticed this on the HP laptop I tore down (I'm still new to laptops, so forgive my ignorance)

Most (if not all) screws had a dab of paint on them, red, blue, etc. different colors, to indicate a specific type/length/purpose of the screw. I'll try to make some deductions from my observations next time I tear the laptop down.

 

[nXtGenPC]

Yea laptops that are non-apple are great like this...... But the mac books are a night mare, THERE SOO TINY!!!

 

[repairit]

Most (if not all) screws had a dab of paint on them, red, blue, etc. different colors, to indicate a specific type/length/purpose of the screw.

I always assumed this was just lock-tight on the screws. Let me know what you find. I am interested.

 

[usacvlr]

although I can't say I've chemically analyzed the stuff, that paint is varying types of locktite. Locktite comes in different colors depending on how tight you want different things to be.

 

[Emergency PC Repairs]

I found a new way of keeping track of which screws go where, I have started using a sheet of A4 (although id imagine card might work better) and I draw a rough outline of the laptop and put circles where each screw is, then as I take the screws out I pierce them though the paper so they cant roll around.

Found this method much more efficient than anything else although it might not be suitable if you dont plan on putting the unit back together straight away.

 

[Rodrick]

I found a new way of keeping track of which screws go where, I have started using a sheet of A4 (although id imagine card might work better) and I draw a rough outline of the laptop and put circles where each screw is, then as I take the screws out I pierce them though the paper so they cant roll around.

Found this method much more efficient than anything else although it might not be suitable if you dont plan on putting the unit back together straight away.

Add in small pieces of scotch tape and it'll keep too.

 

[Corbin]

I use a icecube tray and put. Them in the tray acording to how I rip down cube 1 is the first set of screws, cube 2 is the second set of screws and so on. But I have played with the drawing idea on a sheet of paper.

 

[Rodel]

ive tried paper & a masking tape...

 

[mccarrier59]

Thank you

I will be using this on the next laptop I do

 

[Skyhooker]

The little white arrows pointing to the screw holes on motherboards indicate the only screws that directly attach the motherboard without going through another component first.

I still use the paper & tape method, which has never failed me, though I can lump all the mobo screws under one piece of tape and make a small notation on the paper, knowing about the arrows.

 

[wtigger]

For laptops with lots of different sizes of screws this is what I do:

I found these pill organizers at yard sales with 48 compartments, and I numbered all the compartments. Then a sheet of paper with numbered lines, on each line a description of the location the screws came from.

The attached image is not the exact one I use, but gives you an idea of what they look like...

I have multiple sets of these on my bench, sometimes I have 2 or 3 laptops apart on my bench at the same time. To keep all the parts together, I use the top of a copy paper box for all the parts taken out of the unit.

 

[Lone99star]

The easiest way I've found is to use a sheet of Styrofoam, I stick the screws in as a mirror image of the bottom of the laptop.
My only problem is that I occasionally drop one and my eyes have gotten so bad I have a hard time finding it. BTW my shop floor is painted grey so that makes it worse.

Lone99star

 

[16k_zx81]

Well, I also noticed this on the HP laptop I tore down (I'm still new to laptops, so forgive my ignorance)

Most (if not all) screws had a dab of paint on them, red, blue, etc. different colors, to indicate a specific type/length/purpose of the screw. I'll try to make some deductions from my observations next time I tear the laptop down.

Its threadlocking resin. Red is high strength. blue is medium strength.

I have a tube of resin-gel handy for every laptop job I do. Laptops are under continual stress from chassis twisting and vibration. Screws you replace without resin will loosen over time. Resin is to limit the extent this might occur.

 

[pceinc]

We usually have one tech take apart the laptop and put all of the screws in a pile. Then another tech gets the reassembly job. For fun, the first tech will sometimes add a screw that doesn't belong to the pile so as to really confuse tech 2 during reassembly.

Seriously, these are some good ideas. We normally use cups. one cup for bottom side screws, another for middle case screws, mobo screws, etc... Works pretty well. We have also used sharpies in the past to mark the holes the different size screws are removed from but they can be hard to see.

 

[coreyspeed]

we use magnetic dish's and just seperate the different sizes in the dish, we then use one for the outside of the case and one for the inside and seperate dish for the screen.

also got another question what do you all do for replacment screws ?, we see loads of laptops missing screws.

 

[hondablaster]

Ok Ive probably repaired 4 laptops where I completely tore it down I didn't keep track of what goes where..... I have been able to reassemble everything without missing anything (well maybe 2 times there was one screw LOL)

How important that I keep exact track of which screw goes where?

I usually find that there are 2-3 main sizes of screws with 2 different types of metal used.

As I get better I will have to resort to techniques as the ones you listed but is it extremely important?

 

[apochimongitus]

Honda, I've done the same thing... except I've probably stripped and rebuilt 100 or more laptops(90% of which were the same model... so I'm kinda cheating). I've never used any particularly 'methodical' dissassembly process, and once with an imac (like a laptop that stands up ) it had a whole swag of left overs.

The real pain is when you've got a laptop in tiny little bits and it takes 3 weeks for the customer to agree to organising parts, etc. and then the memory fades a little. The best bet in that case is just to put it back together as soon as you can and at least you get a bit extra practise in.

For those who prefer knowing exactly where things go, then it's probably crucial, but for the play-it-by-ear types like myself, those things only tend to get in the way.

Cheers,
Apochimongitus