The Toshiba mini notebooks, what everyone else is calling a netbook,
have been popular in several countries since they were introduced in
2009. They're cheap, they're light, and there's no service manual
available, which is a problem. The NB305 is a common model. These
instructions do not appear to fit the NB200-series machines, and may
or may not be appropriate for other NB300-series machines.
Tools needed
Very small flathead screwdriver; two sizes of small Phillips
screwdrivers; a guitar pick, thin but sturdy piece of plastic such as
a gift card or a bit thicker like a credit card; screen wipes.
Removing the screen
-
Shut down the computer
-
Flip the computer over
-
Use the two locking tabs to slide the battery up, toward the screen
hinge, and remove it.
-
Underneath the battery close to the base of the screen are three
Phillips screws, marked T4. Remove these, and the protective plastic
hemisphere over the power button will drop off.
-
Flip the computer over and open the lid.
-
On the bottom of the screen bezel, near the edges, are two flat rubber
covers. Use the small flathead screw driver to pry these up. Set aside
so you don't get the glue dirty, and you might be able to reuse them.
-
You've just uncovered two Phillips head screws. Remove these and set aside.
-
The screen is now mostly held on with friction from some pointy bits.
Use your piece of plastic -- gift card, guitar pick -- to either come
in from the very side of the screen -- not where the bezel changes
between solid plastic and stripes -- or more carefully from the screen
itself to the plastic. You're trying to separate the front piece of
plastic, the bezel, from the outside shell. It will start to come up
with a popping noise.
-
Use your piece of plastic to work around the bezel, separating it
further, until it all comes off. The bezel is somewhat flexible, but
don't try to just rip it off. Set the bezel aside.
-
You're now looking at the screen, which is attached to the outer shell
with four screws. Don't lunge for the screws. Take a second to look at
how all the wires are routed. Your model probably has about five
different wires in three different bundles running to the screen and a
webcam. You have to get these back in the right spot, or you won't be
able to put the bezel on later, or you'll pinch the wires on
something, or you'll break them outright.
-
Now lunge for the four screws and unscrew them. The screen will
separate from the outer shell. Be careful yet. You'll want to tug the
main screen cable up from the outer shell, where it's held in by a few
clips, to give you some slack to work with.
- Now gently close the screen but not the shell. You'll notice the
back of your screen has a big warning not to touch the transparent
tape. To remove the screen, you must violate this. It's protecting a
video cable that you need to pull off. Do NOT pull the fabric side of
the cable. What you need to do is use your thin flathead screwdriver
to gently pry up that transparent tape. Once you can lift the tape,
you'll see the video cable connector itself, going from the
motherboard into what I think is the inverter.
-
Unplug the cable by using your thin flathead screwdriver to gently
push once side of the cable out a bit from the plug, then the other
side, then back again, until it just drops off.
-
You now have complete physical access to your screen. Now, if you had
some screen problems like flickering or occasional darkness, don't
give up just yet and order replacements. Sometimes that taped-up video
cable connection goes bad, and simply plugging it back in and seeing
if it works may be worth your time.
"Assembly is the reverse of disassembly." Yeah. Make sure you've got
all your cables routed through the right spots before you start
putting things back on. Be gentle. And realize that hemispherical
piece of plastic with your power button on it is not symetrical -- if
the screw holes don't line up, turn it 180 degrees. There's a slight
lip on that thing that goes on the keyboard side.
Other Resources
Disclaimer, Copyright and Credits
Warning: These instructions are given without any warranty. They don't
have to be complete or correct. Don't do any of the following steps if you're
not sure of what you're doing. You could damage your notebook and you WILL
lose your warranty. Everything you do will be at your own risk.
This guide is a courtesy of Mike Stucka.
