Do-It-Yourself Laptop & Notebook Upgrading, Modding, Repairing

Why replace a laptop or notebook when you can upgrade or repair it? Do you need to upgrade a hard disk drive, memory or CPU of your laptop or notebook computer? Do you want assistance to fix a broken display? Are you planning to dissect your laptop or notebook, to know what chips are actually inside your mobile computer? Are you missing a service manual about laptop or notebook internals? Or just in the mood of modding, customizing or hacking your mobile gadget? Here is a collection of free take apart instructions, disassembly pictures or dismantling videos, upgrade and repair manuals, as well as do-it-yourself (DIY) tips and tricks for laptop and notebook repairings.

Do you want to personalize the look and feel of your portable computer? Here are funny laptop and notebook moddings, which include take apart and teardown instructions as well.

Or do you want to re-use an old laptop? Here are instructions to turn a laptop into a picture frame.

If you have written a guide yourself (or if you know of a report not linked here), please submit a new entry.

Scott Mueller: Upgrading and Repairing Laptops (2nd Edition), 2005

"Scott Mueller goes where no computer book author has gone before right past all the warranty stickers, the hidden screws, and the fear factor to produce a real owner's manual that every laptop owner should have on his desk. This book shows the upgrades users can perform, the ones that are better left to the manufacturer, and how to use add-on peripherals to make the most of a laptop. The CD contains one-of-a-kind video showing just what's inside a portable PC."


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Morris Rosenthal: Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts: Troubleshooting PC Hardware, 2003

"A unique visual approach to troubleshooting PC hardware problems. Morris Rosenthal creates a visual expert system for diagnosing component failure and identifying conflicts. The seventeen diagnostic flowcharts at the core of this book are intended for the intermediate to advanced hobbyist, or the beginning technician. Following a structured approach to troubleshooting hardware reduces the false diagnoses and parts wastage typical of the "swap 'till you drop" school of thought. Flowcharts include: Power Supply Failure, Video Failure, Video Performance, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Failure, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Performance, IDE Drive Failure, Hard Drive Boot and Performance, CD or DVD Playback, CD or DVD Recording Problem, Modem Failure, Modem Performance, Sound Failure, Sound and Game Controller Performance, Network Failure, Peripheral Failure, SCSI Failure and Conflict Resolution."


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Some more paper books for DIY hackers and an eBook: troubleshoot with the Laptop Repair Workbook eBook before you take it apart.