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General discussion

Notebook repair Acer Extensa 500 T

Jul 25, 2004 2:15PM PDT

I need to replace the damaged usb connector on the mother board. My problem is getting the notebook apart. I have taken all of the screws out including the lcd panel and hinges. Their must be some hidden screws which I can not find because the notebook will not separate.
I have contacted Acer they will not help me. Refered me to a repair company. The repair company will not help me either they want me to send in my laptop for repair.
Please advise if you know of any hidden screws or where I might be able to get an outline drawing.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Ps I cannot use a usb pci card because it won't fit underneath the ethernet pci card I am using.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Paul Sopko

Discussion is locked

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Re: Notebook repair Acer Extensa 500 T
Jul 25, 2004 3:09PM PDT

You can use an USB card because I put an USB to Ethernet on such and then that laptop lived on. In their card the connector was not damaged, the port was indeed "blown."

As to opening the unit, a little issue is that some case screws are sometimes hidden under product labels and rubber feet. A service center will have replacement labels if the tech tears one off.

Bob

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Re: Notebook repair Acer Extensa 500 T
Jul 25, 2004 11:17PM PDT

That port is going to be part of the motherboard and replacing it is likely to damage the motherboard and result in a non usable computer.

Better to buy a PCMCIA USB adapter and leave the laptop alone.

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Re: Notebook repair Acer Extensa 500 T
Aug 21, 2004 1:06PM PDT

Thank you for your reply. I do belive that I can repair the circut board. Please advise if you can help me get my notebook apart.
Thaks,
Paul Sopko

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Re: Notebook repair Acer Extensa 500 T
Aug 21, 2004 1:13PM PDT

Thank you for your reply. I am still having problems getting my note book apart. I looked under the rubber foot pads and found no screws. The back end by all the ports doesn't want to come apart easily. Shold I use some extra force to pry it open?
Please advise,
Thanks,
Paul Sopko

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Re: Notebook repair Acer Extensa 500 T
Aug 21, 2004 11:16PM PDT

It varies from machine to machine. Some plastic cases have click together parts. Such do not lift off or seperate after the screws are removed.

Bob

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Re: Notebook repair Acer Extensa 500 T
Sep 6, 2004 2:43PM PDT

I am currently working on one myself....so here goes to access internals you have to prise off the keyboard. You wouldn't be able to help me in some way would you? I need to know what sort of motherboard the acer extensa 500t has, make and model no. By the way its a job and a half.

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Re: Notebook repair Acer Extensa 500 T
Sep 6, 2004 10:57PM PDT

" to access internals you have to prise off the keyboard. You wouldn't be able to help me in some way would you?"

Again, it varies too widely and I don't have your model handy to look at how it comes off exactly. Most are "slide some tab and pry up" type affairs.

" I need to know what sort of motherboard the acer extensa 500t has, make and model no."

It is an Acer Extensa 500t motherboard. You may be unaware that notebook motherboards are custom to the make and model and I've yet to see a Dell fit in a Sony laptop or any other!

Hope this helps,

Bob

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Re: Notebook repair Acer Extensa 500 T
Sep 17, 2004 11:53AM PDT

I disassembled my Acer Extensa 500t, but didn't take the motherboard out. The usb connector I bought wasn't the right size. I theefore mechanically removed the old usb connector leaving the four wires sicking out of the motherboard. Soldered a female usb cable to the wires and ran it out the back. My usb now works!

I disassembled the laptop as follows.
Remved battery
All screws on the bottom (mark screws some are different).

Removed the lcd panel door, there are three hidden screws behind behing some tape, also four connector plug-in's.

I was able to get the keyboard off by removing the plastic sleeve below the enter key, and by sliding the keyboard up from the front to the the rear. Carefully remove the touch pad ribbon cable.

The top cover came off after removing some screws another ribbon cable, cpu heat sink, and hard dive.
I stopped taking things apart because of the usb coneector was the wrong size.

You might want to chek out belarc adviser software. It will tell you the type of mother board you have.
Regards,
Paul

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(banging spoon on table)
Sep 17, 2004 10:42PM PDT

Cheers to being so persistant.

Much cheaper than a new laptop.

Bob

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RE: Took three known dead Laptops apart once.
Sep 7, 2004 1:47AM PDT

NEVER EVER AGAIN.

Each Laptop came apart different.

Each Laptop required different tools or
modification of existing tools.

Good luck