A+ Certification Guide

Chapter 9

Laptop Computers and

Portable Devices

Chapter 9Objectives

� Options for Expansion in Laptops and Portable Devices

– Describe the components of a laptop in contrast to a PC.

� Laptop Disassembly – Best Practices

– Demonstrate how to remove hard drives, memory, batteries, and so on.

� Hardware Device Replacement

– Hard drives, memory, batteries, and so on.

� Laptop Displays

– Resolution, technologies, and components

� Laptop Features

– Function keys, using projectors/external displays, and docking stations

� Portable and Laptop Diagnostics

– Demonstrate how to troubleshoot power, displays, and peripherals.

Features of Laptops and Portable Devices

� Display—LCD

� Keyboard—Built in

� Mouse or pointing device—Touchpad

� Battery use—Time limited

� Expansion bus—Docking station capability

� Hard disk form factor—Smaller; 2.5” or 1.8”

� PC Card slot—Card reader

� ExpressCard slot

� Floppy drive location—Optional peripheral on newer machines

� Optical drive—Generally included but removable

� Memory expansion—Small outline modules

� CPU upgrades—Not generally available

� Video—Integrated

Expansion Options

� PCMCIA cards/CardBus:

– Hot swappable—No rebooting to remove and substitute

� Express Cards:

– Express Card/34 or /54 slot

� Upgradeable SODIMM memory

� USB ports :

– For use with USB flash memory or hard drive drives

� Flash memory card reader slot

PCMCIA Comparison

PC Card Type Thickness Typical Uses Notes

Type I 3.3mm Memory Obsolete

Type II 5.5mm

I/O ports, wired or wireless networking, modems, external drive interfaces, hard drives

Older I/O port cards used dongles for I/O ports.

Type III 10.5mm Hard drives, combo I/O portsType III slot also supports two Type II devices.

PCMCIA Installation

ExpressCard Slots

– Replacement for PCMCIA /PC card slot

– 2.5 times faster than ExpressCard

– As fast or faster than CardBus

– Compatible with USB 2.0

– Two variations:

• ExpressCard/34 = 34mm wide

• ExpressCard/54 = 54mm wide

– /54 is compatible with /34 card.

– Communicates with system board chipset using PCIe or USB subsystem

Figure 9-4

Memory Options/Upgrades

� Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module (SODIMM)

Normal DDR

SODIMM

� USB connected flash memory /external drives

� Flash memory cards (if reader slot is available)

SODIMM Memory Replacement� SODIMM chips are often nonproprietary and available from third-party vendors.

Figure 9-10

Best Practices for Laptop Disassembly

� Refer to manufacturer documentation:

– Identify screw types, screw lengths, number of screws.

– Most vendors offer this information online.

� Use appropriate hand tools for case disassembly/component

removal:

– Repair documentation typically lists the recommended tools for each

procedure.

� Document and label cable and screw locations:

– Typically use a mixtures of screw lengths and sometimes screw

types. Mix them up, and you could damage components or not

secure them properly.

� Organize parts:

– Small component storage tray

• Tip: Use an egg crate.

Hardware Device Replacement

� Laptops Versus Desktop

– Integrated: touchpad, wireless antenna, and speakers

– Proprietary components in many cases

– Tighter tolerances for opening case

• Easy to break snaps and plastic retainers

� Component Sources

– Display, keyboard, network card, and system board must generally

be purchased from the original manufacturer.

– Optical drives and hard driver, memory, and the CPU are available

from third-party sources but attention to compatibility is important.

� Laptop Power Sources

– Internal battery.

– AC adapter that also charges the battery.

– “Universal” replacement AC adapters/batteries are often available.

Laptop Screen Casing Parts

Figure 9-17

Laptop Display Options

� LCD

– Use CCFL (fluorescent bulbs)

– Refresh rate typically limited to 60Hz

� LED (Lighted Electrical Diode)

– Brighter, crisper color, more even coverage

– Less power hungry

� OLED

– Small screens – cameras/phones

� External Displays

– Connect to VGA/USB, and so on

– Use keyboard toggle to activate

Laptop LCD Resolution XP

Note that most laptops have an optimized default resolution.

Windows Vista/7 Resolution

Figure 9-16

Display Troubleshooting� If display is cracked, the entire LCD screen must be replaced.

– It’s sometimes cheaper to buy a new laptop PC.

� Use an external monitor plugged into the video input.

– This checks to see if the video subsystem works.

– Use Fn key to toggle from external to internal.

• Consult manufacturer’s manual for appropriate F key.

– If external monitor works, but LCD fails

• Check connector between motherboard and LCD.

• With unit running, check the screen display at an angle to see if

any of the familiar desktop icons are faintly there.

– If visible, replace bulb or bulb power inverter.

� Dead pixels—Pixels that do not change colors.

– Lightly tap on screen over a dead pixel; this may or may not work.

– Manufacturer’s warranty applies; see details in warranty.

Laptop/PDA Inputs

� Stylus/digitizer:

– Popular on PDAs and Tablet PCs

� Function (Fn) keys:

– Press Fn+F# key to access specific functions.

• Example: Dell: Fn+F3 brings up battery power display.

� Touch pad/left- and right-click buttons:

– External mouse

� Pointing stick/track pointer:

– Touch-resistant mini joystick in middle of keyboard

Input Problems� Stylus/digitizer issues:

– Check for loose connections.

� Keypad/keyboard:

– Try a different application, such as notepad.

• If characters do not appear, the keyboard controller may be bad.

– Keyboard controllers relate to PS/2 connectors.

• If characters do appear, the problem is in the keyboard.

– Restart the system.

– Try updating/reinstalling the keyboard driver software.

» Uninstall, and then reboot and let PnP discover the hardware.

• Try an external keyboard from a USB connector.

� Mouse/track pointer—Same basic procedure as for a keyboard

– Clean the mouse ball.

Mouse/Track Pad Pointer

External Docking Stations

Replicates Ports to enable instant access to

External speakers, VGA /HDMI/Component Display,

Additional USB Connections, Network Connection

Power Sources

� Power sources:

– AC adapter:

• Verify compatibility for wattage and connector sizing.

– 12v external power (for use with 12v automobile power):

• Verify wattage capacity.

– Onboard battery:

• Lithium-ion (Li-ion)—Most efficient, lightest weight.

– Look for highest mAh available for best runtime.

• Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH)—Replacement for NiCd.

• Nickel Cadmium (NiCd)—Legacy type.

– Still used for motherboard CMOS in some models.

Power Management Features� Processor throttling:

– Enabled through BIOS

� Peripheral power management:

– Low power sleep when idle—Device Properties � Power

� ACPI (Advanced Power Configuration Interface):

• APM was the older power management application.

– Allows Windows to manage power usage.

– Accessed in Control Panel (power options).

– Disable power management in BIOS to avoid ACPI conflicts.

– Power Schemes tab:

• Triggers Standby or Hibernate based on idle time

– Advanced tab:

• Closed lid triggers standby or hibernate.

– Alarms tab:

• Alerts user when battery is low

Suspend, Standby, and Hibernate Modes

� ACPI supports modes S0 (working)—S5 (system off).

� Standby modes:

• S1: Standby or POS (power on standby).– Computer is on at reduced power.

» Power to the CPU(s) and RAM is maintained.

– Processor caches flushed. CPU(s) stop executing instructions.

– Devices not needed may be powered down.

• S2: In addition to S1, the CPU is powered off.

• S3: Commonly referred to as Sleep, or Suspend to RAM (STR).– RAM is still powered.

– Quick recovery time to wake up and resume working.

– Suspend (supported by some manufacturers/models).

– Hibernate mode:

• S4: RAM contents saved to nonvolatile memory, such as a hard drive.

– Hiberfil.sys file on hard drive stores copies of all open programs, data, and settings.

– All power is turned off.

– Takes time to recover data to a fully operational state.

– Standby and Hibernate are supported by Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.

Power Options Properties(Accessed from Control Panel)

Troubleshooting Power Issues

� No power

– Plugged in?

– Wall outlet supplied with power?

– Check output with voltmeter.

� Battery charging problems

– Check to see if installed properly.

– Clean contacts.

– Is battery too old to hold a charge?

– Battery hot after charging? Replace it.

Laptop Security

� Physical security against theft

� Logical security against data breach

– If hard drive stolen, is it encrypted? Figure 9-25

LAN/WAN Connections

Communications Options

� Cellular WAN:

– Can use USB, ExpressCard, and CardBus.

– Connects to cellular phone providers.

– Device is found in Device Manager/modems.

� Ethernet:

– Uses an RJ-45 port.

– Can be integrated or mounted on a peripheral card.

– Can be wireless—Check documentation for 802 type.

� Phone modem—Not as common on modern laptops.

� Bluetooth:

– Mostly for connecting wireless keyboard/mouse.

Network Problems

� Wi-Fi

– Check signal strength.

– Check for presence of Wi-Fi networks.

– Check to see if Wi-Fi adapter is enabled.

• Try disabling and re-enabling.

– Check Device Manager for Wi-Fi adapter.

• Scan for hardware changes/driver updates.

� Bluetooth

– Press Fn key that enables Bluetooth.

– Verify that Bluetooth is enabled.

– Verify that any Bluetooth external adapters are fully plugged in.

– Check Bluetooth settings.

Preventative Maintenance

� Cooling devices:

– Make sure all fans work.

– Verify that air intakes are clear and clean.

– Verify that the processor heat sink is properly attached.

� Display screens:

– Clean with antistatic cleaners designed for LCD screens.

� Use PC in an appropriate atmosphere:

– Temperature range of 50–95 degrees.

– Condensation can form on cold PCs transferred into warm

environments, causing internal shorts.

– Air can be compromised by

• Smoking, dusty conditions, and small particulate

• Salty air

� If storing the unit for long periods, remove the CMOS battery to prevent

leakage.

What Have You Learned?

– What is processor throttling?

– How is standby different from hibernate?

– What is a common cause of a mouse pointer not

moving smoothly across a screen?

– What is wireless zero configuration?

– What type of memory module is used in a laptop

PC?

– Which key is normally found on a laptop PC that

might not be found on a desktop PC?

Chapter 9Summary

� Options for expansion in Laptops and Portable Devices

– Describe the components of a laptop in contrast to a PC.

� Laptop Disassembly – Best Practices

– Demonstrate how to remove hard drives, memory, batteries, and so on.

� Hardware Device Replacement

– Hard drives, memory, batteries, and so on

� Laptop Displays

– Resolution, technologies, and components

� Laptop Features

– Function keys, using projectors/external displays and docking stations

� Portable and Laptop Diagnostics.

– Demonstrate how to troubleshoot power, displays, and peripherals.

Next Lesson: Chapter 10