Taking Apart a Sony Vaio Laptop

So, I have a Sony Vaio VGN-C240E (AKA PCG-6R3L) and I accidentally dropped it. It fell on the right rear corner where the power cord plugs in while the cord was plugged in. Of course I freaked out but it turned out the laptop was ok. A couple days later, however, I noticed that my power cord wasn't going in. It turns out the plastic pieces holding together the jack on the inside broke and the jack wasn't staying flush with the case any more.

With the help of various other tutorials on similar laptops, I was able to disassemble my Vaio with relative ease and fix the problem. I will go over these instructions in hopes that this maybe useful to someone else in the future. Opening up a Vaio is kind of an intricate process. With a laptop, you never want to tug and pull too hard as pieces are generally very small and hard to replace.

Most people who will need this will probably only need to know how to disassemble the laptop and not fix the power issue. However, I've added my fix for that problem just in case.

Last but not least, keep in mind, I'm not an œexpert. These directions are not from the manufacturer and should not be considered as such. Do this at your own risk.

This instructable originally appeared on my website at Verbal Caricature.

Step 1 Be Carefull.

Rule number one, be gentle, ground yourself, and don' be a Neanderthal. This is a laptop, not a piece of meat. If you're not careful, your attempt to fix your laptop will become a $1100 science project because explaining how three plastic pieces, which have no business being tampered with, broke to your manufacturer will not be fun; that is if, indeed, you're still under warranty.

Comments

[akumar77]

hey, i have a similar problem with my Sony Vaio Model PCG-51111W but instead of it falling on its side and damaging the battery plug input , it fell on the other side and damaged the power button , Now i'm helpless cause i can't even start up my laptop as the button had sinked into its cavity and its stuck there. I'm not use to dismantling laptops but is it possible to do the exact same process up till step 4 to just push the button into place or do i need to do everything ?

[syra]

Sony VAIO VPC-EA3UFX/BJC looks and feels more expensive than it is. The bronze sculpture of black felt substantial in my hands, and the matte finish has a slight sheen that looks very good. It also resists dirt and fingerprints. A quirk of design that surprised me was the use of a bright palm rest on a machine that was otherwise covered in matte finish, it's not just a magnet for fingerprints, but it is the only part of the chassis that will hit all the time when laptop is used. http://www.thesonyworld.com

[rerat]

 Wow, it's really weird how common this is...mine is the Vaio  VGN-FW265D,
img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/100603/953r5/52388c6_20.jpeg See that lovely sleek barrel connected housing? Well I was watching a movie running from the laptop to the TV with HDMI,  in the dark, I got up to use the bathroom, tripped over the power cable, ripped out the HDMI, sent the laptop (literally) about 12 feet across the floor, snapped that barrel clean off...luckily the wiring remained intact...and I glued it back together..the plug still feels horribly loose, but has no issues with cutting in/out etc.

[munser]

 My computer (which I think is the same one) had 3 screws under the keyboard that needed to be removed.

[munser]

I too had this exact same problem. I followed the steps, bent the metal bracket back  and the computer is perfect again!  Actually not perfect, the DVD is not working but the power isn't a problem any more!!!
Thanks for a great instructable!

[alfiec]

Brilliant! I had exactly the same problem with the power inlet. I followed your guide and found the metal bracket was bent. Previously I couldn't fathom out how to get the back off and have spent a year with the power cable sellotaped to my desk so the laptop wouldn't suddenly die.

Thanks - a great post.

Gary
Wisbech
UK

[k_man93]

 the fan on my vaio cs quit working a few months ago, because the bearings were frozen... it was still under warranty, but next time it might not be. i will keep this instuctable in mind

[tewfik]

thanks for this Instructable I'm going to take apart my sony vaio, very helpful

[soberanis]

Sony Vaio VGN-FS660P. This unit was working great, but recently it quit tunring on. This unit does not turn on. Both the battery and power supply were in fine shape when it quit working.

[soberanis]

Sony Vaio VGN-FS660P. This unit was working great, but recently it quit tunring on.. This unit does not turn on

[REI]

Just did the same to my Sony Vaio. Then came across this post to add in a few things. Power jack went bad.. Was made very cheep (plastic) did a search on the net and only found 3 sites that has the power jack and they all wanted $85 for it.. So I went to my local radio shack store and got one that came close to the same size and would fit as best as possible. With a good bit of work, I got it to fit. The best thing is that it is made of metal and won't get messed up as bad (If ever is a next time) BTW.. It is a Sony Vaio PCG-K33

[awang8]

What the... You mean just the jack is damn expensive? That's stuipid! ^{_{Unless I was selling them....}}

[REI]

(removed by author or community request)

[awang8]

Your reply does not make sense. 1. I do not own a Sony Vaio. I never said I did. 2. I was only sharing my opinion. Opinions are not something to be critisized.

[Yerboogieman]

so whats the difference between a sony vaio and a compaq with the same processor and same amount of ram and video card?

[bavalova]

A few hundred dollars?

[Yerboogieman]

ok, thanks i didnt think there was any difference besides the name

[bavalova]

Well, to be clear, Sony is GENERALLY a better system. For example, I use my system every single day vigorously. I take it to school, work, home, etc. I use it for movies and for work. I really beat the heck out of it but I've yet to have a problem with it that I didn't somehow cause. For example, I've owned a COMPAQ before and so have 2 of my friends and I noticed on each of them that the joints that allow the screen to flip open really loosen on the Compaqs after a very short while. It's quite annoying and you either gotta get in there and fix it yourself or send it for repair. Honestly, I'm glad I went with the Viao for this and similar reasons.

[awang8]

I think Dells are the best because I have a Dell Latitude and for normal laptops I probably would have killed it but this Latitute is very tough. It absolutely refuses to break under normal circumstances, even though it's 2nd hand.

[dabinp29327]

why would you take a laptop apart? Vaios are expensive

[awang8]

May I direct you to the introduction?

[DIYerr]

This is a little tip that works for any project where you dismantle and then reassemble: after every piece you remove, take a picture. That way, when you have to put the whole thing back together, you won't have the panic attack of "Uh-oh, where did this piece go?" Just use a digital camera and then you can delete all the pictures. (Or write an Instructable!)

[marknyc]

bavalova, this is awesome, but I can't quite figure out how to get the case off. I've taken out all the screws I can find, including the hidden ones under the dvd-drive. Most of the case now comes off easily, but there seems to be a hidden screw on the right side, somewhere near the plug for an external monitor. Or maybe there's some trick involving pushing that connector in? It feels like it's stuck in just one spot, but I can't find it. I've even looked under the heat sink and fan. No help. Any idea of what I'm missing?

[bavalova]

Mark,

First, do not push the VGA connector in; this is stationary and attached directly to the motherboard.

Second, by my estimation, there are a couple different kinds of stuck. 1) There's the kind of stuck where there can be no other explanation other than there must be a screw or plastic push piece holding it in place or 2) there's the kind of stuck where if you jiggle it lightly it might come apart. The second kind of stuck is also more likely if you cause some sort of cosmetic damage to the right side of the case. When I dropped my laptop, I caused some cosmetic damage to the right rear corner of the laptop and was preparred to feel a little bit of extra resistence there. I do not know what your scenerio is but if that's the case (no pun intended), feel it out.

Keep in mind that Sony wouldn't make it impossible to take apart because if you sent it in for repair, the more parts they had to break to get in, the more parts they'd need to replace and the more money it would cost them. If it helps, take a break and regain your composure. I often get irritated and then become a Neandrathal and break stuff if I don't cool off for a moment.

I know that when I did it, it certainly felt more stuck in some spots. I just felt it out and tugged only hard enough to get it loose. You can kind of estimate the amount of pulling the plastic can take.

Other than that man, I got nothing. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

[hot-fresh-rider]

Well done Bavalova, I really appreciate this because I'm half way through taking a VAIO apart. My tips are get the whole job done in ONE DAY so you can put it back together and remember where everything goes, second tip would be to use a piece of A4 paper to 'map' out where the screws go. You poke the screws in relation to where they sit on the back of the case. Keep your laptop fixing area free from pets, housemates and family while you fix because any one of these could stop your putting it back together again ! CHILLED or Ambient music helps :)

[Very Keri]

I CRINGED when I read your intro. We have 2 Vaio laptops (should have learned our lesson the first time around) and I have dropped both of them causing this same problem (and some marital bickering, especially after the second time, lol!). It costs 400 dollars, plus you have to live without your laptop for a month in order to get the freaking thing fixed by Sony!. It's not cool at all. Don't get me started if your LCD screen needs to be repaired.

[bavalova]

Well now, if it happens again, you know how to fix it! It is a pain in the butt and I would spend a good hour or so the first time around; but really, it does beat waiting for the manufacturer to fix it.

[bavalova]

Thanks darkmuskrat. I agree, perhaps wood glue was not the best choice but it's what I had available at the time (about 1AM). It's been about 4 months (I had the instructions posted on my blog since January and I only recently found www.instrucables.com) and I haven't had a single problem so as far as I'm concerned, it has withstood the test of time. I use my laptop daily and oft leave it plugged in for hours on end. Again, I'm sure wood glue wasn't the best choice but it did work for me.

[darkmuskrat]

This is good. I had to do a similar thing when I fried my Gateway Laptops motherboard XP (over clocking...i love it) the glue might not have been the best choice though...i hope its heat resistant (looks like it is, but next time i wouldn't recommend wood glue)