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newSchoolWorks.com › VoTechWorks › Technology & Design › IT Support / Networking › PC Hardware: Installation, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting › Lesson 9
TEC-ITS43-02 · Lesson 9 · 15 clock hours · lab

Laptop Components and Field-Replaceable Unit Replacement

Objective. Students will safely disassemble a laptop to replace at least three field-replaceable units—battery, keyboard, and M.2 SSD—and fully reassemble it to a working state with no leftover screws.

⚠ Pending professional review

This lesson, its worked examples and its practice questions has not yet been verified by an industry-certified professional or by a certification or approval body. It is a study draft and may contain errors. Do not use it as instructions for work on a job site or on live equipment. Always follow your instructor, your supervising professional, and current official references and regulations.

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Laptop Components and Field-Replaceable Unit Replacement

Laptops are compact, integrated systems, but manufacturers design certain parts to be removed and replaced without specialized factory equipment. These parts are called field-replaceable units (FRUs). Common laptop FRUs include the battery, keyboard, RAM (on non-soldered models), storage drives, and wireless cards. Knowing how to safely swap FRUs is a core skill for any IT support technician and is tested on CompTIA A+.

Before You Touch the Machine: Safety First

Static electricity can destroy sensitive components instantly. Always work on an anti-static surface or use an anti-static wrist strap grounded to a metal chassis. Remove the AC adapter before opening any laptop. The first thing you disconnect inside the machine is the battery connector—even with the adapter unplugged, the battery can deliver current that damages components or creates a short circuit.

Lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries used in laptops can catch fire or release toxic gases if punctured, bent, or improperly handled. Never pry directly against the battery cells. If a battery appears swollen (the case is bowed or the trackpad does not sit flush), treat it as a hazardous material: do not compress it, place it in a fireproof bag or container, and follow your school's hazardous-waste disposal procedures. Do not place a swollen battery in regular trash.

Gather Your Resources First

Every laptop model is different. Before touching a single screw, locate the manufacturer service manual or an iFixit guide for your exact model. These documents show screw locations, screw sizes, connector types, and the correct order of disassembly. Skipping this step is the most common cause of broken clips and stripped screws.

Use a magnetic screw tray with labeled sections matching the disassembly map in the guide. Laptop screws are tiny and visually similar but are often different lengths. Installing a long screw in a short-screw hole can crack the motherboard. A labeled tray eliminates this risk.

Disassembling the Bottom Cover

Most modern laptops are opened from the bottom. Remove every visible screw, noting that some may be hidden under rubber feet or warranty stickers. Use the correct Phillips #0 or #00 screwdriver—a poor fit strips the screw head immediately. Once all screws are out, use a plastic spudger or pry tool to release the snap clips around the perimeter. Work slowly around the edge; forcing a metal tool can crack the plastic or aluminum chassis.

After the cover lifts, locate the battery connector on the motherboard and disconnect it before proceeding with any other work.

Replacing the Battery

Internal batteries are typically secured by a few screws and sometimes a small amount of adhesive. Remove the screws, then gently lift the battery from the adhesive using a plastic tool—never a metal tool near the cells. Connect the replacement battery, confirm the connector is fully seated, then set the battery in place and reinstall its screws.

Swapping the M.2 SSD

M.2 is a form-factor standard for solid-state drives. M.2 drives are installed in a dedicated slot on the motherboard and held by a single small screw at the opposite end from the connector. To remove the drive, unscrew the retention screw, then lift the drive at a shallow angle (typically around 30 degrees) and slide it out of the slot. Installing the replacement is the reverse: insert at the same angle, press down flat, and reinstall the retention screw. Do not overtighten—snug is sufficient. After reassembly, confirm the drive is detected in BIOS before reinstalling the operating system or cloning data.

M.2 drives come in different key types (M-key, B-key, B+M-key) and interface types (SATA and NVMe/PCIe). Always verify the replacement drive matches the slot specification in the service manual.

Replacing the Keyboard

Keyboard replacement varies widely by laptop brand. On some models the keyboard is secured from the top with hidden snap clips; on others it is secured from the bottom with screws. The service manual is essential here. Most keyboards connect to the motherboard via a ZIF (zero insertion force) ribbon cable connector: flip up the small locking tab, slide the ribbon cable out, install the new keyboard's ribbon cable, and press the locking tab back down. Never yank a ribbon cable—the connector tears easily.

Reassembly and Verification

Reassemble in reverse order. Before fully pressing the bottom cover closed, do a visual check: no cables are pinched, all connectors are seated, and no screws remain in the tray. Press the cover down along all edges until every clip clicks. Reinstall screws from the service manual diagram.

Power on the laptop. Enter BIOS/UEFI setup immediately and confirm the M.2 SSD appears with the correct capacity. Exit BIOS and boot into an operating system, then open an online keyboard test utility and press every key to confirm all keys register. Record the results in your lab log. Zero leftover screws is a required outcome—if any remain, identify their location before closing the lab.

Documenting Defects

Any cracked clip, stripped screw, or component that fails to function after reassembly must be recorded in the lab log with a description and a corrective action plan. Accurate documentation is a professional standard in IT support and reflects real-world service ticketing practices.

Key terms8

Field-Replaceable Unit (FRU)A component designed to be removed and replaced by a technician in the field without returning the device to the factory; examples include laptop batteries, keyboards, and M.2 SSDs.
M.2A small form-factor slot and card standard used for solid-state drives and other expansion devices; M.2 SSDs connect directly to the motherboard and are retained by a single screw.
ZIF Connector (Zero Insertion Force)A ribbon-cable connector with a locking tab that, when opened, allows the cable to slide in or out with no force applied, preventing damage to delicate flat cables.
SpudgerA non-conductive, non-marring pry tool—typically made of plastic or nylon—used to release snap clips and separate laptop panels without cracking the chassis or scratching surfaces.
Service ManualOfficial documentation published by the laptop manufacturer that specifies disassembly order, screw sizes and locations, connector types, and FRU replacement procedures for a specific model.
Anti-Static Wrist StrapA grounded strap worn on the wrist that continuously equalizes electrostatic charge between the technician and the work surface, preventing electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage to components.
Swollen BatteryA lithium-ion or lithium-polymer battery that has expanded due to internal gas buildup; a swollen battery is a fire and chemical hazard and must be handled and disposed of according to hazardous-material procedures.
NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express)A high-speed interface protocol used by M.2 SSDs that communicates over PCIe lanes, offering significantly faster read and write speeds compared to SATA-based M.2 drives.
In class: Students consult iFixit or the manufacturer service manual for the assigned laptop model, identify screw types and sizes on a disassembly map, and organize screws by location in a labeled magnetic screw tray before opening the chassis. · Students remove the bottom cover, disconnect the battery, swap the M.2 SSD, and replace the keyboard, following the service manual steps and using appropriate spudgers and pry tools to avoid cracking the chassis. · Students reassemble the laptop, power it on, verify the new SSD is detected in BIOS and that the keyboard functions across all keys using an online keyboard test utility—any missed screws or cracked clips are recorded as defects in the lab log.
Materials: Practice laptops (minimum one per two students), iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit, magnetic screw trays, replacement M.2 SSDs and keyboards matched to laptop model, manufacturer service manuals or iFixit guides, online keyboard tester (KeyboardTester.com or equivalent), lab log notebooks
Check: Laptop powers on, replacement SSD appears in BIOS with correct capacity, all keyboard keys register on the key tester, and zero screws are left over—all four criteria required to pass; any cracked component is a documented defect requiring remediation.

Practice check8

Answer each question, then check it. Nothing is recorded; this is your own practice.

CompTIA A+ – Hardware
1. A technician is about to replace the keyboard on a laptop that is unplugged from AC power. What is the correct first action inside the chassis before touching any other component?
CompTIA A+ – Hardware
2. After replacing an M.2 SSD in a laptop and powering it on, the technician should verify the replacement in which location first?
CompTIA A+ – Hardware
3. A technician discovers that after reassembling a laptop, three screws remain in the magnetic tray. What is the best immediate action?
CompTIA A+ – Safety and Operational Procedures
4. A technician notices the laptop's trackpad is raised and the case near the battery is slightly bowed outward. Which action is most appropriate?
CompTIA A+ – Hardware
5. When releasing a ZIF ribbon cable connector, what is the correct technique?
CompTIA A+ – Hardware
6. A replacement M.2 drive is described as NVMe. What interface does it use to communicate with the motherboard?
CompTIA A+ – Hardware
7. Why is it important to consult the manufacturer service manual or an iFixit guide before disassembling a specific laptop model?
CompTIA A+ – Hardware
8. After replacing a laptop keyboard, the technician uses an online keyboard tester and finds that four keys in the top row do not register. The ribbon cable appears fully inserted. What is the most likely next step?
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