How to Reconnect My Mini PCI Card
If you would like to upgrade the internal wireless card in your laptop, there is a good chance that you will be working with a Mini PCI card. Although Mini PCI cards can be fragile and may appear difficult to work with, most laptop computers are laid out in a manner that makes getting to the Mini PCI upgrade slot a fairly worry-free process.
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Instructions
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1
Shut your laptop down completely. Unplug the power supply, and remove the battery. Turn the laptop over so that you are looking at the bottom.
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2
Look for a plastic cover on the bottom of the laptop, approximately 4-inches square in area. The cover will be held in place by one or more screws. Unscrew and remove the cover to reveal the Mini PCI slot.
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3
Examine the Mini PCI card to locate a notch. This should line up with a plastic tab in the Mini PCI slot, showing you the correct orientation for the card. Lower the card into the slot at an angle. Once the card is fully in the slot, push it down. The slot's retaining clips will lock the card into place.
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4
Locate the antenna cable(s) near the Mini PCI slot. Your laptop may have one or two internal antenna cables; when a second cable is present, it helps to improve wireless reception in areas where the signal is weak. Generally, the main antenna cable is black, or black with a white stripe. Place this cable over the "Main" connector on the Mini PCI card, and place the other cable over the "Aux" connector.
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5
Replace the plastic cover and screw it down. Replace the laptop's battery and power cable, and turn it on. If a driver CD was included with your new Mini PCI card, have the CD ready in case your operating system does not detect the new card automatically.
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Tips & Warnings
The Mini PCI slot in most laptops is situated on the underside of the machine, for easy access. However, with some laptops it necessary to remove the keyboard to access the Mini PCI slot. If you do not see a plastic cover on the underside of your laptop to access the Mini PCI slot, it will most likely be under the keyboard. Remove the keyboard according to the manufacturer's specifications.
