How to Disassemble an MX7118 Gateway Laptop

Sometimes an operational problem or the need for an upgrade may require you to disassembly your Gateway MX7118 laptop and you can do it using only a Phillips screwdriver. With the screwdriver, you can remove the battery, RAM, hard drive, keyboard and LCD screen. No previous experience with laptop disassembly or computer troubleshooting is necessary to complete this task on your Gateway MX7118 laptop.

Things You'll Need

• Phillips screwdriver

Instructions

1. Power down the Gateway MX7118 laptop. Disconnect the Gateway’s power adapter from the back of the computer.

2. Turn over the Gateway MX7118 laptop and remove the battery. You will see the battery’s outline at the top of the laptop’s underside. Directly below the Gateway’s battery is the battery release switch. Slide it to disengage the battery for removal.

3. Remove all the screws on the bottom of the Gateway MX7118 laptop using a Phillips screwdriver.

4. Notice the two compartments at the bottom right of the underside of the Gateway. The one to the far right houses the hard drive, while the one just to the left is the RAM compartment. With the screws removed, the plastic hatches on these compartments can simply be popped off. Remove the RAM by popping out the RAM modules with your fingers.

5. Remove the hard drive. A couple of screws along the hard drive casing perimeter will still hold the hard drive in place. Remove these screws with your screwdriver and then slide the hard drive out.

6. Turn the Gateway MX7118 laptop back over and jostle the keyboard free from the laptop casing. It will now be loose. Lift it up partially to reveal the keyboard cable running down to the laptop’s base and connecting to the keyboard cable socket. Lift up on an edge of the socket to slide out the cable and disconnect it. Pull the keyboard out altogether.

7. Remove the montitor’s bezel. There are screws along the plastic bezel of the monitor that are covered with plastic caps. Pop the caps off with your fingers and remove the screws with the screwdriver. Set the bezel aside.

8. Remove the metal brackets on either side of the exposed display. There will be two screws in each of these brackets. Use your screwdriver to remove the screws and set the brackets aside.

9. Pull the LCD screen gently away from the laptop’s rear casing. This will reveal the LCD cable running from the back of the screen down into the laptop, where it connects to a socket in the same manner as the keyboard cable did. Pull up on the socket and remove the LCD cable.

10. Pull the LCD screen up and out.

Tips & Warnings

• Opening up your Gateway laptop may void the warranty.

References

• Laptop Repair 101: Laptop Repair Help
• Inside My Laptop: How to disassemble HP Pavilion dv6500, dv6600, dv6700, dv6800 notebooks