How to Repair a Gateway 7422 Case

A laptop computer can be damaged by a drop, but often can be easily repaired.

The Gateway 7422 laptop computer features a Mobile Athlon 64 processor running at 2.2 GHz. The notebook has a 15.4-inch display, as well as an 80 GB hard drive and 1 GB of random access memory (RAM). Repairing the case of the Gateway 7422 laptop and adjusting the battery, keyboard and monitor doesn't require any existing familiarity with Gateway notebooks or general laptop repairs.

Things You'll Need

• Phillips screwdriver
• Flat-head screwdriver

Instructions

1. Disconnect the Gateway 7422 laptop from the power source. Shut down the computer.

2. Turn the Gateway laptop over. Find the outline of the notebook's battery. It is the rectangular outline at the top of the Gateway's underside. Beneath this outline is the battery release mechanism. Slide this to release the battery and remove it for your own safety before operating on the computer.

3. Check the area below where the battery was released. There should be two screws in place here. If either is loose from the screw holes, tighten the screws back into place using a Phillips screwdriver. These screws hold the keyboard shield in place on the front face of the laptop. The shield lies just above the keyboard and just below the monitor, and if it's out of place the keyboard may become loose.

4. Turn the Gateway 7422 notebook back over and open the display. Check to see if the keyboard is functional. If the case around the keyboard took damaged or if the computer has been dropped, check the inner housing encasing the keyboard. Use the tip of a flat-head screwdriver to wedge under an edge of the keyboard shield, and pop it up. Do not remove it completely. Flip the shield up against the bottom of the display.

5. Grip the top edge of the keyboard and pull up gently, just far enough to reveal the Gateway's keyboard ribbon cable. This cable is supposed to attach to the connector on the base of the case just below the keyboard, but case damage or a recent drop may have dislodged the cable from the connector. Pry up very gently on an edge of the connector. Only pull up a few millimeters on the fragile connector. Slide the keyboard ribbon cable back under it. Push down on the top of the keyboard connector to set it back into place.

6. Reaffix the case around the bezel if it is loose. The bezel is the plastic perimeter that runs around the Gateway 7422 laptop's screen. If it is damaged, it may have become separated from the back of the monitor assembly. There are small latches around the perimeter of the case that lie behind the bezel. These latches hold the bezel in place. Line the bezel back up over the screen and press firmly against the bezel to reattach it to the latches.

References

• Retrevo.com: Gateway 7422GX Laptop Service Guide