Laptop Repair Help » Laptop Upgrading Tips

How I installed external Bluetooth adapter inside my laptop

cj2600 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:57:09 +0000

Here’s how I installed an external USB Bluetooth adapter INSIDE my laptop and made it internal. My laptop wasn’t Bluetooth ready, it didn’t have internal Bluetooth connector and antenna but I needed it in order to access the cell phone without running a cable.

My first option was using the external USB Bluetooth adapter as is but it wasn’t very convenient. I decided to find a way to install this adapter inside the laptop.

Before I started hacking my laptop, I installed Bluetooth software and tested if the new adapter works fine. As you see on the picture below, the Bluetooth icon in the SysTray is active and the cell phone is detected.

For this modification you’ll need:
1. Laptop disassembly experience. Here are service manuals for some laptops.
2. Soldering skills and tools as I mentioned in the power jack repair post.
3. Inexpensive USB Bluetooth 2.0 adapter. I spent less than $8 for that thing and you can find it even cheaper.

This is only for experienced technicians. If you have no experience you can (and most likely will) damage your laptop. Proceed on your own risk!

This guide should works for all laptop brands: Toshiba, Dell, HP/Compaq, IBM, Lenovo, Gateway, etc… as long as you have enough space to mount the Bluetooth module inside the laptop.

OK, here’s how I did it.

First of all, I disassembled my laptop and found a place where I can install the Bluetooth adapter. In my guide I’m using a Toshiba Satellite A105 laptop. I found enough empty space in the top right corner of the laptop.

My idea was simple. Disassemble the Bluetooth adapter, remove the Bluetooth module and solder it to one of the USB ports. I decided to use one of the USB ports located in the lower right corner.

NOTE: After this modification is done, you will not be able to use that particular USB port with any other USB device, it will not work because it’s dedicated to the Bluetooth module. But I think it’s not a big deal because most laptops have 3-4 USB ports.

I found some thin wires laying around.
Make sure that wires are long enough for your project.

Now you’ll have to disassemble the adapter. I easily split the adapter case with a sharp knife and removed the Bluetooth module.

Unsolder the USB connector.

As you see on the picture below, the Bluetooth module easily fits into the empty place inside the laptop.

I soldered four wires to the Bluetooth module. I used terminals for the USB connector.

After that I soldered four wires to four contacts on the back of the USB connector. Be careful. Make sure all wires are connected correctly.

At the last step I installed the Bluetooth module into the place and routed wires from the module to the USB port. I had to reroute the wires a few times to make sure that I can install the top cover and it seats properly. I secured wires to the motherboard with electrical tape.

Finally, assembled the laptop and tested it. There is no on/off hardware switch for the Bluetooth module but I can turn it on and off through software.

The Bluetooth adapter has been installed INSIDE the laptop and works flawlessly!

Tips for buying a new notebook DVD drive

cj2600 — Thu, 11 May 2006 07:31:23 +0000

Before you upgrade or replace the DVD/CD-RW drive in your notebook, make sure that the drive you are buying is compatible with your computer. Some notebooks require an optical drive that works in cable select mode (CSEL). Some notebooks require master/slave (M/S) drives. Typically the drive is set to master or slave through a firmware flash. If the optical drive is not configured properly, it will not be detected by the BIOS or you will get IDE #1 error when you start the laptop. The best way to avoid these kinds of problems is to buy an optical drive designed for your laptop. If you plan to buy a generic drive, make sure to contact the seller and confirm that the drive will work in your computer.

In most cases you would be able to use the same connector board and DVD drive caddy (braces) from your old device. Just remove them from your old drive and install on a new drive.

Also make sure that your current plastic bezel (front panel) will fit a new optical drive. All bezels are different and very often you have to have a specific bezel for a specific drive. Do not hesitate to contact the seller and ask about the drive and the bezel computability.

What memory should I use for upgrading my notebook computer?

cj2600 — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 01:47:00 +0000

Laptops are not very upgradable computers and in general you stuck with hardware you got inside your laptop. But still there are some components that you can upgrade to improve the performance of you computer. One of these components is memory (RAM). In short, more memory – better computer performance.
There are a lot of different memory brands on the market and sometimes it is very easy to get lost. As a computer technician I would recommend to use Crucial – high quality, not expensive and very reliable computer memory.
Crucial offers you very good tools integrated into their website. These tools will help you to find the correct memory type and correct memory size for your computer.
If you have no idea what kind of memory is installed into your laptop you should use the Crucial system scanner. The Crucial System Scanner takes the guesswork out of upgrading your memory.
The Crucial system scanner will examine you computer and give you an idea what kind of memory you need, what memory size you should use and how many sticks you can install.
More advanced users can use the Crucial Memory Advisor tool. In this case you will have to select the manufacturer, the product line and the model of your laptop manually.