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When your HP laptop keyboard has lost some of its functionality or has become damaged, it is probably time for a replacement. Even though some HP laptops have similar designs and parts, they are not all compatible or interchangeable with one another. This is why it is very important to ensure you find the correct replacement part for your HP laptop by using a quality parts supplier. They will have the tools to help you find the proper HP laptop keyboard to fit your needs.

Replacing the laptop keyboard can be fairly simple, depending on the model. It is a good idea to look for a service manual for your HP laptop before attempting the repair. Doing an internet search for the term “service manual” followed by your laptop’s model will often result in a PDF file that can walk you through the steps specific to your laptop model.

Here are the basic steps for replacing most HP laptop keyboards:

1. Remove the battery and disconnect the AC adapter to ensure no power is going to the laptop. This will reduce the risk of electric shock. Also remove the laptop battery pack.

2. Depending on your laptop model, there will be a number of screws on the bottom of the laptop that may need to be removed. Keep careful track of any screws that are removed to ensure you know their location when reassembling.

3. With some HP laptops, there is a specific screw marked with a keyboard icon to guide you. This releases the keyboard from the chassis.

4. On some models, you may need to also remove the plastic shield around the edge of the keyboard. This is the area the often houses the touchpad and buttons.

5. Gently pull the keyboard up and tilt it slowly forward. It should be connected to the motherboard by a small ribbon cable. Gently disconnect the cable and note its location for the replacement later. Ribbon cable connectors often have a plastic lever to put tension on the cable, be very careful with these connections and be sure to properly release the cable clips before pulling the ribbon cable out of the connection.

6. Once you have the old laptop keyboard out of the way. Connect the replacement keyboard to the motherboard and reverse instructions to reassemble the laptop. Be sure to engage the cable clip if one existed on the mainboard connection, otherwise the cable may slip out when you place the keyboard back into the machine.

7. Once installed, reinstall the battery and boot up the laptop to test the new keyboard.

As long as you prepare ahead of time by finding the correct part and with the help of a clear set of instructions, replacing your HP laptop keyboard should be a fairly simple process, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing you have repaired your own laptop and saved some money in the process.
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The HP Compaq 8100 Elite convertible minitower is a small form factor computer designed to provide solid performance in a very compact package. Its affordable price makes it a great choice for budget-conscious users, and its compact size makes it a good choice for small spaces.

The “convertible” term for the 8100 refers to the fact that it can be used flat in a horizontal orientation, or flipped on its side in a vertical orientation. When used on its side, it has a stand to keep it from tipping over. This flexibility allows it to fit into more spaces than a machine that is restricted to one or the other. The machine measures 17.6 inches by 7 inches by 17.5 inches and weighs only around 24.7 pounds.

It includes a powerful Intel Core i5 processor at 3.2 GHz for fast performance, with 2 GB of RAM. The memory can be upgraded to a maximum of 16 GB. There is a single 250 GB hard drive at 7200 RPM. Unfortunately, the small size of the machine can not support a second drive, so upgrading the hard drive would have to mean a swap. A DVD burner is included with support for LightScribe technology, and it supports virtually all DVD and CD formats for reading and writing.

The HP Compaq 8100 Elite features Intel integrated graphics, which share video memory with the system memory. While this is quite enough power for most business applications, it makes it unsuitable for gaming or high-end multimedia applications. The machine also has a Gigabit Ethernet port for fast file transfers and network connectivity.

Overall, the HP Compaq 8100 Elite sports a very interesting design that will likely appeal to business users with its versatility. This HP Compaq computer’s compact and lightweight frame combined with an affordable price and fast performance is a winning combination for office use.
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When a smaller printer isn’t enough, a large office needs an enterprise-level printer to get the job done. The HP LaserJet Enterprise P3015n is a monochrome laser printer designed for the large office environment. It has the capacity and print speed of 42ppm to keep up with a busy office with ease, and has the expandability to grow in the future.

At its core is a fast 540 MHz processor and the unit starts with 128 MB of RAM, which can be upgraded to a maximum of 640 MB. This gives it the ability to handle many users or graphics-intensive jobs without breaking a sweat. It also boasts a print resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi. The monthly duty cycle is up to 100,000 pages, so users don’t need to worry about its ability to keep up with a high-volume environment.

Standard paper input capacity is 600 sheets, which should be a good fit for a medium-sized office. The capacity can be expanded to a maximum of 1,600 sheets, allowing it to meet the changing needs of a growing office. This expandability also makes it a good fit for a small or medium office that is planning for a lot of growth in the future, especially given the affordable price of the base model. The P3015n supports Letter and Legal size paper in all input trays.

Networking support is included out of the box. In addition to the Ethernet network port, which makes it easy to connect and share across a network, the printer also features an embedded print server. Users can access the printer remotely and get status updates, change settings, and even manage print jobs. Administrators can create user accounts and lock out specific functions as well as monitor usage data, which is often helpful in reducing operating costs. It also includes a USB 2.0 port for single user connectivity.

Overall, the HP Enterprise P3015n makes an excellent choice for the medium to large, high-volume office environments. This HP printer’s speed and reliability will impress users and reduce repairs and maintenance and expandability helps to keep it future-proof with the possibility of printer upgrades to extend its capacity and capabilities.

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The Toshiba Satellite A105 series laptops are designed for business users who want power and productivity in a compact and affordable machine. It has the essential business features you need with some fun extras for after hours use.

The series includes two models. There are two flavors of the Satellite A105 with different configurations to suit different needs. In addition to the availability of multiple models, Toshiba adds even more flexibility by offering a large amount of customization when purchasing directly from their website. Users can choose memory upgrades, hard drive upgrades, and more to get the features that are most important to them, without overpaying for unnecessary features.

The machines use Intel Core 2 Duo T5200 processors at a speed of 1.60 GHz for fast performance. They start with a minimum of 1.5 GB of RAM, which can be upgraded to a maximum of 4 GB either at purchase or later.

The laptops feature a 15.4 inch widescreen LCD display at a resolution of 1280 x 800, known as WXGA resolution. Graphics performance is boosted by the inclusion of an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, though this won’t be particularly suitable for gaming or other high-end graphics use due to the shared memory architecture.

The machine is very compact, measuring 14.2 inches by 10.5 inches by 1.17 inches, and the weight starts at around 6 pounds, though upgrades like a high capacity battery may add extra weight. The default hard drive has a capacity of 160 GB at 4200 RPM, but this can be upgraded if desired.

As a nice bonus, the machine features a DVD Super Multi-drive that supports virtually all DVD and CD formats on the market. While this is essential for business users, it will also be a welcome addition for watching movies when traveling.

Overall, the Toshiba Satellite A105 is a solid business laptop with great features at a very affordable price. Its compact size and lightweight design make it a good choice for casual home users up to business level customers.
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Perhaps the most difficult part of performing a laptop memory upgrade is finding the proper type of memory for your specific laptop. Since this can be a complicated subject and often requires some research up front, let us look at a few of the most important aspects of laptop memory modules so you can better understand the key points of selecting your laptop memory.

Form Factor

Laptop memory comes in different form factors. The most common are SO-DIMM (small outline DIMM), others like SIMM (single inline memory module), DIMM (double inline memory module) were used in first generation laptops, but have not been used in years. SO-DIMMs are most often used in laptops as they are smaller than standard DIMM modules used in desktop computers. SO-DIMMs are usually 2.6 inches long and 1.25 inches in height. The smallest module available is the Micro-DIMM; these are very small modules only measuring about an inch wide and are used in high end ultra portable laptops.

Memory Type

In addition to the different form factors, memory is categorized into standards. The most common are DDR, DDR2, and DDR3. All DDR Memory operates in a similar manner as it transfers data on the rise and fall of each clock cycle; effectively doubling the transfer speed of older SDRAM technologies. Each increment represents an improvement in transfer speeds and latency. In some cases these standards are backwards-compatible, but not always. DDR is the first generation of Double Data Rate memory, and is the slowest of the DDR Standards; it is usually packaged in a 200 pin SO-DIMM form factor and runs at speeds of 266 MHz – 400 MHz. DDR2 memory is the second generation of DDR memory, it increases speeds to between 400 MHz and 800 MHz and are packaged in a 200 pin SO-DIMM form factor. The latest and greatest in laptop memory is DDR3; it is available in speeds of 800 MHz – 1600 MHz and comes in a 204 pin SO-DIMM package. DDR3 memory further reduces the operating voltage of DDR2 to a lower 1.5 Volts, offering a slight improvement in battery life.

Transfer Speeds

The speed rating for memory refers to the “clock speed” which is the rate at which the memory can send and receive data. As mentioned previously, DDR modules have clock speeds from 266 MHz to 400 MHz, DDR2 ranges between 400 MHz and 800 MHz, and DDR3 runs between 800 MHz and 1600 MHz. While a higher clock speed is usually better, one important rule to remember is that if you are adding memory alongside existing memory, no matter how fast the transfer speed is on the new memory, it will only run as fast as the old memory since all the RAM in the system has to operate at the same speed.

Pin Configuration

The number of pins and their configuration vary between types. It is important to match the memory type specifically to your laptop. The pin configuration is typically a product of the type of memory being utilized. DDR and DDR2 memory both use a 200 pin configuration for the modules, where DDR2 has a slightly different keying on the module, this helps avoid users trying to install memory into the wrong type of memory slot. Still care must be taken because the difference is very minor and to the naked eye may look the same. DDR3 use a 204 pin module which is the same physical size as DDR and DDR2, but has the key notch further towards the middle of the module.

Latency

Latency is the delay in time from when a memory controller tells the RAM module to access an explicit memory column. This delay is measured in clock cycles for most types of modules. The lower the number the better, but as with memory speed, all modules installed will run at the same latency no matter what their specific rating, so buying ultra low latency RAM and installing it with higher latency RAM will not take full advantage of the low latency RAM.

Voltages

Different standards also run on different voltages. First generation DDR memory runs at 2.5 Volts however DDR2 memory operates at a lower voltage of 1.8 Volts and thus improves on laptop battery life in most instances. The latest DDR3 memory runs at 1.5 Volts offering improved battery life over DDR and DDR2 memory. In general if you get the right memory type, be it DDR, DDR2 or DDR3, it will be the right voltage as the voltage is part of the standard for the module. As the memory types evolved, they began to use lower and lower voltages to operate the RAM memory which has helped curb the energy appetite of laptop computers.

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when selecting the correct memory for your laptop. If you are adding memory to your machine, you will need to know the specifications of the memory that is already installed in your machine, in order to get the correct memory. If you are replacing the memory, you only need to be concerned about what memory is compatible with the machine. Luckily, Spare Parts Warehouse has a wide selection of memory and easy to use tools to help you find the right memory upgrade for your laptop.
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Viruses and malware are the most troublesome part of owning a computer. Not only are they sometimes difficult to remove, but they are potentially damaging to your privacy, your computer, and your data. If you think you may have a computer virus, follow the simple steps below to attempt to remove it and get your computer back up and running smoothly.

1. Try an online virus scan

Many companies make available an online virus scanner for identifying any viruses or malware on your computer. They often couple this with offering software to remove the virus or malware. In some cases these scanners will not be able to remove the virus, but can recommend the next steps to take.

2. Install Anti-virus software

If you don’t already have anti-virus software installed, you will want to purchase software or try one of many free options. Two popular free options are Avast and AVG, which are available for download on the internet. There are also many Antivirus suites out there from trusted names like Symantec and McAfee available for purchase online or thru a retailer. Some PC manufacturers such as Sony often include an Antivirus software package pre-installed onto the hard drive with the operating system.

3. Update the software

If you already have anti-virus software installed, make sure it is up-to-date. Run the update routine to ensure it has the most recent virus database information. If you are installing software for the first time, it will usually include a scan for updates in the install routine. Having up to date Virus software is really the #1 key to keeping your computer running smoothly.

4. Do a full scan of the computer

Some anti-virus software only scans certain areas of the computer on a regular basis. To ensure you get the most thorough scan, manually choose to do a full scan of the hard drive. This should detect any viruses or malware on your system, no matter where it is located. This type of scan can take a while but is very through.

5. Remove the virus

If the software detects a problem, it will give you instructions and options for removing. Depending on the software, it may give you a choice to delete the files or add them to a “vault”. If possible, the best option is to delete the files, but follow the recommendations of the program. Simply storing the item away in a quarantine folder could possibly leave your vulnerable to the virus later, so it is better to completely remove and delete the data.

At this point, if your anti-virus software has confirmed removal of any viruses and malware, then your computer should be clean. If you are still experiencing problems, you may want to seek help from a professional computer repair company. Some viruses can be very tricky to remove, and may require the help of a certified repair technician.
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Laptops are made for portability and ease of use, so the battery is one of the most essential components, providing power when away from a wall outlet. Here we will look at how a laptop battery works.

The most laptop batteries use Lithium-Ion technology, or Li-ion. They are so-named because the movement of lithium-ions from a negative to a positive electrode as they travel through a non-aqueous electrolyte. This discharges the battery and releases the energy to power the laptop components.

The inside of a Lithium-Ion laptop battery consists of an anode made from carbon, a cathode made of metal oxide, and an electrolyte, which is a lithium salt in an organic solvent. The reaction is contained within multiple “cells” inside the battery. Batteries with larger capacities (and longer battery life) usually contain more cells. Some very large Toshiba laptop batteries can contain up to 12 cells. Some Sony laptop batteries contain as few as 3 Cells due to the ultra portable design of some of their machines. These will provide less battery life, but will keep the machine small and lightweight.

There are a number of chips in most batteries to control the charge and discharge, as well as a number of safety features. Many batteries have a chip which shuts down the battery in the event of extreme overheating to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

Charging the battery essentially works in the reverse of discharge. The power coming in through the AC adapter and the charging circuit actually provides a higher voltage than the battery’s normal operating voltage. This causes the lithium ions to move from the positive to the negative electrode and they are deposited in a porous material and stored for later use.

The outside of the battery is usually constructed of rigid plastic or metal, depending on the laptop model. The outer case usually incorporates vents to allow heat to escape, as heat can be very damaging to a battery. Most laptop batteries are color matched to the plastics of the notebook for aesthetic reasons.

The one disadvantage of Lithium-Ion batteries is that they tend to lose capacity over time. This is caused by deposits that form in the electrolyte of the battery. This begins to inhibit the battery’s operation and results in less charging capacity. Once the capacity gets low enough, the battery should be replaced.

While Lithium-Ion laptop batteries are currently the most popular, newer technologies such as lithium-polymer are stretching the boundaries of current laptop battery design. As laptop batteries continue to evolve, engineers will undoubtedly be able to provide more power, longer battery life, and reduced charge times to improve the portability of the laptop computer.
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The latest Hybrid hard drives allow users to retain the greater storage capacity of the classic platter based drives, while taking advantage of the speed and efficiency of newer solid state memory. In these new drives, some information is stored in a cache of solid state flash memory that allows the system to access information while the drive spins up, saving on time returning from idle states or booting up, while consuming just one tenth of the power of standard drives alone.

Hybrid hard drive technology is relatively new to the scene and has not been adopted by major manufacturers like Compaq or HP yet. Since the introduction of the technology in 2007 the costs have began to normalize, performance has improved, and varying designs and customizations have made these drives more and more appealing to consumers. Currently, these drives are available in three different formats.

Hybrid drives using adaptive or flash memory are considered non-volatile, so when your computer loses power or shuts down, the data in that cache is maintained. A RAM cache is volatile memory, and will lose its data if power is lost, however it is battery-backed to prevent this from happening. Adaptive memory is new as of 2010, and removes these drives’ dependencies on specific operating systems, drivers, and software to function.

While hybrid drives do offer more than standard platter based drives in terms of speed and efficiency, they are also slightly more expensive due to the inclusion of flash memory. Also, hybrid drives will start and stop spinning more often than standard drives, which creates more wear on the drive resulting in shorter lifespan of the device. It is important to know that both flash and battery-backed RAM caches are only useful in machines running Windows Vista or Windows 7, as these are the only operating systems built to support this type of hybrid drive technology out of the box. Adaptive memory drives however are formatted in such a way that they can be used by any operating system without dependence on any special drivers or software.

Hybrid drives are great for consumers looking to decrease power consumption, live green, or get the most performance they can from their device. These drives may not work in all machines, so before replacing the existing hard drive, you should contact the manufacture or a hard drive retailer to ensure compatibility. If cost or longevity is a concern for you however, know that as these technologies develop and take hold, prices are constantly dropping and products are only getting better.
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Most laptops with built-in Wi-Fi utilize a mini-PCI slot to support this type of card, making it fairly easy to install. In some cases, you can install an external wireless card into a PCMCIA or ExpressCard slot, but this requires an extra component sticking out of the laptop and is not ideal for most users. If you have a laptop with a failing Wi-Fi card it may be time to purchase a new network card. Although these are general steps for installing an internal laptop wireless LAN card, they should apply to most notebooks.

1. Remove the battery and disconnect AC Adapter

Before doing any repair work on a laptop, be sure to shut down the computer, unplug it from the wall, and remove the battery. This will help prevent static discharge while working on the machine.

2. Find the access panel and remove

Most laptops with a wireless card slot have an access panel that provides easy access. In most cases it will be a square panel on the bottom of the laptop. Remove screws and remove the panel. In some laptops the Wireless LAN card is located underneath the keyboard. There will be two metal clips on either side of the card edges holding the card down in place, release these and the card will pop up and can be removed.

3. Remove old Card / Insert the new card

Remove the old card from the Mini-PCI slot on the mainboard and compare it to the replacement, be sure they look very similar in shape and that the connections are the same. Line up the pins and insert it at a slight angle, press it into the slot and then slowly lower it until it locks into place.

4. Connect the antenna(s)

If your laptop has one or more antenna cables inside the access panel, you can connect these to the wireless card for better reception. Most cards have an antenna connector labeled “Main” and another labeled “Aux”. Again, the connections should match your original card or you may have compatibility issues later.

5. Reassemble

Replace the access panel and screws and replace the keyboard if it was removed and secure all screws removed during disassembly. Replace the battery and reconnect the power cable.

6. Configure Wi-Fi Settings

If you replaced the defective card with the exact model that was originally in the machine, there will likely be no configuration needed. If it was a different model, you may need to reconfigure your Wi-Fi settings in Windows to allow you to connect to your wireless network.

Test to ensure the card is working properly and that you are able to connect to a wireless network. If you are sending and receiving correctly then you are finished with the installation, otherwise you may have to revisit the settings in Windows to confirm they are correct for your wireless network. If the card is not recognized by Windows, that may point towards the card not being installed correctly or a defective card. Retrace the installation steps to confirm the card is seated properly and all antenna wires are connected firmly.

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The screen resolution of a laptop LCD refers to the number of pixels horizontally and vertically that make up the image on a screen. Generally, the higher the resolution, the smoother and more realistic the images on the screen will appear. The easiest way to understand screen resolution is to think of drawing a grid on a piece of paper. If you were to draw a grid that is 320 squares wide and 240 squares tall, it would be similar to the number of pixels in a laptop with a screen resolution of 320 x 240.

In years past, laptop screen resolutions were limited to one of only a small number, such as 640×480, 800×600, and 1024×768. These were all variations of what is known as 4:3 aspect ratio, which contains 4 horizontal pixels for every 3 vertical pixels. This results in a screen that is a little wider than it is tall.

In recent years, widescreen displays have become much more common. Most new notebooks from the major laptop makers like HP and Compaq use a 16:9 aspect ratio which is prevalent in High Definition televisions. Widescreen resolutions are particularly well-suited to multimedia and video, as movies are usually shown in widescreen ratios.

There are currently a wide variety of resolutions being used for laptops, each with a corresponding code. For example, WXGA is a resolution of 1280 x 800, and is the most common widescreen resolution. There is also WSXGA+ which refers to the resolution 1680 x1050, and WUXGA that displays at a resolution of 1920×1200. There are other specialized resolutions that are ideal for smaller laptop LCD panels used in popular netbooks by HP and ultraportable laptops. Most replacement laptop screen retailers carry screens of varying aspects and resolutions, so it is easy to find the correct replacement for your laptop.

Screen resolution can often be confused with the size of the screen, which is a diagonal measurement of the screen in inches. The screen resolution is independent of the screen size. As an example, a 15.4 inch laptop screen could be offered in a WXGA, WSXGA or WUXGA, but it is still the same physical size of panel, it just has the capability to display more pixels as the resolution increases.

One common complaint of by computer users is that with higher resolutions, objects on the screen tend to appear smaller on a monitor of the same size. For example, 10pt text will appear smaller on a 15 inch monitor with a resolution of 1600×1200 than it will on the same size monitor with a lower resolution of 1024×768. This will likely become less of an issue in the future, however, as operating systems make a push toward “resolution independence” which allows the user interface to be resized independently of the display’s resolution.
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