Asus EeePC 1000HE Teardown Guide

My very first laptop, the Asus EeePC 1000HE, arrived today but much to my dismay, was dead on arrival. The touchpad is completely unresponsive out of the box.

I connected a USB mouse and verified the touchpad hardware was recognized in device manager. I tried enabling/disabling the touchpad via the synaptec software and using the hotkeys on the keyboard but it still didn't work. I even copied the latest Gentoo Live cd to my flash drive and tested the laptop under X11 but it still wouldn't function. I saw the support hours on the bottom of the laptop were 24/7 and because I've never personally had a support contract before and also because it was 3am, I figured I'd give ASUS a quick call.

Unfortunately they lead me through the same patronizing steps I had already taken myself and told me I should just return the unit back to the retailer. What a bummer. I ultimately plan on doing this but I figured before I return it, I should at least clear my mind of any doubt and reseat the thin ribbon cable that runs from the back of the keyboard to the motherboard. (FIC cable?)

 Unfortunately this didn't solve the problem but at least you guys get a sweet teardown guide ;D

Setup

One thing that I always hate about disassembling laptops is the varying screw sizes which makes re-assembly an absolute chore/nightmare unless you happen to be gifted with the memory of a savant. It's nice to see that Asus standardized the screws into three separate types which were reused throughout most of the assembly. 

Screws

Step 1 & 2 are pretty straight forward; just take the battery out. If you can't do this, you should probably not go any further.

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Step 3 reveals the conveniently placed hard drive and memory bay. The smaller screws are used here.

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Step 4 we get down to business. Remove 8 of the larger screws.

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Step 5. Remove 3 of the medium sized screws that are revealed underneath the battery bay.

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Step 6. It starts to get a little more tricky. Insert a flat object like the head of a flat eyeglasses screwdriver or a toothpick and push down the tabs that secure the keyboard in place. Once you pop a tab you'll need to lift the keyboard so it doesn't accidentally re-seat itself. Keep consistent upwards pressure as you release the 3 remaining tabs.

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Step 7. Gently lift and shake the keyboard loose of the tabs holding it in place on the side. Don't worry they'll pop right back in to place during re-assembly. Take special note of the delicate ribbon cable circled in the bottom of the picture. In the next step we'll remove it.
 

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Step 8. With the keyboard free of its plastic-tab bondage, you should now have clear access to the delicate ribbon cable below. I can't remember the name of the socket but it reminds me of a ZIF socket and functions similarly. The arrows on the sides of the sockets are the points where a small flathead screwdriver or toothpick can be wedged and gently pried. Take careful consideration here and make sure you give even treatment on either side of the socket as to not damage it. When the socket is fully open the cable will slide out with ease. Be careful not to damage the ribbon cable as you gently caress the ribbon cable to safety.

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Step 9. Oh boy, 6 more long screws.

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Step 9a. Located in the upper middle of the keyboard is the last remaining screw. If you want to keep your warranty intact (and I suggest you do, seeing as my sturdy unit was DOA (don't tell the ladies)) you can gently coerce the sticker not to rip. Fortunately it's not one of those foil stickers that tears easily. It's a plain 'ol garden variety vinyl sticker. Underneath you'll find a long screw. No pun intended.

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Step 10.  Apply the same technique you used on step 8 to gently remove this cable. Notice the indicated bright blue plastic tab that is meant to help your on your journey to cable emancipation. Be gentle with these guys they're very sensitive.

This cable is tainted in broken'ness on my netbook. It may look perfectly normal but that's exactly what it wants you to think!

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Step 11. Hang in there, we're almost at the private parts. Gently raise the keyboard platform beginning on the right side and purposefully hinging on the left. There's a hidden cable underneath that connects to the lid switch. We don't want to break that. If it's sticking really bad, you somehow managed to forget Step 5.

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Step 12 is similar to the other ribbon cable steps. Locate where the lid switch cable connects to the laptop's motherboard and gently coerce it to safety. The side arrows indicate points at which you should use your removal device. The toothpick is probably a good idea here if you're uncomfortable with the screwdriver method. After you get done picking the fail out of your teeth, discard it and use a fresh toothpick to remove the cable.

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Finale. Behold, a beautiful high resolution image of the naked PCB that I know as the 1000HE's motherboard. I could have continued the disassembly but this level of deconstruction suited my needs. I encourage you to press forward and do awesome things.

Final thoughts: Modders will rejoice as there's quite a bit of room in the concave, under the motherboard which should allow ample room to install all sorts of retarded gadgets inside your 1000HE. One point of interest is a ribbon cable socket labeled "DEBUG" near the USB ports. I also noticed an unpopulated slot labeled "USIM" which may either have something to do with mobile telephony or human rights. You decide.
 

Finale