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    Asus F3sv dvd-rom replacement help

    Discussion in 'Asus' started by Harrosan, May 22, 2008.

  1. Harrosan

    Harrosan Newbie

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    Hey guys, new to this forum. Searched around for about an hour looking for an answer but couldn't find anything.

    My DVD rom on my f3sv won't read movie dvds, DL dvds or dvd-rw. It will only read dvd+r and cd's. So I went out and bought a replacement. I've replaced these things before on other laptops and have replaced hard drives and ram before too. However, for some reason, I can't figure out how to pull out this broken dvd-rom drive. Usually there is like a screw, and then it will just pop out, but this one is different. Does anyone know what needs to be done to remove this thing? Any help would be appreciated. Pics would be awesome too, but anything would help.

    Thanks. :)
     
  2. Gautam

    Gautam election 2008 NBR Reviewer

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    I believe it's a fixed bay on the F3sv, which is a laptop I used to own. You'll need to pop open the main cover on the back which covers up the internals, and then there might be a screw to yank the DVD drive out.

    There is a review of the F3sv that I did here, and there is a picture of the internals opened up. It's about eight screws or so to remove, but it's a snap.
     
  3. AlexF

    AlexF Notebook Deity

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    Undoing the case? That seems a bit excessive for a modern day laptop!

    On most of the ASUS laptops I've seen, it's generally it's one or two screws which are directly accessible on the underside of the laptop. One of them is typically on the bottom along the edge to one side of the DVD drive (it might have a little icon looking like a CD) and the other is usually in line further towards the middle of the laptop. Largely depends on the hole pattern for the rail It should more or less slide out after that. You will probably need to take the rail and any adapter card on the unit and transfer it to the new unit.
     
  4. Harrosan

    Harrosan Newbie

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    Thanks for the input. There definitely isn't a screw with a cd icon. Thats the first thing I looked for. I also already opened up the nearest access point to the dvd-rom drive (which is where the ram is stored) and still no luck there. It seems the only thing left is to take off the entire backing which on most laptops would be unnecessary, so I figured I was missing something and thats when I posted here. I was trying to avoid having to take it off. I'll check out your review gautum and look at the pics. Thanks!
     
  5. Harrosan

    Harrosan Newbie

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    Ok, so after removing about 25 more screws than is needed, I finally figured it out. Once you pop the back panel open like the picture shows, I have labeled the 2 screws that need to be removed.

    [​IMG]

    Now, what was troubling me before what that I unscrewed the #1 screw and it didn't come out. What I didn't know and it doesn't even look like it, but the #2 screw is connected to the little silver tab (represented by the arrow) as well as the #1 screw. The tab continues on under the black plastic.

    So, unscrew the two screws, remove the dvd-rom drive, unscrew the metal tab, attach the tab to the new drive, re-insert and put the two screws back in and done. Not too hard.

    This is what I got http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151162 Doesn't have lightscribe, but it's not like I ever used it anyways.

    Works perfectly and actually doesn't stick out as much as the stock one does so hopefully it wear reduce the number of accidental bumps I've had.

    Hope this helps anyone with the F3 series because I couldn't find an answer anywhere on the internet.

    Picture courtesy of Gautam's review. Thanks!
     
  6. STAR TECH

    STAR TECH Company Representative

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    Harrosan, a few thoughts/questions... Why didn't you just have Asus replace it under its original warranty? The 2-year Global should have covered it. If not that, did you attempt to call and ask them how to do it? They have a toll-free tech line and email as well. Did you ask your reseller how to do it? Here at Allasus.com we offer phone/email tech support for our customers - maybe your reseller does as well? I'm always curious when I read comments here about people being left out in the cold...never having contacted Asus for some reason.