CF-W8 Repair

So my friend bought a CF-W8 about a year ago and she stepped on the screen. I have repaired a few laptops (mostly Dell Latitudes) and a couple HP's.

However, they always had detailed service manuals, and these toughbook manuals are hard to come by. I have searched high and low on google and on this site and the closest manual i found was a CF-W5.

However, the CF-W5 has the normal keyboard "hooks" and this CF-W8 does not have those, it has the spill proof keyboard and Its not obvious how it comes off. I have taken every screw out of this thing that I can find and I cant get the palmrest/top cover to separate from the bottom. It feels like its still screwed down under the keyboard.

Does anybody have a repair manual for this, or maybe just knows how to get the keyboard off?

Many thanks in advance.

 

call heartland for service.

 

I would also recommend contacting heartland.

If they can't help I will add that I have a CF-Y7 which also has a spill proof keyboard. I don't know if it's the same design as your W8 but I'll do a quick summary of how I removed my keyboard.

I removed the harddrive and 7 screws from the underside of the laptop below the keyboard. This was followed by the two plastic covers from either side of the keyboard (carefully get underneath the lower side of this cover and rotate up).

Then there are two strips of double-sided tape holding the keyboard down... I had to use a flat putty knife to gently pry the keyboard up and release the keyboard from this tape. On the Y7 this tape was only on the right side of the keyboard.

Once this was done it was just a matter of pulling up the black plastic film that covered the ribbon cable that connects the keyboard to the motherboard.

 

I was able to find an exploded view of all of the parts. I had to pay 9.00 for the service manual but it doesn't have detailed instructions, just exploded views and parts lists. If I can post it somewhere to contribute to the cause I would be glad to.

When you say two plastic covers on either side, are to referring to on the bottom of the computer? Or on the keyboard itself?

Thanks again.

 

That's about all you get with a panasonic service manual. A break down of the parts and the part numbers

 

When you say 2 plastic covers on either side, are you talking about under the battery (on the underside) or the little plastic bumpers on either side of the keyboard?

 

Plastic bumpers on either side of the keyboard. Carefully pry up/out from the underside of those covers... I start at a port... i.e. the usb port to get underneath the cover. Then slide down to release all the clips, then rotate the cover up and off.

As for the manuals... I found a CF-Y5 manual that has helped me out on my Y7. It has all kinds of exploded views but the language is... poor. It's like someone took a japanese document and ran it thru one of those auto-translators (google translate, babelfishe, etc.).

 

I have a 29, (which is totally different, I get it), but the double stick tape was the klincher for me.I was so terrified of having to forcefully but carefully pry the KB off the case. I have only seen that double tape used on the KB in Panny's.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

You may want to contact Rob or Modly about uploading that user manual, if you like. they both have servers for such items.

 

I just looked and that's about the only service manual we don't have...sorry

 

do you have the service Manuel for cf-c1?

 

Ok...make that 2 we don't have, sorry. The newer models are harder to find like yours which is a little over a year old.

 

Yeah, same here... I've worked on my fair share of laptops but this is the first time I'd run into double sided tape with a keyboard.

About the only tip I have for dealing with that tape is to try and make sure you go slowly at first to make sure it's really just the tape left holding the KB on... and not a screw that got overlooked.

 

You might try finding a W7 service manual. I have seen interative versions of it with full disassembly instructions. (The W7 and W8 look quite similar to me.)

 

I have the service manual and schematics for the CF-W7.... If that helps...

 

Hey Toughbook. you mentioned the cf-w7 service manual

Could you lend that to me. it would do me alot of help!!

 

In a moment of exuberance, my little boy flailed his arms and knocked my CF-W8 to the floor, and now it has a cracked screen. I was very surprised to pick it up from the relatively short drop to a carpeted floor and discover the big crack (a not-so-toughbook?), but that's another story. For now, I need a new screen. I haven't found anyplace that stocks the screen -- several stores have pages for the screen, but all say "call for price" and don't currently have it in stock. Does anyone know the part number for the screen (I'm guessing the screen was in more models than just the W8)? I know it's printed on the screen, but I haven't taken my laptop apart yet -- about 98% of the screen is still working at the moment, and I'm afraid to take things apart because I'm trying to use the laptop until the replacement screen arrives. Has anyone replaced a w8 screen? One tech mentioned online that it's a pretty straightforward job. Toughbook, you mentioned that you have a manual for the W7? How can I get a copy? I just tried sending you a PM, but this bb doesn't seem to support that feature?

 

You need at least 5 posts to send a member a PM. Check out this ebay auction Panasonic ToughBook CF-W8 sale for parts or repair only (1) 092281897080 | eBay . I can send you a service manual but need your email address

 

Thank you for the quick reply and link to the ebay machine. I'd already spotted that one -- asked the seller for further info. He has no power supply, so has no idea whether or not the screen works or how much that "scratch" has damaged the underlying LCD (maybe not at all?) I'm still trying to find a price on a new replacement screen to figure out how much the used one is worth. One seller of new screens said it wouldn't be in stock for a few weeks but should be "around $75" when it comes in...if that's the case, then the used one on Ebay is not much of a deal. I have seen new screens advertised on Ebay for around $225, supposedly genuine, but shipped from China, and I'm a little dubious about a product with a "made in Japan" label on it being shipped from China...seems just as likely that a non-OEM factory is printing "Made in Japan" labels and slapping them on the screens they make in China. If I had the part number that's printed on the screen, it seems like the type of thing that some quality googling could turn up at a computer surplus shop online for a good price. I'm just afraid that getting to that sticker on the back of the screen will render the (flawed, but usable) screen much worse -- I'm typing on the machine now, and it's still mostly clear, but each time I open the lid it gets a few pixels worse.

Trying to think of a clever, clear way to give you my email address without 'bots all over the web adding it to their lists....my first name is xxxxx, and my email address is my first name plus "xxxxxxxx", and that's at xxxxxx. Does that work? Thank you!

 

Got it, let me know if you got my email...if not I got another way....I just took your email address out of your post to.

 

Can anyone help me with cf-w7 repair manual? My email is my nick at ya.ru. Thanks.

 

Well I tried to send it...4 times now

 

sorry it works, I just checked. polzas2 at ya.ru. Maybe it possible to contact you another way. Thank you.

 

Hi

has anyone found a link for the service manual and schematics on the W8 ?

thanks

VW

 

same for me
or even the w7 manual
thank you very much

 

When I get out of work in a few hours I will check to see if I have one.

 

Yes it's available..
I'm not able to deal with it tonight.
Blair will help you out later on...

 

i have time
i just test out windows 10 running on the w8
it is rather interresting
you can have a look on my thread if you want

i think the toughbooks full ruggedized or semi or business ruggedized doesn t have any spectaculair hardware
so nearly everything should run out of the box

at the moment i make a clean install soon i ll post the first points

 

PM me your email address and I will send you one. I also will need you full model number

 

Honestly for the price of a used W8 or a C1 they are not worth fixing,even the F8 is dirt cheap right now. Got a used C1 with a core i5 and put a SSD in it and for $200 you have a screamer.

 

maybe
but why throw things away that are ok?
if you only want to change a bit
and sometimes it is cheaper to repair an older hardware than buying a new one
200$ are 200$
it just depends on for what you are using a computer
and here in germany is it more expensive than in usa

 

Very true on your end,my wife is from England and it's pricy to ship over the pond.,I'm wondering if the screen from a T-7 or 8 would fit?

And I have had a T8,F8 and a C1 completely apart....yikes. So I know how to do it if anyone needs a heads up.

 

Someone a few years ago did that swap to a W4 or W5. They dropped the T4/T5 top on it and then wired it into one of the usb ports on the side. They lost the use of that port but did gain the touchscreen.

 

this reminds me of something that someone told me years ago :
"what is the best [ insert device , equipment , etc . here ----> X ] that there is ?" ...
"it is the one you own ."

 

There is a W8 on ebay that has a good lcd but no power for $50,might be the way to go .

 

Problem is he lives in Germany and shipping would be high.

 

About $100,thus the down side of being across the pond. Might be worth it just for the parts.