How to disassemble the R600 (R500 data doesn't help)

We wish to replace the hard drive in this new R600. After disassembling dozens of laptops over the decades, I'm embarrassed to admit that this has me stumped. The published instructions for the R500 do not apply.

One of the problems is that the plastic is very thin. When assembled, the unit feels quite solid. With the screws removed, it's like paper, and prying is out of the question.

Nothing in the manual or in the DISASSEMBLE TOSHIBA guides helps. The R600 is electromechanically similar to the R500, but there's something new. When all (and I definitely mean *all* the screws have been removed, the area atop the hard drive remains stuck together. The connectors protruding through apertures on the problem side of the unit tell me that the keyboard and top bezel should lift - but we haven't found any way to achieve that.

Will Toshiba help? Or will a hard drive swap invalidate the (three year!) warranty?

Thanks!

 

DISASSEMBLY - solved

Opening the R600 case is tricky, but it does not require removal of the keyboard or the top bezel.

1. Remove all 394 screws (perhaps less - I didn't count) including the smallest one on the left edge.

2. Open the smaller of the two panels on the bottom - not the large one above the RAM, but the one that provides access to the ExpressCard connector.

3. With any plastic tool shaped like a large toothpick, slide each end of the ExpressCard connector toward the cable, freeing it. The cable release is shaped like the letter "L", and it really does slide. Really. Disconnect the cable.

4. With the unit upside down, on the right side of the front edge there are a couple of clips between the metal (magnesium?) top and the plastic (carbon fiber?) bottom. Working from left to right, use the plastic tool to free those clips, minimizing the force required and the pressure on metal or plastic. Be gentle.

5. Lift the DVD end first, rocking the bottom up till it clears the video and power connectors on the other side. Voila! The bottom has been detached.

6. Gasp as you see that the interior is mostly empty. The mother board fits under your hand. The drives and ExpressCard cavity occupy perhaps 80% of the interior volume!

7. The hard drive (2.5") is a pressure fit into elastic corners. Lift it slightly and detach the connector, being careful not to overly distort the tissue-thin connector ribbons. Slide the hard drive out.

Exactly the reverse for assembly, using modest pressure to snap the pieces together. You did keep track of where each screw goes, right? There are at least three different sizes.

 

Thank you for the disassembly instruction.

This morning I attempted to disassemble my one week old Portege R600.

It was easy to disassemble by:

1. First removing all screws on the base

2. Carefully lift the base

3. Pull the small orange tab which is glued to the Expresscard cable

That's it!

 

Hi,

(a wakeup call for the thread.)

is there a best method of reconnecting the Express card connector? Seems
to be much more easy to disconnect it than to reconnect.

Cheers

hackinger