Toshiba A15-S157 NEED to change parts HELP

OK, My mom is going to give this to me, and I would like to know . Which parts can be replaced, how do i change the hard drive? (Thinking of upgrading to a 60-80 GB), also, If possible, is there a place that will sell laptop specific parts? like mobos, heatsinks, hard drives and cd drives? also, Know of any good product for converting A usb to a Typical 9 Pin serial?, And one more thing.. THIS PS doesnt have a mouse port? WTF

Computers r0x0rz my b0x0rz
LOLZ!

 

Most notebooks have some parts that can be replaced easily, RAM, HDD, battery & possibly wireless card. The things that are difficult are the CPU, Optical drive & motherboard.

If you're looking to upgrade the parts so you can get yourself a faster system, you're gonna be limited to the few easy things I listed above. I believe this is a Celeron based notebook, so upgrading the CPU to a slightly faster Celeron may be possibly, but switching to a highend P4 just won't happen. Also, changing the motherboard is also not going to happen. Notebook motherboards are designed specifically for the case it's in, not like a desktop where parts are easily swappable. Also, if you were to change the CPU & possibly optical drive, you'd have to tear appart 50-100% of your whole system to get at the parts. Trust me, I used to repair Toshiba notebooks for a living. To replace the HDD, it's usually located on the underside or on the sides of the unit. Just remove a screw and your done.

Regarding the serial port, you have to get with the times [ ], people don't really use serial ports any more. Not too many devices out there in the market uses this port. You can buy a USB to Serial adapter if needed.

-Vb-

 

Thats just the problem. I dont know WHERE the hard drive is located. or at the moment, how the hell im gonna swap everything over.

(Also. im thinking of loading 2000 onto the new drive, sooo swapping everything over might not be a problem.)
[ ].

does anyone know where it is?
also.
does anyone know of a good laptop hard drive?

Computers r0x0rz my b0x0rz
LOLZ!

 

What do you mean by "swap everything over"? Are you talking about the OS/software or hardware?

The HDD should be located on the left side of the unit, turn upside down and remove 2 screws. A plate should come off and just slide the drive out. Remove the 4 screws holding the HDD to the drive cage and swap the HDD. Make sure you buy a HDD that is similar in height or shorter/thinner. If the drive is larger (dimension) then you won't be able to fit it in.

Any drive is good, but you may want to get a 5400rpm or 7200rpm HDD. The faster it spins the faster the overall system will perform (HDD can read/write data faster). There's a lot of brands on the market, but if you're getting a 7200rpm HDD, Hitachi & Toshiba are the only ones that make these speed drives.

-Vb-

 

I mean that I will get a new drive and install 2000 and office 03'
but i'm not entirely sure which i should put on...
XP pro or 2000 pro.

can i get a laptop drive at newegg?

do i need to reset BIOS when i put in a new drive?

Computers r0x0rz my b0x0rz
LOLZ!

 

Nope, just pop the new drive in and install the OS.

Regarding OS, it's mainly a user preference. XP is probably a lot easier to use vs 2000 Pro. Win2K is more of an office based OS, while XP (even though it's Pro) can still be used at home. XP also has better driver support. If you're concerned about viruses, you'll get hit on Win2K just as much as you would on XP (generally the same Core), maybe more on XP because it's the newer OS. I personally like XP Pro better than Win2K.

Yes, Newegg does sell notebook hard drives. Just do a search for their 2.5" notebook drives, you'll probably find a bunch.

-Vb-

 

OK, What kind of ram does this take

And is the harddrive where the vent is?
And RAM is where the warning sticker is?

Computers r0x0rz my b0x0rz
LOLZ!

 

The ram used in this system should be SODIMM DDR memory. You should be able to use PC2100 (266Mhz) or PC2700 (333Mhz) memory without any problems. Just goto www.Crucial.com and look in their database of compatible memory types for your specific notebook.

The HDD should be on the left side of the unit, right in the middle.

There should only be 1 or 2 removable covers on the underside. Just unscrew one or both to find out which one it is. Usually the notebook is marked by raised letters or a picture to indicate what's under the plate.

Please don't take any offense, but from your messages, you seem very unsure on what to do. I personally think you should take it to a shop or get a friend that knows what to do to perform the swap for you. Watch while they perform the swap so you know for next time. This way, you don't damage anything and the system gets upgraded without any problems. Just a suggestion.

-Vb-

 

No, its not that im unsure of the actual swap in general, its just that im a mac person. i am switching to PC and would like to gdo some upgrades, I know what to do, its just that laptop parts are so weird, but with a PC its usually the same stuff like a
soc 768
3.5 HD
184 DDR 400
YOU get what I mean[?]

Computers r0x0rz my b0x0rz
LOLZ!

 

Regarding the parts for PC notebooks, they've pretty much started to standardize the interfaces and parts. Previously all manufacturers would come out with propietary parts and you would need specific components. Now it's mainly all the same for every PC. The ram used in notebooks now are generally all DDR SODIMM modules. You just have to be worried about the speed PC2100 (266Mhz), PC2700 (333Mhz), etc... HDD's are all IDE drives, you just have to be worried about the thickness of the drive. Older drives are 12mm while the newer ones are approx 9.5mm. Buying a 12mm drive and trying to put it into a 9.5mm slot just won't fit, so check before you buy. This is generally all that a user can easily replace. So you don't really have to be worried about compatibility. As I posted before, just check the Crucial website to get a compatible module (usually speed wise) and everything should be fine.

-Vb-

 

COOL thanks.
Also, i looked at all the openings. saw the KILLER heatsink. this thing is awesome. its a copper , heat pipe to a fan. looks awesome. If I can i will post a pic.m But I don't know what socket it is. i am thinking of possibly upgrading to a better celeron. sooo what socket is it? and finally, i know where the HD is FINALLY!!!

and one last thing. If a computer has XP pro installed on it, and its not connected to the internet, can i use it on the HD i'm putting in?

Computers r0x0rz my b0x0rz
LOLZ!

 

Uber,

This CPU (2.2Ghz Celeron) should be based on the older Mobile Celeron design (not the new Celeron M). These CPU's were the low cost versions of the Mobile P4-M CPU's so pin count should be the same at 478pins. You can probably put upto a Celeron 2.4Ghz CPU into this unit. Since the CPU's are basically the same pin layout, you may (I stress MAY) be able to use a compatible low end Mobile P4-M CPU at a similar clock speed. If you push it too high, the system may not be able to keep up with the cooling of the faster CPU, this will cause it to overheat and possibly cause damage.

*** Remember, since this unit didn't come with a P4, I can't guarantee this will work if you try using a P4 CPU. So try at your own risk.

Regarding the XP Pro OS, if this copy has already been installed and Activated on one system, you can't legally install it on another while it's still avtive on your other system. You can call Microsoft and they can de-activate the OS on your other system and activate on your notebook. If you don't do this, the OS on your notebook will no longer work after 30days until it's activated (Activation time limit). The only other way is to buy another copy of XP Pro and activate to the notebook.

-Vb-

 

No, What I am saying is, my dads computer was built and XP pro was installed on it. W/O internet connection. what would stop me from installing it on another computer with the same serial?

Computers r0x0rz my b0x0rz
LOLZ!

 

Well, now you're getting into the legal aspects of the software. We can't go into that. All I can suggest is that you only use 1 copy of XP per system you have. Doing anything different it completely upto you.

But regarding your scenario, if you the OS was installed on your father's system w/o internet connection (no activation), the OS should become in-operable within 30 days.

-Vb-