Our Virtual Desktop enables you to learn the essential steps to assemble a desktop computer, explore its components, and test your knowledge. If this is your first time, please take a moment to walk through the key features of the Virtual Desktop. This walkthrough is always available by pressing Help in the upper right hand corner.
Our Virtual Desktop enables you to learn the essential steps to assemble a desktop computer, explore its components, and test your knowledge. If this is your first time, please take a moment to walk through the key features of the Virtual Desktop. This walkthrough is always available by pressing Help in the upper right hand corner.
Our Virtual Desktop enables you to learn the essential steps to assemble a desktop computer, explore its components, and test your knowledge. If this is your first time, please take a moment to walk through the key features of the Virtual Desktop. This walkthrough is always available by pressing Help in the upper right hand corner.
Our Virtual Desktop enables you to learn the essential steps to assemble a desktop computer, explore its components, and test your knowledge. If this is your first time, please take a moment to walk through the key features of the Virtual Desktop. This walkthrough is always available by pressing Help in the upper right hand corner.
Our Virtual Desktop enables you to learn the essential steps to assemble a desktop computer, explore its components, and test your knowledge. If this is your first time, please take a moment to walk through the key features of the Virtual Desktop. This walkthrough is always available by pressing Help in the upper right hand corner.
The underside of the laptop gives you access to the battery, RAM, and the hard disk drive. You can also see the docking connector, the battery release lever, the battery latch, speakers, and the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label.

On the underside of the laptop, you will work with the following components:

• Battery
• RAM
• Hard Disk Drive

REMOVE BATTERY

• It is good practice to remove the battery before replacing any other hardware. Click the battery to begin the removal process.
• Unlock the battery using the battery latch.
• Release the battery using the battery release lever.
• Remove the battery from the laptop.

REPLACE RAM

• Position the laptop for RAM replacement.
• Remove the RAM access panel screw.
• Remove the RAM access panel.
• Unlock the RAM retainer clips on each side of the module.
• Remove the RAM module.
• Retrieve the new RAM module from the antistatic mat.
• Align the key notch on the RAM module edge connector to the raised key in the slot.  Insert the RAM into the RAM slot.
• Press down on the RAM module to secure it with the retainer clips.
• Retrieve the RAM access panel from the antistatic mat.
• Place the RAM access panel over the installed RAM module.
• Retrieve the RAM access panel screw from the antistatic mat.
• Attach the RAM access panel to the laptop using the RAM access panel screw.

REPLACE HARD DISK DRIVE

• Position the laptop for HDD replacement.
• Remove the HDD access panel screw.
• Open the laptop slightly.
• Remove the HDD from the laptop.
• Remove the HDD mounting bracket screws.
• Remove the HDD access panel from the HDD.
• Remove the HDD from the HDD mounting bracket.
• Retrieve the HDD from the antistatic mat.
• Place the new HDD onto the HDD mounting bracket.
• Retrieve the HDD access panel from the antistatic mat.
• Place the HDD access panel on the HDD.
• Retrieve the HDD mounting bracket screws from the antistatic mat.
• Secure the HDD mounting bracket using the HDD mounting bracket screws.
• Install the HDD in the laptop.
• Retrieve the HDD access panel screw from the antistatic mat.
• Secure the HDD access panel to the laptop using the HDD access panel screw.

RE-INSTALL BATTERY

• Retrieve the battery from the antistatic mat.
• Place the battery in the laptop. 
• Lock the battery latch to secure the battery in the laptop.

You have completed the underside installation. You may now return to the course lesson, or continue exploring your virtual computer.
The sides of the laptop have bays that allow you to install devices that increase the functionality of the laptop. You can install many different devices into the universal bay, including optical drives, hard disk drives, and extra batteries. You can install different types of cards into the PC card slots, including Ethernet, wireless Ethernet, modems, and memory card readers.

On the top and sides of the laptop, you will work with the following components:

• Optical Drive
• PC Card

REPLACE OPTICAL DRIVE

• Position the laptop for optical drive replacement.
• Unlock the optical drive using the universal drive latch.
• Eject the optical drive using the universal bay tab.
• Remove the optical drive.
• Retrieve the optical drive from the antistatic mat.
• Install the optical drive into the laptop.
• Lock the optical drive using the universal drive bay.

REPLACE PC CARD

• Position the laptop for PC Card replacement.
• Press the PC Card eject button to engage it.
• Press the PC Card eject button again to eject the PC Card.
• Remove the PC Card.
• Retrieve the PC Card from the antistatic mat.
• Align the PC Card with the PC Card slot.
• Install the PC Card into the PC Card slot.

You have completed installing the Optical Drive and the PC Card. You may now return to the course lesson, or continue exploring your virtual computer.
You use the docking station to quickly connect and use devices that are normally connected to desktop computers, including a mouse, a full-sized keyboard, and an external monitor. You can charge the laptop while it is connected to the docking station. The docking station also provides additional expansion ports, including USB ports, the PC Card slot and the ExpressCard slot. You can charge the laptop battery while it is connected to the docking station.

On the docking station, you will work with the following components:

• Laptop

INSTALL LAPTOP
• Retrieve the laptop from the antistatic mat.
• Attach the laptop to the docking station.
You have completed installing the laptop onto the docking station. You may now return to the course lesson, or continue exploring your virtual computer.
Power Cable


• It is good practice to unplug the power cable before connecting any other cables.

External cables connect the docking station to the monitor, mouse, keyboard, USB devices, Ethernet, and AC power.

In the external cables layer, you will work with the following components:
• Monitor Cable
• Keyboard Cable
• Mouse Cable
• USB Cable
• Ethernet Cable
• Power Cable

MONITOR CABLE
• Retrieve the monitor cable from the antistatic mat.
• Align the monitor cable connector to the DVI connector on the docking station.
• Connect the monitor cable.

KEYBOARD CABLE
• Retrieve the keyboard cable from the antistatic mat.
• Align the keyboard cable connector to the PS/2 keyboard connector on the docking station.
• Connect the keyboard cable.

MOUSE CABLE
• Retrieve the mouse cable from the antistatic mat.
• Align the mouse cable connector to the PS/2 mouse connector on the docking station.
• Connect the mouse cable.
USB CABLE
• Retrieve the USB cable from the antistatic mat.
• Align the USB cable connector to the USB connector on the docking station.
• Connect the USB cable.
ETHERNET CABLE
• Retrieve the Ethernet cable from the antistatic mat.
• Align the Ethernet cable connector to the Ethernet connector on the docking station.
• Connect the Ethernet cable.
POWER CABLE
• Retrieve the power cable from the antistatic mat.
• Align the power cable connector to the power connector on the docking station.
• Connect the power cable.


You have completed connecting the external cables to the docking station. You may now return to the course lesson, or continue exploring your virtual computer. Battery battery.png battery.png explore_battery.swf RAM ram.png ram.png explore_ram.swf Panel ramaccesspanel.png ramaccesspanel.png Screw ramaccesspanelsc.png ramaccesspanelsc.png Screw hddpanelscrew.png hddpanelscrew.png Drive (HDD) harddiskdrive.png harddiskdrive.png explore_harddiskdrive.swf Screws hddbracketscrews.png hddbracketscrews.png Access Panel hddaccesspanel.png hddaccesspanel.png Optical Drive opticaldrive.png opticaldrive.png explore_opticaldrive.swf PC Card pccard.png pccard.png explore_pccard.swf Laptop laptop.png laptop.png explore_laptop.swf Station dockingstation.png dockingstation.png explore_dockingstation.swf Power Cable powercable.png powercable.png explore_powercable.swf Cable ethernetcable.png ethernetcable.png explore_ethernetcable.swf Cable monitorcable.png monitorcable.png explore_monitorcable.swf USB Cable usbcable.png usbcable.png explore_usbcable.swf Cable keyboardcable.png keyboardcable.png explore_keyboardcable.swf Cable mousecable.png mousecable.png explore_mousecable.swf