Choosing A Laptop Homepage

Question: Is it safe if i take an old 2004 broken ibm laptop apart just for experimenting?

(Posted by: Anonymous. on 2009-11-10 17:30:45)

Yeah obviously i know not to plug it in or i wouldn't be wanting to major in business information technology ;) so i found an old ibm from 2004 that is like completely destroyed. i plugged it in before and it won't turn on nor will anything happen to it (totally gone) and so i was going to throw it away but then i realized i wanted to practice taking computers apart because i am going to be studying business information technology/ applied information technology next year and want to learn how not to take a computer apart before i go to college. so i was wondering is it safe? i mean like i don't care if i break any peaces at all because i'm just going to throw it out afterwards but is it safe like will i get shocked if i touch certain peices even though they're not on? i'm just going to like unscrew like the parts to look inside the actual computer and see how it works (not on but just experimenting). so is there anything i want to know on how not to get myself hurt (ie shocked, cut etc... i don't really care about the computer for the computer is junk). so is it safe to do that? what should i know before i start the experiment?

Posted by: Zipadedoobop on 2009-11-10, 17:34:29

You'll be fine, just make sure you de-static yourself before you start. Touch a piece of solid metal or something.

Posted by: AJ on 2009-11-10, 17:34:46

Not at all. In reality, the worry should be reversed. You would hurt the laptop before it hurt you. The thing is shakin in its boots as I write this. :P Just don't have it plugged in.... but that should be common sense...

Posted by: Jerry J on 2009-11-10, 17:35:33

Make sure it is not plugged in

Posted by: Bob on 2009-11-10, 17:36:50

Use propper tools i.e. don't try to take it apart with your bare hands hulk-style. Also, remove the battery and unplug, as well as discharge the circuits inside with something metal before you touch them. Better safe than sorry :)

Posted by: IBMGuy on 2009-11-10, 17:37:10

You can mess with it but don't put your hands near or open the psu. they pack a fair wallop if you touch the inside. Every thing else inside is low voltage. Just to be on the safe side stick a mains safety breaker at the mains socket. Happy learning. Sorry missed the LAPTOP bit. ---do what you like.

Posted by: Joss on 2009-11-10, 20:42:20

Yes, that's fine. The true test of knowledge comes from taking apart a working laptop. You take it apart and put it back together and if it's still working when you do then you've done a good job, lol. Also, if you're troubleshooting and trying to find out why a computer isn't working then you'll need to switch out parts that you think are the culprit and switch them with parts that you know are working, but of course you can't do that on a laptop that's not working.