Blind and Visually Impaired Community
↑
53
↓
I repaired my old laptop, without any sighted assistance. (self.Blind)
submitted by blind_system
After some days of on and off work, I managed to replace the battery, the hard drive, and Titan a tension screw for the trackpad. It can be done.
I will admit, it wasn't easy, since there are no accessible repair guides on the internet. I suggest first exploring the components and identifying what's what. Remember to get a strap to prevent static from damaging the components.
A few observations to keep in mind…
1. Make sure to memorize the shape, size, and feel of the screws. It should help you put everything back together. Some are long and slim, others are on the shorter side of things. Keep this in mind while taking a computer apart.
2. Connectors on the main board should be carefully checked and disconnected. If you have to pull, try to pull them out gently with out bending or braking them. Prying them with your fingers also helps.
3. A lot of newer laptops aren't easy to repair, even by sighted people. I suggest first practicing with an old laptop before getting too complicated.
Thanks to u/1blindninja for some much needed guidance.
I will admit, it wasn't easy, since there are no accessible repair guides on the internet. I suggest first exploring the components and identifying what's what. Remember to get a strap to prevent static from damaging the components.
A few observations to keep in mind…
1. Make sure to memorize the shape, size, and feel of the screws. It should help you put everything back together. Some are long and slim, others are on the shorter side of things. Keep this in mind while taking a computer apart.
2. Connectors on the main board should be carefully checked and disconnected. If you have to pull, try to pull them out gently with out bending or braking them. Prying them with your fingers also helps.
3. A lot of newer laptops aren't easy to repair, even by sighted people. I suggest first practicing with an old laptop before getting too complicated.
Thanks to u/1blindninja for some much needed guidance.
Adventurous-Bid-9341 7 points 1y ago
My father, who was totally blind by the time my mom had me, learned to fix cars in the 70’s working with this mentor friend who would work with him, take them apart, put them back together, all by hand/sound. He was rebuilding transmissions, you name it, my whole childhood. When it all changed to computers he became obsolete on new cars, but still that’s a damn amazing feat!!!! Keep on moving forward!!!
purple_goat_8138 6 points 1y ago
I haven't had to do that for a long time. Once I spilled a big jug of lemonade all over a laptop. I took the thing apart, spread out the pieces, let it dry, and then (very slowly) put it all back together again. It worked, surprisingly enough. Good job OP.
queengemini 2 points 1y ago
You should put drinks near electronics in one of those sports squeeze bottles, those prevent many accidental spills.
purple_goat_8138 2 points 1y ago
Yep, I like those bottles.
This spillage happened about 15 years ago. The table was underneat the kitchen counter. I passed the counter and hit the full pitcher with my elbow. Plonk! Splash! Luckily, no sizzle lol.
This spillage happened about 15 years ago. The table was underneat the kitchen counter. I passed the counter and hit the full pitcher with my elbow. Plonk! Splash! Luckily, no sizzle lol.
SightlessKombat 1 points 1y ago
Unless the one you're using is leaky...
Thameus 1 points 1y ago
Now that you have a new hard drive, what are the steps to get an accessible operating system running?
Fridux 2 points 1y ago
If I recall correctly, you can use Narrator during the installation of Windows 10, so assuming you already have the operating system ready in a thumb drive or something it shouldn't be a problem. MacOS is also accessible out of the box, and the EFI on Macs downloads it automatically from the Internet when the recovery partition is deleted or the storage is replaced, though since as I understand it the storage on supported Mac laptops isn't replaceable, I doubt the original poster is talking about a Mac.
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.