Laptops are convenient because they are small, light and portable. Because of that convenience, they sometimes get dropped. With so many potential situations where a laptop can be dropped, laptops have a high potential for damage. Dropping a laptop on a soft floor, such as thick carpeting, might result in minimal damage to the computer, but a hard surface can result in the compete destruction of a laptop. A laptop that runs slowly after being dropped is usually running slowly due to damage.
Step 1
Unplug and turn off the laptop.
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Step 2
Turn the laptop over and take the screws out. Depending on the laptop, you may find as many as 9 or 10 screws on the back. Take all of them out.
Step 3
Remove the bottom of the laptop. Avoid disturbing the laptop too much, as that can result in further damage.
Step 4
Look for anything that was knocked loose when the laptop was dropped. In the best-case scenario, the RAM was knocked loose. In the worst case, the damage is too extensive to bother repairing, such as damage to the motherboard or hard drive. Damage to the motherboard or hard drive could include cracks, broken pieces, parts that fall off or anything that is loose on the hard drive or motherboard. If something is loose, tighten it back into place.
Step 5
Screw the bottom of the laptop back on. Turn the laptop on and run a program to see if the speed has increased.
Step 6
Replace the motherboard or replace the laptop if the speed has not increased. If there is significant damage to the motherboard, such as broken pieces or cracks, replacement is the only option. A repair service will cost as much or more to fix the problem as purchasing a new laptop. If there is minimal damage, such as slight wiring problems from the motherboard popping out, have a repair shop look at the damage and give a quote to fix it. If the cost is high, replace the whole computer.
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