Fix Your Stuff Community Store

Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement

Introduction

Use this guide to replace a damaged motherboard in your Toshiba Satellite M45.

The Motherboard is a circuit board that connects important hardware such as the Graphics Cards, Solid State Drives, Hard Drives, Ram, Mouse and keyboard.

A faulty motherboard can damage the hardware components connected making it undetectable by the computer and may slow down performance. A faulty motherboard can cause overheating, show the monitor screen freezing or a display bluescreen. Signs of a damaged motherboard are dust build up, burnt chipset and a computers old age.

Before using this guide, make sure to review the Toshiba Satellite M45 troubleshooting page-check to see if your laptop has a motherboard related problem. If you are sure it’s a motherboard related problem then make sure to review the troubleshooting page- Motherboard related problems sometimes can be fixed with updating the BIOS or configuring the CMOS.

What you need

  1. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Battery: step 1, image 1 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Battery: step 1, image 2 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Battery: step 1, image 3 of 3

    • Make sure device is off and power supply is disconnected.

    • Flip the laptop to the bottom side.

    • Locate and slide the two battery locks to disconnect the battery.

    • Remove the battery by sliding it out away from the computer (horizontal with the casing).

    Edit

  2. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, RAM: step 2, image 1 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, RAM: step 2, image 2 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, RAM: step 2, image 3 of 3

    • Use a #1 Phillips head screwdriver to remove the screw on the middle right of the RAM's cover panel.

    • Then, use a the blue iFixit Opening Tool to pry the cover panel off.

    • Push on to the RAM tabs to disconnect the RAM form the device.

    • The RAM will pop off from the socket. Gently pull the RAM out of the socket.

    Edit

  3. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Wi-Fi Card: step 3, image 1 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Wi-Fi Card: step 3, image 2 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Wi-Fi Card: step 3, image 3 of 3

    • Use the #1 Phillips head screwdriver to unscrew the panel.

    • Disconnect the black and white wires.

    • Push on the tabs to disconnect the Wi-Fi card.

    • Use the blue iFixit Opening Tool to pull the Wi-Fi Card out.

    Edit

  4. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Hard Drive: step 4, image 1 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Hard Drive: step 4, image 2 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Hard Drive: step 4, image 3 of 3

    • Use the #1 Phillips head screwdriver as to remove the hard drive screw.

    • Use the blue iFixit Opening Tool to pry the cover off.

    • Use the plastic flap to pull the hard drive out of its slot.

    Edit

  6. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Optical Drive: step 5, image 1 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Optical Drive: step 5, image 2 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Optical Drive: step 5, image 3 of 3

    • Use the #1 Phillips head screwdriver remove the Optical Drive screw.

    • Use the blue iFixit Opening Tool to pry the Optical Drive out of the slot from the side of the casing.

    • Use your hands to pull the rest of the Optical Drive out.

    Edit

  7. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Keyboard: step 6, image 1 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Keyboard: step 6, image 2 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Keyboard: step 6, image 3 of 3

    • Carefully use the blue iFixit Opening Tool to pry the panel above the keyboard from the left and right side.

    • Push back the screen until it is flat with the laptop.

    • Gently remove the clips that connect the panel to the screen.

    Edit

  8. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 7, image 2 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 7, image 3 of 3

    • Use the Phillips #1 screwdriver to remove the two screws.

    • Gently pry the keyboard from the laptop using the blue iFixit opening tool.

    • Slowly lift the keyboard away from the laptop.

    • Remove the ribbon that connects to the laptop.

    • Ensure you remove the keyboard slowly to avoid damaging the ribbon cable.

    Edit

  9. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Motherboard: step 8, image 1 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Motherboard: step 8, image 2 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement, Motherboard: step 8, image 3 of 3

    • Disconnect the video cable, then slowly and firmly pull the video cable upwards.

    • Disconnect the brown ribbon located in the middle area of the laptop.

    • Disconnect the two white ribbons located in the bottom left of the laptop.

    • Firmly pull out the two white ribbons.

    Edit

  10. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 2 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 9, image 2 of 2

    • Use the Phillips #00 Screwdriver to unscrew all the screws.

    • Unscrew three additional screws through the three holes on the optical drive.

    Edit

  11. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 10, image 2 of 3 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 10, image 3 of 3

    • Turn the laptop upside down.

    • Use the blue iFixit Opening Tool to slowly pry the case upward.

    • Remove the white ribbon

    • Make sure to completely remove the white ribbon and set it to the right side of the motherboard. and not on top of the motherboard.

    Edit

  12. Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 2 Toshiba Satellite M45 Motherboard Replacement: step 11, image 2 of 2

    • Lift up the motherboard.

    • Be careful not to rip out small components on the motherboard. Carefully remove the motherboard.

    Edit
Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

One other person completed this guide.

Author

with 15 other contributors

Nick

Member since: 04/16/10

127 Reputation

2 Guides authored

Badges: 10

+7 more badges

Team

Cal Poly, Team 10-42, Garner Spring 2010 Member of Cal Poly, Team 10-42, Garner Spring 2010

CPSU-GARNER-S10S10G42

5 Members

10 Guides authored

0 Comments

Add Comment

View Statistics:

Past 24 Hours: 1

Past 7 Days: 2

Past 30 Days: 6

All Time: 19,497