How to Install RAM in Your Laptop
The general technique of upgrading memory modules, or RAM, in a laptop, varies little from one manufacturer to the next; today, nearly every laptop design includes a bottom-mounted access panel and latching connectors. The Toshiba Satellite P205 laptop is the subject of this description.
To begin, ensure that the laptop is powered off and that it is cool and steady. Follow these steps:
1. Use the Windows shut-down procedure to turn off the computer.
Keep in mind that if you use Sleep or Hibernation mode, you will lose all of your saved data.
2. Disconnect the AC adapter cable from the laptop.
Why should the AC adapter and batteries be removed before memory modules are installed? To begin with, plugging them in while the power is on may cause RAM damage. Second, doing any work on a laptop while the power is turned on can cause a dangerous spark.
3. Remove the battery from the device.
4. Any other wiring to the laptop, such as an Ethernet connection or a telephone modem wire, should be disconnected.
Allow the laptop to cool for around 15 minutes if it has been running lately; memory modules can get fairly hot when in use.
5. Find a screwdriver with a tiny Phillips head.
The screwdriver with the X-shaped head is this one.
6. On a desktop, place a soft cloth or another protective surface.
7. Make sure the bottom of the laptop is facing up.
8. Locate the cover for the memory module slot.
9. Remove the screw that secures the cover over the memory section with care.
Hold the screwdriver at a right angle to the bottom of the laptop and slowly remove the screw; it shouldn’t take much force. Place the screw in a secure location once it has been removed. Attach it to the desktop or the side of the computer with a piece of clear tape.
10. Before you touch the memory module, make sure you’re grounded.
Any grounded metal surface, such as a light stand, or the center screw on an electrical outlet, should be touched.
11. Remove a fresh memory module from its packing with care.
Avoid touching the connectors since oils on your finger can impede conductivity.
12. Find a module slot that isn’t occupied.
Remove the top module first if there are two sockets in the compartment and the top one is filled but the lower one is vacant.
13. Pick up the memory module by the sides and place it in the socket with the connectors pointing in the right direction.
Make sure the connector’s notch lines up with the socket’s matching key. Please see the diagram below.
14. Place the module in its proper location.
The majority of sockets align at a 30-degree angle.
15. When the module is fully put into the socket, press down on the device’s top edge to secure it.
It’ll be flat against the bottom of the laptop this way. With latches, the carrier should snap into place. See the diagram below.
16. Replace the cover for the memory compartment and secure it with the screw.
Make sure the screw isn’t overtightened.
WARNING: Here’s what you should do after you’ve installed memory:
1. Remove the main battery and replace it.
2. Turn the laptop over to the right side.
3. Reconnect the AC adapter cable and the rest of the wires.
4. Restart the computer if necessary.