With the pain that comes with a broken laptop, we often hurry to dispose of these laptops without considering that a few components could still be reused, recycled, or even sold. It could be a spoilt battery, a screen broken beyond repair, water damage, malfunctioning software, or even age leading you to throw away your laptop without salvaging a few pieces of hardware. I bet you had no clue there are several things you could salvage and put to good use all other hardware parts from this laptop. Well, your laptop is made up of very many working parts, damaging one doesn’t mean everything does not still function. You will always find something to reuse, sell or recycle from these working components.
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1. Speakers
Your battery packs, RAM, HDD, and SDD which fall in storage drives, optical drives, and display if not broken can be sold for cash, all you need is to locate a buyer. You could decide to use DIYs to turn your laptop display or speakers into something new. Working speakers from a broken laptop can be turned into DIY Bluetooth speakers.
2. Drives
Your laptop storage could still be used even after you presume your laptop is broken, depending on what is broken, hard drives and solid-state drives (SSD) can be salvaged. While some laptops have easily removable storage drives, others are located deep inside the laptop but with the right guiding videos and equipment, they can still be acquired. You could choose to turn them into external hard drives or sell them. If you plan to use the storage drives, you need to carefully check compatibility as some laptops have SATA interfaces for their storage drives and others have M.S connections inside them. The difference also changes how you use the storage drives.
Whilst some devices have removable RAM, others may not be removable. The RAM of your laptop if removable can be reused or sold at a good price to someone else.
3. Cooling Fans
If your laptop is on its last legs, there’s no need to toss it in the trash just yet. With a little bit of effort, you can salvage its fans to use in other projects. For example, the fans from a broken laptop can be used to replace broken fans in an otherwise well-functioning laptop. You can also use these fans for your desktop computer.
To salvage the fans, first, remove the battery and any other removable parts. Then, unscrew the back panel and carefully remove the motherboard. The fans will be attached to the motherboard, so be careful not to damage them as you remove them. Once the fans are removed, you can clean them up and add them to your desktop computer. They’ll help keep your computer cool and improve its airflow. Plus, they’ll give your desktop a bit of a boost in the style department.
4. Keyboards
Another of the most satisfying things you can do with a broken laptop is to salvage the keyboard and use it as a replacement for a damaged or worn-out keyboard on another laptop. This can be a great way to save money, as buying a new keyboard can be quite expensive.
To salvage a keyboard from a broken laptop, first, remove all of the screws from the back of the laptop. Then, carefully pry off the back panel. Once the back panel is removed, you will be able to see the keyboard. To remove the keyboard, first, disconnect the cable that connects it to the motherboard. Then, carefully pry the keyboard up from the bottom of the laptop. Once the keyboard is removed, you can then install it on another laptop by following the same process in reverse.
5. Screen lighting
Laptop screens are notoriously delicate. If you accidentally drop your laptop or if something falls on it, the screen is likely to crack. If this happens, you may be wondering if there’s any way to salvage the lighting. Fortunately, it is possible to salvage the lighting from a broken laptop screen.
You’ll need to carefully remove the broken screen and then remove the backlight from the LCD panel. The backlight is a thin strip of light that runs along the bottom of the screen. Once you’ve removed the backlight, you can carefully remove the lens from the backlight. The lens is a clear piece of plastic that covers the backlight. Once you’ve removed the lens, you can carefully remove the backlight itself. The backlight is a thin strip of light that’s held in place by a metal bracket. You’ll need to carefully remove the bracket and then gently pull the backlight out of the LCD panel.
Once you’ve removed the backlight, you can carefully remove the LCD panel from the laptop. The LCD panel is held in place by a few screws. Once you’ve removed the screws, you can gently pull the LCD panel out of the laptop.
6. Microphone
Yes!! You can salvage the microphone from a broken laptop and re-use it for various purposes. It’s easy to do. All you need is a screwdriver and a few minutes of your time. First, locate the microphone on your laptop. It’s usually located near the webcam. Once you’ve found it, unscrew the screws that are holding it in place. Next, gently pull the microphone out of the laptop. You may need to use a bit of force, but be careful not to damage the microphone.
If the microphone is still working, you can use it for a number of different things. For example, you can connect it to your computer and use it for Skype calls or recording audio. Or, you can use it for a DIY project, like building a voice-activated assistant. If the microphone isn’t working, you can still salvage it for parts. The microphone capsule, for example, can be used in other projects. Or, you can use the wires to create a different type of microphone.
7. Batteries
Batteries can also act as replacements if they still have strong battery life and capacity. You always have to ensure compatibility and be cautious as batteries are potential safety hazards and could explode or catch fire if mishandled.
First, remove the battery from your laptop. If it’s a removable battery, this should be easy. If it’s not, you may need to consult your laptop’s manual or support site. Next, check the battery for any visible damage. If there are any cracks or leaks, it’s best to just replace the battery. If the battery looks in good condition, try charging it with a generic battery charger. If it charges, great! If not, you may need to buy a new battery. Once you’ve confirmed that the battery is working, you can sell it as a spare part or use it as a backup battery for a similar laptop model.
8. Webcams
If your laptop is serving its last days and you are thinking of getting rid of it, there’s no need to toss out the webcams just yet! With a little bit of salvage work, you can easily repurpose them for use with a desktop computer.
The first step is to remove the webcams from the laptop. This can be done by unscrewing the housing and carefully disconnecting the wires. Once the webcams are free, you’ll need to clean up the housing a bit. Use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove any dirt or grime. Now it’s time to attach the webcams to your desktop computer. If you’re using a PC, you can simply plug the webcams into a USB port. If you’re using a Mac, you’ll need to purchase a USB webcam adapter.
Once the adapter is in place, you can plug the webcams into it. Once the webcams are plugged in, you’ll need to install any necessary drivers. You can usually find these on the manufacturer’s website. Once the drivers are installed, you should be able to use the webcams just like you would on a laptop!
What else can you use a broken laptop for?
If your laptop display is broken but the rest of the parts work fine, you could use it as a media streaming center or with a secondary display.
In case you intend to set up your laptop with a secondary display that requires an HDMI or Displays Port (DP) cable, here are steps to connect your laptop to a secondary display:
- Plug your monitor or secondary display into the power
- Connect your laptop to the secondary display through an HDMI or DP port on your laptop
- Press “Windows Key + P” to open the display projection menu
- Select “PC Screen Only” or “Duplicate” on the menu
- When they are connected successfully, you can then choose to switch displays.
To use your laptop as a media center or streaming device;
- Follow the above steps from 1-4.
- Install software that can link your laptop to your TV and can be used with remote control.
- Test for connection and functionality, if they all work, then you can start using your laptop as a media center.