How to open the Zenith Z-Note MX:
=============================================================================
2001-10-16

Opening the Z-Note is somewhat, but not too tricky, if you know a few hints.


Disclaimer: By performing the following steps you will loose any warranty you
might have on the device. It is also possible that you will break someting, 
since its all plastic. I will not take any responsibility for what you do!


First remove the keyboard:
--------------------------

Place your Notebook in front of you as you normally would do. Take a small
screwdriver and try to push it between the front border of the black keyboard
plastic and the grey case plastic. If it does not go between try another
location. The keyboard has three noses which hook into the front under the
notebook case. You have to push the keyboard away from you (towards the
display) and you have the lift it up once one of the noses comes free. Do it
nose by nose. To be able to force the keyboard back and to be able to lift it
up it is best to use an old, broken, small screwdriver which looks like this:

#
#
#
|
|
|
\

(the tip of the screwdriver is sligtly bent, so it forms a small hook to be
able to get the keyboard up). But its also possible to use a normal, flat 
screwdriver.

You have to use quite some force to push the keyboard back. The noses are
quite strong, they won't break, but you have to push the keyboard back at least
3 full millimeters or so for the nose to become fully visible before pulling
it up. I removed the central nose once I had the keyboard removed to make this 
procedure easier.

Once you hold the keyboard in your hands (still on its cable) you can see the
black cooling aluminum which hides the CPU and the harddisk, probably the
two things you are interested in.

If you still can't reach all the screws you want to reach you have to remove
the top cover of the notebook completely.


Removing the top cover:
-----------------------

Remove the two small plastic caps on the very bottom of the display mount.
Pull the left to the left and the right to the right. I nearly broke the
small snapping nipples of mine so be gentle here! Loosing these parts does
not affect functionality. Now you can see two screws on each side which
hold the display. Remove them and unplug the display. Now you can remove the
display. Then you can remove some more screws which were hidden below the
keyboard. Your done, it should be easy to remove the top cover now. (It has
a lot of 'snap in' stuff in the front, so try to gently lift it on the
display side without breaking anything.


Now all screws for the harddisk and the CPU are easily accessible. You
should have no problem replacing them.


Reassembling the Notebook:
--------------------------

Try to use each screw where it came from. Follow your intuition.
First attach the top cover, then insert the keyboard again (just use your
hands, in is much easier than removing it).

--
Johannes Overmann (Johannes.Overmann@gmx.de)