Most mini laptops, especially upscale models like the HP mini 1000, Dell Inspiron, and Lenova IdeaPad S10, are much easier to upgrade. But even if you don’t own these more expensive models, you can still upgrade your netbook with the right screwdriver set.
A mini laptop has only two things that can be upgraded; RAM and hard disk drive (HDD). You need to find out the specifications of these two things on your netbook and then update them accordingly. DRAM and SRAM are two different types of enhanced RAM, while ATA and SATA are different versions of hard drives.
Once you know the type of your RAM and HDD and have decided which upgrade to install, the next step is to locate the RAM and HDD in your netbook. Most manufacturers have them on the back of the unit; either in the same panel or in different panels but isolated and connected to the internal circuit of the unit.
You may also need to open the netbook all the way to locate the RAM and hard drive, so keep your screwdrivers handy. Most importantly, always turn off the mini laptop before opening the drive.
Now that you have located the RAM and/or HDD, carefully remove them and install the updated version in the same way as the previous ones. You need to be very careful and have presence of mind when doing this, as you don’t want to re-open the entire drive again.
Once you have installed the upgraded version and secured the screws in the drive, you must power on the netbook to reboot it. If it doesn’t boot, it could mean that you haven’t installed the parts correctly or that those updated versions are not compatible with your system. So now you will need to either reopen the drive and install it again or read the specs on the HDD and/or Ram and find out the compatible versions for your system.
If the RAM and/or hard drive are not compatible with your system, you should recheck the netbook’s system information. To do that, just go to the settings tab in the main menu and click on it. It will give you the information about your mini laptop system RAM and hard drive.
It is not difficult at all to upgrade a mini laptop. But you need to have some basic hardware knowledge to be able to choose the right upgraded version for your netbook and install it correctly.