Sony Vaio VGN-CS190 assembly repair take-apart due to broken Intel® WiFi Link 5100AGN

A friend’s Sony Vaio VGN-CS190’s wireless card stopped working. I told him I could fix it. Mistake.

I could locate no take-apart guides or VGN-CS190 manuals online. Always a bad sign.

So I went for it anyhow. And I cracked open the case.

Here’s what I found: Nothing.

Well, pretty much. And I did find that it’s pretty simple to take apart the Sony Vaio VGN-CS190.

After I got the bottom off—the trick is to unsnap the plastic case hinges, which really just unsnap and then its open—inside was pretty obvious. All except for one thing. No visible Intel® WiFi Link 5100AGN.

I did NOT want to have to go further…sigh…

…so I contacted Sony’s customer service. You know, to kill time. I immediately started chatting with a customer service rep which was great. Very impressive, you know, how fast I was able to get a hold of Sony customer service and have them tell me that they don’t have that kind of information available because the way Sony Vaio’s are made is really special (“proprietary”) and that I should NOT take apart the laptop. And could I please confirm I got all that so the customer service rep could say that she/he answered my question? thank you.

At least I didn’t have to wait long to be unhelped so professionally well.

[to be continued…]

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