I fixed my son's tablet and became the best dad ever. WITNESS THE CARNAGE!!!!

[eljefefx]

My wife and I were very concerned about getting my son a tablet. At the time, he had just turned 5 years old. Still, around Christmas of 2013 we found a deal at the nearest NEX for a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 that we couldn't resist.

We brought it home, set it up with learning apps and games for him and had several talks with him about being careful with it. The wife even went so far as to buy this giant tire-like case for it.

Of course, the irony was not lost on me when I was on detachment in Nevada about four months later and my wife called to inform me that she had dropped the tablet.

She, not my son, had dropped the unprotected out of its case tablet.

After the typical conversation that ensues whenever I go on detachment that revolves around the fact that my wife and son are walking EMP's, I started doing my research. I found that digitizers -the screen part- at the time were running about $80. An inquiry to the local repair shop was rewarded with a quote of $160 to repair it - $20 less than it cost to purchase it new!

So I sat, patiently, like a Jehova's witness staking out the last house on the block without a car in the drive way and finally I saw what I needed to see -
the digitizer price plummeted to $15+shipping and included tools to remove and replace it.

When it came in, I went to work.


Things you will need:
Tweezers -for picking up screws on the inside.
A bowl- to hold the screws.
A clean surface.
Microfiber cloth.
Canned air.
Plastic pry tools - some people like to use metal ones, especially for getting the digitizer to unseat from the glue. I'm not one of those people.
Guitar picks -these things are awesome for holding up already separated sections of the screen.
Packing tape- I'll explain.
Razor blade
Jewelers screw drivers.
Hair dryer/heat gun.



Cover the entire surface in packing tape from top to bottom. Use a razor to cut the tape, sliding it between the screen and the outer edge.

Use your plastic pry tool and run around the straight edges of the case to release the clasps.



See those tiny screws? That's why you need tweezers and a bowl. Any internal screws on any tablet/phone will always be tiny. Super tiny. In fact I almost had a stroke when one of them fell into my lap. The only thing that saved me is 12 years of working in the cockpits of aircraft and immediately slamming my legs together. This tactic was also readily used by the chicks I tried to date in college.

It's very important to note that once you get the back plate off you need to disconnect the battery. Your device should have already been powered off but don't add insult to stupidity by not removing the battery when you're going to be jamming shit into the thing.

Now, a hair dryer works fine if it is set to high heat. Others may prefer a heat gun. Work with what you have. Take time to run your heat producing device along all the outside edges of your device. This will heat up the glue that holds on the tape that is used to secure the digitizer+screen/case. Ensure your digitizer is disconnected as well. Now, feel the top of the screen and you should feel a bit of squishiness. Use your flat pry tool to run around the edges, making sure to place guitar picks every two inches or so. If you feel the tape/glue isn't giving, add a bit more heat.

Eventually you'll get the whole thing removed.


You can see the black tape/glue on the digitizer on the right, the actual screen on the left. Run your microfiber cloth over the screen to get any dust, hair or liberal tears off your screen. Prep your replacement digitizer. Two important things:

If you have a middle/bottom hard button, ensure you place it correctly on the screen hardware.Also ensure you have removed the inside plastic dust screen. DO NOT TRUST THE TAPE ON THE REPLACEMENT DIGITIZER TO HOLD IT FOR YOU.

Secondly, once you press this thing down, it is done. You are not going to be able to reuse the digitizer if you mess it up.



Press it down, ensure everything is set properly and that the button actuates and then build it back up.



You end up getting this and a happy 5 year old.

[GTOJOE]

Gotta do this with my Galaxy S3 phone. Had it for nearly 2 years with no issues. Had it in a case for the whole time. No scratches or marks. Upgraded to a Galaxy S5 and gave the S3 to the ball and chain (ie. the wife) and she smashed it in a week.......... So frustrating.