Recently, a friend brought an Acer Aspire One d257-13404 to me to clean up. It is his 12 year old daughter’s computer, and for some reason, she couldn’t open any browsers. I did, eventually, discover the reason the browsers wouldn’t open. You can read about that here. At one point in all of this, we considered finding a way to reformat the hard drive and re-install Windows. To install any version of Windows 7 other than the Starter edition for small laptops, the system had to have more RAM.
My son also has an Aspire One, and I did upgrade his RAM shortly after he got his. With his, I had to remove the motherboard to get to the ram. On this model, it’s possible to do it without removing the motherboard. I’ll be checking his when I get a chance.
To access the RAM module in these little babies is a little more complicated than it is in most full sized laptops. You start, of course by taking out the battery and removing the 3 screws on the back side of the computer. After removing the three screws on the back, turn it over and open so you can access the keyboard. There are five clips on the top of the keyboard, behind the Esc, F4, F8, F12, and the Del keys. I suggest starting in the middle and working your way out to each side. I used an old gift card to disengage the clips and help keep the free parts free. After freeing the top of the keyboard, gently pull the keyboard in the direction of the screen to free the other side. The keyboard is connected to the computer by a somewhat fragile strip of wires. You DO NOT need to disconnect this. By gently moving the keyboard aside, you can easily access the door screws in the compartment.
Remove all the screws that are labeled “Door”. To do this, you will have to move the keyboard around a little bit. There are some towards the back of the compartment and some near the front. I believe there are a total of six screws. After removing all the door screws, you will be ready to open the back door. To do this, you firmly apply pressure to the door latch located at the lower, right side of the hard drive. You will need to be holding the computer a bit off the table to do this.
At this point, close the cover and turn the computer over exposing the back side once more. The memory module is on the hinge side offset slightly to the left. Release the clamps on the current module, firmly pull the module straight out and reverse action with the new.
Now, just follow the rest of the directions in reverse order as well. Your Acer should be all back together. Make sure your computer is on AC power before turning on again. When you turn it on for the first time, it may take a few minutes for the system to configure itself to the increased RAM. ENJOY!!