Turn off the computer, unplug the power cord and unplug any peripheral items attached to the computer, such as the keyboard, mouse, monitor, headphones, and any external drives.

Wear a grounding strap or touch an unpainted metal part of the computer to discharge any static electricity. If you walk across a carpet at any point, touch an unpainted metal part of the computer again to discharge the built up static electricity.

Remove at least one of the side covers, usually the right side as you face the front of the computer. You might find it easier to access all the parts if you remove both side covers; there are sometimes thumb screws on the covers to make access easier.

Disconnect all the connectors, then remove any card readers and internal DVD players. These are usually screwed into place.

• Remove any standalone fans. This is a good time to remove any dust, lint, and pet hair from the fans if you’re planning on reusing them.

Disconnect the cables and remove the storage drive. Generally, storage drives are held in place by multiple screws. If you have a hard drive, be gentle when moving the drive as hard bumps can damage the internal parts.

Remove the memory (RAM) modules by pushing the clips on both ends of the module down. This will cause the module to pop up for easy removal. Do not touch the gold connectors on the chips if you’re reusing the modules. If you're not reusing the RAM, find out how it can be used in other applications.

Remove the power supply unit by unplugging the remaining connectors, then unscrewing the unit from the frame.

Remove any adapter or expansion cards from the motherboard. Although these cards usually slide into preconfigured slots, there can be screws. Do not touch the gold connectors on the cards if you’re reinstalling the cards.

Disconnect all the cables from the motherboard, then unscrew it from the frame by loosening each screw a little bit before going around again to loosen each screw properly. This prevents any potential warping of the motherboard by gradually releasing the tension on it.