Compaq iPAQ 3835 Color Pocket PC

If you still have a 3800 and plan on using it, you're probably aware that certain aspects stop working, namely the battery or the stylus won't stay attached despite the fact it still clicks when placed into the stylus silo.

The easiest way to address the famous dropping stylus is taking a piece of electrical tape and wrapping around the top portion of the stylus about 1/2 inch below the top point of the stylus that typically fits between your thumb and index finger while writing. Keep wrapping layers of tape until the stylus fits snug again. Be advised that over time you'll have to add more tape, read on and look at my user submitted photos to find out why.

We aren't going to describe how to remove the motherboard or replace the screen, it isn't impossible but we didn't have to repair these components and refrained from fully disassembling the iPaq just for curiosity.

Disassembly:
Required Tools:
Torx screw driver (Home Depot Husky P/N HD-74502U is perfect for this)
Smaller flat head screw driver, typically used for computer and electronics Home Depot Husky P/N HD-74501U is perfect for this)
Needle Nose Pliers (Comp USA P/N 87609-NmP is perfect for this, if you can still find a pair)
Can of compressed air
Rubbing Alcohol
Q-Tips
Phillips screw driver with small bit if removing the circuit /mother board.
Nylon electrical tape

1. On the back of the iPaq are six visible torx head screws, four at the principal corners and two others at the southern points by the reset button and data / charger conduit. REMOVE ONLY THE FOUR AT THE CORNERS and ignore the bottom two, the two bottom screws are only necessary if you're removing the entire circuit board to access the screen.

2. Lay the iPaq face down on a clean surface.
Use your flat head driver here to gain some leverage in the side seam, this iPaq isn't tightly fastened when compared to opening a BlackBerry and hardly tight when compared to an iPod. CAREFULLY, AND WE STRESS ... CAREFULLY SEPARATE THE BACK FROM THE FRONT HALF BECAUSE THE BATTERY CONNECTOR IS A DELICATE RIBBON CABLE THAT ISN'T EASILY REPLACED !!!

3. REFRAIN FROM USING YOUR COMPRESSED AIR UNTIL YOU'VE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY !!!

Open the back panel towards the head phone jack like opening a book and using the longitudinal side of the headphone jack as the hinge. With your needle nose pliers, unplug the ribbon cable from the battery / back panel , USE THE PLIERS TO PULL STRAIGHT UP AND REFRAIN FROM ROCKING IT OUT SIDE BY SIDE,, ROCKING IT OUT CAN DAMAGE THE CONNECTOR.

4. This is a good opportunity to use your compressed air and blast out any dust and scum, NEVER SHAKE A CAN OF AIR BEFORE USAGE OR HOLD THE CAN AT AN ANGLE GREATER THAN 45 DEGREES BECAUSE YOU CAN SPRAY MOISTURE INSTEAD OF AIR. If you've already sprayed moisture onto the mother board your chance of damage will be much less if you disconnected the battery. You can wait for the moisture to dry out and is often white in appearance until it fully evaporates. If you can't wait, then take a Q-tip and discharge any static before you dry off any moisture marks.

5. Take your Q-Tips and dip in the rubbing alcohol to clean off any plastic components such as the stylus silo, you may notice what seems like black flecks of contamination inside the iPaq. These flecks are the result of rubber / polymer foam deterioration and is why the stylus won't stay put. The stylus silo functions with two major components, a spring ejector at the very bottom which is used to "eject" or pop the stylus up when you press it, and a friction block rubber foam polymer on the back panel that holds the battery. Over time this friction block will break down from wear of removing and inserting the stylus, it breaks down even quicker if you stored the iPaq in a glove box during the summer months. There are two of these blocks on the back panel and the other one acts as a contact buffer to protect the power connector on the motherboard. DON'T ATTEMPT TO STEAL THE PROTECTOR BUFFER because it is thicker and you'll have difficulty trying to glue a flat block of rubber into a semi circle silo. You can use your compressed air to blast out as much of the loose rubber here and if you're a real neat freak, you can use a Q-Tip with the alcohol to remove all the rubber flecks. Chances are the rubber flecks have semi melted to the back panel from whatever summer heat that broke it down in the first place and trying to clean it will only satisfy your obsessive compulsive disorder.

If you're replacing the battery, use your flat head screw driver to pry the battery pack from the back panel, the battery pack is glued and can be gently pried off by starting at the corners, then when all four corners are pried, start the mid points between each corners, again rotating as you go along. IF YOU STILL CAN'T REMOVE THE BATTERY, then pry again this time at the mid points between the corners and the first loosened mid points, continue this process until you've remove the battery pack.

Attach your new battery pack to the back panel, ensure the connector is facing outward and on the bottom (duh). If your replacement battery pack didn't come with a double sided adhesive strip, don't fret because you can simply use a piece of cellophane tape rolled back onto itself make a quick double sided tape while reassembling the 3800, this will be adequate because the battery won't move after the 3800 is put back together.

Reconnect the battery connector, this can be easily accomplished with your thumb and ensure you press straight down while supporting the back panel and battery on a solid surface or by holding the back securely in the palm of your other hand.

An iPaq is tighter than a ducks butt when assembled and nothing will come loose inside even an unfastened battery pack as long you can keep it positioned during the reassembly.

You can test the successful battery replacement by turning the 3800 on before the reassembly, be careful not to touch the motherboard when doing so with your skin or anything metal.

Replace the screws and don't overtighten, a good rule of thumb is tighten an electronic fastening screw just as tight as you would a tube of toothpaste, overtightening metal onto plastic will just strip the plastic threads or you'll just end up breaking torque and your screw driver will strip the screw after it breaks out and you'll have a much harder time removing that screw in the future.

Tightening screws is like driving in snow, the objective is traction and avoid spinning out !Get more detail about Compaq iPAQ 3835 Color Pocket PC.