StarBook

StarBook Mk V/ Mk VI / Mk VII - complete disassembly guide

StarBook Mk V / Mk VI / Mk VII— Disassembly Guide This guide explains how to safely disassemble your StarBook Mk V or Mk VI for component access, cleaning, or part replacement. ⚠️ Important: You’ll need a PH0 Phillips screwdriver and thermal compound (if removing the mainboard). Screw lengths vary by component — keep each set separate and label them if possible. Before you begin, place your laptop on a soft, protected surface to avoid scratching the anodised finish. Laptop Preparation 1. Remove Outer Screws Remove the 2 long Phillips screws located in the top corners of the backplate. Outer Screws 2. Remove Remaining Screws Remove the 8 short Phillips screws securing the rest of the backplate. Short Screws 3. Remove the Backplate Gently lift the backplate away from the chassis. Backplate Removal Backplate Off 4. Disconnect the Battery Important: Always disconnect the battery before removing the SSD or RAM. Failing to do so may result in a board short. Disconnect the battery connector carefully by gently pulling downwards. **5. Remove the Battery ** 1. Unscrew the 5 Phillips screws securing the battery. Note: The centre-right screw is intentionally missing. Battery Screws 6. Remove the SSD Unscrew the retaining screw and slide the SSD out of its slot. SSD Removal 7. Remove Memory Modules 1. Press the silver clips on either side of the memory slot outwards to release the module. 2. Gently slide it out. Memory Removal Repeat for the second memory module. Second Memory Slot 8. Remove the Wireless Card 1. Lift the plastic antenna cover, then detach both antenna cables carefully. Antenna Removal Wireless Card 2. Remove the retaining screw and slide out the wireless card. Card Removal 9. Remove the I/O Board 1. Lift the ribbon cable clamp to release the cable. I/O Cable 2. Unscrew the 2 Phillips screws securing the board, then lift it out. I/O Board Removal 10. Disconnect the Screen Lift the screen connector clamp to detach the display cable. Screen Connector 11. Disconnect Cables from the Mainboard Detach the following connectors: - I/O Board - Keyboard and keyboard backlight - Speakers - Trackpad - Fingerprint Reader (Mk VI only) I/O Board: IO Cable Touchpad: Touchpad Cable Speakers: Speaker Cable Keyboard & Backlight: Keyboard Cable Backlight Cable 12. Remove the DC Jack 1. Remove the 2 silver screws securing the DC Jack shield. 2. Disconnect the DC Jack cable from the mainboard. DC Jack Removal 13. Remove the Fan 1. Disconnect the fan cable from the mainboard. Fan Connector 2. Remove the 3 Phillips screws securing the fan and lift it out. Fan Screws Fan Removed 14. Remove the Heatsink Remove the 4 short Phillips screws holding the heatsink, then lift it off the mainboard. These screws are shorter than other silver screws. Heatsink Screws Heatsink Removed 15. Remove the Mainboard Remove the remaining 4 Phillips screws around the edge of the mainboard and lift it out of the chassis. Mainboard Removal Mainboard Lifted 16. Remove the I/O Ribbon Cable Detach the ribbon cable from the chassis. I/O Ribbon 17. Remove the Display Assembly 1. Remove the 4 Phillips screws from the left hinge. Left Hinge 2. Remove the 4 screws from the right hinge. Right Hinge 3. Lift both hinges to a 90° angle to allow the chassis to clear them. 4. Carefully lift the chassis to separate it from the display array. 18. Disassembly Complete Your StarBook disassembly is now complete. Disassembled Laptop 18. Reassembly Reassemble by reversing the above steps. ⚙️ Note on Thermal Compound: When reattaching the heatsink, clean off the old thermal paste from both the CPU and the heatsink using a lint-free cloth. Apply a small, fresh amount of thermal compound to the centre of the CPU before reinstalling the heatsink. Cleaning Paste Reapply Compound

StarBook Mk V/VI/VII - Installing/recovering firmware with external programmer

Requirements Before you begin, make sure you have the following: - An additional laptop or PC to run commands - Debug board - FPC cable - CH341A USB programmer - PH0 screwdriver - 1.8V adapter (required for AMD-based machines) Place your StarBook Mk VI on a soft, protected surface to avoid scratching the anodized finish. StarBook on Surface 1. Remove the Screws Remove the two long Phillips screws from the top corners of the backplate. Step 1 Then remove the remaining eight short screws. Step 2 Carefully lift off the backplate. Step 3 Step 3b 2. Remove the Battery Remove the five Phillips screws securing the battery. Note: The centre-right screw is intentionally missing. Battery Disconnect the battery connector carefully. Battery Disconnect Battery Disconnect 2 Battery Removed 3. Assemble the Programmer Connect the programmer, debug board, and FPC cable as shown below. Match the colours and orientation — or align using Pin 1, which is marked on both the adapter and boards. The 1.8V adapter also has numbered pins, including Pin 1. Programmer Diagram Programmer Setup ⚠️ Important: If your machine uses an AMD processor, you must use the 1.8V adapter — not doing so may permanently damage your device. 4. Locate the Debug Connector Find the debug connector on your StarBook’s mainboard. This location may vary slightly depending on the processor and model. Debug Connector 5. Connect Everything Attach the FPC cable to the mainboard’s debug connector, and plug the programmer into your external computer’s USB port. Ensure the blue side of the FPC cable is facing upward. Tip: Place the programmer on a non-conductive surface (like a wooden table or mousepad) to avoid short circuits. Connected Setup 6. Install Flashrom On your external computer, open a terminal and install Flashrom: sudo apt install flashrom 7. Download the Firmware Firmware files are available on our GitHub Repository. For example, for the StarBook Mk VI (Intel), you can find the .rom file here. 🔍 Note: Firmware is updated regularly — make sure to download the latest version for your model. 8. Flash the Firmware Run the following command, replacing coreboot.rom with the path to your downloaded file: sudo flashrom -p ch341a_spi -w coreboot.rom -n -N ⚠️ Do not disconnect or disturb the programmer while flashing is in progress. 9. Finish Up Once Flashrom completes, plug in your StarBook’s power cable. A blue light will flash on the left side — this means the board is active. Your laptop should now boot normally.