How To › Windows How To Open a Desktop Computer Case Share Pin Email Print Windows Guides & Tutorials Drivers & Hardware Customizing File & Folder Management Users & Accounts Drive Management System & Security Basics Installing & Upgrading Tips & Tricks Key Concepts By Tim Fisher General Manager, VP, Lifewire.com Tim Fisher has 30+ years' professional technology support experience. He writes troubleshooting content and is the General Manager of Lifewire. our editorial process Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tim Fisher Updated December 20, 2018 107 107 people found this article helpful 01 of 05 Turn the Computer Off © Edward Shaw/E+/Getty Images Before opening the case, you must turn the computer off. Shutdown your operating system as you normally do. On the back of your computer, locate the power switch and turn it off, as shown above. Some computers do not have a power switch on the back of the computer. If you do not find one, skip to the next step. 02 of 05 Unplug the Power Cable Unplug the Power Cable. © Tim Fisher Unplug the power cable that is currently plugged in to the power supply on the back of your computer. This is an important step! It may seem overly cautious to remove the power cable in addition to powering off the computer normally, but some parts of a computer remain powered on even when the computer seems to be off. 03 of 05 Remove All External Cables and Attachments Remove All External Cables and Attachments. © Tim Fisher Remove all cables and other devices attached to to your computer. This will make it much easier to work inside your computer and to move it around as needed. 04 of 05 Remove the Side Panel Retaining Screws Remove the Side Panel Retaining Screws. © Tim Fisher Remove the outermost screws from the case - the ones that are holding the side panels to the rest of the case. You will likely need a phillips-head screwdriver to remove these screws. Set these screws aside. You will need to use them to secure the side panels to the case again when you are through working inside your computer. Take care not to remove the screws that are securing the power supply to the case. These screws are more inset than the case retaining screws and may cause the power supply to fall into the computer, possibly causing damage. 05 of 05 Remove the Case Side Panel Remove the Case Side Panel. © Tim Fisher The case side panel can now be removed. Sometimes the panel can simply be lifted off while other times it may be attached to the case in a slide-lock manner. No matter the mechanism, you should be able to easily jar the panel loose. Continue Reading