Attn: Mouser_X by arbingordon at 5:51 PM EDT on June 29, 2010
You mentioned there were numerous guides on how to disassemble a gigabeat S (to remove dust from underneath the screen) but I can't seem to find anything other than this. As it is right now, I've got it stripped down without the hard drive or battery using that guide, but how to continue taking it apart, I'm at a bit of a loss, and I'd rather not try to "figure it out" and end up with 200$ down the drain... So could you point me to some of those guides you had mentioned a while ago?
I've got some good news, and some bad news. The good news is, my Gigabeat S needs to be cleaned out really really bad as well, so I'm currently in the process of taking it apart, and cleaning it. The bad news is, it's been years since I last cleaned it out, and as near as I can tell, the guide you linked is the same one I used (though I could have sworn it had more details).
[EDIT] Unfortunately, it looks like some "figuring out" might be needed. I just finished, so here's what you'll need to do. Once you've removed the HDD and battery, there's a metal plate holding the front "+ keypad" in place. You'll need to remove this. There's some "clips" on each side (not the "top" (where the PCB is), but possibly the bottom), and you'll want to make sure that the screw holes on the bottom are also "disengaged" from the casing (you'll see that the screw holes poke into the case just a little, and can hinder the removal of this metal plate). Once the metal plate is removed (I had a really tough time the the first time around. It was easier the 2nd time (which was just now), since I had a better idea of what I was doing), the PCB will be a lot easier to get out. If you've tried to remove it before removing the metal plate, you'll be pulling on the cable attaching the PCB to the screen. Generally, I expect that this is a bad idea.
Anyway, once the metal plate is removed, there's some silver colored "clips" holding the PCB in place (ignore the black plastic clips - these hold the PCB onto the screen, and there's no need to disconnect the PCB from the screen), one on the left and right side (they're easy to see). Once you've gotten those clips "disengaged" (and the metal plate, as previously stated), the PCB (along with the fairly unprotected screen! Be careful!) should come right out. Then it's a simple matter of cleaning the LCD screen, and the backside of the clear plastic plate.
Reassembly should be fairly straight forward. Put the screen/PCB back in place (make sure the "hold" switch is connected properly :( ), snap the silver clips in place, then ( -_- ) snap the metal plate (which holds the front + keypad in place) back in place, and basically follow the directions in reverse.
Hopefully this helps you clean it up a bit. Mine was way dirtier inside than it was the first time I did it. Thanks for the motivation I needed to finally clean it out again. Good luck, and if there's any details I left out, I'll try to clarify it a bit. Mouser X over.
good news bro, i gave up earlier and tried putting it together. long story short, there's a stripped screw in the little lanyard hook part that won't come out fun fun fun
:( Sorry I wasn't able to reply sooner. By the time I saw your message, I didn't have time to produce a response. As for the stripped screw, have you tried some sort of glue or epoxy to try and pull it out? In many ways, that piece is the "lock" that must be removed first, for anything else to be done. Sorry I can't help more than that. Mouser X over and out.