Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

37

Time Required

                          9 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

6

  • Base Cover
  • 8 steps
  • Wireless Card
  • 8 steps
  • Solid-State Drive
  • 4 steps
  • Rear-I/O Cover
  • 5 steps
  • Computer Base
  • 8 steps
  • Battery
  • 4 steps

Flags

2

Member-Contributed Guide

An awesome member of our community made this guide. It is not managed by iFixit staff.

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  • BackDell Alienware 13 R3

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Loosen the Screws
  • WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer.
  • Loosen the five captive screws that secure the base cover to the computer base.

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer.

Loosen the five captive screws that secure the base cover to the computer base.

1024

Step 2

              Pry the Base Cover
  • Using a plastic scribe, gently pry the base cover to release the tabs on the base cover from the slots on the computer base.

Using a plastic scribe, gently pry the base cover to release the tabs on the base cover from the slots on the computer base.

Step 3

              Lift the Base Cover
  • Lift the base cover off the computer base.

Lift the base cover off the computer base.

Step 4

              Disconnect the Battery Cable
  • Using a plastic scribe, disconnect the battery cable from the system board.

Using a plastic scribe, disconnect the battery cable from the system board.

Step 5

              Press and Hold the Power-Button
  • Press and hold the power button for five seconds to ground the system board.

Press and hold the power button for five seconds to ground the system board.

Step 6

              Connect the Battery Cable
  • Connect the battery cable to the system board.

Connect the battery cable to the system board.

Step 7

              Slide the Tabs
  • Slide the tabs on the NEW base cover into the slots on the computer base and snap the base cover into place

Slide the tabs on the NEW base cover into the slots on the computer base and snap the base cover into place

Step 8

              Tighten the Five Captive Screws
  • Tighten the five captive screws that secure the base cover to the computer base.

Tighten the five captive screws that secure the base cover to the computer base.

Step 9

              Align the Notch
  • WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer.
  • CAUTION: To avoid damaging the wireless card, do not place any cables under it.
  • Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the wireless card and bracket to the computer base.

CAUTION: To avoid damaging the wireless card, do not place any cables under it.

Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the wireless card and bracket to the computer base.

Step 10

              Lift the Wireless-Card Bracket
  • Lift the wireless-card bracket off the wireless card.

Lift the wireless-card bracket off the wireless card.

Step 11

              Disconnecting the Antenna Cables
  • Disconnect the antenna cables from the wireless card.

Disconnect the antenna cables from the wireless card.

Step 12

              Align the Notch
  • CAUTION: To avoid damaging the wireless card, do not place any cables under it.
  • Align the notch on the wireless card with the tab on the wireless-card slot.

Align the notch on the wireless card with the tab on the wireless-card slot.

Step 13

              Slide the Wireless Card
  • Slide the NEW wireless card at an angle into the wireless-card slot.

Slide the NEW wireless card at an angle into the wireless-card slot.

Step 14

              Connect the Antenna Cables
  • Connect the antenna cables to the wireless card.

Connect the antenna cables to the wireless card.

Step 15

              Align the Screw Hole
  • Align the screw hole on the wireless-card bracket with the screw hole on the wireless card and the computer base.

Align the screw hole on the wireless-card bracket with the screw hole on the wireless card and the computer base.

Step 16

              Replace the Screw
  • Replace the screw (M2x3) that secures the wireless-card bracket to the wireless card and the computer base.

Replace the screw (M2x3) that secures the wireless-card bracket to the wireless card and the computer base.

Step 17

              Remove the Screw
  • WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer.
  • Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the solid-state drive to the computer base.

Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the solid-state drive to the computer base.

Step 18

              Lift and Slide the Solid-State Drive
  • Lift and slide the solid-state drive from the solid-state drive slot.

Lift and slide the solid-state drive from the solid-state drive slot.

Step 19

              Align the Notch
  • Align the notch on the NEW solid-state drive with the tab on the solid-state drive slot and slide the solid-state drive into the solid-state drive slot.

Align the notch on the NEW solid-state drive with the tab on the solid-state drive slot and slide the solid-state drive into the solid-state drive slot.

Step 20

              Press the Memory Module
  • Press the memory module down until it clicks into place.

Press the memory module down until it clicks into place.

Step 21

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove the two screws (M2.5x6L) that secure the rear-I/O cover to the palm-rest assembly.

Remove the two screws (M2.5x6L) that secure the rear-I/O cover to the palm-rest assembly.

Step 22

              Using a Plastic Scribe
  • Using a plastic scribe, gently release the tabs that secure rear-I/O cover to the computer base.

Using a plastic scribe, gently release the tabs that secure rear-I/O cover to the computer base.

Step 23

              Removing the Rear-I/O
  • Slide and remove the rear-I/O cover from the computer base.

Slide and remove the rear-I/O cover from the computer base.

Step 24

              Sliding the Rear-I/O
  • Slide the NEW rear-I/O cover into the slots on the computer base and snap the rear-I/O cover into place.

Slide the NEW rear-I/O cover into the slots on the computer base and snap the rear-I/O cover into place.

Step 25

              Replace the two Screws
  • Replace the two screws (M2.5x6L) that secure the rear-I/O cover to the palm-rest assembly.

Replace the two screws (M2.5x6L) that secure the rear-I/O cover to the palm-rest assembly.

Step 26

              Remove the Screws
  • WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer.
  • Remove the eleven (M2.5x6L) screws that secure the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Remove the eleven (M2.5x6L) screws that secure the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Step 27

              Remove the Screw
  • Remove the (M2x3) screw that secures the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Remove the (M2x3) screw that secures the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Step 28

              Remove the Two Screws
  • Remove the two (M2.5x6L) screws that secure the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Remove the two (M2.5x6L) screws that secure the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Step 29

              Lift the Computer Base
  • Lift the computer base from the palm-rest assembly.

Lift the computer base from the palm-rest assembly.

Step 30

              Align the Screw Holes
  • Align the screw holes on the NEW computer base with the screw holes on the palm-rest assembly.

Align the screw holes on the NEW computer base with the screw holes on the palm-rest assembly.

Step 31

              Replace the Screws
  • Replace the two (M2.5x6L) screws that secure the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Replace the two (M2.5x6L) screws that secure the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Step 32

              Replace the Screw
  • Replace the (M2x3) screw that secures the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Replace the (M2x3) screw that secures the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Step 33

              Replace the Eleven Screws
  • Replace the eleven (M2.5x6L) screws that secure the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Replace the eleven (M2.5x6L) screws that secure the computer base to the palm-rest assembly.

Step 34

              Peeling the Keyboard Connector
  • WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer.
  • Peel off the keyboard connector from the battery.

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer.

Peel off the keyboard connector from the battery.

Step 35

              Lifting the Battery
  • Lift the battery off the palm-rest assembly.

Lift the battery off the palm-rest assembly.

Step 36

              Placing the New Battery
  • CAUTION: Ensure the keyboard and keyboard-backlit cables are not under the battery.
  • Using the alignment post, place the NEW battery on the palm-rest assembly.

CAUTION: Ensure the keyboard and keyboard-backlit cables are not under the battery.

Using the alignment post, place the NEW battery on the palm-rest assembly.

Step 37

              Adhering the Keyboard
  • Adhere the keyboard connector that secures the battery to the palm-rest assembly.

Adhere the keyboard connector that secures the battery to the palm-rest assembly.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Terrence15

Member since: 12/18/2017

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Guido Ronconi - Jun 30, 2021

Reply

Hello Terrence15 Thanks!, I was wondering if you could please Link or include the part name or comercial name, I mean the exact battery to know about it before opening the laptop. Thanks again very much!

Sean McAlister - May 18, 2022

Model: TDW5P

Capacity: 76Wh (4802mAh)

Voltage: 15.2v (limit 17.84v)

Sean McAlister - May 18, 2022

Reply

If you are attempting this repair with little to no prior computer repair experience, read the guide thoroughly but be aware of the following:

This guide is an amalgam of other guides that make up the necessary steps, due to this some steps are out of order. (cont, in reply)

Do not reconnect the battery after pressing the power button, the reason we do this is to avoid shorting anything and reconnecting the battery would make this possible again.

There is no need to remove your memory modules are they do not impede removing the cover. However. you must remove both the wireless card and any installed M.2 SSDs as they are mounted to the cover.

When removing the wireless card there may be a small tab of foam tape holding it down, the only thing that actually holds the card in place is the bracket and screw. The card will stand up in the slot when you reinstall it, this is normal.

The first part you should be reinstalling is the last one you remove, the battery (again, do not connect the cable till the end of the repair, right before closing the computer up). Each part is then reinstalled in reverse order.

when installing the wireless card take care to attach the antennae in the original positions, check the images provided in the guide. Each antenna wire should slightly click into place, if it doesn’t come loose with a gentle prod with a scribe it’s in place.