Difficulty
Difficult
Steps
13
Time Required
30 minutes
Sections
3
- Battery
- 2 steps
- Keyboard
- 4 steps
- Display Assembly
- 7 steps
Flags
2
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BackDell Inspiron 1521
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Introduction
What you need
Step 1
Battery
- Rotate the laptop so its bottom is facing up.
Rotate the laptop so its bottom is facing up.
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Step 2
- Identify the lock mechanisms holding the battery in place.
- Slide each button outward with your fingers to disengage the battery.
- Pull the battery off with your hand to separate it from the laptop.
Identify the lock mechanisms holding the battery in place.
Slide each button outward with your fingers to disengage the battery.
Pull the battery off with your hand to separate it from the laptop.
Step 3
Keyboard
- Find the two small indentations of the sides of the panel covering the power button.
- Pry up both sides of the panel by sticking the plastic opener tool in each indentation and prying up.
Find the two small indentations of the sides of the panel covering the power button.
Pry up both sides of the panel by sticking the plastic opener tool in each indentation and prying up.
Step 4
- Now that the panel is loose simply pull the panel off with your hand.
Now that the panel is loose simply pull the panel off with your hand.
Step 5
- Locate the two 5 mm Phillips #1 screws holding down the keyboard that were underneath the panel.
- Remove these screws with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
- With the screws removed pull the keyboard up with your hand.
Locate the two 5 mm Phillips #1 screws holding down the keyboard that were underneath the panel.
Remove these screws with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
With the screws removed pull the keyboard up with your hand.
Step 6
- Locate the connector that links the keyboard to the laptop.
- Gently pull the connector toward the screen of the laptop with your figers to disconnect it.
Locate the connector that links the keyboard to the laptop.
Gently pull the connector toward the screen of the laptop with your figers to disconnect it.
Step 7
Display Assembly
- Locate the two Phillips #1 screws holding the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) panel in place.
- Remove these two screws with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
- Remove the WLAN panel by pulling it up with your hand.
Locate the two Phillips #1 screws holding the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) panel in place.
Remove these two screws with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
Remove the WLAN panel by pulling it up with your hand.
Step 8
- Disconnect the black and white wires attached to the WLAN card by pulling up on the connectors with your fingers.
- During reassembly, the black and white wires reconnect to the WLAN card near the black and white triangles, respectively.
- Remove the remaining wires from their protective sleeve by hand.
- The wires in the sleeve are only used in other Dell laptop models. During reassembly they do not connect to anything so just place them back into the sleeve.
Disconnect the black and white wires attached to the WLAN card by pulling up on the connectors with your fingers.
During reassembly, the black and white wires reconnect to the WLAN card near the black and white triangles, respectively.
Remove the remaining wires from their protective sleeve by hand.
The wires in the sleeve are only used in other Dell laptop models. During reassembly they do not connect to anything so just place them back into the sleeve.
Step 9
- Pull the wires that you disconnected in the previous step through the hole in the top of the laptop.
Pull the wires that you disconnected in the previous step through the hole in the top of the laptop.
Step 10
- Detach the Phillips #1 grounding screw with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
- Disconnect the display cable by pulling up on the rectangular tab with your fingers.
Detach the Phillips #1 grounding screw with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
Disconnect the display cable by pulling up on the rectangular tab with your fingers.
Step 11
- When disconnecting the camera/microphone cable, pull up by the white plug. Pulling on the cable itself can damage it.
- Disconnect the camera/microphone cable by prying it upward with the plastic opener tool.
- Separate the camera/microphone cable from the case by pulling it up with your fingers.
When disconnecting the camera/microphone cable, pull up by the white plug. Pulling on the cable itself can damage it.
Disconnect the camera/microphone cable by prying it upward with the plastic opener tool.
Separate the camera/microphone cable from the case by pulling it up with your fingers.
Step 12
- Remove the two 10 mm Phillips #1 screws from the bottom of the laptop that attach the lid assembly to the laptop with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
- Remove the two 10 mm Phillips #1 screws from the back of the laptop that also attach the lid assembly to the laptop with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
Remove the two 10 mm Phillips #1 screws from the bottom of the laptop that attach the lid assembly to the laptop with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
Remove the two 10 mm Phillips #1 screws from the back of the laptop that also attach the lid assembly to the laptop with a Phillips #1 screwdriver.
Step 13
- There is a risk of dropping the lid or base of the laptop, or damaging cables. Make sure no cables are still attached.
- Remove the lid by pulling it up from the base of the laptop with both hands.
There is a risk of dropping the lid or base of the laptop, or damaging cables. Make sure no cables are still attached.
Remove the lid by pulling it up from the base of the laptop with both hands.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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Author
with 4 other contributors
Christopher McCormack
Member since: 09/27/2012
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Team
Cal Poly, Team 15-47, Forte Fall 2012
Member of Cal Poly, Team 15-47, Forte Fall 2012
CPSU-FORTE-F12S15G47
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