Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

29

Time Required

                          45 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

12

  • Battery
  • 2 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 1 step
  • Optical Drive
  • 1 step
  • Wireless Mini-Card
  • 2 steps
  • Central Control Cover
  • 3 steps
  • Keyboard
  • 2 steps
  • Display Assembly
  • 6 steps
  • Upper Case
  • 5 steps
  • ExpressCard Cage
  • 1 step
  • Heat Sink
  • 1 step
  • Motherboard
  • 4 steps
  • DC Power Board
  • 1 step

Flags

1

Member-Contributed Guide

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

  • BackDell Inspiron 1525

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Battery
  • Locate the battery release switch on the bottom of the laptop.

Locate the battery release switch on the bottom of the laptop.

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Step 2

  • Slide the battery release switch away from the lock symbol until you hear the battery click.
  • Slide the battery towards the back of the laptop until it comes free.

Slide the battery release switch away from the lock symbol until you hear the battery click.

Slide the battery towards the back of the laptop until it comes free.

Step 3

              Hard Drive
  • Remove the two 3.60 mm #1 Phillips screws securing the hard drive and hard drive tray.
  • Slide the hard drive and hard drive tray out of the laptop.

Remove the two 3.60 mm #1 Phillips screws securing the hard drive and hard drive tray.

Slide the hard drive and hard drive tray out of the laptop.

Step 4

              Optical Drive
  • Remove the 5.75 mm #1 Phillips screw securing the optical drive.
  • Pull the optical drive straight from the laptop.

Remove the 5.75 mm #1 Phillips screw securing the optical drive.

Pull the optical drive straight from the laptop.

Step 5

              Wireless Mini-Card
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to gently pry the black and white antenna connectors off the Wireless Mini-Card.

Use the flat end of a spudger to gently pry the black and white antenna connectors off the Wireless Mini-Card.

Step 6

  • Remove the 3.70 mm Phillips #1 screw securing the card to the laptop.
  • The card will tilt up when you remove the screw.
  • Slide the card straight out.

Remove the 3.70 mm Phillips #1 screw securing the card to the laptop.

The card will tilt up when you remove the screw.

Slide the card straight out.

Step 7

              Central Control Cover
  • Remove the two 4.00 mm Phillips #1 screws from the battery tray.

Remove the two 4.00 mm Phillips #1 screws from the battery tray.

Step 8

  • Insert the flat end of a spudger into the slot on the right side of the central control cover and pry it up.
  • Carefully pull the central control cover up along its edges.
  • Do not attempt to completely remove the cover, as it is still attached via a ribbon cable.

Insert the flat end of a spudger into the slot on the right side of the central control cover and pry it up.

Carefully pull the central control cover up along its edges.

Do not attempt to completely remove the cover, as it is still attached via a ribbon cable.

Step 9

  • Peel back the silver tape securing the ribbon cable to the cover.
  • Pull the small brown latch on the ribbon cable connector out.
  • Disconnect the ribbon cable to completely free the central control cover.

Peel back the silver tape securing the ribbon cable to the cover.

Pull the small brown latch on the ribbon cable connector out.

Disconnect the ribbon cable to completely free the central control cover.

Step 10

              Keyboard
  • Remove the two 5.75 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the keyboard to the laptop.
  • Gently slide the keyboard towards the display until the tabs on its front side are free.
  • Do not force the keyboard too far forward or attempt to remove it yet, as there is still a ribbon cable connected to it.

Remove the two 5.75 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the keyboard to the laptop.

Gently slide the keyboard towards the display until the tabs on its front side are free.

Do not force the keyboard too far forward or attempt to remove it yet, as there is still a ribbon cable connected to it.

Step 11

  • Use a spudger to gently lift the ribbon cable retaining flap.
  • Disconnect the ribbon cable.
  • Shift the keyboard sideways enough to free one side from it’s retaining tab. Then lift the keyboard away from the laptop.

Use a spudger to gently lift the ribbon cable retaining flap.

Disconnect the ribbon cable.

Shift the keyboard sideways enough to free one side from it’s retaining tab. Then lift the keyboard away from the laptop.

Step 12

              Display Assembly
  • Disconnect the five antennas from their respective cards.
  • De-route the antennas from their routing retainers.

Disconnect the five antennas from their respective cards.

De-route the antennas from their routing retainers.

Step 13

  • Remove the two 5.70 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the display assembly to the bottom case half.
  • The screw holes will be denoted by an embossed “D” by the hole.

Remove the two 5.70 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the display assembly to the bottom case half.

The screw holes will be denoted by an embossed “D” by the hole.

Step 14

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to push the camera connector out of its socket. Alternate pushing on either side to evenly remove the connector.
  • Carefully release the connector from its retaining tabs.

Use the flat end of a spudger to push the camera connector out of its socket. Alternate pushing on either side to evenly remove the connector.

Carefully release the connector from its retaining tabs.

Step 15

  • Push the antenna wires up through their hole in the bottom case half.
  • Release the antennas from their retaining tabs on the upper case.

Push the antenna wires up through their hole in the bottom case half.

Release the antennas from their retaining tabs on the upper case.

Step 16

  • Disconnect the flat LCD ribbon cable by pulling it up by the tab.
  • Free the ribbon cable from its retaining clips.

Disconnect the flat LCD ribbon cable by pulling it up by the tab.

Free the ribbon cable from its retaining clips.

Step 17

  • Remove the four 3.45 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the display assembly to the laptop chassis.
  • Support the display assembly as you remove these screws to prevent damage to the screw and hole threads.
  • Remove the display assembly from the laptop.

Remove the four 3.45 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the display assembly to the laptop chassis.

Support the display assembly as you remove these screws to prevent damage to the screw and hole threads.

Remove the display assembly from the laptop.

Step 18

              Upper Case
  • Remove the nine 5.75 mm Phillips #1 screws on the bottom side of the laptop.
  • Remove the two 5.70 mm Phillips #1 screws on the top side of the laptop.

Remove the nine 5.75 mm Phillips #1 screws on the bottom side of the laptop.

Remove the two 5.70 mm Phillips #1 screws on the top side of the laptop.

Step 19

  • Use a spudger to pull the touch pad connector latch towards the ribbon cable.
  • Pull the ribbon cable out of the connector.

Use a spudger to pull the touch pad connector latch towards the ribbon cable.

Pull the ribbon cable out of the connector.

Step 20

  • Use a spudger to pull the device status LED connector latch towards the ribbon cable.
  • Disconnect the device status LED ribbon cable.

Use a spudger to pull the device status LED connector latch towards the ribbon cable.

Disconnect the device status LED ribbon cable.

Step 21

  • Release the ribbon cable in the upper left corner of the laptop from its retaining tabs.
  • Use a spudger to unplug the speaker connector at the top center of the laptop.
  • De-route the speaker wires from their retaining tabs.

Release the ribbon cable in the upper left corner of the laptop from its retaining tabs.

Use a spudger to unplug the speaker connector at the top center of the laptop.

De-route the speaker wires from their retaining tabs.

Step 22

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to begin lifting the upper case at its front edge.
  • Lift the front edge of the case up until it comes free.
  • Work slowly and be sure not to get any cables caught in the upper case holes and guides.

Use the flat end of a spudger to begin lifting the upper case at its front edge.

Lift the front edge of the case up until it comes free.

Work slowly and be sure not to get any cables caught in the upper case holes and guides.

Step 23

              ExpressCard Cage
  • Eject your ExpressCard or ExpressCard dust shield if you want to transfer it to the new ExpressCard cage. Eject the card by pressing it in until it clicks, releasing it, then sliding it out.
  • Remove the 3.80 mm Phillips #1 screw securing the ExpressCard cage.
  • Remove the two 3.70 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the ExpressCard cage.
  • Lift the ExpressCard cage out of its connector.

Eject your ExpressCard or ExpressCard dust shield if you want to transfer it to the new ExpressCard cage. Eject the card by pressing it in until it clicks, releasing it, then sliding it out.

Remove the 3.80 mm Phillips #1 screw securing the ExpressCard cage.

Remove the two 3.70 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the ExpressCard cage.

Lift the ExpressCard cage out of its connector.

Step 24

              Heat Sink
  • Loosen the five #1 Phillips screws securing the heat sink and clean it with compressed air
  • These screws are attached to the heat sink assembly.
  • Gently lift the heat sink from side indicated in the picture.
  • The heat sink may feel like it is glued to the chips because of the thermal paste. Gently wiggle the heat sink back and forth to help break it free.
  • Be sure to thoroughly clean off the old thermal paste and apply new thermal paste before reinstalling the heat sink. Follow our thermal paste application guide for detailed instructions.

Loosen the five #1 Phillips screws securing the heat sink and clean it with compressed air

These screws are attached to the heat sink assembly.

Gently lift the heat sink from side indicated in the picture.

The heat sink may feel like it is glued to the chips because of the thermal paste. Gently wiggle the heat sink back and forth to help break it free.

Be sure to thoroughly clean off the old thermal paste and apply new thermal paste before reinstalling the heat sink. Follow our thermal paste application guide for detailed instructions.

Step 25

              Motherboard
  • Use a spudger to push the retaining latch of the central control button connector towards its cable.
  • Pull the cable out of the connector.

Use a spudger to push the retaining latch of the central control button connector towards its cable.

Pull the cable out of the connector.

Step 26

  • Pull the retaining latch for the wireless sniffer cable out.
  • Remove the cable from the connector.

Pull the retaining latch for the wireless sniffer cable out.

Remove the cable from the connector.

Step 27

  • Disconnect the fan cable connector by pulling it towards the fan with a spudger.

Disconnect the fan cable connector by pulling it towards the fan with a spudger.

Step 28

  • Remove the four 3.70 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the motherboard to the lower case.
  • Gently peel the front bezel off.
  • Lift the motherboard out of the lower case.
  • If you are installing a new motherboard, make sure to transfer any remaining cables onto the new motherboard, as well as the CPU, RAM, modem, and Wi-Fi card.

Remove the four 3.70 mm Phillips #1 screws securing the motherboard to the lower case.

Gently peel the front bezel off.

Lift the motherboard out of the lower case.

If you are installing a new motherboard, make sure to transfer any remaining cables onto the new motherboard, as well as the CPU, RAM, modem, and Wi-Fi card.

Step 29

              DC Power Board
  • Unscrew the single screw holding the DC charger board into the laptop and lift it out.

Unscrew the single screw holding the DC charger board into the laptop and lift it out.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order. Tip: Be sure that when you put the metal frame (between the keyboard and motherboard) that all of the cables that you have disconnected are back in their proper place and not trapped under the frame.

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Jonathan Lewis - Apr 9, 2016

Reply

What a brilliant guide - worked like a dream. Thanks for your hard work.

suuuzyqqq - Nov 3, 2018

Reply

For step 21, does that other end of the cable not get connected somewhere?

suuuzyqqq - Nov 9, 2018

Reply

I see, that cable in step 21 is for the optional bluetooth board. I should have bought a BT board on ebay while I had this apart. Thanks for the detailed instructions anyway!