Dell Inspiron N5050 Optical Drive Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

7

Time Required

                          15 minutes            

Sections

3

• Battery
• 3 steps
• Keyboard
• 2 steps
• Optical Drive
• 2 steps

Flags

2

In Progress

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Battery               

• Flip your laptop over to view the bottom and locate the two locks.

Flip your laptop over to view the bottom and locate the two locks.

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Step 2

• Slide the two locks away from each other.
• Sliding these locks will loosen the battery to allow removal.

Slide the two locks away from each other.

Sliding these locks will loosen the battery to allow removal.

Step 3

• Pull battery out of the laptop.
• Your laptop’s battery should be completely removed.

Pull battery out of the laptop.

Your laptop’s battery should be completely removed.

Step 4

              Keyboard               

• Flip the laptop right side up. Open the laptop.
• Gently press in the four retaining tabs along the top of the keyboard with a spudger, one at a time.
• After the first tab is released, gently lift up on the keyboard so it doesn’t lock again. Finish the other three tabs while gently lifting up on the keyboard. The keyboard will hinge up along the bottom.

Flip the laptop right side up. Open the laptop.

Gently press in the four retaining tabs along the top of the keyboard with a spudger, one at a time.

After the first tab is released, gently lift up on the keyboard so it doesn’t lock again. Finish the other three tabs while gently lifting up on the keyboard. The keyboard will hinge up along the bottom.

Step 5

• Gently flip the data cable latch away from the data cable with flat side of spudger.
• Lift the cable up and out.
• When reinstalling cable, there are two retainer wings on the sides of the cable that the cable that lock onto the bottom of the cable latch area. When these are in place the cable is properly inserted.
• For removing the optical drive you don’t need to disconnect the keyboard ribbon cable.

Gently flip the data cable latch away from the data cable with flat side of spudger.

Lift the cable up and out.

When reinstalling cable, there are two retainer wings on the sides of the cable that the cable that lock onto the bottom of the cable latch area. When these are in place the cable is properly inserted.

For removing the optical drive you don’t need to disconnect the keyboard ribbon cable.

Step 6

              Optical Drive screw               

• Unscrew the screw next to the wireless card.

Unscrew the screw next to the wireless card.

Step 7

              Unseat optical drive               

• Stand laptop on its side.
• Use the flat end of the spudger to unseat the optical drive.
• It works best with a twisting motion of the spudger.

Stand laptop on its side.

Use the flat end of the spudger to unseat the optical drive.

It works best with a twisting motion of the spudger.

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

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                    Tyler                     

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afterhourspc - Dec 6, 2014

Reply

I am curious why the guide notes that you need to remove the keyboard ribbon? Removing and installing that cable weakens it and could damage it. I was able to remove the drive without taking out the ribbon cable; I just flipped the keyboard out of the way.

F2w - Nov 19, 2018

it says you don’t need