Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

57

Time Required

                          1 - 2 hours

Sections

13

  • Battery
  • 2 steps
  • ExpressCard
  • 2 steps
  • Keyboard
  • 6 steps
  • Memory Door
  • 2 steps
  • Optical Drive
  • 4 steps
  • Palm Rest
  • 12 steps
  • Hinge Cover
  • 3 steps
  • Display Assembly
  • 7 steps
  • Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Card
  • 2 steps
  • VGA Board
  • 3 steps
  • System Fan
  • 3 steps
  • System Board
  • 5 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 6 steps

Flags

1

Member-Contributed Guide

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

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What you need

Step 1

              Unlocking the Battery
  • Slide the left and the right battery release latches to the unlock position.

Slide the left and the right battery release latches to the unlock position.

1024

Step 2

              Removing the Battery
  • Slide the battery and remove it from the computer.

Slide the battery and remove it from the computer.

Step 3

              Press the ExpressCard
  • Press the ExpressCard to release it from the computer.

Press the ExpressCard to release it from the computer.

Step 4

              Slide the ExpressCard
  • Slide the ExpressCard out of the computer.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Slide the ExpressCard out of the computer.

If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Step 5

              Prying the Keyboard
  • Press the keyboard down. Pry the keyboard with the use of a flat-head screwdriver towards the display to reveal the first keyboard retainer.

Press the keyboard down. Pry the keyboard with the use of a flat-head screwdriver towards the display to reveal the first keyboard retainer.

Step 6

              Prying the Keyboard retainer
  • Pry up the second keyboard retainer.

Pry up the second keyboard retainer.

Step 7

              Pry up the Keyboard Retainer
  • Pry up the third keyboard retainer.

Pry up the third keyboard retainer.

Step 8

              Prying the Retainer
  • Pry up the fourth keyboard retainer.

Pry up the fourth keyboard retainer.

Step 9

              Pull up the Keyboard
  • Pull up the keyboard from the palm rest.

Pull up the keyboard from the palm rest.

Step 10

              Release the Latch
  • Release the latch on the system board connector, then disconnect the keyboard cable.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Release the latch on the system board connector, then disconnect the keyboard cable.

Step 11

              Loosen the Screw
  • Loosen the screw that secures the memory door.

Loosen the screw that secures the memory door.

Step 12

              Removing the Memory Door
  • Pry up the memory door near the screw hole, lift and remove it.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Pry up the memory door near the screw hole, lift and remove it.

Step 13

              Remove the Screw
  • Remove the screw that secures the optical drive to the computer.

Remove the screw that secures the optical drive to the computer.

Step 14

              Prying the Drive
  • Gently pry the optical drive out of the computer.

Gently pry the optical drive out of the computer.

Step 15

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove the screws that secure the optical drive bracket.

Remove the screws that secure the optical drive bracket.

Step 16

              Removing the Optical Drive
  • Remove the optical drive bracket from the optical drive module.

Remove the optical drive bracket from the optical drive module.

Step 17

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove the screws in the battery compartment.

Remove the screws in the battery compartment.

Step 18

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove the screws in the optical drive compartment.

Remove the screws in the optical drive compartment.

Step 19

              Remove the Rubber
  • Remove the rubber from the bottom base on the right side.

Remove the rubber from the bottom base on the right side.

Step 20

              Remove the Rubber
  • Remove the rubber from the bottom base on the left side.

Remove the rubber from the bottom base on the left side.

Step 21

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove all the screws from the bottom base.

Remove all the screws from the bottom base.

Step 22

              Remove the Screws
  • Flip the computer around and remove the screws that secures the palm rest.

Flip the computer around and remove the screws that secures the palm rest.

Step 23

              Release the Latches
  • Release the latches on the system board connector, then disconnect the touch pad cable and the finger printer cable.

Release the latches on the system board connector, then disconnect the touch pad cable and the finger printer cable.

Step 24

              Release the Latch
  • Release the latch on the system board connector and then disconnect the power button cable.

Release the latch on the system board connector and then disconnect the power button cable.

Step 25

              Disconnecting the Key Cable
  • Release the latch on the system board connector and then disconnect the hot key cable.

Release the latch on the system board connector and then disconnect the hot key cable.

Step 26

              Prying the Palm Rest
  • Pry up the right side of the palm rest.

Pry up the right side of the palm rest.

Step 27

              Prying the Palm Rest
  • Pry up the left side of the palm rest.

Pry up the left side of the palm rest.

Step 28

              Prying the Sides
  • Pry up the sides of the palm rest and remove it from the computer.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Pry up the sides of the palm rest and remove it from the computer.

Step 29

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove the screws that secure the hinge cover.

Remove the screws that secure the hinge cover.

Step 30

              Press Down on the Hooks
  • Press down on the hooks highlighted in the image.

Press down on the hooks highlighted in the image.

Step 31

              Removing the Hinge Cover
  • Flip the computer around and remove the hinge cover from the side.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Flip the computer around and remove the hinge cover from the side.

Step 32

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove the screws that secure the display hinge.

Remove the screws that secure the display hinge.

Step 33

              Loosen the Screw
  • Loosen the screw that secures the low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) cable.

Loosen the screw that secures the low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) cable.

Step 34

              Disconnecting the LVDS Cable
  • Disconnect the LVDS cable from the system board.

Disconnect the LVDS cable from the system board.

Step 35

              Disconnecting the Wireless Cables
  • Disconnect the wireless local area network (WLAN) antenna cable.

Disconnect the wireless local area network (WLAN) antenna cable.

Step 36

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove the screws that secure the left hinge.

Remove the screws that secure the left hinge.

Step 37

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove the screws that secure the right hinge.

Remove the screws that secure the right hinge.

Step 38

              Lifting the Display Assembly
  • Lift the display assembly and remove it from the computer.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Lift the display assembly and remove it from the computer.

Step 39

              Remove the Screw
  • Remove the screw that secures the WLAN card.

Remove the screw that secures the WLAN card.

Step 40

              Pull the Card
  • Pull the WLAN card straight out of its socket and remove it.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Pull the WLAN card straight out of its socket and remove it.

Step 41

              Release the Latch
  • Release the latch on the system board and then disconnect the VGA cable.

Release the latch on the system board and then disconnect the VGA cable.

Step 42

              Remove the Screw
  • Remove the screw that secures the VGA board.

Remove the screw that secures the VGA board.

Step 43

              Remove the VGA Board
  • Remove the VGA board from the chassis.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Remove the VGA board from the chassis.

Step 44

              Disconnect the System Fan Cable
  • Disconnect the system fan cable from the system board.

Disconnect the system fan cable from the system board.

Step 45

              Remove the Screw
  • Remove the screw that secures the system fan.

Remove the screw that secures the system fan.

Step 46

              Remove the System Fan
  • Remove the system fan from the bottom base module.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Remove the system fan from the bottom base module.

Step 47

              Disconnect the DC-in Cable
  • Disconnect the DC-in cable connector from the system board.

Disconnect the DC-in cable connector from the system board.

Step 48

              Disconnecting the Speaker Cable
  • Disconnect the speaker cable from the system board.

Disconnect the speaker cable from the system board.

Step 49

              Remove the Screws
  • Remove the screws that secures the system board.

Remove the screws that secures the system board.

Step 50

              Disconnecting the System Board
  • Disconnect the system board from the Input/Output panel.

Disconnect the system board from the Input/Output panel.

Step 51

              Remove the System Board
  • Lift and remove system board from the chassis.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Lift and remove system board from the chassis.

Step 52

              Hard Drive
  • Remove the screws that secures the hard drive bracket

Remove the screws that secures the hard drive bracket

Step 53

  • Slide the hard-drive module to release it from the system board

Slide the hard-drive module to release it from the system board

Step 54

  • Remove the hard drive module from the system board.

Remove the hard drive module from the system board.

Step 55

  • Remove the screws that secures the hard-drive bracket on one side.

Remove the screws that secures the hard-drive bracket on one side.

Step 56

  • Remove the screws that secures the hard-drive bracket on the other side

Remove the screws that secures the hard-drive bracket on the other side

Step 57

  • Slide the hard drive from the hard-drive bracket.
  • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

Slide the hard drive from the hard-drive bracket.

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

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                    Johnathan Hammond

Member since: 02/28/2018

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                                            1,980 Guides authored

vytookas - Apr 18, 2018

Reply

Stupidest HDD location EVER! You have to fully disassemble your device for the simple operation.

garbage911garbage - May 5, 2019

Reply

Who the !&&* designs a hard drive location that requires complete disassembly of the motherboard and the laptop to replace. Horrible, horrible design.

BorpoIT - Oct 17, 2019

Reply

It’s possible to skip removing the display and the WLAN card, which saves a bit of time and trouble. I think I understand why this guide and Dell’s user guide recommend removing these parts, it makes other steps a little easier, but I didn’t find it was worthwhile.

BorpoIT - May 28, 2020

Reply

I’ve done this upgrade twice now, and I think the iFixit Opening Tool (along with the spudger) makes this job easier. Besides releasing latches for the palm rest and the memory door, it was very helpful to pry up the System Board from the Input/Output Panel.