Laptop Parts Removal Procedure PartI

How to remove Laptop motherboard

Dell Latitude D500 laptop

In this guide I explain how to remove and replace the motherboard in a Dell Latitude
D500 laptop. Also, youll see how to access and replace all other internal parts in this
laptop.
I had two different problems with the laptop.
1. The power jack was damaged. I could have just resoldered the jack but the second
problem was more serious.
2. The motherboard couldnt charge a known good battery. Apparently it had a problem
with the battery charging circuit.
So I decided to replace the motherboard.
Instead of buying just a single motherboard, I bough the whole motherboard assembly
(you can see it on the first picture) which includes the board itself, mounting frame,
cooling fan, speakers, hard drive bracket, PC card slot, modem and power button board. I
purchased a good working motherboard assembly for my Dell Latitude D500 for the
same price as they asked for a single motherboard.
OK, lets start taking it apart. Before you start, turn off the laptop, unplug the AC adapter
and remove the battery.
Here Im taking apart the laptop battery.
STEP 1.
Lift up one side of the keyboard cover with a small flat head screwdriver. Remove the
cover.

STEP 2.
Remove two screws securing the motherboard.

STEP 3.
Disconnect the keyboard cable from the motherboard.

STEP 4.
Disconnect the video cable connector from the motherboard. Remove three screws
securing the display hinges.

STEP 5.
Carefully remove the display assembly. Its not necessary to remove the display panel
from the laptop in order to remove the screen. You can do it while the display panel is
still attached to the laptop.

STEP 6.
Remove one screw securing the CD/DVD drive and pull the drive from the laptop.
Remove both memory (RAM) modules.

STEP 7.
Unsnap both antenna cables from the connectors on the wireless card and remove the
card the same way you remove memory modules spread latches on both sides of the
card and when the card pops up, pull it from the slot by the edges.

STEP 8.
Remove one screw securing the hard drive assembly and pull it from the laptop.

STEP 9.
Remove all screws from the bottom.

STEP 10.
Remove three screws securing the top cover assembly.
Disconnect the touch pad cable from the motherboard.

STEP 11.
Start lifting up the top cover assembly as it shown on the picture.

STEP 12.
The top cover has been removed.

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STEP 13.
Remove two screws from the motherboard assembly.

STEP 14.
Start removing the motherboard assembly as it shown on the picture below.

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STEP 15.
I noticed that its easier to remove the motherboard assembly if you remove the RTC
(CMOS) battery cover first. Its located in the battery bay.

12

STEP 16.
The motherboard assembly has been removed.

STEP 17.
Loosen four screws securing the CPU heat sink.

13

STEP 18.
Remove the heat sink. In my laptop the heat sink was clogged with dust and needed a
good cleaning.

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STEP 19.
Now you can access the CPU (processor). Unlock the CPU socket by turning the screwlock into Open position. Carefully lift up the CPU and install it into the socket on the
new motherboard. Do not forget to lock the socket after the CPU is installed or your
laptop will not start.

You can search for a new motherboard by the part number from the old motherboard. The
part number is located on a sticker glued in the RAM slot area. The second set of number
in a long string is the part number.

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16

Replacing Laptop Keyboard

Illustration- HP Compaq NX7000 as example.
Illustration- HP Compaq NX7000 as example- Replacement of inverter
Caution! all power supply, from AC adapter and the battery must be removed before
commencing of the dissembling and re-installation work.
For all other brand and model of laptop, additional information are described under
"Common for laptop."

Common for laptops.

The indicator cover and the hinge cover are in one piece and is screw-less in this laptop. Many others laptops
the hinges cover are separate from the indicator cover.
There are common also that screws are found underneath the indicator cover or behind the hinge covers.

ove screws and latches.

Remove screws at the back of the laptop.

Total 2 screws. There are marks of keyboard beside the screws.

Push latches downward.

Total 4 latches. beside the key F1, F4, F8 and F12

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Common for laptops.

Common for laptops.

There are generally between 2 to 4 screws, and are marked with

symbol of keyboard beside the screws.

When there are no latches shown on the keyboard as this

example, the indicator cover has to be removed.
In some case also the hinge cover.
There are screws tightening the keyboard, could be found at
underneath the indicator cover.

Move out the keyboard to expose the keyboard flat cable connecting to the main board.
This shows the cable at the bottom part of the keyboard

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Common for laptops.

The flat cable is at the upper part of the keyboard, near the indicator cover

Remove the flat cable.

Attention:
up the cable-lock on both ends by not more than 1mm.
lifting would break the clips that function to position
cable in place.

mon for laptops.

Softly push out the flat cable.

The keyboard is now detached from the laptop.

Common for laptops.

This is standard fixture for most of the laptop.

In some rear cases, the end of the cable is fitted with an adapter
that plug into a socket of the main board.

The front and back side of the keyboard

The back side of the keyboard shows the part number of it.

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Common for laptops.

There are part number in paper stickers at the back of all Keyboards.
in this case the part number is 337016-B31

Laptop LCD Screen Replacement

Illustration- HP Compaq NX7000 as example.
Caution! all power supply, from AC adapter and the battery must be
Estimated Time
removed before commencing of the dissembling and re-installation
30-45 Minutes
work.
For all other brands and models of laptops, additional and general
information relating to disassembling are described under
"Common for laptops." .

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Common for laptops

There are generally 4 to 6 screws tightening the LCD bezel to the back casing.
In some laptop there are screws concealed under the brand or model name
sticker.
All screws are covered by the rubber studs.
top

Remove rubber covers and screws on the bezel.

Remove covers

Common for laptops

The studs covering the screws is the standard
for all the laptops of today..

Remove
screws

Common for laptops

the screws tightening system is the standard
for all the laptops of today..

Remove front bezel, pay attention to the clip while separating the bezel and the LCD casing.
Remove front bezel- the first point to start.

top

Attention:
To the clip
on edge

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Common for laptops

Attention: not to brake the clips.
There are between 16 to 30 clips around the
inner edge of the bezel.
As shown, the bottom part of the bezel is the
starting point for pulling out the front bezel
for all the laptops.
top

Front bezel has been removed.

Common for laptops

The front bezel with the screwing and clipping system is standard for all
laptops. There are many clips around the bezel could be seen.
The LCD latches may need to move in-order to take out the bezel and the LCD
screen.
top

Remove the screws that secure the LCD screen.

screws- LCD bracket to LCD casing

The screws- LCD bracket to the screen

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Common for laptops

This is the standard for almost all the laptops.
In some cases, the screws are not sited as
shown, but to unscrew from the side of the
LCD casing.

top

Remove screws tightening to the LCD casing.

screws- hinge to LCD casing.
Attention: Must not over tighten the screw
when re-installing

Attention: This photo show the defect of

over-tightening. The plastic encase the screw
nuts is cracked. The LCD casing become
unusable and need replacement.

Common for laptops

This is the standard for most of the laptops
This is a common defect for the LCD casing.
The plastic encasing the screw nuts would
broken when over tightening the screws.
When laptop is in use, the LCD panel is
opened to the level exceed the limit allowed.

LCD screen separates from the LCD bracket.

top

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Common for laptops

The inverter is sited underneath the screen, it is tighten either to the bracket of
the screen or to the casing. Some cases, the inverter is sited beside the screen on
the right side.
LCD screen is fully detached after pulling out the LCD cable plug from the LCD
and the two wire plug from the inverter board.
Pull out the LCD cable from the screen.

Common for laptops

There are few different types of the cable plug
Ensure to pull out the plug not the individual
wire from the plug.

top

Pull out the cable from inverter board.

Common for laptops

Two wire extruded from the fluorescent tube
(concealed inside the LCD screen) with a plug
that is inserted into the inverter

The LCD screen has been taken out from the LCD casing.

top

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Common for laptops

LCD screens of the same sizes may not be compatible.
There are always different type of screen of same sizes installed in the same
model of laptop, and they may not be compatible.

Replacing Laptop LCD inverter board

Illustration- HP Compaq NX7000 as example.
Illustration- HP Compaq NX7000 as example- Replacement of inverter
Caution! all power supply, from AC adapter and the battery must be removed before
commencing of the dissembling and re-installation work.
For all other brand and model of laptop, additional information are described under
"Common for laptop."
The inverter is sited.
In-order to get out the LCD inverter, the LCD screen must be disassembled.

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Common for laptops.

The inverter is sited underneath the screen, it is tighten either to the bracket of
the screen or to the casing. Some cases, the inverter is sited beside the screen on
the right side.
top

Pulling out the cable plug and the wire plug from the inverter.

Pull the 2 wire plug. (High voltage AC output Pull the wire plug (DC current supply from
to LCD screen)
main board))

Common for laptops.

The plug shown is the most common used in

Common for laptops.

There are many type of the socket on the

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the laptop.
Some brand like Toshiba laptop use different
type of the plug.

inverter board and the wire plug.

You must look for the part number as shown on this photo.

top

Attention: The part number of the replacement cable must match your cable or else they
may not compatible thought they may look similar, unless the replacement part is stated
as "Compatible Item" in the Item Description page.

Common for laptops

In this photo, there are 7 pins socket receiving electrical current and current
signal from the main board. There are many different type of sockets with
different number of pins (4 to 8 pins). There is no standard form for the inverter.
For the 2 pins socket- the 2 pins is for the supply of electric current to light up
the fluorescent tube inside the LCD screen. Two pins is standard for all today
LCD screen, but there are many different type of the 2 pins sockets which has no
standard form.
For all other brands and models of laptops, additional and general information
relating to disassembling are described under "Common for laptops." .
The inverter is sited. In-order to get out the LCD inverter, the LCD screen must be
disassembled, refer to Replacing LCD screen.

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Replacing Laptop LCD cable

Illustration- HP Compaq NX7000 as example.

Caution! all power supply, from AC adapter and the battery must be removed before
commencing of the dissembling and re-installation work.
For all other brand and model of laptop, additional informations are described under
"Common for laptop."
In-order to get out the LCD cable, the LCD panel and laptop keyboard, must be
disassembled

Common for laptops.

Generally the LCD cable is plugged into a socket on the main board, underneath

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the indicate cover.

top

Remove the indicator cover.

There are no screws to secure this indicator cover. It is all secured by clipping
system.
The indicator cover and the hinge cover are in one piece

Common for laptops.

Many others laptop the hinge cover is by itself.
There are common also that screws are found underneath the indicator cover or
behind the hinge covers. All these screws must be removed before removing the
covers.
top

The LCD cable plug.

This photo show the cable plug, the screw has been removed.

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Common for laptops.

The LCD cable is almost standard sited underneath the indicator cover.
The type of LCD cable plug has no standard.
top

The LCD cable plug and the socket on the main board.
The cable plug is being pulling out.

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Common for laptops.

There are different type of socket on the main board to receive the LCD cable
plug.
top

The LCD cable

The LCD cable with the part number.

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Common for laptops.

They are all proprietary. Different type of LCD cables for different brand and
model series of laptops. Even in the same model, the LCD cable as the LCD
screen could be different because of resolution of the LCD screen.

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Removing Memory Modules

Carefully spread latches on both sides of the memory slot with your fingers.

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The memory module will pop up at 30 degrees angle.

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Carefully pull the memory module from the slot by the edges.

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Removing Wireless Card

There are two antenna wires connected to the wireless card. White wire connects to the
main connector on the card. Black wire connects to the auxiliary connector on the card.

36

To disconnect the antenna wire from the wireless card grasp the connector with your
fingers and unsnap it from the card.

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There is only one correct way to install the processor into the socket. Both CPU and
socket are keyed. When you are installing the CPU, make sure to match pins on the
processor with holes on the socket.

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Carefully spread latches on both sides of the wireless card slot, just enough to release the
card.

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The wireless card will pop up at 30 degrees angle.

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