This chapter provides procedures for removing and installing the components in your computer. Unless otherwise noted, each procedure assumes that the following conditions exist:
You have read the safety information in your Dell Product Information Guide.
A component can be replaced—or if purchased separately—installed by performing the removal procedure in reverse order.
Recommended Tools
The procedures in this document may require the following tools:
Small flat-blade screwdriver
Phillips screwdriver
Small plastic scribe
Flash BIOS update (see the Dell Support website at support.dell.com)
Turning Off Your Computer
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, save and close all open files and exit all open programs before you turn off your computer.
Shut down the operating system:
Save and close all open files and exit all open programs.
In the Microsoft Windows XP operating system, click Start®Shut
Down®Shut down.
In the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, click the Windows Vista Start button , click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Start menu as shown below, and then click Shut Down.
The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process is complete.
Ensure that the computer and all attached devices are turned off. If your
computer and attached devices did not automatically turn off when you
shut down your operating system, press and hold the power button for
about 4 seconds to turn them off.
Before Working Inside Your Computer
Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer from potential damage and to help ensure your own personal safety.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
CAUTION: Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a processor by its edges, not by its pins.
NOTICE: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your computer. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty.
NOTICE: When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a connector with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before you disconnect the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, ensure that both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
NOTICE: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a connector on the back of the computer).
Ensure that the work surface is flat and clean to prevent the computer
cover from being scratched.
NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer, and then unplug it from the network wall jack.
Disconnect any telephone or network cables from the computer.
Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical
outlets.
NOTICE: To help prevent damage to the system board, you must remove the battery from the battery bay before you service the computer.
NOTE: To avoid damage to the computer, use only the battery designed for this particular Dell computer. Do not use batteries designed for other Dell computers.
Turn the computer over.
Slide and click the battery release latches.
Slide the battery out of the battery bay.
1
battery
2
battery release latch (2)
Turn the computer top-side up, open the display, and press the power
button to ground the system board.
CAUTION: If you remove the hard drive from the computer when the drive is hot, do not touch the metal housing of the hard drive.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
NOTICE: To prevent data loss, turn off your computer (see Turning Off Your Computer) before removing the hard drive. Do not remove the hard drive while the computer is on or in Sleep state.
NOTICE: Hard drives are extremely fragile. Exercise care when handling the hard drive.
NOTE: Dell does not guarantee compatibility or provide support for hard drives from sources other than Dell.
Loosen the two captive screws securing the hard drive cover and then
remove the cover.
1
hard drive cover
2
screws (2)
Remove the hard drive assembly by using the pull-tab.
1
hard drive assembly
2
pull-tab
NOTICE: When the hard drive is not in the computer, store it in protective antistatic packaging (see "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge" in the Product Information Guide).
Replacing the Hard Drive
Remove the new drive from its packaging.
Save the original packaging for storing or shipping the hard drive.
NOTICE: Use firm and even pressure to slide the drive into place. If you use excessive force, you may damage the connector.
Place the hard drive assembly in the hard drive bay by aligning the tabs on
the hard drive assembly with the slots in the bay and pressing the
connector end down.
Replace the hard drive door and tighten the screws.
Using a plastic scribe, push the notch to release the optical drive from the
bay.
Slide the optical drive out of the bay.
1
optical drive
2
locking screw
3
notch
Replacing the Optical Drive
Slide the optical drive into the bay.
Replace and tighten the locking screw.
Central Control Cover
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
NOTICE: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a connector on the back of the computer).
NOTICE: To help prevent damage to the system board, you must remove the battery from the battery bay before you begin working inside the computer.
Removing the Central Control Cover
Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 163.
Open the display as far as it will open.
NOTICE: To avoid damage to the central control cover, do not lift the cover on both sides simultaneously.
Insert a plastic scribe into the indent to lift the central control cover on the
right side.
Ease the central control cover up, moving from right to left, and remove it.
1
central control cover
2
scribe
Replacing the Central Control Cover
Insert the left edge of the central control cover.
Press from left to right until the cover snaps into place.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
NOTICE: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a connector on the back of the computer).
NOTICE: To help prevent damage to the system board, you must remove the battery from the battery bay before you begin working inside the computer.
NOTICE: The key caps on the keyboard are fragile, easily dislodged, and time-consuming to replace. Be careful when removing and handling the keyboard.
Lift the keyboard and hold it up and slightly forward to access the keyboard
connector.
Rotate the keyboard connector latch towards the front of the computer to
disconnect the keyboard cable from the keyboard connector on the system
board.
Slide the keyboard cable out of the keyboard connector.
1
screws (2)
2
keyboard
3
tabs (5)
4
keyboard cable
5
cable connector latch
6
palmrest
Replacing the Keyboard
Slide the keyboard cable into the keyboard connector.
Rotate the keyboard connector latch to secure the cable.
Hook the tabs along the front edge of the keyboard into the palmrest.
Press on the right edge near the top to snap the keyboard into place.
Replace the two screws to secure the keyboard.
Memory
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
You can increase your computer memory by installing memory modules on the system board. See "Specifications" on page 201 for information on the memory supported by your computer. Install only memory modules that are intended for your computer.
NOTE: Memory modules purchased from Dell are covered under your computer warranty.
Your computer has two user-accessible SODIMM sockets, DIMM A and DIMM B accessed from the bottom of the computer.
NOTICE: If your computer has only one memory module, install the memory module in the connector labeled "DIMMA."
NOTICE: If you need to install memory modules in two connectors, install a memory module in the connector labeled "DIMMA" before you install a module in the connector labeled "DIMMB."
Removing the Memory Module
NOTICE: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a connector on the back of the computer).
Loosen the captive screws from the memory module cover.
Lift the memory module cover and set it aside.
1
screws (3)
2
memory module cover
NOTICE: To prevent damage to the memory module connector, do not use tools to spread the memory module securing clips.
Use your fingertips to carefully spread apart the securing clips on each end
of the memory module connector until the module pops up.
Remove the module from the connector.
1
memory module
2
securing clips (2)
Replacing the Memory Module
NOTICE: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a connector on the back of the computer).
Align the notch in the module edge connector with the tab in the
connector slot.
Slide the module firmly into the slot at a 45-degree angle, and rotate the
module down until it clicks into place. If you do not feel the click, remove
the module and reinstall it.
NOTE: If the memory module is not installed properly, the computer may not boot. No error message indicates this failure.
1
tab
2
notch
3
memory module
Replace the memory module cover and tighten the three screws.
Insert the battery into the battery bay or connect the AC adapter to your
computer and an electrical outlet.
Turn on the computer.
As the computer boots, it detects the additional memory and automatically updates the system configuration information.
To confirm the amount of memory installed in the computer:
In the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system, right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. Click Properties® General.
In the Microsoft Windows Vista™ operating system, click the Windows Vista Start button , and right-click Computer®Properties.
Modem
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
Loosen the screw that secures the Mini-Card to the system board.
Disconnect the antenna cables from the WLAN card.
1
antenna cable connectors
2
screw
3
WLAN card
Pull the WLAN card out of its system board connector.
Replacing a WLAN Card
NOTICE: The connectors are keyed to ensure correct insertion. If you feel resistance, check the connectors on the card and on the system board, and realign the card.
NOTICE: To avoid damage to the WLAN card, never place cables under the card.
Insert the WLAN card connector into the system board connector labeled
"WLAN" at a 45-degree angle by aligning the notch on the WLAN card to
the slot on the system board connector.
Press down the other end of the WLAN card and tighten the screw
securing the card to the system board.
Connect the appropriate antenna cables to the WLAN card you are
installing:
If the WLAN card has two triangles on the label (white and black), connect the white antenna cable to the connector labeled "main" (white triangle), and connect the black antenna cable to the connector labeled "aux" (black triangle).
If the WLAN card has three triangles on the label (white, black, and gray), connect the white antenna cable to the white triangle, connect the black antenna cable to the black triangle, and connect the gray antenna cable to the gray triangle.
Secure unused antenna cables in the protective mylar sleeve.
CAUTION: Before performing the following procedures, follow the safety instructions in your Product Information Guide.
NOTICE: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching a connector on the back panel of the computer.
If you ordered an internal card with Bluetooth wireless technology with your computer, it is already installed.
Loosen the screw that secures the Mini-Card to the system board.
Disconnect the antenna cables from the WWAN card.
1
antenna cables (2)
2
screw
3
WWAN card
Pull the WWAN card out of its system board connector.
Replacing a WWAN Card
NOTICE: The connectors are keyed to ensure correct insertion. If you feel resistance, check the connectors on the card and on the system board, and realign the card.
NOTICE: To avoid damage to the WWAN card, never place cables under the card.
Insert the WWAN card connector into the system board connector labeled
"WWAN" at a 45-degree angle by aligning the notch on the WWAN card
to the slot on the system board connector.
Press down the other end of the WWAN card and tighten the screw
securing the card to the system board.
Connect the appropriate antenna cables to the WWAN card you are
installing.
Connect the white striped cable to the connector on the card marked with a white triangle. Connect the black striped cable to the connector on the card marked with a black triangle.
Secure unused antenna cables in the protective mylar sleeve.
Ground yourself by touching one of the metal connectors on the back of
the computer.
NOTE: If you leave the area, ground yourself again when you return to the computer.
Remove the screw securing the FCM to the system board.
Lift the card out of its connector.
1
screw
2
FCM card
Replacing the FCM
NOTICE: When installing this card, ensure the two antenna cables are not under the card. The antenna cables are designed to lay alongside the FCM and into the protective sleeve. Installing the card on top of these antenna cables may cause damage to your computer.
NOTICE: Install the FCM in the WWAN slot. Do not install an FCM in the WLAN card slot. Doing so may cause damage to your computer.
Connect the FCM to the connector on the system board.
Tighten the screw securing the FCM to the system board.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
NOTICE: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a connector on the back of the computer).
NOTICE: To help prevent damage to the system board, you must remove the battery from the battery bay before you begin working inside the computer.
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