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In this guide I explain how to disassemble a Dell Inspiron 1440 laptop.
All disassembly steps could be the same or very similar for some other Dell Inspiron 14 models.
Before you start, make sure the laptop is turned off.
STEP 1.
Remove the main battery.
Remove one screw (yellow) securing the DVD drive and pull the drive from the laptop case.
Remove tow screws (green) securing the hard drive and pull the hard drive from the laptop case.
Remove one screw (red) securing the memory/wireless card cover and remove the cover.
Dell Inspiron 1440 laptop has a SATA DVD drive installed.
It has a regular 2.5″ SATA hard drive installed. Any large 2.5″ SATA hard drive should work fine in this laptop.
STEP 2.
Both memory modules can be accessed though the door on the bottom.
Dell Inspiron 1440 laptop can take up to 8GB RAM max. You can install up to 4GB memory module into each slot.
You should use PC2-6400 DDR2 200pin SODIMM memory modules.
You remove the memory module in the following order:
1. Spread latches on both sides of the memory slot until the memory module pops up at a 30 degree angle.
2. Pull the memory module from the slot by the edges.
STEP 3.
Remove one screw securing the wireless card.
Pull the wireless card from the slot.
When the wireless card removed, you can disconnect both antenna cables.
Simply grab the gold connector with your fingers and unsnap it from the wireless card.
In the next 8 steps I explain how to remove the keyboard.
If you just replacing the keyboard it’s not necessary to go though all previous steps.
STEP 4.
Lift up the right side of the speaker cover with a sharp object. You can use a small hook tool.
Remove the speaker cover.
STEP 5.
Remove two screws securing the laptop keyboard on the top.
Lift up the top side of the keyboard as it shown on the picture below.
Now you can access the keyboard cable connector underneath the keyboard.
Before you pull the keyboard cable from the connector, you’ll have to unlock the connector.
On the following picture the connector is shown in the locked position.
The locking clip opens up at a 90 degree angle.
Now you can pull the cable and remove the keyboard.
Searching for a replacement keyboard. There are lots of new Dell Inspiron 1440 keyboards available here.
STEP 6.
Remove seven screws from the bottom of the laptop.
STEP 7.
Remove seven screws securing the top cover assembly.
Disconnect the power button cable, touchpad cable and video cable from the motherboard.
Here’s how to unlock connectors for the power button cable and touchpad cable.
Very carefully move the brown clip about 2 millimeters towards the LCD screen.
Do not separate the brown clip from the white base.
On the following picture the connector is shown in the unlocked position.
The brown clip still attached to the base but the connector unlocked.
Now you can pull the cable.
In order to disconnect the video cable simply lift up the connector by the blue tab.
Pull both wireless card antenna cable through the opening in the top cover.
STEP 8.
Now I’m going to remove the top cover assembly.
You can separate the top cover assembly from the laptop base with a guitar pick.
Insert the pick between the top cover and base and slowly move it along the side.
Remove the top cover.
On the following picture you can see the bottom side of the top cover assembly.
Here’s laptop without top cover installed.
STEP 9.
Now I’m going to remove the LCD screen assembly.
Disconnect the display cable.
Unroute the video cable, wireless antenna cables and display cable.
Remove two screws securing the LCD screen assembly.
Carefully lift up the LCD screen assembly and separate it from the laptop base.
After the screen assembly removed, you can take it apart and remove the LCD screen. It shouldn’t be very difficult.
1. Separate the LCD screen bezel from the cover with your fingers.
2. Remove all screws securing the LCD screen.
3. Remove the LCD screen and disconnect the video cable.
If you browse the LCD screen category, you’ll find lots of guides explaining how to remove the bezel and screen in great details.
New Dell Inspiron 1440 LED screens are not expensive and available here for about $80-90.
STEP 10.
Now I”m going to remove the motherboard.
Disconnect the speaker cable from the motherboard.
Disconnect the USB board cable from the motherboard.
Remove three screw securing the motherboard to the laptop base.
Lift up the left side of the motherboard.
Remove motherboard from the laptop base.
Here’s the base picture with the motherboard removed.
Both speakers, daughter board and USB board still attached to the bottom case.
There is nothing to remove on this side of the motherboard. Let’s turn it over.
On the other side of the motherboard you can access the CMOS battery, cooling assembly (heatsink and fan) and processor.
In order to remove the cooling assembly you’ll have to unscrew five screws and disconnect the cooling fan cable from the motherboard.
After that you should be able to remove the cooling assembly. Need a new cooling fan assembly for your Inspiron 1440 laptop? You’ll find it here.
By the way, in a Dell Inspiron 1440 laptop the power jack is soldered to the motherboard.
April 18th, 2013 at 4:02 am
HELP! My Dell inspiron 1440 cant boot up. I turned i on & it doesnt even go to the bios setup screen when pressed F2. HDD & optical drive are working properly (tested on other laptop)and I even try to switch the RAM unit (I have spares) but it doesnt work. It just make a short “double-beep” sound.. Help? could it be motherboard problem?
March 7th, 2013 at 9:30 am
I have an inspiron 1440…I go to turn it on, the power on indicator light come on, the led for the DVD drive come on, in about 15 sec I loose power. Battery is ok, and the charger is ok, some one told me it was the motherboard… any help will be appreciated.
thanks!
November 19th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
I have a dell Inspiron 1440 and I have a hard drive failed . I want to know what I can do to fix it because I have hosting the blue screen like 30 times already and I have try to fix the problem by restoring it, defragmente, disk clean, but nothing works so what can I do????
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Hello, I disassembled up to the key board part and I tried to unlock the keyboard cable connector, but couldn’t’ . I gave up and put everything back together. When I turned it on the screen is black and there’s a beeping noise with a green light to the side, but then it disappears and the beeping noise continues.
Also would it be the memory modules. I put them back in, but when I pull them they come off easily. Would this be the problem? by the way I have a dell 1440
If so can you please help me how to insert them back?
Thank you
July 31st, 2012 at 5:39 pm
I’ve seen a lot of electronics disassembly pages for products I have owned, and this one is the best. I appreciate the labeling of different parts/cables/etc. I was wondering if I should go to the trouble of cleaning my laptop fan, and this helped me decide.
June 14th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
How far does one have to dis-assemble this laptop in order to change the fan? Do I have to get down to the point of removing the motherboard?
June 7th, 2012 at 12:30 am
hey ediz, i got the same problem! When i took it to the service center they said they cldn’t help as it was out of warranty, so first i wld have to bring my lap into warranty by paying a huge sum to get the board changed “they” said. So i took it to a normal technician who said a certain part of the board related to the video card or graphics card needed to be changed, bt as the part was a rare part (so they told me), they did some small work and got it started. bt they told me that it too wld eventually fail! and that did happen abt 2-3 months ago. from then i hadn’t touched my lap. bt recently when i swichted it on it started! bt it lasted nly a few days. I guess graphic or video or what ever pert they were telling me abt needs to cool down so as to work! Atleast that what i guess! If any one cld tell exactly wats worng here and how to by-pass the problem it wld be a great help!
TY!
June 5th, 2012 at 7:03 am
help..when i on my laptop, nothing appeared only black screen
but the LED indicator for the on button, mouse and cooler lights up
so what could be the problem here? lcd?,ram?,mobo?
April 18th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
@ Jude,
you are right! it was the video cable that kept the charger from be detected.
all you have to do it make sure that the video cable is “latched under the clips” on the upper right corner
April 18th, 2012 at 6:14 pm
what happens if you separate the brown clip from the white base?
seriously all i wanted to do was to replace a new colored cover and now it won’t even detect the battery. Only the charger works.
I pretty sure somethings not right in the power button area? sigh..