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In this guide I explain how to disassemble a Dell Studio 1735 or 1737 laptop. I’m taking this laptop apart in order to remove and replace failed DVD drive.
This Dell Studio 1735/1737 comes with a slot-load DVD drive which is mounted inside the laptop case. The DVD drive cannot be removed until you remove the top cover assembly.
In this guide I’ll go though the following procedures: removing keyboard, display assembly, top cover assembly and finally DVD drive.
The guide might work for other Dell Studio 17xx laptops. If it works for your laptop, please mention the model number in comments below.
Before you start, make sure the laptop is turned off and battery removed.
STEP 1.
Loosen eight screws securing the bottom cover.
STEP 2.
Remove the bottom cover.
Under the cover you’ll get access to laptop hard drive, both memory modules, wireless card, CMOS battery, heatsink.
It’s not necessary to remove all these parts (except hard drive) for the purpose of my disassembly, so I’ll leave them connected.
By the way, this laptop can take 4GB RAM max. It means you can install up to 2GB RAM module into each slot. You should use PC2-6400 DDR 2-800 memory modules.
STEP 3.
Remove one screw securing the media control board cover. This screw located in the battery compartment.
STEP 4.
Lift up the top side of the cover as it shown on the picture below.
STEP 5.
Be careful, there is a cable connecting this cover to the motherboard.
Carefully turn the cover upside down and place it on the keyboard.
STEP 6.
Now you can disconnect the cable from the media control board.
In order to disconnect the cable, you’ll have to unlock the connector.
The locking tab opens up like a hinge at a 90 degree angle. On the following picture the connector show in the unlocked position.
After the connector is unlocked, you can pull the cable.
Remove the media control board cover.
STEP 7.
Start removing the keyboard bezel.
Lift up one side of the bezel and continue removing it with your fingers.
STEP 8.
Keyboard bezel removed.
STEP 9.
Remove four screws securing the keyboard.
STEP 10.
Carefully lift up the keyboard and place it upside down on the palmrest.
The keyboard still connected to the motherboard.
Before you can remove the keyboard, you’ll have to disconnect keyboard cable from the motherboard.
STEP 11.
The keyboard connector opens up like a door hinge at a 90 degree angle.
STEP 12.
On the following picture the keyboard connector shown in the unlocked position.
Now you can pull the keyboard cable from the connector.
STEP 13.
Remove the keyboard.
New replacement keyboard for Dell Studio 1735/1737 (and other Dell laptops) available here.
STEP 14.
Unroute all antenna cables.
In my Dell Studio 1737 laptop I had only wireless card installed. The wireless card antenna cables have to be disconnected.
If you have WWAN or WPAN cards installed, you’ll have to disconnect cables from those cards too.
In order to disconnect an antenna cable for the card simply grab the gold connector with your fingers and lift up.
STEP 15.
Pull antenna cables though the openings in the top cover.
Disconnect three more cables from the motherboard.
STEP 16.
Remove all screws securing display hinges.
STEP 17.
Carefully lift up the display assembly and separate it from the laptop base.
In the next post I explain how to take apart the display assembly and remove the screen with inverter board.
STEP 18.
Remove all screws from the bottom of the laptop.
The hard drive also has to be removed.
STEP 19.
Remove four screws securing the hard drive assembly.
STEP 20.
Disconnect hard drive cable from the motherboard.
Lift up and remove the hard drive assembly.
My Dell Studio 1737 had a regular 2.5″ SATA hard drive installed. If you would like to upgrade the hard drive, you can use any high capacity 2.5″ SATA hard drive.
STEP 21.
Remove four screws securing the top cover assembly.
Disconnect all cables from the motherboard.
I didn’t have the finger scanning device installed but if you do, you’ll have to disconnect it too (green arrow).
STEP 22.
Lift up and remove the top cover assembly.
STEP 23.
Now we can access and remove the DVD drive.
By the way, it order to remove the cooling fan, you’ll have to remove the motherboard first. The fan mounted UNDER the motherboard.
STEP 24.
Remove one screw securing DVD drive on the bottom of the laptop.
STEP 25.
Remove three more screws on the top.
STEP 26.
Now you can lift up and remove the DVD drive assembly.
STEP 27.
When you replace the DVD drive, you’ll have to transfer mounting brackets to a new DVD drive.
Replacement slot load DVD drives for Dell Studio 1735/1737 laptops available here.
April 16th, 2013 at 5:05 am
Keyboard in my laptop dell 1735 been flooded and I changed on new but no working keys b,n,space and arrows left,right and down.Now I bought another keyboard and is same but when I use usb keyboard is ok.
Thanks Kris
October 27th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Note1:if you have removed the media control board cable more than 5 times in the past i suggest you put twists in it otherwise when you remove it more times in the future you will require a new cable because the cable has been kinked too much. now i gotta find a new 10 conductor 7mm wide 250mm long cable.
Note2: i opened the drive up and found the drive lost a tooth in the eject mech and does not seem repairable. id recommend not getting the same type of drive again (lite-on DL-8ATS-12-T) perhaps upgrade to blueray to guarentee you dont get it again.
cb
October 4th, 2012 at 11:54 am
@ Bob,
I think you have bad optical drive and it has to be replaced.
If you have another computer with a working optical drive you can do the following:
1. Open Office disc to see the content.
2. Transfer all files and folders to a USB flash drive.
3. Plug this drive into the laptop with failed optical drive and click on setup.
October 4th, 2012 at 6:01 am
Studio 1735, ran all the tests, CD will not read disk. Tests indicate all sytems are functioning properly. Downloaded lastest driver, says I have current driver. Still will not read CD. CD will read music but no program CD’s to install. I am trying to install Office Home and Student
September 14th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
In step 21, there’s that blue cable attaching hard drive to motherboard … Can you get a replacement for that cable? Or buy a cable to connect a hard drive to hdd 2? I thought the new hard drive I bought would come with it and threw mine away…
I’ve searched a ton but can’t find a cable on Internet.
July 25th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
Is there a plug I may have left disconnected on my 1737? None of my USB ports are working lol
July 13th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Thanks for the tip, I’ll give it a try when I get a chance tomorrow evening.
July 13th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
@ Richard,
I explained some ways to fix it in the following article: http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2011/12/25/how-to-repair-broken-touchpad-connector-on-laptop-motherboard/
I think the first type of connector is similar to yours.
July 13th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
I was wondering where i could get just the locking tab that holds down the keyboard ribbon cable. Somehow I broke the hinge pins when I opened it. Now I can’t get it to hold the cable tight enough to let the new keyboard work. It is the Studio 1737 and a 32 pin connection. Thank you
June 12th, 2012 at 1:35 am
Hi
Please can you tell me if I can install a SSD as the main drive and is this a SATA 1 or 2 connection?