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In this guide I explain how to disassemble a HP Compaq 6730s – 6735s notebook and remove the cooling fan which is mounted under the motherboard. Basically I will take the whole notebook apart and remove all internal components one by one.
Why wouldn’t HP make a door for the cooling fan? Why should it be so complicated to replace the cooling fan?
Let’s start to disassemble the notebook.
If you need new replacement parts for you HP Compaq 6730s-6735s notebook, you can find them here.
STEP 1.
Remove the battery.
Remove covers from the hard drive, wireless card and memory.
STEP 2.
Remove one screw securing the DVD drive (red circle) and pull the drive from the notebook.
Remove memory modules (in my laptop I had only one module installed).
Remove the hard drive, you’ll find details instruction on the sticker glued to the hard drive caddy.
Unsnap two antenna cables from the wireless card. Remove two screws securing the wireless card (green circles). Remove the wireless card.
STEP 3.
Remove five screws securing the switch board cover (red circles).
Remove two screws securing the laptop keyboard (green circles).
Remove eleven screws securing the laptop bottom cover (yellow circles).
STEP 4.
Lift up the switch board cover. You can separate the switch board cover from the bottom cover with a piece of soft plastic. I’m using a guitar pick.
Be careful, the switch board cover is attached to the motherboard. Do not pull the cable from the connector yet.
STEP 5.
Lift up the keyboard and place it on the switch board cover so you can access the keyboard cable connector.
The keyboard is connected to the motherboard via a flat ribbon cable. Before you pull the cable and remove the keyboard, you’ll have to unlock the connector.
On the picture below you can see the keyboard connector unlocked. Now you can pull the cable and remove the keyboard.
STEP 6.
After the keyboard has been removed, you can release the switch board cable and remove the cover.
STEP 7.
Remove four screws securing the notebook speakers.
Unplug the speaker cable from the motherboard.
Remove both speakers.
STEP 8.
Release the wireless card antenna cables.
Unplug the webcam cable from the motherboard.
Remove four screws securing the display hinges (red circles) and one screw grounding the video cable (green circle).
STEP 9.
Lift up and remove the display panel assembly.
STEP 10.
Remove two screws securing the top cover assembly.
STEP 11.
Carefully lift up the top cover assembly.
Be careful, the touch pad cable is still attached to the motherboard.Release the touch pad cable and remove the top cover assembly.
STEP 12.
Now we can access the motherboard.
Unplug three cables pointed with arrows.
Remove three screws securing the motherboard.
Lift up and release the RJ11 (modem) jack.
STEP 13.
Start removing the motherboard from the laptop case.
The motherboard has been removed.
STEP 14.
Finally, you can access and replace the cooling fan.
Simply remove one screw securing the cooling fan to the laptop base and replace it with a new one if needed.
If you are replacing the motherboard you’ll have to transfer some parts to the new board.
Transfer the DVD drive connector, modem card, heat sink, processor and modem cable.
Static electricity can kill your laptop. I recommend wearing an anti-static wrist strap while working with internal parts of your laptop.
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November 14th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Mark,
I usually use a dental pick. Be careful with the pins inside the slot. Use a flashlight.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
They put me a miniSD into SD card reader that has swallowed and does not want to thrown back out.
How can I do to extract?!?
November 9th, 2009 at 2:11 am
At my hp6735s was keyboard also glued on two places, so i need some force to put it out, but first of all be sure your remove all the screws and don’t pull to much, becouse of keyboard cable
November 8th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I know official HP service guide but this is better.
But I have this mysterious problem with both of the guides.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Alx,
Not sure why you experiencing this problem. Maybe the keyboard is glued to the cover with sticky tape?
Here’s another guide for removing the keyboard. In this case this is official HP service guide for HP Compaq 6735s notebooks (follow the link). The keyboard removal instructions start on the page 61.
November 8th, 2009 at 3:43 am
I mistyped.
I have removed five red screws first and then removed the keyboard cover. After i have removed two green screws.
But when I try to remove the keyboard does not come off.
While I see in the video that comes off without force.
And ‘as if there was a life behind the Ram to hold it steady.
And’ I miss that or something?
November 7th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Alx,
Take a look at the step 3. You’ll have to remove five red screws first and then remove the keyboard cover. After that you remove two green screws and remove the keyboard.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:54 am
I tried to disassemble the 6735s
I take the 3 2 screw back the cover I took off the top of the front.
But when I try to remove the keyboard does not come off.
While I see in the video that comes off without force.
And ‘as if there was a life behind the Ram to hold it steady.
And’ I miss that or something?