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In this guide I explain how to disassemble a HP Pavilion dm4 laptop.
I’m doing this disassembly in order to replace damaged LCD screen. Unfortunately, in order to replace the LCD screen in an HP Pavilion dm4 laptop, it’s necessary to disassemble the entire laptop and remove the display panel.
I’ll split laptop disassembly instructions across two posts. In this post I explain how to remove the display panel and in the next post I’ll explain how to replace the LCD screen.
Before you start make sure the laptop is turned off and battery removed.
STEP 1.
Remove two screws securing the memory cover in battery compartment.
STEP 2.
Slide and remove the memory cover.
Remove two screws securing the hard drive cover. Remove the cover.
STEP 3.
When all covers removed you’ll be able to access both memory modules, hard drive, CMOS battery and wireless card.
For the purpose of my guide it’s not necessary to remove memory modules, wireless card and CMOS battery.
STEP 4.
Disconnect hard drive cable from the motherboard.
Remove the hard drive assembly.
STEP 5.
Carefully disconnect both antenna cables from the wireless card.
Again, we’ll leave the wireless card connected to the motherboard.
STEP 6.
Remove one screw securing the DVD drive.
Slide DVD drive to the left and remove it from the laptop.
STEP 7.
Remove two screws securing the keyboard.
STEP 8.
It’s very tricky removing the keyboard from a HP Pavilion dm4 laptop. There is no way you can do it from the top without damaging the keyboard.
Here’s how I did it.
In the DVD drive compartment there is a hole and you can use it for removing the keyboard.
Very carefully push the keyboard through the hole in the DVD drive compartment. I’m using a thin plastic tool for that.
After the keyboard separates from the top cover you can continue removing it with your fingers.
To make it more complicated, HP glued the keyboard to the top cover with double sticky tape. 
STEP 9.
Continue separating the keyboard from the top cover.
STEP 10.
Finally, lift up the top side of the keyboard and flip it upside down on the palm rest.
STEP 11.
Now you can access the keyboard cable and disconnect it from the motherboard.
STEP 12.
The keyboard connector opens up as it shown on the picture below.
Carefully open the brown tab at a 90 degree angle. Do not separate the locking tab from the white base.
On the following picture the keyboard connector shown in the unlocked position.
STEP 13.
Now you can pull keyboard cable from the connector and remove the keyboard.
Need a new keyboard for HP Pavilion dm4 laptop? You can find good selection here.
STEP 14.
Remove all screws from the bottom of the laptop.
There are two screws hidden under base feet (green circles).
Remove the rubber foot with a sharp object and remove the screw.
STEP 15.
Remove four screws securing the top cover.
Disconnect three cables. Use same technique as in the step 12.
STEP 16.
Carefully separate the top cover from the laptop base.
Continue removing cover with your fingers.
STEP 17.
The top cover has been removed.
Here’s the opposite side of the top cover.
Here you can access and remove (if needed) the finger scanner and power button board.
STEP 18.
Disconnect display video cable from the motherboard.
Pull both wireless antenna cables through the hole in the bottom cover.
STEP 19.
Remove four screws securing display hinges.
STEP 20.
Now you can separate the display panel from the laptop base.
The display panel is ready for the LCD screen replacement.
Here’s the laptop base with the display panel removed.
In a HP Pavilion dm4 laptop the DC power jack is not soldered to the motherboard. The jack is attached to a power harness.
If the DC power jack goes bad you simply unplug it from the motherboard and replace with a new DC jack.
April 12th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
issa,
If compressed air doesn’t help much, I guess your heatsink completely clogged with dust.
If that’s the case, you’ll have to remove the fan for cleaning. It means you’ll have to disassemble the laptop as I showed in the guide, remove the motherboard and remove the fan.
In this model the cooling fan mounted deep inside the laptop, under the motherboard.
April 12th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
hi! i was just wondering what steps i need to take to clean my fan? my laptop’s been extremely loud lately and it’s been getting pretty hot so i’m guessing there’s a lot of dust in there. using compressed air doesn’t do much, i feel like it just blows the dust around in there. thanks!!
March 26th, 2011 at 1:33 am
THANKS SO MUCH! You just saved me $250. Assuming I can do this without destroying my laptop lol.
February 22nd, 2011 at 4:43 pm
rob,
I’m not sure if this is fixable.
February 22nd, 2011 at 11:24 am
Hi. My video cable connector came loose from the motherboard in the process. Is this fixable? I know it will probably require soldering which I will have to enlist help for.
February 1st, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Tara,
I doubt this is software related issue.
You didn’t mention that your laptop worked fine with TV before.
Maybe the cable is defective? Have you tried a different cable?
February 1st, 2011 at 7:21 am
Hi again, Yes i tried your insructions and still nothing comes up. Could I have installed something that is perventing it from showing up on the tv also? or is the hp file I could download to help fix the problem? I just dont understand it worked perfectly a couple months ago and now the tv just remains blank.
January 31st, 2011 at 9:02 am
Tare,
Here’s what you can try:
1. Connect your laptop to the TV.
2. Turn on the laptop and wait until it boots to the desktop.
3. Set you TV to the right input channel. Probably it will say PC or something like that.
4. Using Fn+F4 key combination set your laptop to output video to the external monitor (TV). Hold down the Fn key and at the same time pres on F4 key until you get image on the TV.
January 30th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
I have an hp dm4 laptop and on the side it has a monitor hook up. I bought a tv a few moths ago that has pc input. I have hooked the tv and laptop together a few times but then i havent for a couple month, so i tried last week and it wouldnt work
January 26th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Steps 9-13 saved the day. I was convinced I had ruined my laptop. Thanks a bunch.