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In this guide I explain how to disassemble an HP Pavilion dv7 notebook.
This is my first disassembly guide for HP pavilion dv7 series.
To be precise, I’m taking apart an HP Pavilion dv7t-1000 notebook.
UPDATE. READ THIS: I found that HP Pavilion dv7 notebooks come in different body types. If your laptop doesn’t look like one shown in this guide, check out my second complete HP Pavilion dv7 disassembly guide (for dv7-3000 and dv7-4000 series) or my third HP Pavilion dv7 disassembly guide (for dv7-6000 series).
The guide will show how to access both memory modules and hard drives if you are upgrading the notebook, remove most internal components, access and clean the cooling fan.
Before you start, turn off the notebook and remove the battery.
If you need spare part for your HP Pavilion dv7 notebook, you can search here.
STEP 1.
Remove (loosen) four screws securing the hard drive and memory cover. Remove the cover.
STEP 2.
Remove four screws securing hard drives (two screws per hard drive).
Slide the hard drive 1 to the left until it’s disconnected from the motherboard. Remove the hard drive 1.
Slide the hard drive 2 to the right until it’s disconnected from the motherboard. Remove the hard drive 2.
STEP 3.
Remove both memory (RAM) modules.
Disconnect two antenna cables from the wireless card. These laptop has three antenna cables but only two are used.
One of the antenna cables connected to the main contact on the wireless card and the second one is connected to the auxiliary contact. All three antenna cables are labeled.
Remove two screws securing the wireless card. Remove the card.
STEP 4.
Remove one screw securing the CD/DVD drive.
Slide the CD/DVD drive to the left to disconnect it from the motherboard.
Remove the CD/DVD drive.
STEP 5.
Remove all marked screws from the bottom of the notebook.
The green circled screw secures the keyboard.
Don’t forget to remove two screws hidden in the CD/DVD drive bay.
STEP 6.
Start separating the speaker cover from the notebook base.
You can use a guitar pick as a case cracker. Insert the guitar pick between the speaker cover and case and slowly move along the side.
STEP 7.
Lift up the speaker cover. Be careful, it’s still connected to the motherboard.
In order to remove the cable, you’ll have to unlock the connector first.
Move the brown clip about 2 millimeters in the direction shown by two arrows. The clip must stay attached to the connector base.
On the picture below the connector is shown in the unlocked position.
STEP 8.
Now you can remove the speaker cover.
STEP 9.
Remove four screw securing the keyboard.
STEP 10.
Lift up the keyboard from the base and access the cable connector underneath.
STEP 11.
Carefully unlock the keyboard cable connector.
Move the brown clip about 2 millimeters in the direction shown by two arrows. The brown clip must stay attached to the connector base.
If you damage the connector, the keyboard will not work when you assemble the notebook back together.
Well… I broke the connector. I removed thousands of laptop keyboards before but I broke this connector!
As you see, the left pin on the brown clip is missing.
No panic! I still can use this clip to lock the connector.
You’ll find more info here: Fixing damaged keyboard connector on a laptop motherboard.
STEP 12.
Pull Wi-Fi antenna cables though the opening in the cover.
Remove three screws securing the speaker assembly.
Disconnect the speaker cable (green arrow) from the motherboard.
STEP 13.
Remove the speaker assembly.
STEP 14.
Disconnect the video cable from the connector on the motherboard.
Remove six screws securing display hinges (three screws per hinge).
STEP 15.
Separate the display assembly from the notebook base.
In the next post I will explain how to take apart the display panel assembly and remove the LCD screen with inverter board.
By the way, it’s not necessary to separate the display panel assemble from the base in order to take it apart.
STEP 16.
Disconnect and remove the CMOS battery.
Remove all marked screws from the bottom. The green circled screw is hidden in the CD/DVD drive bay.
STEP 17.
Remove all screws securing the top cover assembly.
Disconnect the touch pad cable from the motherboard.
STEP 18.
Start separating the top cover assemble from the notebook base.
You can use same trick with the guitar pick shown in the step 6.
STEP 19.
Remove the top cover assembly.
Here’s the back side of the top cover assembly.
STEP 20.
Disconnect the USB and audio board cables from the motherboard (green arrows).
Disconnect the cooling fan cable from the motherboard (yellow arrow).
Remove four screws securing the motherboard.
STEP 21.
Lift up the right side of the motherboard as it shown on the picture below and disconnect the DC-IN jack cable.
STEP 22.
Remove the motherboard from the notebook base.
On the opposite side of the motherboard you can access the processor (CPU) when the heat sink is removed.
By the way, the best way to find a replacement motherboard is searching by the HP part number. The part number should be located on a sticker in the memory compartment. The HP part number looks like XXXXXX-001.
Here’s the notebook base without motherboard.
The USB board, audio board, cooling fan and DC-IN jack are mounted on the base.
The DC jack attached to a harness. New jack harness for dv7 notebooks available here.
In order to remove the cooling fan, simply remove two screws securing the fan.
As you see, the cooling fan is dusty and has to be cleaned.
UPDATE:
There are only two fans listed in the service manual for HP Pavilion dv7 series notebook. They are listed on the page 27.
488885-001 for laptops equipped with AMD processor.
480481-001 for laptops equipped with Intel processors.
One of the DIY-ers had trouble searching for a new replacement fan for her AMD notebook. After the notebook was disassembled, she found that it had an Intel fan installed.
Here’s her comment:
Forget the question I just asked…We opened up our laptop and found the fan for the Intel processor installed instead of the fan for the AMD…apparently these ARE interchangeable…FYI
Check out comments 29 and 30. Thanks to Liz for this information.
November 4th, 2011 at 10:40 am
One last question if i may . On the pictures you have here is the CPU showing so i’d know what i am looking for ? thanks once again !
November 4th, 2011 at 9:18 am
@ Tim,
In this case I would recommend doing this repair yourself.
November 4th, 2011 at 8:48 am
Thanks for the advice i tried just each RAM in each slot alone and i got the same result. I have been disauded to try and disasemble my laptop any further because to be honest i wouldn’t know what i’d be looking for. I don’t know a GPU from the CPU. It all seems like something i’d be unable to fix. But i still want to do something i feel helpless and at the mercy of something that just goes out so damn quickly like a really expensive light bulb. I’ve only had the thing a little over 2 years. I don’t really want to stick it away in the closet.
November 4th, 2011 at 7:42 am
@ Tim,
Have you tried removing RAM modules one by one? One of the modules could be bad. Test the laptop with only one module installed. Try both modules in both slots.
Probably not the CPU but GPU (graphics processing unit). Failed GPU is a known issue with some HP laptops. Not sure if that’s the case with dv7 series.
Baking the motherboard suppose to resolder the GPU back to the motherboard. Again, I don’t know if there are known issues with the GPU failure in HP dv7 series.
Instead of baking the motherboard shown in this guide:
http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2010/04/06/fixing-compaq-presario-v6000-motherboard-no-video-issue/
I would opt out to heat gun repair:
http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2011/02/23/fix-laptop-motherboard-with-failed-nvidia-graphics-chip/
Also, I would use these methods only if you have nothing to lose because they might damage the motherboard completely.
November 4th, 2011 at 5:45 am
I found your instructions on how to disassemble laptop in the dv7 series (mines a dv7 1245dx)
my screen went black 2 days ago . It powers up but OS doesn’t start up the fans try to start and the dvd drive sounds like its trying to run. then Caps lock and number scroll indicator lights blink in a 2 seconds then one blink sequence. I followed reseating HD and RAM protocols and also the unplug and remove battery ,hold down power button for 30 seconds too ! to no avail research shows CPU may be culprit but the quick fixes i’ve seen say i need to bake my motherboard in my oven. Have you heard of this ? And how difficult is it ? I’m at a loss
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:39 am
@ Johnny G,
Before you disassembled the laptop try cleaning up the cooling fan with compressed air.
Just spray air inside the fan grill until all dust is gone. This might fix the problem. Doesn’t take much to try.
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:32 am
@ Johnny G,
This could be memory problem. Maybe one of the memory modules is failing and causing the problem. You can download and run Memtest86+ utility. Make sure it makes a few passes. I usually let it run overnight. If you see some errors in the morning, probably you have bad/failing memory. Test memory one by one and find out which one is failing.
November 1st, 2011 at 2:43 am
1) I read through all these posts because this fan is driving me nuts and I think I’m gonna have to risk it and try and replace it. Wish me luck that I don’t destroy the comp in the process, lol. I have to wait for the fan anyway.
2) After reading through the posts, I noticed people mentioning that when they turn on the comp, the LEDs, fan, etc will all start but the screen will be black. I have had this happen about 5ish times on my dv7. From what I gather, it is a power issue that occurs mostly due to some problem with the system coming out of sleep mode.
What you do is remove the battery, unplug the laptop, hold down the power button for 30 (or 60, I forget) seconds, then replace the battery, plug in the comp, and turn it on. It has worked for me every time. I guess it discharges extra power or something that causes the screen not to turn on. I hope that works!
October 31st, 2011 at 7:33 pm
All I can say is that it is absolutely insane to have to literally take apart the entire laptop to be able to clean/oil up a whirring fan. I was able to do that in like 5 min on my desktop. I assume they do this so you get a new comp instead of fixing it?
Also, does anyone know what something like this would cost to have someone else clean/oil up? I may just keep tapping it or eventually dealing with the noise instead of actually oiling it (It doesn’t seem dusty, I think with all the moving it around the fan either got jostled outta place or needs to be oiled up). There is NO WAY I could do all that without breaking something lol.
October 26th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
This is an awesome guide. My DV7 1232nr runs but if I do something intensive such as watching videos or playing games, it will shut down. I assumed that the fan needed to be replaced and ordered a new one. Before the fan arrived, I followed your guide and took my computer apart and found the dust ball blocking the intake so I cleaned that out. When I turn on the laptop, I hear the fan kick in for about 5 seconds and then it turns off. Will replacing the fan fix the problem or do I just need new thermal grease and/or heat sink? The fan just arrived today so plan to change it out but wanted to know if you thought something else would need to be replaced.