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In this guide I explain how to disassemble an HP Pavilion dv7 notebook.
To be precise, I’m taking apart an HP Pavilion dv7t-1000 notebook but you should be able to use these instructions for all models in the Pavilion dv7 line.
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.
September 18th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Doh! I wish I would found this walk through last week.
I messed up step 7-8. The connector came loose from the motherboard.
What can I do?
September 13th, 2010 at 9:12 am
Hi, nice article by the way. I’m having a problem with the RAM on my dv7, I bought it with 4GB installed but it quit starting a short while ago. I look at the way the status light were blinking and thought one of the RAM modules may have gone bad. Turns out the computer will work normally when either one of the RAM modules is installed by itself, but it won’t when both are installed together. Do you have any idea what may cause this to happen? Thanks.
September 10th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Kat,
Nope, you’ll have to follow the guide step by step. You can skip removing memory modules, but that’s it.
I would test the laptop with another battery before taking it apart. It’s possible your battery is bad.
September 8th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Hey there~
I used this page before to replace my busted monitor. But alas there is a completely different problem now… now there isn’t any charge going to the battery. I have a new adapter and at least it still works even though it HAS to be plugged in. I plan to get the battery tested in the next day or so, just to rule that possibility out, however HP tech says it’s a hardware malfunction! Unfortunately I’ve had this laptop for just about 2 years now so it’s out of warranty. They claim it’s the motherboard, however, I find my DC jack extremely loose and can easily jostle my adapter when it’s plugged in. So my hunch….the DC jack needs to be replaced.
Now I already ordered the part itself so my actual question is this; Can I at skip any of these steps to avoid anything else going wrong when i access the DC jack cable??? That small cable is ALL I need to get to.
September 7th, 2010 at 6:38 am
dv7 owner,
You’ll find lots of them on eBay. Check out these AMD Turion CPUs. They are not expensive.
September 6th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
thank you so much for this tutorial. i’m getting one blink error and this will really help. anyone know wher i can get a AMD Turion X2 RM-70 Dual-Core Mobile Processor? the error codes say CPU failure
got the same error did the cpu fix it?
August 30th, 2010 at 3:38 am
thank you very much
i did the procedure because my laptop was getting hot very fast , over 75 grades.
after clean the fan with a brush (it had only some dust and one hair), it is worst the problem with temperature. im thinking about call technical support. I think fan is not working now.
your procedure is ok, i think i mde something wrong or fan was near to die.
thank you very much
August 29th, 2010 at 5:17 am
You sir, are a great human being. To take time out of your, what I will assume is a very busy and active life, and posting this great guide. I attempted to take apart my dv7 yesterday prior to seeing this and I recognized that I needed the info you present. I see there are others on here having the same heating problems. The cleanout of the fan area seems to improve the situation. I recommend to clean it every day for at least a week. I was having shut off and on for a while and it gradually got worse. After a thorough cleaning the problem is getting less frequent.
Again, it is unselfish people like you who make this world more tolerable. Thank you, from fellow dv7 users.
August 28th, 2010 at 11:23 am
David,
Turn off the laptop, unplug AC adapter and remove battery. Wait for a few minutes, plug the AC adapter and try turning it on.
If it doesn’t help, try reseating memory modules.
August 27th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Hey it’s me again haha I bought a air duster and did what you said, I saw a cloud of dust come out of the intake as I was shooting into the exhaust. But as I turned on the laptop again it was very quiet and went black screen after about 5 minutes. Now, when I try to turn it on, it just goes black screen and shuts off once in a while.