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The following disassembly guide will explain how to take apart a Sony Vaio PCG-K series notebooks. I created this guide while taking apart a Sony Vaio PCG-K25 notebook but I think you can use the same disassembly steps for all notebooks in PCG-K line.
The main reason to open up the laptop was replacing broken power jack. Proceed disassembly on your own risk.
Update: I just created a new guide for Sony Vaio PCG-K series laptops. It explains how to remove and replace LCD screen with inverter board.
Before you start laptop disassembly, unplug the AC adapter and remove the battery.
Are you looking for spare parts for your Sony Vaio PCG-K series notebook? Search here.
STEP 1
Carefully remove the keyboard bezel using a small flathead screwdriver. Remove it slowly, there is a flat ribbon cable connecting the power button board with the motherboard.
STEP 2
Trun the keyboard bezel upside down. The red arrow pointing to the connecto on the motherboard.
STEP 3
Unlock the connector by lifting up the top side of the connector 1-2 millimeters. Be very very careful. If you break any connector on the motherboard you are screwed big time. After the connector is unlocked, you can pull the cable and remove the keyboard bezel.
STEP 4
Remove three screws from the keyboard.
STEP 5
Lift up the keyboard and place it upside down on the palm rest. Unlock the keyboard cable connector on the motherboard. Disconnect the keyboard cable and remove the keyboard.
STEP 6
Remove all screws securing the metal cover.
STEP 7
Remove the cover.
STEP 8
After the cover has been removed, you can access and clean both cooling fans. You can clean fans with compressed air.
STEP 9
Remove two screws securing display hinges to the back side of the base.
STEP 10
Remove four screws securing display hinges. Unplug the video cable from the motherboard. Unplug both wireless card antenna cables from the wireless card.
STEP 11
Lift up and remove notebook display panel.
STEP 12
Remove hard drive cover, memory cover and modem cover from the bottom of the notebook. Each cover is secured by one screw.
STEP 13
Here’s how you can remove the hard drive. Remove four screws securing the hard drive caddy to the base assembly. Slide the hard drive down to disconnect it from the motherboard. Lift up and remove the hard drive.
STEP 14
Removing memory modules (if needed). Carefully spread latches on both sides of the memory slot. The memory module will pop up at 30 degree angle. Pull the memory module from the slot by the edges.
Removing modem card (if needed). Remove two screws securing the modem card. Lift up the modem card to disconnect it from the motherboard and unplug cable from the side.
Remove all screws from the bottom of the notebook
STEP 15
Remove two screws securing the top cover assembly. Disconnect the touch pad cable connector on the motherboard and unplug the cable.
STEP 16
Lift up and remove the top cover assembly.
STEP 17
Push the CD/DVD drive to the right side with your thumb. Remove the CD/DVD drive.
STEP 18
Remove three screws securing the plastic cover.
STEP 19
Remove the cover.
STEP 20
The power jack is hidden under the metal bracket. Remove one screw securing the bracket.
STEP 21
Lift up the bracket. Now you can access the power jack.
Release the power jack. Now you can remove the old power jack (unsolder from the harness) and replace it with a new power jack.
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February 11th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Help!! ok my laptop has the power socket in a slightly different pos, anyhoo after replacing the power jack (last one broke) the laptop shows no life, it did turn on for about 5min but ran from battery and didnt recognise that it was plugged in?!?! theres a small seed of doubt that ive soldered the 2 power wires to the jack the wrong way round and i noticed under the heat shrink that one is red and ones black
does it sound to you like that might be the case?
im wiery to try the other ay round incase it burns it out
and advice would be very welcome
February 9th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
hi, thanks for displaying the step by step instructions. that was very helpful..well i know this is off the subject of tha laptop brands. but i just want to know if anyone has any information or considers on my problem that i had encountered. i have aN HP ZV5000 Laptop, i replaced the power socket due to a bad connection. i re-assembled all the parts back together and once i hit the power button everything turned on except for the screen. the laptop charges well now, but there is no disply at all. IF you can help me out i will greatly appreciate it. thanks
February 9th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Hello, this site was very useful in my fixing the broken power supply jack for my PCG-K45 Vaio, only I improvised a little and took liberty to install a flexible hard wired jack through the existing jack hole after I pulled it out with Pliers, took the old harness out an spliced the new one in, worked like a champ!!!! TAKES the strain off the Jack, TOO! Only problem is the cooling fan races like a bat outa HECK >and wonder if you could do a segment on how to relase the fan and apply new heat sink compund on the CPU fan assembly..GREAT SITE!!!!
February 9th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Ash,
You said the laptop screen lights up (without video), so the backlight lamp and inverter works fine.
Did you try reconnecting cable on the back of the LCD screen? Maybe you accidentally pulled if from the screen while taking apart the laptop?
February 8th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Tried it, and examined for damage, but saw none. Carefully reconnected the cable to the motherboard seating as deep as it would go without force. Looked uniformly inserted around all sides. Still the same as before. Before I ever took the laptop apart, the screen worked fine. Could I have damaged the cable or the lcd inverter?
February 8th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Ash,
Try reconnecting the video cable. Maybe you accidentally pulled the video cable from the motherboard?
February 8th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Hi,
I ended up unseating my cpu when “fixing” my frv27. I have now replaced it and the computer starts up and works fine except for the video. The laptop monitor lights up a bright black (has power) and flashes during boot up, but never shows any information. An outside monitor works fine and shows the computer boots normally. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
February 8th, 2009 at 9:43 am
mario,
Maybe it’s not necessary to replace the connector itself. You’ll have to find a technician who can reflow solder joints on the connector.
By the way, maybe you can put something under the hard drive, for example a piece of pen eraser, so the hard drive is lifted a little bit and the connector makes a good contact with the motherboard. Maybe it will work this way? Can you close the hard drive door when it’s lifted?
February 7th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
but is it possible to replace the motherboards ide connector? So i can take it to someone that does have the know how.
February 6th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
A++++++ Write-up. Fantastic photos !
I have a computer business. I ordered a keyboard and did a search. Came upon your site. Replaced keyboard and everything works perfectly. By the way. It’s a lot easier disconnecting the bezel ribbon connector at the bezel instead of reaching down to the motherboard. But if disconnecting from the mother board use the small end of a small paperclip opened up as a hook to lift the tab on the connector enabling removal of the ribbon cable. It also helps to keep the tab up as you insert the ribbon upon re-assembly.
Thanks again…. Bob
Inside Out Computers, Delray Beach, FL
February 6th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Mario,
I really doubt it. In most laptops the hard drive connector is soldered directly to the motherboard and I don’t think that you can replace or resolder the connector yourself unless you have equipment and skills for that.
February 6th, 2009 at 10:27 am
i am assuming at this point it is the hard drive connector on the board… is that possible to replace?
February 6th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Mario,
Very strange. Why did you replace the hard drive? Are you getting the same error with the old drive installed?
Maybe there is nothing wrong with the hard drive and there is a problem with the hard drive connector?
February 6th, 2009 at 5:52 am
Great DIY guide…
Even using a different model (pcg-frv27) i was able to sub out some different instructions and it works GREAT! Except 1 small detail… Upon replacing the hard drive, i recieved the infamous, NO OPERATING SYSTEM FOUND screen. I did all the steps in the follow-up questions and it still showed error. Finally after the 5th or 12th dismantlying i discovered that the OS will be read from the HD when not screwed in on the four ends. Kinda like free dangling out the bottom of the shell it self. I forgot to screw it on, and thats when it finally read, but that isnt functional or ergonomic, is there any step you could recommend to make it read normal?
February 4th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Thaks for the advice, I have the laptop powering on now but it still shuts down after 3 mins.
Any ideas.
Duncan Brown
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:02 am
Crash,
I guess you can downgrade the BIOS version if the older one is available for downloads.
I think you can download the older one and flash your laptop again.
Before you reflash the BIOS again, thy that. Enter the BIOS setup menu and load defaults values for the BIOS. Reboot the laptop and see if the hard drive is detected properly.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:03 am
Hi,
Is there any way to undue a BOIS update on a Sony Vaio PCG-K45 Thanks.
February 1st, 2009 at 11:54 am
Duncan Brown,
Did you reseat the processor after removing the heat sink? It’s possible that when you removed the old heat sink assembly, you accidentally pulled the CPU from the socket and now it’s not making good connection with the motherboard.
Here’s the correct way:
1. Remove the old/defective heat sink assembly.
2. Open the CPU socket and reseat the CPU. Make sure it’s seated correctly.
3. Apply thermal grease on the top of the CPU.
4. Install new heat sink assembly.
If the laptop was working before you took it apart, even though it was shutting down after a minute or two. But it stopped working after you reassembled the laptop, most likely it’s some kind of connection related problem. Something is not seated right or maybe a cable is not making good connection.
If you still cannot figure out what’s wrong, you can try this way. Disassemble the laptop again to the bare bone system. Leave only major parts such as motherboard, CPU with the cooling module, memory. Make sure everything is corrected correctly. If the laptop turns on and you get video on the scree, start assembling the laptop piece by piece. Test the laptop after each installed part.
Based on my experience. If the laptop will not start after reassembly, it’s ether bad connection between the CPU and motherboard, or between the memory module and motherboard. If all three parts are connected correctly, you should be able to start the laptop with video on the screen.
February 1st, 2009 at 6:02 am
Ok me again,
I have got the power & battery LED working, but the battery light is flashing, i cannot remember if it should be solid or not?
If it should be solid i think it maybe a battery problem now.
Thanks again
Duncan Brown
February 1st, 2009 at 5:50 am
Ok after taking it apart and putting it back together I now have life within the beast.
But I now have no led light on the battery power monitor in the upper right hand corner of the laptop, also the machine keeps shutting down.
Do you think this could be the memory or the motherboard?
Any suggestions would be grreatful as I have npo spare parts and do not want to buy some and try some before I fix the issue.
Duncan Brown
February 1st, 2009 at 5:46 am
Hi there
I found this great guide which i used to fix a customers laptop. (something i have never done before)
The LAPTOP kept shuting down after a minute or then even quicker, I gathered this was due to a fault Heatsink and fan, I replaced the Heastsink and fan module and i now have an issue with the laptop not powering on at all.
I have checked that evwerything is in properly but their seems to be no power at all.
Any ideas?
Many Thanks
Duncan Brown
January 29th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Hi, I updated my BIOS on my Sony PCG-K45 to see if I could get a bigger hard drive to work. Now I can’t get the one that I started with to work. BIOS dos’t show the right size of the hard drive.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:40 am
Enique,
Not really. You’ll have to replace the whole keyboard.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:35 am
I have a problem only with the “7″ key. When booting it beeps like it was being pressed… when windows loads completely… it continuos like “77777777…” until I pressed (hitting really) delete key, and then the 7 key is lost until the pc awakes or restart. I used this fantastic guide to disassemble it but the keyboard is one piece. Any ideas?..besides changing the keyboard.
Thanks
January 14th, 2009 at 10:21 am
“I assume you are using the laptop on a flat surface and air intakes on the bottom are not blocked, right?”
Yes, and I actually have it elevated off the table to ensure proper airflow. So far it has been idling for over 48hrs with it shutting off, which isn’t unusual. Like I said before, it can happen a few seconds after turning it on or a few days. This isn’t my laptop so I don’t know if it has been dropped, kicked, or had a liquid pour on it. It looks to be in fairly decent shape with no signs of damage to the shell. I could take it apart to re-seat the heat sink, but I really don’t think it’s overheating.
January 14th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Since you are on the topic of bad motherboards, any suggestions as to what motherboards will fit this setup. Preferably a board that would bring a k-series closer to being up to date?
January 13th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Adam,
I assume you are using the laptop on a flat surface and air intakes on the bottom are not blocked, right?
Unfortunately, your description sounds like a problem with the motherboard.
January 12th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Could be bad memory. You can test memory with Memtest86+.
I installed a brand new memory module and it still shuts off randomly. Any other ideas?
At this point I’m of the opinion it has to be a defective motherboard.
January 11th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
This is great. I came across this page because I am looking into upgrading a pcg-k23 for fun and because it is the only laptop I have. I was curious if you had any suggestions as to what motherboards/cpu/processors would work/fit this system.
January 10th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Umm how do I get to the CPU I tried taking out the three screws at the top of the fans but it doesn’t seem to come off and I am hesitant of trying to pull it off at the risk of breaking it