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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.
If you find this article useful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you!
January 13th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Thank you for your wonderfully helpful tutorial! I replaced the power jack and cable on a PCG-K45 today, and without your help, it literally would not have been possible.
By the way, the PCG-K45 was just different enough to make it a little extra challenging. In particular, the hinge screws were a lot harder to find, and one on the left side was hidden under the housing for one of the fans…I can’t imagine how they ever assembled it in the first place. So the screen never came completely off. But the project was doable without removing the screen completely.
Thanks again–instead of a doorstop, we now have a working laptop again!
January 13th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Hi!
I just wanted to thank you for the great instructions here on replacing the power jack.
we did it this morning and doubt that we would have ever been able to without it.
Thanks again!
Ken Benton
January 12th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Sony VAIO PCGK23
My computer display does not stay lit. When I boot the computer the VAIO logo is displayed, and I can enter BIOS, both VGA & LCD will work normally, fully lit. When Windows starts, I can see the screen only if I shine a light at it, artificially backlighting it. I downloaded a driver from a Sony site, and after saving, installed it. The display is still out. I then uninstalled the driver, and hardware, rebooted, reinstalled, and all is still the same.
Subsequent Findings:
Safe mode, as well as other modes, will not fix problem. Also, in msconfig I Checked /SOS in boot.ini and could see the load process of drivers. This process ended with …WINDOWS\System32\DRIVERS\atisgkaf.sys then goes to a Windows screen. All these are lit and viewable on laptop LCD screen. Then, while the XP screen is on, Video is viewable on external monitor only, as laptop backlight turns off. (can still be seen if a light is shined on LCD screen.
I downloaded and installed ATI Radeon driver with no improvement. …\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\color\sony_I65.icm is listed under display driver properties.
I also used the powerjack removal process to disassemble PCG-K23 down to the point where I could remove the video cable/Backlight cable (for testing) -ONLY. Now the computer does not have any Video/Backlight at all, as well as no VGA(Jack integral to board).
I know the power was not connected, as well as no battery present, during this process.
I am wondering if someone has any idea about this problem.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
So I’m retarded and walked away for a day after I disassembled the jack. Do you know which lug the red and black wire goes on. I’d hate to cross them and fry something. Tks.
January 6th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Found an easy and safe way to seperate CPU from heat sink on PCG-K Sony Vaio’s and possably will work for others . I used a straight edge blade ( type you shave with ) and positioned it between sink and cpu plate and gently taped it with handle of screw driver . Came apart with no problems . And thanks for all your info and veiws to help me work on my Sony .
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Thanks for the help. You boys saved me 300$
December 7th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Thanks for the photos and step by step guide. I had to replace the power jack socket as the original broke. Thanks to this i got the job done in 30 mins and worked 1st time.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Hi ….
Very help full tutorial ….. I tried before .. but did not succeed ..
thanks
Best Regards
October 26th, 2009 at 6:56 am
hi i would like order motherboard for PCG-K115S sony vioa .
September 21st, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Thank you so much! It is IDE. I know what I’ll be doing this weekend!
September 20th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
erin,
Do you know if your laptop has IDE or SATA hard drive installed? Most likely it’s an IDE hard drive but I’m not sure 100%.
If it’s an IDE hard drive, I think you can safely install a 160GB drive. I don’t know if the BIOS in your laptop can support larger drives.
September 20th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
wow! I’m so glad I found this page, this has been a huge help. I have a PCG-K15 and I’m looking to replace the harddrive as the one I have now is the 60GB stock one and it fails a lot. Does anybody have a suggestion for what would be compatible with this computer? I want to go as big as possible without changing anything else.
thank you!
September 19th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Geoff,
1. Try cleaning the recovery disc.
2. Run diagnostic test on the hard drive. Maybe the hard drive is going bad.
You can use Hitachi’s DFT test. Download an ISO image, burn it on a CD, boot the laptop from the CD. Test the hard drive.
September 16th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
pcg-415s problem,had this laptop for a few year now and found it to be an excelent machine except for the constant fan/overheating problem.
now the thing was goin a bit too slow so i decided to reset the laptop to its factory settings witch ive done before with no problems.during the process of the restore the it decided to switch itself of witch it had never done before so now i cant get the OS back on the H/D.
it keeps stopping 24% into recovery with the message “failed to read image file ” even when using recovery disc its the same.dont know whats happened. can i get the xp OS put in the hd and then just put the hd back in the laptop.
used all the pointers for cleaning inside spot on info.
cheers in advance
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Can you tell me where I can get a motherboard for the PCG-K45 model of the Sony Vaio. The one I have here is dead. I need to get a new system board for this dead.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:07 am
I have replaced the dc jack with a replacement and followed the instructions above to disassemble the laptop. When I did and put the laptop back together there is no video. I have retraced my steps twice over but still do not know what is wrong. Thanks for any help.
August 31st, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I have had a quick look at the intructions/photos and they look really useful and helpful.
However, I have a sony PCG-GRT995MP – do you know are your instructions for replacing the broken power jack for the PCG-K the same/similar for my machine ?
Would really appreciate some guidance before I attempt to dissemble my laptop to repair the power jack.
Many thanks, Derek
August 16th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Hi!
I want to clean the fans.I developt a 3 bolts,but a fans was not put out .
They had had some trick for put out a fans?
August 15th, 2009 at 6:34 am
Hi
Got a weird problem with a PCG-K33. It will charge the battery up and the laptop will work for about 20 to 25 minutes roughly on battery and will not shut off. However when i try to run on AC, The laptop will turn on and run but will randomly shut off. I noticed however either running on Battery or AC the screen will sometimes “wobble” and that it will slightly get darker for a second or too. All the drivers seemed to load up fine. Any thoughts would be sincerly appreciated. Also this sight is PHENOMENAL!!
August 13th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Instead of unsoldering the wire to the jack…I just ripped it out of the old jack. I guess I can still unsolder the guts of the old power jack and then solder the wire back on to the new one? If I can’t unsolder the gust of the old jack can I just cut them off. What does the wire look like unconnected to the power jack?
Thanks for the great directions…it’s a shame we all got stuck with a laptop which overheats and destroys it’s own parts. Already replaced the harddrive.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:10 am
This is incredibly helpful- you don’t know how grateful I am, or how much love there is for you right now. ♥
July 7th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Hello
Thanks for this great guide. I have a question: Did you try to change cpu with another more powerful but of the same specification? I have a pcg-k115b and I have already done the easy job: New hdd and more ram. I want now to change the celeron 2.8 cpu 533 478 with another mobile cpu 3.06 GHz 512/533 478pins. What do you think? Will be accepted from the mobo this changement?
Thanks a lot for your answer
July 6th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Tee,
I remember reading about the solution for that but cannot find where. I believe you’ll have to short a couple of pins on the wireless card but I could be wrong. Try searching this direction.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Hi
My PCG-K315S came without a wireless card, so i decided to install one. Stripped it and found the slot, installed the card and antenna. Now windows tells me that the hardware switch is in the off position. I cant for the life of me find???
Can someone tell me where this is? Could it be the jumpers next to the slot?
Please help!
Thx
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:51 pm
I’m having the same issue as Lexi. My laptop won’t turn on anymore. It does the brief noise for a second, but then doesn’t turn on. I replaced the fan using the instructions on this page.
Please help.
Thanks,
Joe
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:21 am
I have a Sony Vaio PCG-K27 and I have taken my computer apart and put it back together several times without any problems. I found this website after frantically trying to figure out what I did wrong this time because my computer doesn’t turn on anymore. I had to get a new cpu, because somehow, I accidentally broke off one of the pins on my cpu when I got distracted. My minor question is: Does that mean that I need to put that grease on it? There is still a bit of it attached to the fan.
My major question is: How do I turn my computer on again? I reseated the new CPU several times. Everytime I try to turn my computer on again, it makes a very nasty sound near the dvd-rom and hard drive. I know that my hard drive is about to fail, however, it turns on in my mom’s computer (She has the same computer as me.). So that cannot be why it doesn’t turn on. I tried to turn my computer on with the memory and hard drive from my mom’s and the computer doesn’t turn on. I’m trying to figure out if I may have knocked the IDE connector out somehow, because that is the only possible cause that I can come up with to explain why the computer makes that nasty noise when trying to turn on.
This noise lasts for about 1-2 seconds. The fans turn on perfectly for that time and then slowly turn off. The power light turns on and then turns off in that time.
I will greatly appreciate any and all help. Thank you!
June 27th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Thanks Laptop Tech for your answer
No I didn’t remove the memory modules.
I asked a computer Tech today and he told me it might be the power ribbon (flat cable between the power button and mainboard ) which could be broken.
I’m looking for a PCG-K415s power ribbon now … If someone has any adress to get it.
Thanks
June 24th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Bounch,
Did you remove the memory modules while cleaning the laptop? Make memory modules are installed correctly.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Oh my God,
I just took appart my PCG-K415S to clean the fans and now it doesn’t turn on anymore :
I’ve got no light at all, no sound, no nothing !!! The only light I have is the green led on the power supply … but nothing at all on the VAIO !
Please help me !
June 9th, 2009 at 9:29 am
i have a vaio pcg-k45 with a bad fan. how do i remove the heatsink and fans? i am used to seeing rather large screws holding the heatsink down but on this all isee are 3 small ones. are these all that holds it? thanks for your help.