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In this guide I explain how to disassemble Sony Vaio TZ series laptops in order to remove and replace the hard drive. As an example I took a Sony Vaio TZ130N laptop (Model: PCG-4L3L). In this little laptop the hard drive is buried deep inside the case and we’ll have to disassemble the whole thing apart.
I assume that my guide will work for the entire Sony Vaio TZ line of laptops. If it works for you, please mention the model number in the comments below.
Do not forget to turn off the laptop and remove the battery. Work in static-free environment.
STEP 1.
Remove the memory cover from the bottom.
Pull the memory module from the slot.
You don’t have to remove the memory module in order to access and replace the hard drive. I’m doing that just to show where you can find the memory module.
STEP 2.
Remove all marked screws from the bottom of the laptop.
There are three more screws hidden under three rubber seals.
You can remove these rubber seals with a sharp object. Remove all three screws found under the seals.
Remove one more screw found under the square rubber seal located close to the hinge.
STEP 3.
Very carefully remove the plastic cover from the left hinge. It’s not easy. I spent about 5 minutes trying to figure out how to remove the cover. It has a couple of plastic latches inside and you can remove it using a small flat head screwdriver.
The cover has been removed.
Fortunately, you have to remove only one cover from the left hinge. This cover protects the power jack.
STEP 4.
If you have any SD card or cover inside the slot on the front of the laptop, remove both of them.
Start separating the top cover (keyboard) assembly as it shown on the picture below.
Work with your fingers until the top cover separated from the base.
Place the top cover (keyboard) assembly upside down on the palm rest and disconnect the cable from the motherboard.
Remove the top cover (keyboard) assembly.
STEP 5.
You cannot access the hard drive until you remove the SD slot/USB board.
Remove two screws securing the board and unplug the cable from the motherboard.
Lift up and remove the SD slot/USB board.
STEP 6.
The hard drive is mounted under the metal bracket. Remove one screw securing the hard drive bracket.
Remove the hard drive bracket.
Lift up the hard drive and disconnect the hard drive cable.
In order to release the cable you’ll have to unlock the connector first. Very carefully lift up the black piece on the connector. Pull the cable from the connector.
The hard drive has been removed. If you are replacing the hard drive, you’ll have to transfer four rubber corners to a new drive.
My Sony Vaio TZ130N laptop had a Toshiba 1.8″ 100GB hard drive (MK1011GAH) installed. It’s same type of hard drives found in iPods. These 1.8″ hard drives are not cheap but you can find them relatively inexpensive here.
If you find this article useful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you!
July 8th, 2009 at 9:12 am
I have model VGN-TZ150N, Do you have how to remove top lid and replace?
Thanks for this great information
Kenneth Neely
docssports.com
July 10th, 2009 at 5:31 am
Thanks for this great post. I was trying to get a TZ150 apart to replace the dead MK1011GAH, and was stuck on pulling the hinge apart, and that one screw hidden under the rubber foot on the other side. Once your guide got me past that, it was easy!
July 11th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Please I need help with how to remove the keyboard and Motherboard of Sony vaio ( FZ11Z).
Thanks for your help
July 11th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Please I need help with how to remove the keyboard and Motherboard of Sony vaio ( FZ11Z) ( PCG-381M)
Thanks for your help
July 15th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Awesome thanks, works fine for VGN-TZ37GN
I had no idea there was screw under the rubber bits, I almost snapped the laptop in half!
July 16th, 2009 at 2:36 am
Thanks for this – thought the hdd cable was glued in place and have spent half a year trying to work it out – go figure, I am CTO with 25 years in IT….!!
Really appreciate the photos too – well done!
July 16th, 2009 at 8:38 am
This was just what I needed. I replaced the drive on my VGN-TZ340 with a 128GB Runcore ssd. I did have to remove the screw inside the memory compartment. It’s not circled in your Step 2 photo — an oversight?
July 16th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
alex,
Thanks for the comment. Circled the missing screw.
July 19th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Bill,
You are welcome! Usually they don’t glue hard drives. There should be a way to remove and replace the drive.
July 19th, 2009 at 12:30 am
ryan,
It took me a while to find all these hidden screws.
July 19th, 2009 at 11:34 am
aweseom step by step instructions on the TZ130 HD removal (fyi worked like a charm on the TZ160 as well)
QUESTION? in repacing the HD, do i have to settle for 100GB again or can i up grade to more storage capacity. Wha’t the highest capacity 1.8 HD currently available, andt would it be accepted by the TZ160 motherboard (I’m also a little unclear on which of these types i need: PATA 1-platter or CE-ATA TA)
Much appreciated
July 21st, 2009 at 3:14 am
hi guys,
i have a vgn-tz340 and want to remove the existing 100GB HDD with a SSD but can’t be sure about the suitable model or the brand of it. I’ll be visiting NYC next week so wanna get it done when i’m there.
thanks
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:12 am
Great news for those with HD, I am one of the many who brought the 32gb flash drive TZ12VN (just too small) does anyone know if this can be upgraded with an SSD of larger capacity and make an expensive laptop usable ????
July 30th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Does anyone know how to remove the HD on a Sony Vaio VGN-TX770P? I cannot find any instructions on this model. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
August 13th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
I want to upgrade my Sony Vaio TZ-150N to an SSD. It currently has a Toshiba MK1011GAH HDD. According to Toshiba, this HDD has a ZIF 44pin connector and conforms to the ATA-7 interface. Which SSD model would be compatible? Can anyone shed more light on the differences between ATA-7, PATA and SATA?
August 17th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
the network adapter on my sony vaio TX651 is not working. Is it part of the mother board? Can I replace the port?
August 18th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Chandra,
In most laptops the Eithernet port is permanently attached to the motherboard. Is it possible to replace the port? I think it is, if you know how to unsolder the failed port and where to buy a replacement port.
By the way, you can use a PCMCIA network card. You install this card into the PC slot and get a new Eithernet port instead. Not very convenient to have a PC card sticking out of the laptop but might work for you.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
how would I change out the processor
August 28th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
vaio friend,
I doubt that you can replace the processor in a Sony Vaio TZ laptop. I believe the processor is permanently soldered to the motherboard and cannot be removed and replaced.
August 30th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Anyone out there now how to change bluetooth hardware in vaio TZ model? Mine cannot detech bluetooth device anymore after sending for service at sony centre.
September 9th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Can you please state which type of SSD hard drive I can order from newegg.com? ATA..SATA..PATA? thank you. I am leaning towards Corsair brand.
September 13th, 2009 at 12:14 am
Its a PATA drive
September 30th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Hey guys,
Can anyone suggest where to find manual for how to clean (open) TZ-series keyboard, just the upper side? or any other ways to clean it?
October 30th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Thank you i found ur information very useful Great Work
October 31st, 2009 at 8:13 am
A repeat of message 23
Thanks for the clear information
The PgDn and a few other keys on my TZ11XN are wearing away, need a clean and repair. Any dismantling guide to that job would be welcomed.
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:34 pm
adam leu,
You can remove and replace individual keyboard keys without removing the keyboard. Take a look at this keyboard repair guide.
November 8th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Hi! I have an VGN-TZ190N, it comes with a 32SSD and I want to put in the 100G Toshiba MK1011GAH but I found that the hd mount piece is too small, do you know where I can found one?
November 13th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Thanks for this fabulous helper …
3 points of relevance for TZ31 series machines:
1. The hinge cover on the power supply adapter side has a single moulded wedge that locks it in place. The wedge is located directly behind the slot for the screen. i.e if the screen pokes through at 12 o’clock the wedge is somewhere between 12 and 1. Insert a *small* flathead screwdriver into the cover where the wedge is found and the cover will slip off.
2. The connection to the 1.8″ drive is of the ZIF (zero insertion force) variety. Slightly scarily you simply unscrew the drive as described then *gently* pull the orange cable back out of the drive socket. Note this can be tricky to reinsert – you will need some fine flat elctronics pilers, needle-nose or similar.
3. If you need to recover drive data you’ll need something like this adapter (disclaimer no affiliation i have just ordered from them)
http://store.era-ele.com/zif-to-toshiba-18-adapter-p-44.html
Thanks again!
Jerry
November 17th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
AWESOME step by step breakdown. I have to upgrade my bosses tiny 32 GB SSD drive in his VGN-TZ191N because he quickly maxed it out just with a few programs. I would have never found the hidden screws under the rubber bits or would have known that I only needed to remove the left hinge cover. GREAT STUFF!!!! Thank you very much.
November 24th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Hi, I am a guy from Hong Kong.
I have bought a 64GB ZIF SSD and wanted to upgrade my TZ36. I have seen another demonstration on breaking down the laptop. However, it was not as detail as yours and carelessly, I have torn the keyboard cable! >.< [Which is in your step 13: "Place the top cover (keyboard) assembly upside down on the palm rest and disconnect the cable from the motherboard." ]
I have put everything back after installed the SSD, but the keyboard no longer work (mouse pad is still functioning). What can I do now? I saw there are some cables on ebay but very expensive, any other option?
I would be grateful for your kindly help~
November 24th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Steve Li,
If the cable is damaged, I guess you’ll have to replace it.
If the cable looks undamaged, make sure it’s connected to the motherboard correctly. Maybe the connection is loose.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
can i use toshiba hdd MK2529GSG to sony tz? i know its a sata and not pata like the one you replaced it with but i want to know if theres gonna be a problem upgrading to a bigger hdd like battery life or over heating problems and can you guys tell me whats the best model of sony tz with a dvd drive? im looking forward at buying the 195n/xc or just buy a cheaper model and upgrade the hdd? thanks
December 12th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Hi
Thanks for the guide.
At the moment I have the standard supplied HDD….but I would like to install a SSD.
I am a little unclear what type I need…could you please confirm for me the exact name/type I need…..?
Perhaps provide a link as an example…?
Also what capacity I can go up to….?
Thank you for any assistance.
January 11th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Sunny, you can choose here.
Just remember that you need 1.8″ drive with ZIF connector.
January 24th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Hi, does anyone know where I can get a replacement cable from the motherboard as shown above?
Thanks in advance
February 18th, 2010 at 8:57 am
I’d like to replace the CPU 1.06 – 1.33 can I simply swap them over or is the CPU soldered to the motherboard?
February 18th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Dave,
If you google for Vaio TZ motherboard, you’ll find some pictures.
It looks like the CPU is soldered to the motherboard and cannot be replaced.
February 19th, 2010 at 12:52 am
Shame, found the CPU for £70 but the CPU+MB = £350 and simply not worth it (buy a whole netbook for less) Thanks for your reply
February 19th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
I got the TZ298N/NX with a Samsung 64SSD >>
Upgrading to a Runcore PRO IV 128GB >> or PHOTOFAST G Monster V4
Price diff Runcore +/- $420 Photofast +/- $600
Just wondering what is the pin count 40 or 44??
Nice photos/very helpful info.I am going 4 it
February 24th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
This almost solves my problem. I want to upgrade my TZ27 to 2GB long time ago but do not brave enough to disassemble the NB until now. It would be perfect if you can show me where the hidden memory slot inside. Thanks a lot.
March 31st, 2010 at 12:05 pm
following the execellant instruction, I was able to install the supertalent 128GB 1.8″ ZIF SSD on my TZ250N, however the BIOS doesn’t recognize the drive at all. The ZIF cable is perfectly aligned and secured. Anybody knows what the issues could be?
March 31st, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Fred,
Enter the BIOS setup menu and try loading default settings. Safe settings and restart the laptop.
March 31st, 2010 at 6:36 pm
I tried loading default settings, but it didn’t help.
One thing I noticed is that the stock ZIF cable (copperish) is thiner than a generic one (blue ribbon), because I can not insert the generic cable to the stock Toshiba HDD (too tight) but the built-in cable can. Does it imply that when inserting the built-in cable to my new SSD, there will be more gaps in between? but I don’t feel the cable is loosening at all when the lever is locked.
Anything else you could think of? ATA standard, MBR vs. GUID, or cable select setting inside SSD?
April 28th, 2010 at 7:29 am
Thanks for the guide. I am using a VGN-Z26GN and I get the idea on how to open the keyboard to replace my hard drive and installed Windows 7 successfully.
Besides, for VGN-Z26GN I need to remove all the screws from the button of the laptop and carefully and gently. The tricky part is that you need to slide out the hard drive from the metal mount.
Thanks buddy! You gave me the hints.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:36 am
hi ive got sony viao TZ37 some tea came to the screen and the laptop is not working
they told me that i need to replace the motherboard
i couldnt find any one to help me doing that
and i need the hard disc and the info on it how can i do that ? pls help me
i live in dubai but sony jumbo they dont konw thr job , they ask me to send them the pic of the product !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 4th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Enas,
Take a look at these service manuals for Sony laptops.
Hopefully instructions for Sony Vaio VGN-T series are similar.
May 5th, 2010 at 11:00 am
THANK YOU SO MUCH
I have a VGN-TZ37GN and without this page I would have been totally stuck, and would have taken me hours.
Your step by step instructions were spot on.
Thanks again
May 14th, 2010 at 11:04 am
Overzealous tech ripped the motherboard cable. We ordered a new one and put it in. The delete key and a couple of other ones do not work now. Should I order a replacement keyboard? Or is the cable the problem?
May 16th, 2010 at 8:52 am
ITRepair,
There is no simple answer. It’s hard to tell what’s causing the problem without replacing the keyboard.
Try reconnecting the cable. Spray contacts with contact cleaning solution, maybe it’s just bad connection.
May 27th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Thank You! You’re a life-saver (and a job-saver).
May 29th, 2010 at 11:15 am
I have a TZ31MN, this article was pretty useful for change the hard disk. I replace the original MK1011GAH with a MK1224GAH. But I don’t manage to make it work. The BIOS detect the hard disk, but I can not install any operative system, I just get errors while partitioning. The shipper of the hard disk said that this hard disk is only for iPod and he don’t accept complains about using it on laptops. But checking on the Toshiba web page I can not find any incompatibility with laptops. Do you know if there is any known problem with that hard disk?
Thank you.
May 29th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
meskio,
Have you tried using original factory restore CD?
Just in case, enter the BIOS setup menu, load default settings and save it.
Maybe you have to update the BIOS to support larger hard drives.
June 20th, 2010 at 12:43 am
Awesome, now I won’t have to fumble, guess, pry, and yank on my two Vaio TZ240N when they need service…. thanks…
Regarding the Laptop Tech’s response on Aug 18th about putting a network adaptor into the PCM-CIA slot as a go around for a defective adaptor, there is NOT a PCM-CIA slot on the TZ series.. (Certainly not missed by me!)..
These TZ’s I have are the 4th generation of Vaio 10-11″ notebooks and its a perfect fit for me, running XP on the dual core processor is snappy and everything is engineered so well…
Lorn, in Hawaii
June 27th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
I also attempted to install a Super Talent 128GB 1.8″ PATA ZIF SSD (FZM28GF18H) in my Vaio TZ and the BIOS fails to recognise it. Have tried pretty much everything, including resetting my BIOS, trying CMOS hacks to enable AHCI, etc. BIOS will not recognise this drive. Unless someone happened to get this particular unit to work, take this as a warning to anyone considering purchasing this particular SSD to install in their TZ. FYI, my TZ is the VGN-TZ31MN model. Real shame as well as the shop here in Japan refuses to refund it!
July 20th, 2010 at 8:49 am
hi i have got the tz17 model. the power jack cover seems a bit ‘wonky’ and not alligned with the rest of the battery and want to remove it and check if it is the cover i have to order. Could i leave the screws (just clip it out with a screwdriver- step3) or just follow the steps removing the screws until the cover for the power jack comes off. please advice i am new to this. thanks
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:47 am
d,
You don’t have to remove screws. Just clip the cover out with a sharp object. Be careful and work slowly.
July 24th, 2010 at 3:28 am
Hello all.
Vaio TZ31 W7:
1) Stiff hinges/broken screen mounts. Paid Sony to replace screen twice ‘cos plastic connected to hinge broke ‘cos hinge too stiff. They refute design fault. FIX: Opened it up when it started to brake again and lubricated hinge. Found that 4 micro screws (2 left, 2 right) fixing screen to hinge were loose 1 had actually fallen out – this causes excessive load on screen hinge mounts casing break. Conclusion: don’t pay Sony to fix your TZ, do it yourself!
2) Fan making terrible noise (previously silent). FIX: remove fan unit. The impeller is held in magnetically; just pull it down out of housing to remove. Drop impeller into mug of just boiled water and watch all the debris fall off. Your fan will now be perfectly balanced again. Put a micro dot of oil on the spindle end before replacing. Conclusion: don’t pay Sony to fix your TZ, do it yourself!
QUESTION: the hard drive reciently broke. MK1214GAH discontinued. Tried MK1214GAL (apple ipod?) which physically fits but BIOS cant see it so now looking for new solution. Has anyone fitted a 128GB SSD and got it to work?
Thanks, James
August 18th, 2010 at 1:32 am
Excellent! Thanks a lot Bro!
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:50 am
Thank you..! this is an excellent guide… very good job
August 28th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Firstly , Thanks a lot for the detailed instructions on how to disassemble the Vaio TZ.
I got my hands on a almost new Vaio TZ but unfortunately this is the Japanese version and the keyboard layout is different (and some keys functions differently using a English OS) . I wanted to do a keyboard swap with the regular US version and I managed to disassemble the keyboard using your instructions. However, I was not sure how to detach the keyboard itself from the palm rest and the rest of the keyboard assembly. I see there are many ebay’ers selling the keyboard by itself without the palmrest . Can you pls post instruction on how to disassemble just the keyboard. Thanks for your help.
DaScud
August 28th, 2010 at 10:13 am
DaScud,
I don’t have this laptop anymore so I cannot create another guide.
Is it more expensive to buy the entire top cover assembly? Can you find a used top cover in good shape and just replace the whole thing?
Replacing just the keyboard could be complicated.
August 28th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Laptop Tech,
Tks for the quick reply. So far I have seen a listing for only one used keyboard with palmrest whereas there are a number of vendors selling new TZ keyboards. I would have preferred to buy a new keyboard but looks like I may have to settle for a used keyboard assembly.
Once I receive the replacement assembly, I will try to remove the keyboard from my current one
and post some pictures if it is doable.
August 29th, 2010 at 11:25 am
DaScub,
It is doable. You can take step-by-step pictures and I can attach them to the existing guide.