How to disassemble HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15

posted in: 3. Compaq & HP | 16

HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15-n280us disassembly

In this guide I explain how to disassemble a HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15.

For this example I’m taking apart a HP Pavilion 15-n280us model.

Make sure the notebook is turned off before the disassembly process.

STEP 1.

Unlock and remove and replace the battery if necessary.

Remove battery

STEP 2.

Loosen two screws securing the RAM/wireless card cover.

Loosen RAM cover screws

STEP 3.

Using a plastic stick pry the cover out and remove it.

Remove RAM cover

Under the cover you can access both RAM modules and wireless card.

We’ll be removing the wireless card and one of the RAM modules after step 27 in order to remove the motherboard.

This laptop supports up to 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3-12800 SODIMM RAM modules.

RAM and Wi-Fi

STEP 4.

Remove one screw securing the optical drive.

Optical drive screw

STEP 5.

I had some trouble removing the optical drive from the case so I used the following technique.

Using a small screwdriver push the optical drive out through the screw hole.

The drive will move to the left a little bit.

Push optical drive out

STEP 6.

Now you can pull the optical drive out and remove it.

Remove optical drive

STEP 7.

Remove one screw securing the keyboard.

Keyboard screw

STEP 8.

To remove the keyboard do the following.

Place the notebook on its side.

Push on the back side of the keyboard with a small screwdriver thought the screw hole.

Push keyboard out

STEP 9.

While pushing on the back, you will see the front side separated from the top cover a little bit.

Insert your fingers under the keyboard.

Keyboard separated

STEP 10.

Continue separating the keyboard from the top cover.

Lift up keyboard

STEP 11.

Turn the keyboard upside down and place it on the palm rest.

Turn keyboard upside down

STEP 12.

Now you can access the cable and disconnect it from the motherboard.

Keyboard connector

STEP 13.

Unplug the keyboard cable in two steps:

1. Lift up the retaining tab – white piece in my example (yellow arrow).

2. Pull the cable out of the connector (green arrow).

Keyboard cable removed

STEP 14.

Remove the keyboard completely.

Remove keyboard

STEP 15.

Remove all screws from the bottom cover.

Remove bottom screws

STEP 16.

Remove three more screws from the optical drive bay.

Screws in DVD bay

STEP 17.

Remove screws securing the top cover assembly.

Disconnect the power button cable (yellow arrow) and touchpad cable (green arrow).

Disconnect top cover

Here’s how to disconnect both cables.

Unlock the connector and pull the cable out.

Disconnect power button

STEP 18.

Start separating the top cover from the bottom case using a plastic stick or any other similar tool.

Begin in the display hinge area.

Lift up top cover

STEP 19.

Continue removing the top cover.

You can use a guitar pick to separate two parts.

Insert it under the top cover and move slowly along the side to unlock hidden latches.

Separate top cover

STEP 20.

Remove the top cover (palm rest) assembly.

Remove top cover

STEP 21.

On the bottom side of the top cover you can access the power button board, touchpad and touchpad button board.

Power button board and touchpad

STEP 22.

In order to access and remove the hard drive you’ll have to disconnect and remove the USB/audio board first.

Disconnect USB audio board

STEP 23.

Disconnect the USB/audio board cable.

Remove cable

STEP 24.

Remove one screw securing the board.

Remove one screw

STEP 25.

Lift up and remove the board.

Remove USB audio board

STEP 26.

Lift up the hard drive from the case and disconnect the SATA cable.

Now you can replace the hard drive with a new one if necessary.

I recommend replacing this regular 2.5″ SATA hard drive to a 2.5″ SATA solid state drive. Doing so will improve the laptop performance significantly.

Disconnect hard drive

STEP 27.

In order to remove the motherboard it’s necessary to disconnect and remove the wireless card first.

Unplug both antenna cables and remove one screw securing the card.

Disconnect wireless card

STEP 28.

Pull the wireless card out.

Remove wireless card

STEP 29.

Also, it’s necessary to remove one of the RAM modules.

Remove RAM module

STEP 30.

Disconnect four cables.

Disconnect motherboard

Unplug the display cable by lifting it up by the black tab on the top.

Unplug display cable

Disconnect the webcam cable located on the left from the display connector.

Unplug small connector

Disconnect the speaker cable.

Unplug speaker

Unlock and disconnect the optical drive connector cable.

Disconnect ODD cable

STEP 31.

Remove two screws from the bracket securing the power connector (DC jack).

DC jack bracket

STEP 32.

Remove the bracket.

Remove DC jack bracket

STEP 33.

Separate the power connector from the case and lift it up.

You can disconnect it completely only when the motherboard removed.

Lift up power connector

STEP 34.

Remove all screws securing the motherboard.

Motherboard screws

STEP 35.

Start removing the motherboard on the right side as it shown on the following picture.

Lift up motherboard

STEP 36.

Remove it from the case completely.

Remove motherboard

STEP 37.

On the other side of the motherboard you can access the CMOS battery.

CMOS battery location

STEP 38.

Now you can unplug the DC jack.

Disconnect power connector

STEP 39.

Remove two screws securing the cooling fan.

Unplug the fan cable.

Disconnect cooling fan

STEP40.

Lift up and remove the fan.

Remove cooling fan


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16 Responses

  1. Ricardo Manríquez

    Thanks a lot!
    Some days ago I needed to dissassemble my laptop and the official manual was not enough to guide me. When I tried to assemble my lapto again, it didn’t turned on. Your site rescued me and helped me to connect all the wires. Now I am writing this comment from my laptop.

  2. Les Macaulay

    An excellent guide. In fact these guides would help any interested person judging the build quality before buying or indeed recommending to others whether to buy. My main issue is ease of access to RAM, HDD and power inlet socket. Much better if the latter is NOT soldered to the mobo as in this model.
    Keep up the good work. Thank you.

  3. Geoff

    I want to get to the hinges of this model as they are clicking/stiff. I may need to replace them. What dismantling methods are recommended? I am thinking I proceed to step 20 of this disassembly guide then can gain access to the hinges. Is that correct or is there more to repairing/replacing the hinges than I am thinking? Further guidance will be appreciated. Thanks.

    Thanks

  4. MeMe

    In:

    STEP 4.

    Remove one screw securing the optical drive.

    the red circle is shown around the keyboard screw.
    The optical drive screw is located below and to the left,
    near the “hp” logo.

  5. Lech

    Hello,

    I want change cmos battery.
    Do I need do step by step or I can change faster
    ?If yes can me say me how?

  6. Mir Ayoub

    Hello,

    i recently disassembled my laptop hp 15 n series, but during reassembling process i was unable to fix keyboard in its adapter on motherboard, as a result the adapter on motherboard in which the keyboard strip gets fixed was completely removed from motherboard. So nw i have to replace the whole motherboard. PLease tell me if there is some other solution without changing the motherboard.

    thank u

  7. Joe

    Great guide! Can you tell me what type and size of screwdriver I need for the optical drive bay screws? (Step 16)

    Is it Philips or JIS? And what size?

    • Pascor

      These 3 optical drive bay screws require a PH00 (Phillips Head #00) screwdriver if those screws are difficult to remove. Otherwise, you might try using the largest flat blade “jewelers”
      screwdriver that will will still fit within one leg of the “X” on the screw head.

      All other case and motherboard screws can be removed with a PH1 screwdriver.

  8. Shaun

    Hey!

    Very nice tutorial, have dis- and re-assembled the laptop twice already using it. But after having done the first time (and since then) the power button has no working light in it (despite the connected ribbon), and the screen does not sense when it is closed, so always stays on. What might be causing this?

    Also: the whole reason I had to take it apart is because the cooling fan was rattling. Now the new replacement is also giving off a faint rattle (at high RPM, or if the laptop is tilted). Does any one of you also have a problem like this?

  9. TEO

    Hello, i couldnt complete step 16 for my hp pavilion 15 laptop, how and what can i do? the screw is so tight and none of the screw driver head works

  10. Jessica

    I’m having the sane problem as Teo. I’ve got a jewellers screwdriver and pliers to help me twist it but all I’m finding is some give in the screwdriver that shouldn’t be there, it’s a disaster!

  11. allen

    my hp pavillion touch smart not turnning on,but indicate charging lightvwhen pluged to mains.pls help

  12. Paul

    Thanks for all your good work. My HP15 laptop wont boot up bit it powers on cause when i press the power on button it displays a power light but goes off after some seconds…I don’t know what is actually wrong with it, or has it developed problems on the board? Please let me know as i need to fix this laptop as soon as possible. Thank you and God bless you.

  13. Dent

    Thank you. Good instructions. Replaced fan and HDD.