How to disassemble HP ProBook 4540s

posted in: 3. Compaq & HP | 23
HP ProBook 4540s disassembly

With the following instructions you will be able to disassemble a HP ProBook 4540s.

Also, this guide will work for HP ProBook 4440s and 4441s models.

I will show how to open up the case and access most important internal components.

Before you start, make sure the laptop is turned off.

STEP 1.

Slide two latches towards each other to unlock the battery.

Lift up and remove the battery.

Remove battery

STEP 2.

Slide same latches towards each other again to unlock the bottom cover.

Unlock bottom cover

STEP 3.

Remove the cover.

Remove bottom cover

Before removing anything else, I’ll show how to remove the keyboard.

I’ll start removing components located on the bottom in the step 11.

STEP 4.

Both RAM slots available under the cover. This laptop can take up to 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3-12800 SODIMM RAM modules.

Remove three screws securing the keyboard.

Remove keyboard screws

STEP 5.

Slide the keyboard towards the touchpad about 3 millimeters.

This will free up 5 tabs securing the keyboard on the top.

Slide keyboard

STEP 6.

Lift up the top side of the keyboard as it shown on the following picture.

Lift up keyboard

STEP 7.

Turn the keyboard upside down and place it on the top cover.

In the following two steps I will explain how to unlock the connector and release the cable.

Access keyboard connector

STEP 8.

Lift up the left side of the cable retainer with your fingernail.

The retainer will open up at a 90 degree angle.

Unlock keyboard connector

STEP 9.

After the connector is unlocked you can pull the cable out.

Remove keyboard cable

STEP 10.

Remove the keyboard.

Remove keyboard

Now let’s remove components located on the bottom of the laptop.

STEP 11.

Remove four screws securing the hard drive assembly.

Hard drive screws

STEP 12.

Pull the hard drive to the left to disconnect it from the motherboard and after that remove the hard drive.

Upgrading this 2.5″ hard drive to a 2.5″ solid state drive will speed up the system.

Disconnect hard drive

STEP 13.

Remove one screw securing the optical drive, pull the drive to the left and remove it.

Remove optical drive

STEP 14.

Remove two screws securing the cooling module cover.

Slide the cover to the left and remove it.

Remove cover

STEP 15.

In HP ProBook 4540s the cooling fan can be easily accessed.

In order to remove the fan you’ll have to remove one screw and disconnect the cable.

NOTE: the fan must be removed in order to remove the top cover assembly as it shown in the step 25.

Disconnect cooling fan

STEP 16.

Remove the cooling fan.

Now you can clean it up from dust.

Remove cooling fan

STEP 17.

Remove all screws from the bottom.

For these screws you’ll need a regular Phillips screwdriver and T8 torx screwdriver.

Bottom screws

STEP 18.

Remove two screws securing the top cover assembly.

Disconnect the following cables:
– Speaker cable (shown in step 21).
– Power button and finger reader cables (shown in steps 19-20).

Top cover cables

STEP 19.

Lift up the left side of the retainer to release the cable.

Unlock connector

STEP 20.

Pull the cable from the connector.

Disconnect cable

STEP 21.

Unplug the white male connector from the brown female connector.

Unplug speaker cable

STEP 22.

I found it’s easier to remove the top cover assembly if you separate it from the bottom cover on the back first.

Separate top cover

Insert a guitar pick between the top cover and bottom cover and separate them each other.

Close up

STEP 23.

Start removing the top cover as it shown on the following picture.

Lift up top cover

Again, the guitar pick will be very helpful to open up the case.

Continue removing

STEP 24.

Before you remove the top cover completely it’s necessary to disconnect the touchpad cable.

Unlock the connector the same way you unlocked the keyboard connector earlier.

Touchpad cable

STEP 25.

Remove the top cover assembly.

Top cover removed

On the other side of the top cover you can access the following components:
– Utilities button board.
– Power button board.
– Both speakers.
– Touchpad.
– Finger reader board.
– Card reader.

Components attached to top cover

STEP 26.

In HP ProBook 4540s laptop the DC jack is attached to a cable.

DC jack harness

STEP 27.

In order to remove the DC jack you’ll have to unplug the cable from the motherboard.

Unplug DC jack cable

STEP 28.

Now you can remove the DC jack harness from the laptop.

Remove DC jack

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23 Responses

  1. AD Paye

    Thanks very much.
    This is the best instruction I’ve ever received online.
    It’s very simple to follow.

  2. Loren

    I need to replace the CMOS battery. Following your guide, I have the laptop totally disassembled but I still cannot access the CMOS battery because it is under a plastic piece and I cannot get to it. Any idea on how to remove it?

    Thanks for the wonderful guide – very easy to follow.

  3. Pat

    Just stopping in to see how I would open my laptop if necessary.. Probably one of the best guides ever for opening a laptop. Super clear, high-res photos that are labeled… Bravo!

  4. levi

    Nice..atleast I have seen what my laptop looks like inside 🙂

  5. marie

    How hard is it to remove the cover of the cooling module? I have tried to slide it to the left but it won’t go off easily and I am afraid of breaking something…

  6. Mahdiano

    I disassembled whole laptop like explained, however when I turn it on back, I get blank screen with CAPSLOCK LED blinks continuously forever. What could cause this?

  7. isa

    my 4540s dosent power on nothing and i already change the ac cable and the batery but still nothing. what u think could it be this harness or the motherboard, can u send me the answer to my email please

  8. David I

    @marie: Did you remove the keyboard screw in the middle of the cooling cover first? See photo in Step 4. Then after removing the other two screws in Step 14, the cooling cover should slide to the side very easily.

  9. Allan

    I need to replace the touchpad of hp 4540s from where online I can buy, I am from Europe , and how to replace it. Can you help me.

    Regards
    Allan

  10. milad tara

    thanks a lot, I can’t believe that there is another such an excellent
    tutorial in the internet.

  11. ramy

    I have a probook 4440s with a broken screen, how do i take out the screen after taking out the keyboard and cover???

  12. Sid

    Thank you for the perfect disassembly instructions and photos. So helpful.
    Maybe a note can be added to step 14: If you did not removed keyboard in the previous step, remove also the 3rd screw in the middle of the cover.

  13. SAMT

    Hi,

    Can we replace the touchpad only without replacing the top cover?

    • IML Tech

      I don’t remember this model off the top of my head but I believe you can replace the touchpad without replacing the entire top case.
      First, you’ll have to remove the top case. Second, remove the metal bracket with the keys. After that you should be able to replace the touchpad.

  14. Muhammad Akram Ch.

    My Laptop Screen becomes black some time white cables coming from motherboard to screen on both left and right side . I found some cable from Motherboard to Screen in left side is intermittent. when I move it with some visiting Card it becomes normal I am an electron sub Engineer, retired from Air Force how i can reach to these cables to repair it. If some one can help me I will be thankful to him.

  15. nick

    I have a HP ProBook 4540s with a continuously blinking power led, even though the power cord is not attached but with the battery in place, that will not power on. Any suggestions on how to diagnose the cause of the blinking led and/or the unit not powering up would be greatly appreciated.
    P.S. Thank you for your instructions along with annotated images on how to open up the laptop. They were very clear and easy to follow.

  16. Paul Dow

    Very good instructions. Good photos.
    I found there’s one more screw that needs to be removed to get the top cover off. In step 17, there’s one more at the right of the memory sockets.