Home
In this guide I explain how to remove the keyboard and access both memory modules in a Sony Vaio PCG-V505 series laptop. The whole process will not take more than 10-15 minutes and can be done even by an inexperienced user. In one of the previous posts I explained how to remove and upgrade the hard drive in the same Sony Vaio PCG-V505 laptop.
Before you start do not forget to turn off the laptop and remove the battery.
STEP 1.
Remove one screw securing the keyboard. This screw is located between the lock/unlock and release latches.
STEP 2.
Insert a small flat head screwdriver between the keyboard and base. Carefully lift up the keyboard as it shown on the picture below.
STEP 3.
Move the keyboard and place it on the display panel so you can access components underneath.
Under the keyboard you’ll find both memory (RAM) modules and RTC (CMOS) battery.
Sony Vaio PCG-V505 laptop can handle up to 1GB memory total. You can install up to 512MB memory stick into each slot.
You should use PC2100/PC2700 DDR SODIMM memory modules.
If your laptop looses date and time each time you restart it, apparently it’s time to replace the RTC (CMOS) battery. You can easily unplug the RTC battery from the motherboard and replace it with a new one.
STEP 4.
Before you remove the keyboard, you’ll have to unlock the cable connector on the motherboard and release the cable.
On the picture below you can see the cable connector in the locked position.
Unlock the connector and release the keyboard cable.
Now you can remove the keyboard and replace it with a new one if needed.
You can find a new replacement keyboard here.
August 16th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Thank you very much! I wanted to upgrade memory in my laptop for a long time but didn’t know where slots are hidden.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:38 am
Are you great. Thank very very much.
September 13th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Thanks its working i removed and reconected Ram.
October 18th, 2009 at 7:26 am
how to remove the whole bottom cover of this laptop? i want to check my PCI card coz it always prompt everytime i boot the unit. thanks
January 16th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Thank you. you are awsome dude. I have been struggling for months trying to locate the mem. my labtop will not boot because of 1 bad ram which i had read from other post. so i try to remove 1 and test the theory and it work but before that i could not find the mem location.
thanks again you are truely great.
March 4th, 2010 at 5:46 am
Hi! I have a PCG-V505DX and think I need to replace the sound card. When I record myself I sound very high pitched. Also, after I have unplugged a headset into the jacks on the left side (red, green jacks), my laptop speakers don’t play sound. I can only hear sound through the headset.
Do you have a tutorial on how to access and replace the sound card and these jacks?
Any help is appreciated!
Dee
March 4th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Dee,
I don’t think that you have a problem with the sound card. Try adjusting the microphone and speaker volume while using the microphone.
Turn down the speaker volume when using microphone. This might help to avoid high pitched noise.
Check out this post:
http://www.asklaptopfreak.com/laptop-notebook-help/2008/02/04/speakers-stopped-working-after-i-used-my-headphones/
March 17th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
thanks… helps a lot……
1 .i tried to open it from bottom, and now the lights in the left corner panel dont work… any idea what i did? and how to fix it?
2 . i have a PCG- V505AX, and found that i CAN and CAN NOT use a memory upgrade above 512.. is that true? and if I CAN.. could i use 2 of 1 GB memo and wichs kind ?
Thanks
March 29th, 2010 at 1:43 am
how 2 remove bios password in sony pcg v505-BL
and i wanted any of u to paste the pic of jumper on the vivo moterboard!!!!!!!!!!
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:23 am
I took the keyboard out and popped off one of the function keys and can’t seem to get the key back on, do you know of any tricks to make that happen?
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:07 am
Melissa,
The following guide will help you to install the key back on the keyboard.
http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2007/03/20/key-fell-off-keyboard/
May 23rd, 2010 at 7:14 pm
thank you!!!
June 9th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Hello Laptop Tech,
Thank you, I tried the suggestions, but no change. Most recently while I was unplugging my headphones, the speakers began to work. AFter a time, I finally figured out why they no longer worked. The green connector is a bit loose. If I nudge and hold the green jack toward the red jack, I get sound. So, it looks like all is well, but I need to secure the connectors. I’d love to see you make a help sheet on how to replace or reattach these connectors. I appreciate the help!
Dee
June 11th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Thank you so much!!! I have been dying to find out how to access my whole laptop! The farthest I have gotten was the optical drive removed and harddrive but I never knew how to reach the RAM slots or remove the keyboard. With this guide I can finally order a new keyboard since my old one is missing all the keys.
Just visited this site and Im already geting sucess! Thank you forever!!!
August 21st, 2010 at 1:45 am
Thanks alot dude but there is only one problem i had for a long time my sound works if u put the laptop on an angle but when you put it back it just stops im pretty sure its a loose wire but i dont know which wire it is or where it is
September 6th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
hi i have a sony vaio pcg-6q1m. Any ideas how i remove the hard drive safely? Mine has crashed. Any help much appreciated!
September 7th, 2010 at 6:35 am
nick glynn,
Read other guides I posted under “Sony Laptops” category. There are a few different models in there. Maybe you can find a similar one.
October 1st, 2010 at 1:42 am
Hello and thanks for your useful guides. I just bought a 505DX to use around the house and on trips it came with 1gb of ram and I see on the internet companies say this can be upgraded to 2 gb. As i use Photoshop a lot is this correct can you install 2gb in the 505DX ?
Thanks for your time Andrew
October 1st, 2010 at 8:11 am
APJ,
What laptop you are talking about? There are a few different brands when I google 505DX.
October 1st, 2010 at 8:57 am
Sorry I meant -
Sony Vaio PCG-V505DX
October 1st, 2010 at 9:18 am
APJ,
This laptop can take up to 2GB RAM. You should use PC2700 DDR333 SODIMM modules.
There are two memory slots and you can install up to 1GB RAM module into each slot.
Both slots located under the keyboard. Yes, you’ll have to remove the keyboard in order to upgrade memory.
Here’s official user guide for Sony Vaio PCG-V505DX laptop. It’s a PDF file.
You’ll find memory upgrade instructions in the manual on the page 135.
You are correct, it’s better to run Photoshop with 2GB RAM.
Good luck!
November 13th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
I have a Sony Vaio PCG-V505 ACK. It seems to be getting very hot. I do not hear any kind of fan. Is there a fan? Can you tell me how to access it? Clean it or replace it? Thank you
February 2nd, 2011 at 1:45 pm
I sure hope Laptop Tech or someone else reading this can help…I’ve got a V505BX here that’s very sickly. If I switch it on without the (effectively dead, won’t take a charge of more than a few minutes) battery in, the battery and power lights blink once then nothing. The laptop won’t boot. If I hold the power switch in the ON position, the two lights blink steadily, but no boot. If I install the battery and charge it, the laptop will run for the allotted 10-15 minutes then shut itself off when the battery dies, then it goes back to the behavior I described first until the battery takes the minimal charge that it can.
So the motherboard IS drawing power, but apparently only from the battery. I have replaced the DC jack (a simple 3-wire affair, one screw-down Ground and the other two are on a one-directional keyed Berg plug, so no getting that wrong).
I’ve unplugged the CMOS battery and let the system sit for a minute, then plugged it back in and plugged the system back in, to no avail.
Help me, Laptop Tech, you’re my only hope!
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Bill S.,
When I started reading your question I thought this is DC jack failure.
But after you said the DC jack had been replaced, I think this is motherboard failure.
February 3rd, 2011 at 8:49 am
Okay, I *might* be in luck (you tell me): on this particular model of Vaio, there’s three components that deal with power-in: the DC jack (replaced), the video card (yes, some engineer at Sony routed the DC connect male berg plug onto the video card rather than directly onto the mainboard), *and* this part: PWS-24 1-687-499-11 – a DC power board located on the “underside” of the mainboard.
THAT part is easy ($ wise) to replace. Think that could be it?
And thanks a million regardless.
-Bill
March 17th, 2011 at 7:08 am
my vaio laptop keeps rebooting by itself, have changed hard drives and reseated memory mod.
can my memory modules be bad and is there a way to test them, the laptop of course is afew years old but is in great shape, never abused. sure hate to lose it and hope motherboard is not bad.
any thoughts?? thanks
mike
March 18th, 2011 at 10:12 am
mike martinez,
It’s very unlikely that both memory modules failed at the same time but I guess possible.
Have you tried removing memory modules one by one and test the laptop with each memory separately?
May 15th, 2011 at 11:19 pm
Hey Guys, Please tell me how to remove this CMOS battery from Sony VAIO V505, same model which is shown in this article. I have already opened the Keyboard and can see the CMOS battery but not sure how to take it out as its fixed in some socket and connected with red black wire.Please someone suggest me, how to take this battery out and I have to reset my BIOS password.
Picture would be great, if possible.
Many thanks.
May 16th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Michael,
The CMOS battery wires have a connector. You should be able to unplug it from the motherboard.
The battery itself probably fixed to the motherboard with double sticky tape.
May 19th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Hey Guys,
I have a Sony Vaio PCG-V505BX that the wireless LAN is not working. The wireless switch is on and the green light is on but I get a message that the wireless radio is not on. I thought the mini card might be bad, but I looked under the keyboard and I don’t see it. So if you know where the card is and what the problem might be, I’d sure appreciate it.
Thank You!
May 20th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
casshneider,
Take a look in the BIOS setup menu. In some models you can enable/disable wireless in the BIOS.
Check the device manager. Make sure the wireless card is enabled.
I don’t remember off the top of my head, but if it’s not accessible through the bottom door and not under the keyboard, most likely it’s located under the top cover assembly (palm rest assembly).
August 11th, 2011 at 10:26 am
Hey,
I have a Sony Vaio PCG-V505BP and the problem is that it won’t turn on.
I’m pretty certain the battery is dead, because when i keep the battery in it doesn’t turn on.
When i connect the charger to the laptop (without batter) the amber light flashes twice pauses and flashes twice and carries on doing so.
When i keep the battery in and charger in also in constantly flashes with brief pauses? any idea whats wrong and how to fix it?
August 31st, 2011 at 5:27 pm
can i get a instructional guide for disassembling a PCG-V505EX or something similar to it, because i’ve been trying to get to the DC Jack but i can’t open up my laptop.
September 10th, 2011 at 12:38 am
hi mike martinez,
first you should check the compatibility of memory modules becouse it matters a lot, if you don’t use appropriate memory then it can create problems in you pc!
April 3rd, 2012 at 11:45 am
Great instruction on removing the keyboard.
Do you know how to install Windows XP and get the OS to assign the drive letter “C” to the hard drive rather than the card reader
Thanks