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Here are instructions for taking apart a Dell Inspiron 1720/1721 or Dell Vostro 1700 laptop.
You can use these guide for removing and replacing:
1. Laptop memory, hard drive, wireless card, modem.
2. CD/DVD optical drive.
3. Laptop keyboard.
4. LCD panel.
5. Heat sink, CPU, motherboard and other internal components.
Are you looking for spare parts for your Dell Inspiron 1720 laptop? Search here.
First of all, turn off the laptop, unplug AC power adapter and remove the battery.
Turn the laptop upside down and remove Wi-Fi, memory and hard drive covers.
Disconnect (unsnap) two antenna cables from the wireless card. Remove the wireless card.
Spread latches on both sides of the memory module and carefully pull the RAM module from the slot.
You can access only one memory slot from the bottom of the laptop. The second memory slot is located under the keyboard.
Remove three screws securing the hard drive. In order to disconnect the hard drive from the motherboard, lift it up by the black tab attached to the hard drive caddy. Remove the hard drive.
As you see, Dell Inspiron 1720 can handle two hard drives. You can increase laptop storage space by installing a second hard drive.
The BIOS (CRT) battery is located right under the memory slot. By the way, disconnecting the battery will not clear the BIOS password, don’t even try.
Now I’m going to remove the CD/DVD optical drive. Remove one screw securing the CD/DVD drive to the laptop base and open the drive with a paper clip.
Carefully pull the CD/DVD drive from the laptop.
Remove all screws from the bottom.
Remove two screws securing display hinges.
In the following four steps I explain how to remove the laptop keyboard. If you are replacing the keyboard, you can skip all previous steps.
Lift up the keyboard bezel with a flathead screwdriver. Remove the bezel.
Remove four screws securing the keyboard.
Slide the keyboard to the direction shown by the red arrow.
Lift up and remove the keyboard. Now you can replace it with a new one if needed.
As you see on the picture below, this keyboard doesn’t have a flat ribbon cable as most laptop keyboards do. The keyboard connector is a part of the keyboard base.
Unplug two LCD cables from the motherboard and remove one screw securing the grounding cable.
Remove the LCD panel.
Remove six screws securing the top cover assembly and unplug one cable pointed with the red arrow.
As I mentioned before, the second RAM slot can be accessed when you remove the keyboard.
The internal Bluetooth module can be mounted in the top right corner. My Inspiron 1720 came without internal Bluetooth module but it had the Bluetooth cable installed.
Lift up and remove the top cover assembly.
The top cover has been removed.
Loosen four screws securing the CPU heat sink.
Remove the heat sink. Do not forget to apply new thermal grease when you install the heat sink back.
Remove four screws securing the cooling fan. Unplug the fan cable from the system board. Remove the fan.
Remove two screws (blue circles) securing the dial up modem. Remove the modem.
Remove six screws (red circles) securing the PCMCIA slot board.
Remove the PCMCIA slot board.
Remove all screws securing the system board. Unplug three cables on the bottom (three red arrows). Unplug and remove the Bluetooth cable (yellow arrow).
Start removing the system board from the left side.
The system board has been removed.
In order to remove the CPU, you’ll have to unlock the CPU socket first. Turn the screw into the “Unlocked” position. Carefully lift up the CPU from the socket.
If you are replacing the system board, you’ll have to transfer the hard drive connector board to the new system board.
March 30th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
That is correct, sorry. The heatsink doesn’t seem to make contact with the graphics chip. I don’t know if this is normal for this laptop. I don’t have another to use as a reference.
I was able to get it running today and it has been for the past four hours, but had to do the system restore on another PC using a trick I found on the internet. Still, it will shut down within a few minutes if I am not running in Vista. That includes BIOS, the Vista installer, a Linux live CD or the Dell diagnostics. Very weird, haven’t seen anything like it before.
March 30th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
William,
???????
Did you mean the heatsink doesn’t make contact with the graphics chip???
March 29th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
I’ve got a 1721 that shuts down about 5 minutes after it boots. It used to boot into Window and run ok, but it would not allow me to linger in BIOS or run the diagnostics without the fan ramping up to full speed and then turning off. I’ve never gotten any errors regarding overheating and tests I’ve run with the diagnostics CD only show the CPU getting up to 33 C, yet the laptop still shuts down. I’ve replaced the thermal paste already, but the problem still exists. I’ve also replaced the CPU with a slower version, but still have the problem. One thing that I’ve noticed is that the CPU doesn’t seem to make contact with the graphics chip. There was no grease on the chip or that part of the heatsink the first time I removed it. Any chance the heatsink is the problem and not the motherboard?
March 28th, 2011 at 11:28 am
I knocked my Dell 1720 off of a coffee table, but it still worked. The next day it was in power shortage mode (the orange power light was on). I was able to power on for barely a couple of minutes and then it would not restart at all. The power supply LED was on but would not work with or without the fully charged battery.
I followed your instructions to removing the keyboard and then put it all back to together. It works great now!!! I must have knocked something loose but with your help I was able to save it!
Thanks.
March 19th, 2011 at 3:47 am
Hello Laptop Tech,
Thanks for this website! My problem is similar to Kelly’s in as my laptop fell on its side where the headphone jack is and at the time my headphones were plugged into it. Now i don’t know if it broke the little rectangle shape box that the headphone jack plugs into as i haven’t opened up the laptop to see what the problem is but since then my sound has gone all weird, such that i cant hear low notes of sound e.g. alto, tenor; so when i’m listening to say a male-female duet, i can hear what the female is singing but not what the male is singing.
I asked a friend to have a look at it and he said it was something to do with the print being damaged. Now could it be print on the audio connector board you mention on your reply to Kelly’s problem and if so would replacing it possibly remedy the problem? And if yes where can i buy this audio connector board for a Philips freevents laptop Model No. 15NB8611/05
I’m not computer savvy so i hope all this makes sense. Thank you in advance
February 28th, 2011 at 8:10 am
Thanks for the guide! The display on the 1720 is refusing to turn on. It sounds like it is starting up correctly (i.e. lights come on, fan comes on, HDD starts) but the screen remains completely black. I have tried attaching an external monitor but this is blank too, so I think the problem is not the display itself. Have also tried removing power cable/battery and holding power button for 30 seconds without success. Any ideas of what may be wrong? It is way out of warranty so only minor repairs/replacements are viable, Thanks!
February 26th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
E ARES,
Try starting the laptop without hard drive installed. Maybe the hard drive is bad and it’s halting the whole system.
Also, try removing memory modules one by one. Test laptop with each module individually.
February 26th, 2011 at 10:34 am
vince,
There is a chance the DC jack is damaged. It’s necessary to disassemble the laptop and take a closer look at the jack.
If the jack looks loose or connectors burned, try replacing the jack.
If it doesn’t help, there is a problem with the motherboard.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:51 pm
hello, I have a dell inspiron 1720 no power dead, the ac adapter is new also when I plug it in the laptop the ac adapter light goes out, I figure this means a short, I am guessing regulator, but any help you could give me I would appreciate. thanks for your time
February 24th, 2011 at 8:55 am
i have a dell inspiron 1720. battery is fully charged, charger works, dell media button works. For some reason the power button will not work. I know it is not a battery or charger issue, cause the laptop turns on only for the media. I have replaced the keyboard thinking it was that problem. apparently it is not. All the other buttons work on the laptop. PLEASE HELP……….