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In this guide I’ll be taking apart an Acer Aspire 5517 laptop.
I’ll show hot to remove hard drive, memory, DVD drive, wireless card and keyboard.
Most likely this guide will work for some other Acer Aspire laptops. If it works for you, please mention the laptop model number in comments below.
Before you start, make sure the laptop is turned off and battery removed.
STEP 1.
Laptop memory and hard drive can be easily accessed thought covers on the bottom of the laptop.
Remove screws and remove both covers.
STEP 2.
In order to disconnect the hard drive from the motherboard, slide it to the shown direction.
After that lift up and remove the hard drive from the laptop.
STEP 3.
If you are replacing the hard drive, you’ll have to transfer the mounting caddy to the new drive.
Simply remove four screws securing the caddy (two screws on each side) and transfer the caddy to the new hard drive.
Acer Asprire 5517 uses a regular 2.5″ SATA notebook hard drive.
Any large capacity 2.5″ SATA hard drive should work fine in this laptop.
STEP 4.
Both memory modules accessible though the cover on the bottom.
In order to remove the memory module, carefully spread latches on both sides and when the memory module pops up at a 30 degree angle, pull it from the slot.
Acer Aspire 5517 laptop can handle up to 4GB memory total. It means you can install up to 2GB memory module in each slot.
Memory used: PC2-5300 DDR2-667 200pin SDRAM SODIMM.
STEP 5.
There is only one screw securing the DVD drive. This screw located under the memory cover.
Remove one screw securing the DVD drive and pull the drive from the laptop.
Need a new replacement DVD drive for Acer Aspire 5517? Search here.
STEP 6.
The wireless card also located under the memory cover.
In order to remove the wireless card you’ll have to disconnect the antenna cables first.
After both antenna cable disconnected, you remove two screws securing the wireless card and pull the wireless card from the slot.
REMOVING AND REPLACING LAPTOP KEYBOARD.
If you would like to remove and replace the keyboard, you don’t have to go though all previous steps. You can start right from the following step. There are no screws securing the keyboard at all.
STEP 7.
Carefully lift up the power button cover with a sharp object as it shown on the following picture.
Continue removing the cover with your fingers.
STEP 8.
The power button cover removed.
STEP 9.
Now you can start removing the keyboard.
Work slowly. Under the keyboard there is a cable connected to the motherboard.
STEP 10.
Carefully lift up the top side of the keyboard.
STEP 11.
Continue removing the keyboard.
STEP 12.
Turn the keyboard upside down so you can access the cable connector.
In order to remove the cable, you’ll have to unlock the connector first.
BE VERY CAREFUL with the keyboard connector. If you break it, the keyboard will not work.
STEP 13.
On the following picture the keyboard connector shown in the locked position.
To unlock the keyboard, you’ll have to move the brown piece about 1-2 millimeters to the shown direction.
The brown piece MUST stay attached to the white base. Do not apply to much force. Unlock the connector very slowly with your fingernails.
STEP 14.
On the following picture the connector shown in the unlocked position.
You see, the brown piece still attached to the white base.
Now you can pull the keyboard cable from the connector.
STEP 15.
Finally, remove the laptop keyboard and replace it with a new one.
New replacement keyboards for Acer Aspire 5517 laptops available here.
April 20th, 2013 at 6:23 am
Thanks for the VERY useful page.
Complete teardown, removed main board and cleaned fan/radiator.
Computer was horribly slow before a windows reinstall, and was
shutting itself down immediately after(actually during the re-install process). At the moment I suspect it was slowing the clock down as the temp went up, and that “feature” has not (yet) re-installed itself.
Now cleaner, running cooler, and proceeding with the neverending windows install/update process.
April 3rd, 2013 at 10:25 am
@ David a Barnes,
It is not necessary to replace the hard drive and memory in order to get rid of a virus. All you have to do is reinstall the operating system from scratch. Also, I would recommend using a good antivirus program after that. I use Kaspersky antivirus on my PCs and never have a problem.
March 30th, 2013 at 11:05 am
I wish to replace the memory cards and the hard drive because I have a virus. I don’t feel like paying the cost for the virus over and over again. I feel that if I replace the memory and hats drive it should work like a new computer. I think? Is there something else that has to be done? Where can I get the KN1G8030259367B9031601 top plate and KN2GB0301093636CAA1601 bottom plate and the 160 GB WD1600BEVT 22ZCTO WD Scorpio blue hard drive
February 26th, 2013 at 1:18 am
Hi i’m so happy I found your website, it looks very promising. I started taking apart my Acer Aspire 5517 laptop in an attempt to reach the mother board. I only ended up removing the hard drive and memory and then putting them back exactly in place. MY PROBLEM is when I booted up my laptop the screen read:
“Check cable connection!
PXE-M0fF : Existing Intel PXE ROM.
No bootable device — insert boot disk and press and key ”
I’m guessing I may have detached something in my dissembling process. I was hoping you would have an idea. Please help me resolve this issue.
Many thanks,
Adelaide
February 24th, 2013 at 5:07 am
Have a Acer Aspire 5517 and it will not connect to my router even though it shows full bars but it will connect to my guest side of my router 70 percent of the time. my roater is a Cisco Linksystem 4200
December 19th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
@ shane,
Search on google for Acer Aspire 5517 service guide.
The first link (PDF file) should be what you are looking for.
December 19th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
i have this cpu and want to upgrade my processor and know i can be done but i cant even get to it,there is not one video on how to open this thing all the way,you only showed what i already know,i need to get the entier caseing off not just down to the keybord,any help would be nice.
November 7th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
My daughter broke both of my USB ports do you know how much a motherboard will cost?
Or is it cheaper to get a whole new computer?
Thanks, Betty
September 30th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
I have an Acer Aspire 5517 and i believe the DC power port has gone bad. The pin inside the port moves around and while i have my curser over the battery indicator it will tell me that the power cord is connected but it is not charging. I was told to check to see if it is the battery, by taking the battery out and then trying to start the computer. This did not work. I have also bought a new power cord. can anyone help with this problem?
September 13th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
I need to correct my post. The laptop will not run with the battery removed.