HomeHere are excellent instructions for upgrading memory on HP Pavilion zv5000 series laptops in seven relatively easy steps. I found links to the disassembly pictures while reading comments on Ask Laptop Freak site and decided to compile them into a guide. Upgrading memory on this laptop could be tricky because one of the memory expansion slots is located under the keyboard. According to HP specifications for zv5000 you can install 2 memory modules up to 1GB each. You should use PC2700 333MHz memory modules.
STEP 1.
First of all, you can add one memory module into the expansion slot on the bottom of the laptop.
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STEP 2.
Remove seven screws pointed with red arrows.
STEP 3.
Carefully lift up the keyboard cover. You’ll have play with the cover in order to release plastic latches.
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STEP 4.
Remove four screws securing the keyboard.
STEP 5.
Carefully lift up the keyboard. You don’t have to disconnect the keyboard from the motherboard in order to access the memory expansion slot. Just turn the keyboard over and place it upside down on the palm rest.
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STEP 6.
Here’s the memory slot you are looking for.
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STEP 7.
Spread latches on both sides of the memory module and remove the old 256MB module and install a new one.
HP Pavilion zv5000 laptops will not take more then 2GB (1GB module in each slot).
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UPDATE: HP Pavilion zv5000 LCD removal and backlight replacement instructions
December 7th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
You are a hero …. thanks, Gerry
P.S. Without a magnetized screwdriver it would have been all but impossible.
August 14th, 2011 at 8:31 am
Thanks Man!
June 18th, 2011 at 10:02 am
I went to Crucial.com and let their online service find and recommend the memory for my zv5000. I installe it and have no problems with the memory. The system works great except for slow loading, but once done and ready it’s lightning fast.
May 27th, 2011 at 9:36 pm
thank you for taking time to post this helpful how-to.
best regards –
mqqn
May 7th, 2011 at 9:42 am
Thanks for the easy to follow guide. I have a zv5000 and changed both of my 256MB memory cards for 2 1GB cards. When i re-booted my laptop i had a problem with Windows IE becoming unstable and recovering the pages all the time. It would even throw up a warning page which i couldn’t read as it would instantly then go into restarting the laptop. Very frustrating. It kept pointing to a problem with my AVG Free exe file or a IE exe file. I uninstalled the AVG and downloaded Mozilla to try and clear the issue, but i still ad the same problem. Finally i removed one of the new 1GB cards and inserted one of the old 256MB cards. Rebooted and had no issues, works fine. I even re-tried and moved them around to ensure i didn’t have a bad card. Same results, i guess my laptop just doesn’t like 2 GB of memory!
April 8th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Ken,
It looks like you ordered memory for a desktop computer, not laptop.
I googled MD1024SD1-333 and it says PC memory.
You need PC2700 333mhz memory for a LAPTOP computer.
April 1st, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I have a zv5000 and attempted to upgrade the memory. From what I’ve seen I should use PC2700 333mhz DDR. I ordered two 1 GB PC2700 333mhz chips from PNY. Part number MD1024SD1-333. They are to long, no way they will fit. anyone have any idea what the right chips are? Appreciate any tips. Thanks.
December 8th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
I am about to throw my old hp laptop away because it was too slow up until I saw this website. The pictures were so helpful as I am computer novice. Now my computer is working 5 times faster…. Thank you.
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Really appreciate the help, but you really only need to remove 3 screws to remove the top faceplate in order to get to the keyboard screws, thus allowing access to the memory slot underneath the keyboard. This comes straight out of the HP manual(Sec. 5.9). No real foul removing the extra screws, you just run the added chance of loss of screws, as the 2 on the hinges are very tiny, and do not need to be removed.
October 27th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Put back the old memory and boot it up again. If that works then you have bad memory. I had to replace mine after running into same issue.