Table of Contents
- Alienware m15 Service Manual
- Before working inside your computer
- After working inside your computer
- Safety instructions
- Recommended tools
- Screw list
- Removing the base cover
- Replacing the base cover
- Removing the battery (half-length)
- Replacing the battery (half-length)
- Removing the battery (full-length)
- Replacing the battery (full-length)
- Removing the hard drive
- Replacing the hard drive
- Removing the memory modules
- Replacing the memory modules
- Removing the heat-sink assembly
- Replacing the heat-sink assembly
- Removing the wireless card
- Replacing the wireless card
- Removing the solid-state drive/Intel Optane memory module
- Replacing the solid-state drive/Intel Optane memory module
- Removing the I/O board
- Replacing the I/O board
- Removing the coin-cell battery
- Replacing the coin-cell battery
- Removing the touchpad
- Replacing the touchpad
- Removing the speakers
- Replacing the speakers
- Removing the power-adapter port
- Replacing the power-adapter port
- Removing the display assembly
- Replacing the display assembly
- Removing the system board
- Replacing the system board
- Removing the power-button board
- Replacing the power-button board
- Removing the keyboard
- Replacing the keyboard
- Removing the palm rest
- Replacing the palm rest
- Device drivers
- System setup
- Troubleshooting
Alienware m15 User Manual
Displayed below is the user manual for m15 by Alienware which is a product in the Notebooks category. This manual has pages.
Related Manuals
Alienware m15
Service Manual
Computer Model: Alienware m15
Regulatory Model: P79F
Regulatory Type: P79F001
Notes, cautions, and warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your product.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid
the problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
© 2018 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners.
2018 - 10
Rev. A00
Contents
Before working inside your computer................................................................................8
Before you begin ................................................................................................................................................8
After working inside your computer..................................................................................9
Safety instructions............................................................................................................ 10
Electrostatic discharge—ESD protection.............................................................................................................10
ESD eld service kit ...........................................................................................................................................11
Components of an ESD eld service kit..........................................................................................................11
ESD protection summary .............................................................................................................................. 11
Transporting sensitive components......................................................................................................................12
Lifting equipment ........................................................................................................................................12
Recommended tools.......................................................................................................... 13
Screw list............................................................................................................................14
Removing the base cover.................................................................................................. 16
Procedure......................................................................................................................................................... 16
Replacing the base cover.................................................................................................. 19
Procedure......................................................................................................................................................... 19
Removing the battery (half-length).................................................................................22
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 22
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................22
Replacing the battery (half-length).................................................................................23
Procedure ........................................................................................................................................................ 23
Post-requisites...................................................................................................................................................23
Removing the battery (full-length)..................................................................................24
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 24
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................24
Replacing the battery (full-length)..................................................................................25
Procedure ........................................................................................................................................................25
Post-requisites.................................................................................................................................................. 25
Removing the hard drive.................................................................................................. 26
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 26
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................26
3
Replacing the hard drive.................................................................................................. 28
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................28
Post-requisites.................................................................................................................................................. 30
Removing the memory modules........................................................................................31
Prerequisites......................................................................................................................................................31
Procedure..........................................................................................................................................................31
Replacing the memory modules....................................................................................... 33
Procedure ........................................................................................................................................................ 33
Post-requisites...................................................................................................................................................33
Removing the heat-sink assembly....................................................................................34
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 34
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................34
Replacing the heat-sink assembly....................................................................................36
Procedure ........................................................................................................................................................36
Post-requisites...................................................................................................................................................37
Removing the wireless card..............................................................................................38
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 38
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................38
Replacing the wireless card..............................................................................................40
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................40
Post-requisites................................................................................................................................................... 41
Removing the solid-state drive/Intel Optane memory module..................................... 42
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 42
Procedure to remove 2230 solid-state drive.......................................................................................................43
Procedure to remove 2280 solid-state drive................................................................................................. 45
Replacing the solid-state drive/Intel Optane memory module..................................... 46
Procedure to replace 2230 solid-state drive.......................................................................................................46
Procedure to replace 2280 solid-state drive................................................................................................. 47
Post-requisites.................................................................................................................................................. 49
Removing the I/O board..................................................................................................50
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................................................................50
Procedure........................................................................................................................................................ 50
Replacing the I/O board.................................................................................................. 52
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................52
Post-requisites...................................................................................................................................................53
4
Removing the coin-cell battery........................................................................................ 54
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 54
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................54
Replacing the coin-cell battery........................................................................................ 55
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................55
Post-requisites.................................................................................................................................................. 55
Removing the touchpad....................................................................................................56
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 56
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................56
Replacing the touchpad....................................................................................................57
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................57
Post-requisites.................................................................................................................................................. 58
Removing the speakers.................................................................................................... 59
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 59
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................59
Replacing the speakers.....................................................................................................60
Procedure ........................................................................................................................................................60
Post-requisites.................................................................................................................................................. 60
Removing the power-adapter port...................................................................................61
Prerequisites......................................................................................................................................................61
Procedure......................................................................................................................................................... 61
Replacing the power-adapter port.................................................................................. 62
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................62
Post-requisites.................................................................................................................................................. 62
Removing the display assembly....................................................................................... 63
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 63
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................63
Replacing the display assembly....................................................................................... 66
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................66
Post-requisites...................................................................................................................................................68
Removing the system board............................................................................................. 69
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 69
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................69
5
Replacing the system board............................................................................................. 73
Procedure ........................................................................................................................................................ 73
Post-requisites...................................................................................................................................................75
Entering the Service Tag in the BIOS setup program........................................................................................... 75
Removing the power-button board..................................................................................76
Prerequisites......................................................................................................................................................76
Procedure......................................................................................................................................................... 76
Replacing the power-button board..................................................................................77
Procedure......................................................................................................................................................... 77
Post-requisites...................................................................................................................................................77
Removing the keyboard....................................................................................................78
Prerequisites......................................................................................................................................................78
Procedure......................................................................................................................................................... 78
Replacing the keyboard................................................................................................... 80
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................80
Post-requisites.................................................................................................................................................. 80
Removing the palm rest....................................................................................................82
Prerequisites..................................................................................................................................................... 82
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................82
Replacing the palm rest.................................................................................................... 84
Procedure.........................................................................................................................................................84
Post-requisites...................................................................................................................................................84
Device drivers................................................................................................................... 86
Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility............................................................................................................ 86
Video drivers.................................................................................................................................................... 86
Intel Serial IO driver...........................................................................................................................................86
Intel Trusted Execution Engine Interface.............................................................................................................86
Intel Virtual Button driver.................................................................................................................................. 86
Wireless and Bluetooth drivers...........................................................................................................................86
System setup.....................................................................................................................87
BIOS overview...................................................................................................................................................87
Entering BIOS setup program............................................................................................................................ 87
Navigation keys.................................................................................................................................................87
Boot Sequence..................................................................................................................................................87
System setup options......................................................................................................................................... 88
Clearing CMOS settings.....................................................................................................................................91
Clearing BIOS (System Setup) and System passwords..........................................................................................92
6
Troubleshooting................................................................................................................ 93
Flashing the BIOS..............................................................................................................................................93
Flashing BIOS (USB key)................................................................................................................................... 93
Enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment (ePSA) diagnostics.................................................................................93
Running the ePSA diagnostics......................................................................................................................94
System diagnostic lights.....................................................................................................................................94
Enabling Intel Optane memory.......................................................................................................................... 95
Disabling Intel Optane memory......................................................................................................................... 95
WiFi power cycle.............................................................................................................................................. 95
Flea power release............................................................................................................................................ 96
7
Before working inside your computer
NOTE: The images in this document may dier from your computer depending on the conguration you ordered.
Before you begin
1 Save and close all open les and exit all open applications.
2 Shut down your computer. Click Start → Power → Shut down.
NOTE: If you are using a dierent operating system, see the documentation of your operating system for shut-
down instructions.
3 Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.
4 Disconnect all attached network devices and peripherals, such as keyboard, mouse, and monitor from your computer.
5 Remove any media card and optical disc from your computer, if applicable.
8
After working inside your computer
CAUTION: Leaving stray or loose screws inside your computer may severely damage your computer.
1 Replace all screws and ensure that no stray screws remain inside your computer.
2 Connect any external devices, peripherals, or cables you removed before working on your computer.
3 Replace any media cards, discs, or any other parts that you removed before working on your computer.
4 Connect your computer and all attached devices to their electrical outlets.
5 Turn on your computer.
9
Safety instructions
Use the following safety guidelines to protect your computer from potential damage and ensure your personal safety.
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer. For
more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
WARNING: Disconnect all power sources before opening the computer cover or panels. After you nish working
inside the computer, replace all covers, panels, and screws before connecting to the electrical outlet.
CAUTION: To avoid damaging the computer, ensure that the work surface is at and clean.
CAUTION: To avoid damaging the components and cards, handle them by their edges, and avoid touching pins and
contacts.
CAUTION: You should only perform troubleshooting and repairs as authorized or directed by the Dell technical
assistance team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty. See the
safety instructions that shipped with the product or at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: Before touching anything inside your computer, ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface,
such as the metal at the back of the computer. While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface to
dissipate static electricity, which could harm internal components.
CAUTION: When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its pull tab, not on the cable itself. Some cables
have connectors with locking tabs or thumb-screws that you must disengage before disconnecting the cable. When
disconnecting cables, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. When connecting cables,
ensure that the ports and connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
CAUTION: Press and eject any installed card from the media-card reader.
Electrostatic discharge—ESD protection
ESD is a major concern when you handle electronic components, especially sensitive components such as expansion cards,
processors, memory DIMMs, and system boards. Very slight charges can damage circuits in ways that may not be obvious, such
as intermittent problems or a shortened product life span. As the industry pushes for lower power requirements and increased
density, ESD protection is an increasing concern.
Due to the increased density of semiconductors used in recent Dell products, the sensitivity to static damage is now higher than
in previous Dell products. For this reason, some previously approved methods of handling parts are no longer applicable.
Two recognized types of ESD damage are catastrophic and intermittent failures.
•Catastrophic – Catastrophic failures represent approximately 20 percent of ESD-related failures. The damage causes an
immediate and complete loss of device functionality. An example of catastrophic failure is a memory DIMM that has
received a static shock and immediately generates a "No POST/No Video" symptom with a beep code emitted for missing
or nonfunctional memory.
•Intermittent – Intermittent failures represent approximately 80 percent of ESD-related failures. The high rate of
intermittent failures means that most of the time when damage occurs, it is not immediately recognizable. The DIMM
receives a static shock, but the tracing is merely weakened and does not immediately produce outward symptoms related to
the damage. The weakened trace may take weeks or months to melt, and in the meantime may cause degradation of
memory integrity, intermittent memory errors, etc.
The more dicult type of damage to recognize and troubleshoot is the intermittent (also called latent or "walking wounded")
failure.
Perform the following steps to prevent ESD damage:
• Use a wired ESD wrist strap that is properly grounded. The use of wireless anti-static straps is no longer allowed; they do
not provide adequate protection. Touching the chassis before handling parts does not ensure adequate ESD protection on
parts with increased sensitivity to ESD damage.
• Handle all static-sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use anti-static oor pads and workbench pads.
10
• When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping carton, do not remove the component from the anti-static
packing material until you are ready to install the component. Before unwrapping the anti-static packaging, ensure that you
discharge static electricity from your body.
• Before transporting a static-sensitive component, place it in an anti-static container or packaging.
ESD eld service kit
The unmonitored Field Service kit is the most commonly used service kit. Each Field Service kit includes three main
components: anti-static mat, wrist strap, and bonding wire.
Components of an ESD eld service kit
The components of an ESD eld service kit are:
•Anti-Static Mat – The anti-static mat is dissipative and parts can be placed on it during service procedures. When using an
anti-static mat, your wrist strap should be snug and the bonding wire should be connected to the mat and to any bare metal
on the system being worked on. Once deployed properly, service parts can be removed from the ESD bag and placed
directly on the mat. ESD-sensitive items are safe in your hand, on the ESD mat, in the system, or inside a bag.
•Wrist Strap and Bonding Wire – The wrist strap and bonding wire can be either directly connected between your wrist
and bare metal on the hardware if the ESD mat is not required, or connected to the anti-static mat to protect hardware that
is temporarily placed on the mat. The physical connection of the wrist strap and bonding wire between your skin, the ESD
mat, and the hardware is known as bonding. Use only Field Service kits with a wrist strap, mat, and bonding wire. Never use
wireless wrist straps. Always be aware that the internal wires of a wrist strap are prone to damage from normal wear and
tear, and must be checked regularly with a wrist strap tester in order to avoid accidental ESD hardware damage. It is
recommended to test the wrist strap and bonding wire at least once per week.
•ESD Wrist Strap Tester – The wires inside of an ESD strap are prone to damage over time. When using an unmonitored kit,
it is a best practice to regularly test the strap prior to each service call, and at a minimum, test once per week. A wrist strap
tester is the best method for doing this test. If you do not have your own wrist strap tester, check with your regional oce to
nd out if they have one. To perform the test, plug the wrist-strap's bonding-wire into the tester while it is strapped to your
wrist and push the button to test. A green LED is lit if the test is successful; a red LED is lit and an alarm sounds if the test
fails.
•Insulator Elements – It is critical to keep ESD sensitive devices, such as plastic heat sink casings, away from internal parts
that are insulators and often highly charged.
•Working Environment – Before deploying the ESD Field Service kit, assess the situation at the customer location. For
example, deploying the kit for a server environment is dierent than for a desktop or portable environment. Servers are
typically installed in a rack within a data center; desktops or portables are typically placed on oce desks or cubicles.
Always look for a large open at work area that is free of clutter and large enough to deploy the ESD kit with additional
space to accommodate the type of system that is being repaired. The workspace should also be free of insulators that can
cause an ESD event. On the work area, insulators such as Styrofoam and other plastics should always be moved at least 12
inches or 30 centimeters away from sensitive parts before physically handling any hardware components.
•ESD Packaging – All ESD-sensitive devices must be shipped and received in static-safe packaging. Metal, static-shielded
bags are preferred. However, you should always return the damaged part using the same ESD bag and packaging that the
new part arrived in. The ESD bag should be folded over and taped shut and all the same foam packing material should be
used in the original box that the new part arrived in. ESD-sensitive devices should be removed from packaging only at an
ESD-protected work surface, and parts should never be placed on top of the ESD bag because only the inside of the bag is
shielded. Always place parts in your hand, on the ESD mat, in the system, or inside an anti-static bag.
•Transporting Sensitive Components – When transporting ESD sensitive components such as replacement parts or parts to
be returned to Dell, it is critical to place these parts in anti-static bags for safe transport.
ESD protection summary
It is recommended that all eld service technicians use the traditional wired ESD grounding wrist strap and protective anti-
static mat at all times when servicing Dell products. In addition, it is critical that technicians keep sensitive parts separate from
all insulator parts while performing service and that they use anti-static bags for transporting sensitive components.
11
Transporting sensitive components
When transporting ESD sensitive components such as replacement parts or parts to be returned to Dell, it is critical to place
these parts in anti-static bags for safe transport.
Lifting equipment
Adhere to the following guidelines when lifting heavy weight equipment:
CAUTION: Do not lift greater than 50 pounds. Always obtain additional resources or use a mechanical lifting device.
1 Get a rm balanced footing. Keep your feet apart for a stable base, and point your toes out.
2 Tighten stomach muscles. Abdominal muscles support your spine when you lift, osetting the force of the load.
3 Lift with your legs, not your back.
4 Keep the load close. The closer it is to your spine, the less force it exerts on your back.
5 Keep your back upright, whether lifting or setting down the load. Do not add the weight of your body to the load. Avoid
twisting your body and back.
6 Follow the same techniques in reverse to set the load down.
12
Recommended tools
The procedures in this document may require the following tools:
• Philips screwdriver #1
• Flat-head screwdriver
• Plastic scribe
13
Screw list
NOTE: Screw color may vary with the conguration ordered.
Table 1. Screw list
Component Secured to Screw type Quantity Screw image
Base cover Palm-rest assembly M2.5x10 6
Base cover Palm-rest assembly M2.5x10 2
Battery (Half-length) Palm-rest assembly M2x5 4
Battery (Full-length) Palm-rest assembly M2x5 6
Hard-drive assembly Palm-rest assembly M2x5 4
Heat-sink assembly System board and fan M2x3 5
Heat-sink assembly System board M2x5 1
Wireless-card bracket System board M2x3 1
Solid-state drive bracket Palm-rest assembly M2x3 1
Solid-state drive Solid-state drive bracket M2x2 1
I/O board Palm-rest assembly M2x5 1
Touchpad Palm-rest assembly M2x2.5 4
Hinges Palm-rest assembly M2.5x2.5 2
Power-adapter port System board and palm-
rest assembly
M2x3 1
Power-button board Palm-rest assembly M2x3 3
USB Type-C port
bracket
System board M2x3 1
14
Component Secured to Screw type Quantity Screw image
System board Palm-rest assembly M2x2 5
Keyboard bracket Palm-rest assembly M1.2x2.2 8
Keyboard Palm-rest assembly M1.2x1.9 33
15
Removing the base cover
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Loosen the three captive screws on the base cover.
2 Remove the six screws (M2.5x10) that secure the base cover to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Remove the two screws (M2.5x10) from the back that secure the base cover to the palm-rest assembly.
4 Using a plastic scribe, pry the base cover from the computer base.
16
5 Rotate the base cover from front to back and remove the base cover o the palm-rest assembly.
17
6 Using the pull tab, disconnect the battery cable from the system board.
7 Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds to ground the computer and drain the ea power.
18
Replacing the base cover
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Connect the battery cable to the system board.
19
2 Rotate the cover from back to front and place the base cover on the palm-rest assembly, and snap the base cover into
place.
3 Tighten the captive screws on the base cover.
4 Replace the six screws (M2.5x10)that secure the base cover to the palm-rest assembly.
20
5 Replace the two screws (M2.5x10) in the back that secure the base cover to the palm-rest assembly.
21
Removing the battery (half-length)
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
Remove the base cover.
Procedure
1 Using the pull tab, disconnect the battery cable from the system board (applicable only if not disconnected earlier).
2 Remove the four screws (M2x5) that secure the battery to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Lift the battery o the palm-rest assembly.
22
Replacing the battery (half-length)
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Align the screw holes on the battery with the screw holes on the palm-rest assembly.
2 Replace the four screws (M2x5) that secure the battery to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Connect the battery cable to the system board.
Post-requisites
Replace the base cover.
23
Removing the battery (full-length)
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
Remove the base cover.
Procedure
1 Using the pull tab, disconnect the battery cable from the system board (applicable only if not disconnected earlier).
2 Remove the six screws (M2x5) that secure the battery to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Lift the battery o the palm-rest assembly.
24
Replacing the battery (full-length)
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Align the screw holes on the battery with the screw holes on the palm-rest assembly.
2 Replace the six screws (M2x5) that secure the battery to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Connect the battery cable to the system board.
Post-requisites
Replace the base cover.
25
Removing the hard drive
If your computer is using a SATA storage device accelerated by Intel Optane memory, disable Intel Optane before removing
the SATA storage device. For more information about disabling the Intel Optane, see Disabling Intel Optane.
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: Hard drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the hard drive.
CAUTION: To avoid data loss, do not remove the hard drive while the computer is in sleep or on state.
Prerequisites
Remove the base cover.
Procedure
NOTE: The hard drive is not available on systems shipped with 6-cell (full-length) battery.
1 Using the pull tab, disconnect the hard-drive cable from the system board.
2 Remove the four screws (M2x5) that secure the hard-drive assembly to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Lift the hard-drive assembly along with its cable o the palm-rest assembly.
26
4 Remove the four screws (M3x3) that secure the hard-drive bracket to the hard drive.
5 Lift the hard drive o the hard-drive bracket.
6 Disconnect the interposer from the hard-drive assembly.
27
Replacing the hard drive
Enable Intel Optane after replacing the SATA storage. For more information about enabling the Intel Optane, see Enabling
Intel Optane.
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: Hard drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the hard drive.
Procedure
NOTE: The hard drive is not available on systems shipped with 6-cell (full-length) battery.
1 Connect the interposer to the hard-drive assembly.
2 Place the hard-drive bracket on the hard drive and align the screw holes on the hard-drive bracket with the screw holes on
the hard drive.
28
3 Replace the four screws (M3x3) that secure the hard-drive bracket to the hard drive.
4 Align the screw holes on the hard-drive assembly with the screw holes on the palm-rest assembly.
5 Replace the four screws (M2x5) that secure the hard-drive assembly to the palm-rest assembly.
6 Connect the hard-drive cable to the system board.
29
Removing the memory modules
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
Remove the base cover.
Procedure
1 Locate the memory modules on your computer.
2 Use your ngertips to carefully spread apart the securing-clips on each end of the memory-module slot until the memory
module pops up.
31
3 Remove the memory modules from the memory-module slot.
32
Replacing the memory modules
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Align the notch on the memory module with the tab on the memory-module slot.
2 Slide the memory modules rmly into the slot at an angle.
3 Press the memory module down until it clicks into place.
NOTE: If you do not hear the click, remove the memory module and reinstall it.
Post-requisites
Replace the base cover.
33
Removing the heat-sink assembly
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
WARNING: The heat sink may become hot during normal operation. Allow sucient time for the heat sink to cool
before you touch it.
CAUTION: For maximum cooling of the processor, do not touch the heat transfer areas on the heat sink. The oils in
your skin can reduce the heat transfer capability of the thermal grease.
Prerequisites
Remove the base cover.
Procedure
1 Disconnect the left fan cable from the system board.
2 Disconnect the right fan cable from the system board.
3 Remove the ve screws (M2x3) that secure the heat-sink assembly to the system board.
4 Remove the screw (M2x5) that secure the heat-sink assembly to the system board.
5 In the reverse sequential order (7>6>5>4>3>2>1), loosen the seven captive screws that secure the heat-sink assembly to
the system board.
34
6 Lift the heat-sink assembly o the system board.
35
Replacing the heat-sink assembly
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: Incorrect alignment of the heat sink can damage the system board and processor.
NOTE: If either the system board or the fan and heat-sink assembly is replaced, use the thermal pad provided in the
kit to ensure that thermal conductivity is achieved.
Procedure
1 Place the heat-sink assembly on the system board and align the screw holes on the heat-sink assembly with the screw holes
on the system board.
2 Tighten the captive screws in the sequential order (1>2>3>4>5>6>7) to secure the heat-sink assembly to the system
board.
3 Replace the screw (M2x5) that secure the heat-sink assembly to the system board.
4 Replace the ve screws (M2x3) that secure the heat-sink assembly to the system board.
5 Connect the left fan cable to the system board.
6 Connect the right fan cable to the system board.
36
Removing the wireless card
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
Remove the base cover.
Procedure
1 Locate the wireless card on your computer.
2 Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the wireless-card bracket to the system board.
3 Slide and remove the wireless-card bracket from the wireless card.
4 Slide and remove the wireless card from the wireless-card slot.
38
5 Disconnect the antenna cables from the wireless card.
39
Replacing the wireless card
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
CAUTION: To avoid damage to the wireless card, do not place any cables under it.
1 Connect the antenna cables to the wireless card.
The following table provides the antenna-cable color scheme for the wireless card supported by your computer.
Table 2. Antenna-cable color scheme
Connectors on the wireless card Antenna-cable color
Main (white triangle) White
Auxiliary (black triangle) Black
2 Slide and replace the wireless-card bracket on the wireless-card.
3 Align the notch on the wireless card with the tab on the wireless-card slot and insert the wireless card at an angle into the
wireless-card slot.
4 Replace the screw (M2x3) that secures the wireless-card bracket to the wireless card and the palm rest and keyboard
assembly.
40
Removing the solid-state drive/Intel Optane memory
module
You need to disable the Intel Optane memory before removing Intel Optane memory module from your computer. For more
information about disabling the Intel Optane memory, see Disabling Intel Optane memory.
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Locate the solid-state drive you want to remove.
1 M.2 solid-state drive slot 2 for 2230/2280 solid-
state drive 2 M.2 solid-state drive slot 1 for 2280 solid-state
drive
42
Procedure to remove 2230 solid-state drive
1 Locate the solid-state drive on the system board.
2 Peel the thermal pad from the solid-drive state bracket, if applicable.
3 Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures solid-state drive bracket to the palm-rest assembly.
4 Slide and remove the solid-state drive along with the bracket from the solid-state drive slot on the system board.
5 Remove the screw (M1.6x2) that secures solid-state drive to the solid-state drive bracket.
43
6 Peel the solid-state drive o the solid-state drive bracket.
44
Procedure to remove 2280 solid-state drive
1 Remove the two screws (M2x3) that secure the solid-state drive bracket to the palm-rest assembly.
2 Remove the screw (M2x2) that secures solid-state drive to the solid-state drive bracket.
3 Slide the solid-state drive o the solid-state drive bracket.
45
Replacing the solid-state drive/Intel Optane memory
module
Enable the Intel Optane memory after you replace the Intel Optane memory module. For more information about enabling the
Intel Optane memory, see Enabling Intel Optane memory.
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: Solid-state drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the solid-state drive.
Procedure to replace 2230 solid-state drive
1 Adhere the solid-state drive to the solid-state drive bracket.
2 Replace the screw (M1.6x2) that secures solid-state drive to the solid-state drive bracket.
3 Align the notch on the solid-state drive/Intel Optane with the tab on the slot.
4 Slide the solid-state drive/Intel Optane into the slot.
46
5 Replace the screw (M2x3) that secures solid-state drive bracket to the palm-rest assembly.
6 Adhere the thermal pad on the solid-drive state bracket, if applicable.
Procedure to replace 2280 solid-state drive
1 Align the notch on the solid-state drive/Intel Optane with the tab on the slot.
2 Slide the solid-state drive/Intel Optane into the slot.
47
3 Replace the screw (M2x3) that secures solid-state drive bracket to the palm-rest assembly.
4 Align the screw hole of the solid-state drive bracket with the screw hole on the palm-rest assembly and replace the two
screws (M2x3) that secure the solid-state drive bracket to the palm-rest assembly.
48
Removing the I/O board
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
Remove the base cover.
Procedure
1 Peel the tape that secures the I/O-board cable to the I/O board.
2 Open the latch and disconnect the I/O-board cable from the I/O board.
3 Remove the screw (M2x5) that secures the I/O board to the palm-rest assembly.
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4 Lift the I/O board o the palm-rest assembly.
51
Replacing the I/O board
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Align the USB ports on the I/O board with the slots on the palm-rest assembly.
2 Align the screw hole on the I/O board with the screw hole on the palm-rest assembly and replace the screw (M2x5) that
secures the I/O board to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Connect the I/O-board cable to the connector on the I/O board and close the latch to secure the cable.
52
Removing the coin-cell battery
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: Removing the coin-cell battery resets the BIOS setup program’s settings to default. It is recommended
that you note the BIOS setup program’s settings before removing the coin-cell battery.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the solid-state drive/Intel Optane.
3 Remove the I/O board.
Procedure
1 Disconnect the coin-cell battery from the system board.
2 Peel the tape that secures the coin-cell battery cable to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Peel the coin-cell battery o the palm-rest assembly.
54
Replacing the coin-cell battery
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Adhere the coin-cell battery to the palm-rest assembly.
2 Adhere the tape that secures the coin-cell battery to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Connect the battery cable to the system board.
Post-requisites
1 Replace the I/O board.
2 Replace the solid-state drive/Intel Optane.
3 Replace the base cover.
55
Removing the touchpad
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the battery (half-length) or the battery (full-length), whichever applicable.
Procedure
1 Open the latch and disconnect the touchpad cable from the system board.
2 Remove the four screws (M2x2.5) that secure the touchpad to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Slide the touchpad along with its cable at an angle and lift the touchpad o the palm-rest assembly.
56
Replacing the touchpad
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Slide and place the touchpad into the slot on the palm-rest assembly. Ensure that the touchpad is aligned with the guides
available on the palm-rest assembly, and the gap on either sides of the touchpad is equal.
2 Replace the four screws (M2x2.5) that secure the touchpad to the palm-rest assembly.
NOTE: Turn the computer over and open the display. Ensure that the touchpad is equally aligned along all four
sides.
57
Removing the speakers
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the battery (half-length) or the battery (full-length), whichever applicable.
3 Follow the procedure from step 1 to step 3 in Removing the hard drive.
4 Remove the I/O board.
5 Remove the system board.
Procedure
1 Disconnect the speaker cable from the system board.
2 Note the speaker cable routing and remove it from the routing guides on palm-rest assembly.
3 Lift the speakers, along with the cable, o the palm-rest assembly.
59
Replacing the speakers
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
NOTE: If the rubber grommets are pushed out of the speakers when removing the speakers, push them back in place
before replacing the speakers.
1 Using the alignment posts and rubber grommets, place the speakers in the slots on the palm-rest assembly.
2 Route the speaker cable through the routing guides on the palm-rest assembly.
3 Connect the speaker cable to the system board.
Post-requisites
1 Replace the system board.
2 Replace the I/O board.
3 Follow the procedure from step 4 to step 6 in Replacing the hard drive.
4 Replace the battery (half-length) or the battery (full-length), whichever applicable.
5 Replace the base cover.
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Removing the power-adapter port
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the heat-sink assembly.
Procedure
1 Disconnect the power-adapter port cable from the system board.
2 Peel the tape that secures the power-adapter port cable to the system board.
3 Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the power-adapter port bracket to the system board and palm-rest assembly.
4 Rotate the power-adapter port bracket o the power-adapter port.
5 Lift the power-adapter port along with its cable o the palm-rest assembly.
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Replacing the power-adapter port
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Connect the power-adapter port cable to the system board.
2 Adhere the tape that secures the power-adapter port cable to the system board.
3 Place the power-adapter port into the slot, and adhere the power-adapter port on the palm-rest assembly.
4 Clip and rotate the power-adapter port bracket onto the power-adapter port.
5 Replace the screw (M2x3) that secures the power-adapter port bracket to the system board and palm-rest assembly.
Post-requisites
1 Replace the heat-sink assembly.
2 Replace the base cover.
62
Removing the display assembly
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the wireless card.
3 Remove the power-adapter port.
Procedure
1 Peel the tape that secures the camera cable to the system board and disconnect the camera cable.
2 Peel the tape that secures the display cable to the system board.
3 Open the latch and disconnect the display cable from the system board.
4 Open the display at an angle of 90 degrees.
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5 Remove the two screws (M2.5x2.5) that secures the hinges to the palm-rest assembly.
64
6 Rotate the display assembly inward and lift up and away from the palm-rest assembly.
65
Replacing the display assembly
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Open the hinges to 90 degree and place the display assembly on the palm-rest assembly by rotating outward.
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2 Replace the two screws (M2.5x2.5) that secures the hinges to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Close the display and turn the computer over.
4 Slide the display cable into the connector on the system board and close the latch to secure the cable.
5 Adhere the tape that secures the display cable to the system board.
67
Removing the system board
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
NOTE: Your computer’s Service Tag is stored in the system board. You must enter the Service Tag in the BIOS setup
program after you replace the system board.
NOTE: Replacing the system board removes any changes you have made to the BIOS using the BIOS setup program.
You must make the appropriate changes again after you replace the system board.
NOTE: Before disconnecting the cables from the system board, note the location of the connectors so that you can
reconnect the cables correctly after you replace the system board.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the battery (half-length) or the battery (full-length), whichever applicable.
3 Follow the procedure from step 1 to step 3 in Removing the hard drive.
4 Remove the memory modules.
5 Remove the wireless card.
6 Remove the solid-state drive/Intel Optane.
7 Remove the heat-sink assembly.
8 Remove the power-adapter port.
Procedure
1 Remove the two screws (M2x3) that secure the USB Type-C port bracket to the system board.
2 Lift the USB Type-C port bracket from the system board.
3 Peel the tape that secures the display cable to the system board.
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4 Open the latch and disconnect the display cable from the system board.
5 Disconnect the speaker cable from the system board.
6 Open the latch and disconnect the keyboard cable from the system board.
7 Open the latch and disconnect the touchpad cable from the system board.
8 Open the latch and disconnect the keyboard back-light cable from the system board.
9 Disconnect the coin-cell battery from the system board.
10 Disconnect the camera cable from the system board.
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11 Disconnect the power-button cable from the system board.
12 Remove the ve screws (M2x2) that secure the system board to palm-rest assembly.
71
13 Lift the system board o the palm-rest assembly.
72
Replacing the system board
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
NOTE: Your computer’s Service Tag is stored in the system board. You must enter the Service Tag in the BIOS setup
program after you replace the system board.
NOTE: Replacing the system board removes any changes you have made to the BIOS using the BIOS setup program.
You must make the appropriate changes again after you replace the system board.
Procedure
1 Align the screw hole on the system board with the screw hole on the palm-rest assembly.
2 Replace the ve screws (M2x2) that secure the system board to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Connect the power-button cable to the system board.
4 Connect the camera cable to the system board and close the latch to secure the cable.
5 Connect the coin-cell battery to the system board.
6 Connect the keyboard back-light cable to the system board and close the latch to secure the cable.
7 Connect the touchpad cable to the system board and close the latch to secure the cable.
8 Connect the keyboard cable to the system board and close the latch to secure the cable.
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9 Connect the speaker cable to the system board.
10 Connect the display cable and close the latch to secure the cable.
11 Adhere the tape that secures the display cable to the system board.
12 Align the screw holes of the USB Type-C port bracket with the screw holes on the system board.
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13 Replace the two screws (M2x3) that secure the USB Type-C port bracket to the system board.
Post-requisites
1 Replace the power-adapter port.
2 Replace the heat-sink assembly.
3 Replace the solid-state drive/Intel Optane.
4 Replace the wireless card.
5 Replace the memory modules.
6 Follow the procedure from step 4 to step 6 in Replacing the hard drive.
7 Replace the battery (half-length) or the battery (full-length), whichever applicable.
8 Replace the base cover.
Entering the Service Tag in the BIOS setup program
1 Turn on or restart your computer.
2 Press F2 when the Dell logo is displayed to enter the BIOS setup program.
3 Navigate to the Main tab and enter the Service Tag in the Service Tag Input eld.
NOTE: Service tag is the alphanumeric identier located at the back side of your computer.
75
Removing the power-button board
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the battery (half-length) or the battery (full-length), whichever applicable.
3 Follow the procedure from step 1 to step 3 in Removing the hard drive.
4 Remove the wireless card.
5 Remove the heat-sink assembly.
6 Remove the solid-state drive/Intel Optane.
7 Remove the power-adapter port.
8 Remove the system board.
Procedure
1 Peel the Mylar that covers the power-button board to the palm-rest assembly.
2 Remove the three screws (M2x3) that secure the power-button board to palm-rest assembly.
3 Lift the power-button board o the palm-rest assembly.
76
Replacing the power-button board
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Align the screw holes on the power-button board with the screw holes on the palm-rest assembly.
2 Replace the three screws (M2x3) that secure the power-button board to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Adhere the Mylar that covers the power-button board to the palm-rest assembly.
Post-requisites
1 Replace the system board.
2 Replace the power-adapter port.
3 Replace the solid-state drive/Intel Optane.
4 Replace the heat-sink assembly.
5 Replace the wireless card.
6 Follow the procedure from step 4 to step 6 in Replacing the hard drive.
7 Replace the battery (half-length) or the battery (full-length), whichever applicable.
8 Replace the base cover.
77
Removing the keyboard
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the battery (half-length) or the battery (full-length), whichever applicable.
3 Follow the procedure from step 1 to step 3 in Removing the hard drive.
4 Remove the wireless card.
5 Remove the heat-sink assembly.
6 Remove the I/O board.
7 Remove the solid-state drive/Intel Optane.
8 Remove the coin-cell battery.
9 Remove the power-adapter port.
10 Remove the system board.
Procedure
1 Remove the eight screws (M1.2x2.2) that secure the keyboard bracket to the palm-rest assembly.
2 Remove the 33 screws (M1.2x1.9) that secure the keyboard to the palm-rest assembly.
78
3 Lift the keyboard o the palm-rest assembly.
79
Replacing the keyboard
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Align the screw holes on the keyboard with the screw holes on the palm-rest assembly.
2 Replace the 33 screws (M1.2x1.9) that secure the keyboard to the palm-rest assembly.
3 Replace the eight screws (M1.2x2.2) that secure the keyboard bracket to the palm-rest assembly.
Post-requisites
1 Replace the system board.
2 Replace the power-adapter port.
3 Replace the coin-cell battery.
4 Replace the solid-state drive/Intel Optane.
5 Replace the I/O board.
6 Replace the heat-sink assembly.
7 Replace the wireless card.
8 Follow the procedure from step 4 to step 6 in Replacing the hard drive.
80
Removing the palm rest
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the battery (half-length) or the battery (full-length), whichever applicable.
3 Follow the procedure from step 1 to step 3 in Removing the hard drive.
4 Remove the solid-state drive/Intel Optane.
5 Remove the I/O board.
6 Remove the coin-cell battery.
7 Remove the wireless card.
8 Remove the heat-sink assembly.
9 Remove the speakers.
10 Remove the touchpad.
11 Remove the power-adapter port.
12 Remove the display assembly.
13 Remove the system board.
14 Remove the power-button board.
15 Remove the keyboard.
Procedure
After performing the steps in the pre-requisites, we are left with the palm rest.
82
83
Replacing the palm rest
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
Place the palm rest on a at surface.
Post-requisites
1 Replace the keyboard.
2 Replace the power-button board.
3 Replace the system board.
4 Replace the display assembly.
5 Replace the power-adapter port.
6 Replace the touchpad.
7 Replace the speakers.
8 Replace the heat-sink assembly.
9 Replace the wireless card.
10 Replace the coin-cell battery.
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Device drivers
Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility
In the Device Manager, check if the chipset driver is installed.
Install the Intel chipset updates from www.dell.com/support.
Video drivers
In the Device Manager, check if the video driver is installed.
Install the video driver update from www.dell.com/support.
Intel Serial IO driver
In the Device Manager, check if the Intel Serial IO driver is installed.
Install the driver updates from www.dell.com/support.
Intel Trusted Execution Engine Interface
In the Device Manager, check if the Intel Trusted Execution Engine Interface driver is installed.
Install the driver update from www.dell.com/support.
Intel Virtual Button driver
In the Device Manager, check if the Intel Virtual Button driver is installed.
Install the driver updates from www.dell.com/support.
Wireless and Bluetooth drivers
In the Device Manager, check if the network card driver is installed.
Install the driver updates from www.dell.com/support.
In the Device Manager, check if the Bluetooth driver is installed.
Install the driver updates from www.dell.com/support.
86
System setup
NOTE: Depending on the computer and its installed devices, the items listed in this section may or may not be
displayed.
BIOS overview
CAUTION: Unless you are an expert computer user, do not change the settings in the BIOS Setup program. Certain
changes can make your computer work incorrectly.
NOTE: Before you change BIOS Setup program, it is recommended that you write down the BIOS Setup program
screen information for future reference.
Use the BIOS Setup program for the following purposes:
• Get information about the hardware installed in your computer, such as the amount of RAM and the size of the hard drive.
• Change the system conguration information.
• Set or change a user-selectable option, such as the user password, type of hard drive installed, and enabling or disabling
base devices.
Entering BIOS setup program
1 Turn on (or restart) your computer.
2 During POST, when the DELL logo is displayed, watch for the F2 prompt to appear, and then press F2 immediately.
NOTE: The F2 prompt indicates that the keyboard is initialized. This prompt can appear very quickly, so you
must watch for it, and then press F2. If you press F2 before the F2 prompt, this keystroke is lost. If you wait too
long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the desktop. Then, turn o your
computer and try again.
Navigation keys
NOTE: For most of the System Setup options, changes that you make are recorded but do not take eect until you
restart the system.
Keys Navigation
Up arrow Moves to the previous eld.
Down arrow Moves to the next eld.
Enter Selects a value in the selected eld (if applicable) or follow the link in the eld.
Spacebar Expands or collapses a drop-down list, if applicable.
Tab Moves to the next focus area.
NOTE: For the standard graphics browser only.
Esc Moves to the previous page until you view the main screen. Pressing Esc in the main screen displays a
message that prompts you to save any unsaved changes and restarts the system.
Boot Sequence
Boot Sequence allows you to bypass the System Setup–dened boot device order and boot directly to a specic device (for
example: optical drive or hard drive). During the Power-on Self Test (POST), when the Dell logo appears, you can:
87
• Access System Setup by pressing F2 key
• Bring up the one-time boot menu by pressing F12 key
The one-time boot menu displays the devices that you can boot from including the diagnostic option. The boot menu options
are:
• Removable Drive (if available)
• STXXXX Drive
NOTE: XXX denotes the SATA drive number.
• Optical Drive (if available)
• SATA Hard Drive (if available)
• Diagnostics
NOTE: Choosing Diagnostics, will display the ePSA diagnostics screen.
The boot sequence screen also displays the option to access the System Setup screen.
System setup options
NOTE: Depending on your computer and its installed devices, the items listed in this section may or may not appear.
Table 3. System setup options—Main menu
Main
System Time Displays the current time in hh:mm:ss format.
System Date Displays the current date in mm/dd/yyyy format.
BIOS Version Displays the BIOS version.
Product Name Displays the model number of your computer.
Service Tag Displays the service tag of your computer.
Asset Tag Displays the asset tag of your computer.
CPU Type Displays the processor type.
CPU Speed Displays the processor speed.
CPU ID Displays the processor identication code.
CPU L1 Cache Displays the processor L1 cache size.
CPU L2 Cache Displays the processor L2 cache size.
CPU L3 Cache Displays the processor L3 cache size.
Integrated Graphics Displays the integrated graphics.
Discrete Graphics 1 Displays the rst discrete graphics installed on your
computer.
Discrete Graphics 1 Displays the second discrete graphics installed on your
computer.
First HDD Displays the type of hard drive installed.
M.2 PCIe SSD-1 Displays the type of primary SSD installed.
AC Adapter Type Displays the AC adapter type.
System Memory Displays the system memory information.
Memory Speed Displays the memory speed information.
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Table 4. System setup options—Advanced menu
Advanced
Intel(R) SpeedStep(TM) Enables you to enable or disable Intel Speedstep
Technology.
Default: Enabled
NOTE: If enabled, the processor clock speed and core
voltage are adjusted dynamically based on the
processor load.
Integrated NIC Enables you to enable or disable the on-board LAN
controller.
Default: Enabled
USB Emulation Enables you to enable or disable the USB emulation feature.
This feature denes how the BIOS, in the absence of a USB-
aware operating system, handles USB devices. USB
emulation is always enabled during POST.
Default: Enabled
NOTE: You cannot boot any type of USB device
(oppy, hard drive, or memory key) when this option
is o.
USB Powershare Enables you to charge USB devices when the computer is
turned o or in standby mode.
Default: Enabled
USB Wake Support Enables you to enable the USB devices to wake the
computer from Standby.
Default: Disabled
NOTE: If USB PowerShare is enabled, a device
connected to the USB PowerShare connector may not
wake the computer.
Sleep Mode Enable or disable sleep mode.
Intel Speed Shift Technology Enable/disable Intel Speed Shift Technology support.
Setting this option to enable to allows the operating system
to select the appropriate processor performance
automatically.
Default: Enabled
SATA Operation Enables you to congure the operating mode of the
integrated SATA hard drive controller.
Default: AHCI
Adapter Warnings Ebales you to choose if the computer should display warning
messages when you use AC adapters that are not supported
by your computer.
Default: Enabled
Function Key Behavior Enables you to set function key or multimedia key as the
default function key behavior.
Default: Function key
Express Charge Enables you to charge your computer battery using
Standard Charge or Express Charge mode.
Default: Express Charge
Battery Health Displays the battery health.
Intel(R) Software Guard Extensions Enable or disable Intel Software Guard Extensions.
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Advanced
Default: Software Controlled
Intel(R) Software Guard Extensions allocated memory
size
Displays the allocated memory size for Intel Software Guard
Extensions.
BIOS Recovery from Hard Drive Enable the user to recover from certain corrupted BIOS
conditions from a recovery le on the user primary hard
drive
Default: Enabled
BIOS Auto-Recovery Enable or disable BIOS Auto-Recovery.
Default: Disabled
SupportAssist System Resolution
Auto OS Recovery Threshold Control the automatic boot ow for SupportAssist System
Resolution Console and for Dell OS Recovery tool.
Default: 2
SupportAssist OS Recovery Enable or disable SupportAssist OS recovery.
Default: Enabled
Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology
Non-RAID Physical Disks Displays the disk using the Intel(R) Rapid Storage
Technology.
Table 5. System setup options—Security menu
Security
Unlock Setup Status Displays if the setup status is unlocked.
Admin Password Status Displays if the administrator password is clear or set.
Default: Not set
System Password Status Displays if the system password is clear or set.
Default: Not set
HDD Password Status Displays if the HDD password is clear or set.
Default: Not set
Admin Password Enables you to set the administrator password. The
administrator password controls access to the system setup
utility.
System Password Enables you to set the system password. The system
password controls access to the computer at boot.
HDD password Enables you to set, change or delete the hard-disk drive
password.
Password Change Enables you to permit or deny system password or HDD
password changes.
Default: Permitted
Computrace Enable or disable the BIOS module interface of the
optional Computrace Service from Absolute Software.
Default: Activate
Firmware TPM Enables you to enable or disable the rmware TPM
function.
Default: Enabled
PPI Bypass for Clear Command Enables you to control the TPM Physical Presence Interface
(PPI). When enabled, this setting will allow the OS to skip
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Security
BIOS PPI user prompts when issuing the Clear command.
Changes to this setting take eect immediately.
Default: Enabled
UEFI Capsule Firmware Updates Enable or disable BIOS updates through UEFI capsule
update packages.
Default: Enabled
Table 6. System setup options—Boot menu
Boot
Boot List Option Displays the available boot options.
Default: UEFI
File Browser Add Boot Option Enables you to add the boot options.
File Browser Del Boot Option Enables you to delete the boot options
Secure Boot Enable or disable the secure boot feature.
Default: Disabled
Legacy Option ROMs Enable or disable the Legacy Option ROMs.
Default: Disabled
Attempt Legacy Boot Enable or disable Attempt Legacy Boot.
Default: Disabled
Boot Option Priorities Displays the boot sequence.
Boot Option #1 Displays the available rst boot option.
Boot Option #2 Displays the available second boot option.
Boot Option #3 Displays the available third boot option.
Table 7. System setup options—Exit menu
Exit
Save Changes and Reset Allows you to exit system setup and save your changes.
Discard Changes and Reset Allows you to exit system setup and load previous values for
all system setup options.
Restore Defaults Allows you to restore default values for all system setup
options.
Discard Changes Allows you to load previous values for all system setup
options.
Save Changes Allows you to save the changes for all system setup options.
Clearing CMOS settings
CAUTION: Clearing CMOS settings will reset the BIOS settings on your computer.
1 Remove the base cover.
2 Disconnect the battery cable from the system board.
3 Remove the coin-cell battery.
4 Wait for one minute.
5 Replace the coin-cell battery.
6 Connect the battery cable to the system board.
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7 Replace the base cover.
Clearing BIOS (System Setup) and System passwords
To clear the system or BIOS passwords, contact Dell technical support as described at www.dell.com/contactdell.
NOTE: For information on how to reset Windows or application passwords, refer to the documentation
accompanying Windows or your application.
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Troubleshooting
Flashing the BIOS
You may need to ash (update) the BIOS when an update is available or when you replace the system board.
Follow these steps to ash the BIOS:
1 Turn on your computer.
2 Go to www.dell.com/support.
3 Click Product support, enter the Service Tag of your computer, and then click Submit.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag, use the auto-detect feature or manually browse for your computer
model.
4 Click Drivers & downloads → Find it myself.
5 Select the operating system installed on your computer.
6 Scroll down the page and expand BIOS.
7 Click Download to download the latest version of the BIOS for your computer.
8 After the download is complete, navigate to the folder where you saved the BIOS update le.
9 Double-click the BIOS update le icon and follow the instructions on the screen.
Flashing BIOS (USB key)
1 Follow the procedure from step 1 to step 7 in "Flashing the BIOS" to download the latest BIOS setup program le.
2 Create a bootable USB drive. For more information see the knowledge base article SLN143196 at www.dell.com/support.
3 Copy the BIOS setup program le to the bootable USB drive.
4 Connect the bootable USB drive to the computer that needs the BIOS update.
5 Restart the computer and press F12 when the Dell logo is displayed on the screen.
6 Boot to the USB drive from the One Time Boot Menu.
7 Type the BIOS setup program lename and press Enter.
8 The BIOS Update Utility appears. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the BIOS update.
Enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment (ePSA) diagnostics
CAUTION: Use the ePSA diagnostics to test only your computer. Using this program with other computers may
cause invalid results or error messages.
The ePSA diagnostics (also known as system diagnostics) performs a complete check of your hardware. The ePSA is embedded
with the BIOS and is launched by the BIOS internally. The embedded system diagnostics provides a set of options for particular
devices or device groups allowing you to:
• Run tests automatically or in an interactive mode
• Repeat tests
• Display or save test results
• Run thorough tests to introduce additional test options to provide extra information about the failed device(s)
• View status messages that inform you if tests are completed successfully
• View error messages that inform you of problems encountered during testing
NOTE: Some tests for specic devices require user interaction. Always ensure that you are present at the computer
terminal when the diagnostic tests are performed.
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Running the ePSA diagnostics
1 Turn on your computer.
2 As the computer boots, press the F12 key as the Dell logo appears.
3 On the boot menu screen, select the Diagnostics option.
4 Click the arrow at the bottom left corner.
Diagnostics front page is displayed.
5 Click the arrow in the lower-right corner to go to the page listing.
The items detected are listed.
6 To run a diagnostic test on a specic device, press Esc and click Yes to stop the diagnostic test.
7 Select the device from the left pane and click Run Tests.
8 If there are any issues, error codes are displayed.
Note the error code and validation number and contact Dell.
System diagnostic lights
Power and battery-status light
Indicates the power and battery-charge status
Solid white — Power adapter is connected and the battery has more than 5 percent charge.
Amber — Computer is running on battery and the battery has less than 5 percent charge.
O
• Power adapter is connected and the battery is fully charged.
• Computer is running on battery and the battery has more than 5 percent charge.
• Computer is in sleep state, hibernation, or turned o
The power and battery-status light blinks amber along with beep codes indicating failures.
For example, the power and battery-status light blinks amber two times followed by a pause, and then blinks white three times
followed by a pause. This 2,3 pattern continues until the computer is turned o indicating no memory or RAM is detected.
The following table shows dierent light patterns and describes what they indicate.
Table 8. Diagnostics
Light pattern Problem description
2,1 CPU failure
2,2 System board: BIOS and ROM failure
2,3 No memory or RAM detected
2,4 Memory or RAM failure
2,5 Invalid memory installed
2,6 System board or chipset error
2,7 LCD failure
3,1 CMOS battery failure
3,2 PCI or video card or chip failure
3,3 Recovery image not found
3,4 Recovery image found but invalid
Camera status light: Indicates whether the camera is in use.
• Solid white — Camera is in use.
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•O — Camera is not in use.
Caps Lock status light: Indicates whether Caps Lock is enabled or disabled.
• Solid white — Caps Lock enabled.
•O — Caps Lock disabled.
Enabling Intel Optane memory
1 On the taskbar, click the search box, and then type Intel Rapid Storage Technology.
2 Click Intel Rapid Storage Technology.
The Intel Rapid Storage Technology window is displayed.
3 On the Status tab, click Enable to enable the Intel Optane memory.
4 On the warning screen, select a compatible fast drive, and then click Yes to continue enabling Intel Optane memory.
5 Click Intel Optane memory → Reboot to complete enabling your Intel Optane memory.
NOTE: Applications may take up to three subsequent launches after enablement to see the full performance
benets.
Disabling Intel Optane memory
CAUTION: After disabling Intel Optane memory, do not uninstall the driver for Intel Rapid Storage Technology as it
will result in a blue screen error. The Intel Rapid Storage Technology user interface can be removed without
uninstalling the driver.
NOTE: Disabling Intel Optane memory is required before removing the SATA storage device accelerated by the Intel
Optane memory module from the computer.
1 On the taskbar, click the search box, and then type Intel Rapid Storage Technology.
2 Click Intel Rapid Storage Technology.
The Intel Rapid Storage Technology window is displayed.
3 On the Intel Optane memory tab, click Disable to disable the Intel Optane memory.
NOTE: For computers in which Intel Optane memory acts as a primary storage, do not disable the Intel Optane
memory. The Disable option will be grayed out.
4 Click Yes if you accept the warning.
The disabling progress is displayed.
5 Click Reboot to complete disabling your Intel Optane memory and restart your computer.
WiFi power cycle
If your computer is unable to access the internet due to WiFi connectivity issues a WiFi power cycle procedure may be
performed. The following procedure provides the instructions on how to conduct a WiFi power cycle:
NOTE: Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) provide a modem/router combo device.
1 Turn o your computer.
2 Turn o the modem.
3 Turn o the wireless router.
4 Wait for 30 seconds.
5 Turn on the wireless router.
6 Turn on the modem.
7 Turn on your computer.
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Flea power release
Flea power is the residual static electricity that remains on the computer even after it has been powered o and the battery has
been removed. The following procedure provides the instructions on how to conduct ea power release:
1 Turn o your computer.
2 Disconnect the power adapter from your computer.
3 Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds to drain the ea power.
4 Connect the power adapter to your computer.
5 Turn on your computer.
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