Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

11

Time Required

                          15 - 30 minutes

Sections

4

  • Battery
  • 2 steps
  • DVD±RW Drive
  • 2 steps
  • Keyboard
  • 3 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 4 steps

Flags

1

Bullets!

Better coordination with markups and the color/type of bullets will help make this guide more clear!

  • BackHP TouchSmart 15-r015dx

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

Before beginning, try and back up your hard drive if possible. Failure to back up the computer could result in loss of files.

Follow this link for steps to back up your computer:

++https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help…

After backing up your computer make sure to power off your device completely after and disconnect from any external power source. Failure to do so could result in more damage to the computer.

What you need

Step 1

              Battery
  • Turn off your laptop.
  • Ensure your laptop is off. Removing the battery while it is on may harm your laptop or yourself.
  • Flip over to view the bottom of the laptop in order to gain access the battery and the DVD±RW Drive.

Turn off your laptop.

Ensure your laptop is off. Removing the battery while it is on may harm your laptop or yourself.

Flip over to view the bottom of the laptop in order to gain access the battery and the DVD±RW Drive.

1024

Step 2

  • There are two battery release switches circled, slide both switches inward to release and remove the battery.

There are two battery release switches circled, slide both switches inward to release and remove the battery.

Step 3

              DVD±RW Drive
  • There is one screw holding the DVD±RW Drive in place. Use the #00 screwdriver to remove the screw.

There is one screw holding the DVD±RW Drive in place. Use the #00 screwdriver to remove the screw.

Step 4

  • The DVD±RW Drive is here. Remove by gently pulling it straight out.
  • After removal of the DVD±RW Drive, two screws are exposed and must be removed.

The DVD±RW Drive is here. Remove by gently pulling it straight out.

After removal of the DVD±RW Drive, two screws are exposed and must be removed.

Step 5

              Keyboard
  • Using your Phillips #00 screwdriver, remove the two screws to loosen the fittings of the keyboard.
  • One of the screws lies in the label.

Using your Phillips #00 screwdriver, remove the two screws to loosen the fittings of the keyboard.

One of the screws lies in the label.

Step 6

  • Flip the laptop over to view the top and lift the screen up.
  • There are sixteen clips holding the keyboard in place. Gently pry up each clip using a plastic opening tool. Once all clips are loose, lift the keyboard from the computer.
  • Do NOT pull the keyboard up more than 2-3 inches as there is a film-material connecting the keyboard to the laptop.

Flip the laptop over to view the top and lift the screen up.

There are sixteen clips holding the keyboard in place. Gently pry up each clip using a plastic opening tool. Once all clips are loose, lift the keyboard from the computer.

Do NOT pull the keyboard up more than 2-3 inches as there is a film-material connecting the keyboard to the laptop.

Step 7

  • There is a small black latch holding the film-material in place.
  • Flip the black latch up to release the film-material. Once flipped up, simply pull the film-material out from the laptop to release the keyboard.
  • There are tiny prongs on the ribbon; it must be carefully removed and upon re-installation the prongs must be lined up exactly in each tiny track in order for the keyboard to work.

There is a small black latch holding the film-material in place.

Flip the black latch up to release the film-material. Once flipped up, simply pull the film-material out from the laptop to release the keyboard.

There are tiny prongs on the ribbon; it must be carefully removed and upon re-installation the prongs must be lined up exactly in each tiny track in order for the keyboard to work.

Step 8

              Hard Drive
  • Flip the laptop over to view the bottom and remove the remaining screws from the bottom.
  • There are 2 screws located underneath the covers.

Flip the laptop over to view the bottom and remove the remaining screws from the bottom.

There are 2 screws located underneath the covers.

Step 9

  • Flip your laptop over to view top and open it.
  • Remove the four screws and the two wires before removing the base of the laptop.
  • The metal prongs that wires fit onto stay attached to the computer and can be easily bent when trying to remove or place the plastic piece on to secure the wire. Also pay attention to how the plastic piece looks when you take them off (i.e. which side is up and facing out).

Flip your laptop over to view top and open it.

Remove the four screws and the two wires before removing the base of the laptop.

The metal prongs that wires fit onto stay attached to the computer and can be easily bent when trying to remove or place the plastic piece on to secure the wire. Also pay attention to how the plastic piece looks when you take them off (i.e. which side is up and facing out).

Step 10

  • Use your plastic opening tool to pry the base of the laptop off.

Use your plastic opening tool to pry the base of the laptop off.

Step 11

  • There are two screws holding the hard drive in place. Remove these screws.
  • Remove the hard drive by pulling it to the right like shown.

There are two screws holding the hard drive in place. Remove these screws.

Remove the hard drive by pulling it to the right like shown.

To reassemble your device and complete the hard drive replacement, please follow these instructions in reverse order.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      37 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 6 other contributors 


                    Jacob Kleinsorge

Member since: 01/30/2015

2,093 Reputation

                                      5 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       18







                                                        +15 more badges

Team

                       USF Tampa, Team 16-4, Watkins Winter 2015                        

                                                  Member of USF Tampa, Team 16-4, Watkins Winter 2015 



                    USFT-WATKINS-W15S16G4                     


                                            4 Members                     


                                            6 Guides authored

nullisland - Oct 26, 2015

Reply

Two things to add:

  1. The two screws hidden under the DVD drive on the edge of the case must be removed.

  2. It’s easier to unlatch the ribbons for the keyboard, trackpad, and power button than it is to try and work around them. There are holes in the laptop base right over the ribbon connectors, so it’s easy to re-connect them.

Anonnymuz example - Mar 22, 2016

Reply

I don’t have the screws that hold the hard drive in place. Is there any way to get them seperatly?

MitW - Nov 9, 2021

Reply

This thing is impossible to take apart I swear to god. I ended up just ripping it apart to remove the HDD and screen.