Taking apart Acer Aspire 5517 laptop

 

In this guide I’ll be taking apart an Acer Aspire 5517 laptop.
I’ll show hot to remove hard drive, memory, DVD drive, wireless card and keyboard.
Most likely this guide will work for some other Acer Aspire laptops. If it works for you, please mention the laptop model number in comments below.
Before you start, make sure the laptop is turned off and battery removed.
STEP 1.
Laptop memory and hard drive can be easily accessed thought covers on the bottom of the laptop.
Remove screws and remove both covers.

STEP 2.
In order to disconnect the hard drive from the motherboard, slide it to the shown direction.
After that lift up and remove the hard drive from the laptop.

STEP 3.
If you are replacing the hard drive, you’ll have to transfer the mounting caddy to the new drive.
Simply remove four screws securing the caddy (two screws on each side) and transfer the caddy to the new hard drive.
Acer Asprire 5517 uses a regular 2.5″ SATA notebook hard drive.
Any large capacity 2.5″ SATA hard drive should work fine in this laptop.

STEP 4.
Both memory modules accessible though the cover on the bottom.
In order to remove the memory module, carefully spread latches on both sides and when the memory module pops up at a 30 degree angle, pull it from the slot.
Acer Aspire 5517 laptop can handle up to 4GB memory total. It means you can install up to 2GB memory module in each slot.
Memory used: PC2-5300 DDR2-667 200pin SDRAM SODIMM.

STEP 5.
There is only one screw securing the DVD drive. This screw located under the memory cover.
Remove one screw securing the DVD drive and pull the drive from the laptop.
Need a new replacement DVD drive for Acer Aspire 5517? Search here.

STEP 6.
The wireless card also located under the memory cover.

In order to remove the wireless card you’ll have to disconnect the antenna cables first.
After both antenna cable disconnected, you remove two screws securing the wireless card and pull the wireless card from the slot.

REMOVING AND REPLACING LAPTOP KEYBOARD.

If you would like to remove and replace the keyboard, you don’t have to go though all previous steps. You can start right from the following step. There are no screws securing the keyboard at all.
STEP 7.
Carefully lift up the power button cover with a sharp object as it shown on the following picture.
Continue removing the cover with your fingers.

STEP 8.
The power button cover removed.

STEP 9.
Now you can start removing the keyboard.
Work slowly. Under the keyboard there is a cable connected to the motherboard.

STEP 10.
Carefully lift up the top side of the keyboard.

STEP 11.
Continue removing the keyboard.

STEP 12.
Turn the keyboard upside down so you can access the cable connector.
In order to remove the cable, you’ll have to unlock the connector first.
BE VERY CAREFUL with the keyboard connector. If you break it, the keyboard will not work.

STEP 13.
On the following picture the keyboard connector shown in the locked position.
To unlock the keyboard, you’ll have to move the brown piece about 1-2 millimeters to the shown direction.
The brown piece MUST stay attached to the white base. Do not apply to much force. Unlock the connector very slowly with your fingernails.

STEP 14.
On the following picture the connector shown in the unlocked position.
You see, the brown piece still attached to the white base.
Now you can pull the keyboard cable from the connector.

STEP 15.
Finally, remove the laptop keyboard and replace it with a new one.
New replacement keyboards for Acer Aspire 5517 laptops available here.

                                                        by insidemylaptop