Dell Alienware M18x (Early 2011)- Manuals

Page 2 - Base Cover; Removing the Base Cover; Replacing the Base Cover

Back to Contents Page Base Cover Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Base Cover Replacing the Base Cover Removing the Base Cover 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). 3. Remove the four screws that ...

Page 3 - Battery Pack; Removing the Battery Pack; Replacing the Battery Pack

Back to Contents Page Battery Pack Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Battery Pack Replacing the Battery Pack Removing the Battery Pack 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Shut down the computer and turn it over. 3. Slide the battery latch to the unlock...

Page 4 - Before You Begin; Recommended Tools; Before Working Inside Your Computer

Back to Contents Page Before You Begin Alienware M18x Service Manual Recommended Tools Turning Off Your Computer Before Working Inside Your Computer This manual provides procedures for removing and installing the components in your computer. Unless otherwise noted, each procedure assumes...

Page 6 - System Setup; Configuring the System Setup; Entering System Setup; System Setup Options

Back to Contents Page System Setup Alienware M18x Service Manual Configuring the System Setup Configuring the System Setup The System Setup options allow you to: l Change the system configuration information after you add, change or remove any hardware in your laptop. l Set or change a u...

Page 10 - Internal Card With Bluetooth Wireless Technology; Removing the Bluetooth Card

Back to Contents Page Internal Card With Bluetooth Wireless Technology Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Bluetooth Card Replacing the Bluetooth Card If you ordered a card with Bluetooth wireless technology with your computer, it is already installed. Removing the Bluetooth ...

Page 11 - Replacing the Bluetooth Card

Replacing the Bluetooth Card 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin 2. Align the screw hole on the Bluetooth card with the screw hole on the system board. 3. Replace the screw that secures the Bluetooth card to the system board. 4. Connect the Bluetooth-card cable to the connector ...

Page 12 - Removing the Coin-Cell Battery

Back to Contents Page Coin-Cell Battery Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Coin-Cell Battery Replacing the Coin-Cell Battery Removing the Coin-Cell Battery 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). 3. ...

Page 14 - Processor Module; Removing the Processor Module

Back to Contents Page Processor Module Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Processor Module Replacing the Processor Module Removing the Processor Module 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). 3. ...

Page 15 - Replacing the Processor Module

11. Lift the processor module from the ZIF socket. Replacing the Processor Module 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Align the pin-1 corner of the processor module with the pin-1 corner of the ZIF socket, then place the processor module. When the processor module is prop...

Page 16 - Processor Heat-Sink; Removing the Processor Heat-Sink

Back to Contents Page Processor Heat-Sink Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Processor Heat-Sink Replacing the Processor Heat-Sink Removing the Processor Heat-Sink 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ...

Page 18 - Processor Heat-Sink Fan; Removing the Processor Heat-Sink Fan

Back to Contents Page Processor Heat-Sink Fan Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Processor Heat-Sink Fan Replacing the Processor Heat-Sink Fan Removing the Processor Heat-Sink Fan 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing t...

Page 20 - Display Assembly; Removing the Display Assembly

Back to Contents Page Display Assembly Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Display Assembly Replacing the Display Assembly Removing the Display Assembly 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). 3. Remo...

Page 22 - Replacing the Display Assembly

17. Gently slide out the antenna cables through the slot on the computer base. 18. Move the display to a perpendicular position to the computer base, and then lift the display assembly off the computer. Replacing the Display Assembly 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Plac...

Page 23 - Flashing the BIOS

Back to Contents Page Flashing the BIOS Alienware M18x Service Manual The BIOS may require flashing when an update is available or when replacing the system board. To flash the BIOS: 1. Turn on the computer. 2. Go to support.dell.com/support/downloads . 3. Locate the BIOS update file for yo...

Page 27 - Center Control Cover; Removing the Center Control Cover

Back to Contents Page Center Control Cover Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Center Control Cover Replacing the Center Control Cover Removing the Center Control Cover 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery P...

Page 28 - Replacing the Center Control Cover

7. Place the center control cover on the palm rest. 8. Lift the connector latch and disconnect the central control cover cable from the connector on the system board. 9. Lift the center control cover away from the computer. Replacing the Center Control Cover 1. Follow the instructions in...

Page 33 - Removing the I/O Board

Back to Contents Page I/O Board Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the I/O Board Replacing the I/O Board Removing the I/O Board 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove any installed card or blank from the Media-Card Reader. 3. Remove the battery pack (se...

Page 34 - Replacing the I/O Board

Replacing the I/O Board 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Align the connectors on the I/O board with the slots on the computer base and gently press down on the I/O board. 3. Replace the five screws that secure the I/O board to the computer base. 4. Connect the I/O-board ...

Page 35 - Keyboard; Removing the Keyboard

Back to Contents Page Keyboard Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Keyboard Replacing the Keyboard Removing the Keyboard 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). 3. Remove the base cover (see Removing ...

Page 36 - Replacing the Keyboard

9. Lift the keyboard off the palm-rest assembly. Replacing the Keyboard 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Slide the keyboard cable and keyboard-backlight cable into their connectors on the system board, and press down on their connector latches to secure the cables. 3. Sl...

Page 37 - Status-Light Board; Removing the Status-Light Board

Back to Contents Page Status-Light Board Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Status-Light Board Replacing the Status-Light Board Removing the Status-Light Board 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). ...

Page 38 - Replacing the Status-Light Board

11. Lift the status-light board off the palm-rest assembly. Replacing the Status-Light Board 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Align the slots on the status-light board with the alignment posts on the palm-rest assembly and secure the status-light board in place. 3. Repla...

Page 39 - Macro Keyboard; Removing the Macro Keyboard

Back to Contents Page Macro Keyboard Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Macro Keyboard Replacing the Macro Keyboard Removing the Macro Keyboard 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). 3. Remove the b...

Page 40 - Replacing the Macro Keyboard

9. Lift the macro keyboard off the palm-rest assembly. Replacing the Macro Keyboard 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Slide the macro-keyboard cable and the macro-keyboard backlight cable into the respective connectors on the system board, and press down on the connector la...

Page 43 - Wireless Mini-Card; Removing the Mini-Card

Back to Contents Page Wireless Mini-Card Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Mini-Card Replacing the Mini-Card If you ordered a wireless Mini-Card with your computer, the card is already installed. Your computer supports one half-Mini Card slot for WLAN. Removing the Mini-Car...

Page 44 - Replacing the Mini-Card

Replacing the Mini-Card 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the new Mini-Card from its packaging. 3. Insert the Mini-Card connector at a 45-degree angle into the connector on the system board. 4. Press the other end of the Mini-Card down into the slot on the sy...

Page 45 - Optical Drive; Removing the Optical Drive

Back to Contents Page Optical Drive Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Optical Drive Replacing the Optical Drive Removing the Optical Drive 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). 3. Remove the base ...

Page 46 - Replacing the Optical Drive

14. Remove the five screws that secure the optical-drive bracket to the optical drive. 15. Remove the optical-drive bracket from the optical drive. 16. Remove the interposer from the optical drive. Replacing the Optical Drive 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Connect th...

Page 48 - Palm Rest; Removing the Palm Rest

Back to Contents Page Palm Rest Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Palm Rest Replacing the Palm Rest Removing the Palm Rest 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove any installed card or blank from the Media-Card Reader. 3. Remove the battery pack (se...

Page 49 - Replacing the Palm Rest

11. Remove the three screws that secure the palm-rest assembly to the computer base. 12. Turn the computer over. 13. Remove the six screws that secure the palm-rest assembly to the computer base. 14. Turn the computer over. 15. Carefully pry out the palm-rest assembly from the two tabs alo...

Page 51 - Power-Button Board; Removing the Power-Button Board

Back to Contents Page Power-Button Board Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Power-Button Board Replacing the Power-Button Board Removing the Power-Button Board 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). ...

Page 53 - Speakers; Removing the Speakers

Back to Contents Page Speakers Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Speakers Replacing the Speakers Removing the Speakers 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Remove the battery pack (see Removing the Battery Pack ). 3. Remove the base cover (see Removing ...

Page 54 - Replacing the Speakers

Replacing the Speakers 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Align the screw holes on the speakers with the screw holes on the computer base and replace the four screws that secure the speakers to the computer base. 3. Route the speakers cable through the routing guides on the ...

Page 55 - Subwoofer; Removing the Subwoofer

Back to Contents Page Subwoofer Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the Subwoofer Replacing the Subwoofer Removing the Subwoofer 1. Follow the instructions in Before You Begin . 2. Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 13 in Removing the System Board . 3. Disconnect t...

Page 57 - System Board; Removing the System Board

Back to Contents Page System Board Alienware M18x Service Manual Removing the System Board Replacing the System Board Entering the Service Tag in the BIOS The system board's BIOS chip contains the Service Tag, which is also visible on a barcode label at the bottom of the computer...

Page 58 - Replacing the System Board

21. Disconnect the speaker cable and the subwoofer cable from the connectors on the system board. 22. Lift the connector latch and disconnect the optical-drive cable from the connector on the system board. 23. Remove the 11 screws that secure the system board to the computer base. 24. Carefu...

Page 59 - Entering the Service Tag in the BIOS

10. Replace the video card(s) (see Replacing the Video Card(s) ). 11. Replace the video-card heat-sink(s) (see Replacing the Video-Card Heat- Sink(s) ). 12. Replace the Bluetooth card (see Replacing the Bluetooth Card ). 13. Replace the palm-rest assembly (see Replacing the Palm Rest ). 14...