This laptop disassembly is special to me as the owner is one of the first person to say “yes” when I asked to clean his Dell Vostro 1200. It’s so special that the owner did not hesitate at all when making decision, he also entrusted and believed in me 100% when I first disassemble his Dell Vostro 1200. This is the second laptop I disassemble (mine was first) and I am extremely thankful to Balloon.

This guide will explain detailed step by step sequence on how to dismantle a Dell Vostro 1200 laptop.

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Advices taken here are taken at your own risk. AhWee.com will be held no responsibility if you break any of the hardware and lose your warranty.

NOTE: Even though Dell said disassembling laptop yourself would lose your warranty, but I haven’t void anybody’s warranty in any possible way yet.

Tools You Need For Dismantling and Cleaning

1. Philips Screwdriver (M2.5 will do)
2. Flat Blade Screwdriver (usually a test pen)
3. A brush (about 1 inch wide would do it)

I usually have 2 Philips screwdrivers, one for disassembling (big), one for reassembling (small), paired with a test pen and a brush for cleaning.

Before You Start

Here are a few things you’ll need to do before you start disassembling your Dell Vostro 1200.

1. Clear your Table
   Ensure that you have plenty of space (1 meter square would be great) to put all the components so they won’t go missing or falling off the table.
2. Disconnect all the Cables & Components
   It’s wise to disconnect all usb cables, pendrives, power and HDMI cables.
3. Put Some Cloth or Thin Sponge Under the Laptop
   To make sure that the rough table surface would not scratch your laptop.
4. Remove the Battery
   To remove the battery from your Dell Vostro 1200, slide the left battery latch to the left, right latch to the left, then ease the battery out from the compartment.
   
5. Ground the Motherboard
   When the battery is removed, simply ground the motherboard by pressing on the power button for a few seconds.
6. Ground your Hands
   Ground your hands by wearing a wrist grounding strap or touching an unpainted metal surface from time to time.

All preps done. Like the Dell XPS M1530 and Dell XPS M1330, Dell Vostro 1200 is also a very cleaning-friendly laptop. It’s extremely easy to clean laptops like these.

Cleaning Step 1: Remove The Harddisk

Even though it’s not necessary to remove the harddisk prior to cleaning the fan, but I highly suggest you to remove it and place it at a very safe place. In case anything happens, your files are still intact.

Fortunately for Vostro 1200 users, everything is under one roof cover. Fan, heatsink, RAM, WLAN and the harddisk.

1. At the bottom of the laptop, there’s a large L-shaped cover.
2. Remove one M2.5×5-mm screw and nine M2.5×8-mm screws.
3. Use the testpen to pry open from the top. The indentation is where you start prying.
4. Here’s how it looks inside …
   
5. Note the harddisk is at the bottom of the fan.
6. Unscrew two M2.5×3-mm screws then remove the harddisk by pulling the plastic tab.
   

Cleaning Step 2: Remove The Fan

Now I assume you have already removed the L-shaped cover as described at “Cleaning Step 1: Steps 1 – 3)” and you can see the fan clearly at the left side.

1. Remove one M2.5×5-mm screws that connects the fan to the motherboard.
2. Disconnect the fan cable.
   
3. Ease the fan out of it’s bay.

If your laptop has not been cleaned for a long time, dust will definitely collect in between your fan and the heatsink (orange color). Use the brush to clean the fan and the heatsink thoroughly

Now the disassembling process like I promised in the title. I presume that Cleaning step 1 and 2 has been done.

Disassembling Step 1: Remove RAM and WLAN Card

Under the same L-shaped cover, you can spot the RAM at the right side of the fan and WLAN card at the right side of the harddisk.

Removing the RAM

1. Pull the tabs located at both sides of the RAM outwards.
2. RAM pops up and ready to be taken out.
   

Removing the WLAN Card

1. Disconnect the antennas (black, grey and white).
2. Remove the 2 screws securing the card.
3. WLAN card pops up automatically, just slide it out from the compartment.
   

Disassembling Step 2: Remove The Hinge Cover

1. Note the screws around the battery compartment.
2. Remove three screws in the battery compartment and the M2.5×8-mm screw outside it. These are the screws which tightens the hinge cover to the palm rest.
3. Turn the computer around (top side up) and open the display screen as far as possible
4. Use the testpen to pry the hinge cover from the indentation located at the left side of the laptop.
5. To help this disassembling process, it is advisable to lift the hinge cover at the back of the laptop. What you are doing here is loosen the clip at the back, which will loosen the hinge cover (a lot).
   
6. Don’t pull the hinge cover directly out! Disconnect the cable first, then remove it.

Disassembling Step 3: Remove The Keyboard

I don’t know why but there are no screws securing the keyboard in the Dell Vostro 1200. So …

1. All you do is slide it upwards and lift it up
2. Remember there’s a very fragile keyboard cable right beneath the keyboard.
3. Make room for your hand to reach in and disconnect the cable by pulling two little tabs out.
   

Disassembling Step 4: Remove The LCD Screen

Now that your keyboard is removed already, you can see lots of cables right?

1. Unroute all the antennas, disconnect the display cable and 2 microphone cables.
2. After all the cables are disconnected and unrouted, take note of the LCD screen support to the base of the laptop.
3. Each side there is a M2.5×5-mm screws and a M2.5×10-mm screws.
4. Remove them. So in total you remove two M2.5×5-mm screws and the two M2.5×10-mm screws.
5. Slowly lift your LCD screen out of the laptop base.
   

Disassembling Step 4: Remove The Optical Drive

1. At the bottom of the laptop, note the M2.5×5-mm security screw with the “lock” label.
2. Remove the security screw.
3. Use the testpen to push the metal tab (bottom of the security screw) outwards.
4. Slide the optical drive out from it’s compartment.
   

Disassembling Step 5: Remove The Palm Rest

Well, for first timers, this is usually the hardest part to do. Don’t give up, because eventually it will open. Believe in yourself.

1. At the bottom of the laptop, remove five M2.5×8-mm screws and two M2.5×3-mm screws.
2. Turn the laptop over (top side up), there’s one M2.5×5-mm screw at the middle of the palm rest.
3. Disconnect the touch pad cable.
4. Gently (don’t break anything) lift the palm rest starting from the front of the laptop.
   

There you go … Dell Vostro 1200 disassembled. It’s not that hard isn’t it? It gets easier the more you disassemble, so do clean your laptop every year so that the maximum performance of your laptop can be maintained.

NOTE: I did not go all the way to disassemble the motherboard because I think it’s extremely risky (in a way) that you would accidentally bump any of the Integrated Chip and risk spoiling your motherboard.

More laptop disassembly guides at the Laptop Disassembly Archive.