Replacement Of The Keyboard On A Dell Xps 12 9Q23 Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

                          1 hour

Sections

Battery
5 steps
Cooling Fan
11 steps
Touch Pad
4 steps
WiFi card
1 step
Hard disk drive
2 steps
Motherboard
2 steps
Keyboard
2 steps

Flags

Action Shots

Be an action hero! This guide needs images that better demonstrate how to perform specific actions.

Missed a Step

Oops! This guide is currently missing some important steps.

Member-Contributed Guide

An awesome member of our community made this guide. It is not managed by iFixit staff.

Grammar Police

Embrace your inner English teacher and help improve this guide’s grammar!

BackDell XPS 12 9Q23
Full Screen
Options
History
Save to Favorites
Download PDF
Translate
Get Shareable Link
Embed This Guide
Notify Me of Changes
Stop Notifications

Introduction

What a pity (especially for whisky), but luck is with you, this tutorial will guide you step by step to make the replacement.

PS: This tutorial also works for other drinks spilling on the keyboard or simply to clean them up.)

What you need

Step 1

              Battery

Pop the center cover open on the bottom cover.
Remove the center screw with a #00 Phillips screwdriver.
Use a T5 Torx screwdriver for the remaining screws around the edge of the bottom cover.

Pop the center cover open on the bottom cover.

Remove the center screw with a #00 Phillips screwdriver.

Use a T5 Torx screwdriver for the remaining screws around the edge of the bottom cover.

1024

Step 2

Carefully remove back panel after all screws have been removed.

Carefully remove back panel after all screws have been removed.

Step 3

After the back panel has been removed, disconnect the battery to prevent electrical shock

After the back panel has been removed, disconnect the battery to prevent electrical shock

Step 4

Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove the 8 screws that secure the battery.

Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove the 8 screws that secure the battery.

Step 5

              Remove the battery

Once all the screws have been removed the battery is now safe to extract

Once all the screws have been removed the battery is now safe to extract

Step 6

              Cooling Fan

Caution: Ensure your laptop has been powered down.
Close the laptop, flip the laptop over, and pop off the back small panel with a flathead screwdriver. The panel will be hanging by the hinges once open.

Caution: Ensure your laptop has been powered down.

Close the laptop, flip the laptop over, and pop off the back small panel with a flathead screwdriver. The panel will be hanging by the hinges once open.

Step 7

Use a T5 Torx screwdriver to remove the screws along the edge of the bottom cover.
Use a magnetic board if possible to keep track of screws.
Open the center cover and use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove single screw.

Use a T5 Torx screwdriver to remove the screws along the edge of the bottom cover.

Use a magnetic board if possible to keep track of screws.

Open the center cover and use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove single screw.

Step 8

Carefully remove the back cover.

Carefully remove the back cover.

Step 9

Caution: Be mindful of static electric charge across the battery port. Usage of an antistatic strap is recommended but not required.
Disconnect the battery to prevent electrical shock.
If battery replacement is desired then the battery may be removed at this point via removal of the battery’s perimeter screws.

Caution: Be mindful of static electric charge across the battery port. Usage of an antistatic strap is recommended but not required.

Disconnect the battery to prevent electrical shock.

If battery replacement is desired then the battery may be removed at this point via removal of the battery’s perimeter screws.

Step 10

Disconnect yellow-colored ribbon cable from its port which sits at the bottom left of the fan housing.

Disconnect yellow-colored ribbon cable from its port which sits at the bottom left of the fan housing.

Step 11

Dislodge the CMOS battery.
Unplug CMOS cable.
This step is not completely necessary, it allows extra room to maneuver the fan in and out during replacement.

Dislodge the CMOS battery.

Unplug CMOS cable.

This step is not completely necessary, it allows extra room to maneuver the fan in and out during replacement.

Step 12

Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to loosen the screws that secure the heat sink’s heat spreader.
Screws cannot be fully removed from heatsink.

Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to loosen the screws that secure the heat sink’s heat spreader.

Screws cannot be fully removed from heatsink.

Step 13

Grip the heat sink from the sides and carefully lift it up to remove it.
Heatsink is a device used for absorbing heat and necessary to remove to reach the fan.
At this time there will be a whitish powder between the heatsink and the CPU. This powder below the heat spreader is degraded thermal paste. DO NOT wipe away this powder unless the thermal paste will be replaced upon reassembly.

Grip the heat sink from the sides and carefully lift it up to remove it.

Heatsink is a device used for absorbing heat and necessary to remove to reach the fan.

At this time there will be a whitish powder between the heatsink and the CPU. This powder below the heat spreader is degraded thermal paste. DO NOT wipe away this powder unless the thermal paste will be replaced upon reassembly.

Step 14

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two cooling fan screws.

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two cooling fan screws.

Step 15

Unplug the fan cable.

Unplug the fan cable.

Step 16

The cooling fan can now be removed and a new one can be installed.

The cooling fan can now be removed and a new one can be installed.

Step 17

              Touch Pad

Unplug the trackpad cable.

Unplug the trackpad cable.

Step 18

Insert wisdom here.

Insert wisdom here.

Step 19

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the 4 trackpad screws.

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the 4 trackpad screws.

Step 20

Remove the trackpad.

Remove the trackpad.

Step 21

              Remove the WiFi card

We removed the battery to avoid electric shocks.
Disconnect the two wires from the WiFi card. You can do this with a pair of pliers or your fingernail.
Remove the screw with a #00 Phillips screwdriver.
Now remove your WiFi card to replace it.

We removed the battery to avoid electric shocks.

Disconnect the two wires from the WiFi card. You can do this with a pair of pliers or your fingernail.

Remove the screw with a #00 Phillips screwdriver.

Now remove your WiFi card to replace it.

Step 22

              Adhesive tape

We removed the battery to avoid electric shocks.
Remove the adhesive tape.

Remove the adhesive tape.

Step 23

              Remove the hard disk drive

Remove the screw with a #00 Phillips screwdriver.
Remove the hard disk from its location.

Remove the hard disk from its location.

Step 24

              Remove the operating button

We removed the battery to avoid electric shocks. The hard disk, WiFi card and fan have also been removed.
Remove the connector with a pair of pliers or your fingernail.
Remove the screws with a #00 Phillips screwdriver.
Remove the card afterwards.

We removed the battery to avoid electric shocks. The hard disk, WiFi card and fan have also been removed.

Remove the connector with a pair of pliers or your fingernail.

Remove the screws with a #00 Phillips screwdriver.

Remove the card afterwards.

Step 25

              Remove the motherboard

Disconnect the various connections from the motherboard.
Remove the screws with a #00 Phillips screwdriver.
Carefully turn the motherboard over to disconnect the tablecloth from the keyboard.
You can now replace the motherboard.

Disconnect the various connections from the motherboard.

Carefully turn the motherboard over to disconnect the tablecloth from the keyboard.

You can now replace the motherboard.

Step 26

              Undo the keyboard

We removed the battery to avoid electric shocks. The hard disk, WiFi card, fan, touchpad and motherboard have also been removed.
Remove the screw with a #00 Phillips screwdriver and remove the bracket.
Remove the screw with a #00 Phillips screwdriver and remove the support.
Be patient and unscrew the 24 keyboard screws.

We removed the battery to avoid electric shocks. The hard disk, WiFi card, fan, touchpad and motherboard have also been removed.

Remove the screw with a #00 Phillips screwdriver and remove the bracket.

Remove the screw with a #00 Phillips screwdriver and remove the support.

Be patient and unscrew the 24 keyboard screws.

Step 27

              Remove the keyboard

You can now remove the keyboard. And also do a cleaning if necessary, as in the second photo.

You can now remove the keyboard. And also do a cleaning if necessary, as in the second photo.

To reassemble your device, follow the instructions in reverse order.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      One other person completed this guide.                                             


        Schwarzer is helping us fix the world!      Want to contribute?      Start translating ›

Special thanks to these translators:

100%

Schwarzer

Author

                                      with 1 other contributor

                    Schwarzer

Member since: 08/07/2019

4,604 Reputation

                                      13 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       33







                                                        +30 more badges

Team

                       i.Fixit FR Team                        

                                                  Member of i.Fixit FR Team 



                    Community                     


                                            3 Members                     


                                            35 Guides authored

Action Shots#

Missed a Step#

Member-Contributed Guide#

Grammar Police#

Introduction#

What you need#

Team#