Tap to unmute

DESTROY Your Laptop In 60 Seconds- By UPGRADING The SSD!

Share
Embed
  • Published on Apr 17, 2026
  • This Dell XPS 9730 was sent in because it no longer powered on after the customer tried upgrading their solid-state drive. It always takes more time to find a fault when it is caused by user error, mostly likely not unplugging the battery before messing with the laptop.
    🛠️Need Replacement Parts or Repair for your Dell or Alienware Laptop
    We have specialized exclusively in Dell laptops since 2002 and stock more than 500k genuine OEM Dell laptop parts.
    www.parts-peop...
    💻Dell XPS 9730 Parts List
    ppci.me/c/143/...
    🙎‍♂️About me
    I (Nathan) have been working on and repairing Dell laptops for more than 25 years, and in 2002, I started Parts-People.com, which is a company that specializes exclusively in Dell and Alienware laptops. We buy out and stock all of Dell's laptop inventory, which Dell no longer stocks. We now have more than 500K Dell genuine OEM parts in our warehouse and have become the number one place for Dell laptop owners. You can purchase parts to repair your own laptop or send it in and have me or one of our Dell experts service your machine.
    ****************************************************
    Here is the list of equipment that I use. (Affiliate Links)
    ****************************************************
    Thermal Cameras
    Best: Thermal Master P3 -- lvnta.com/lv_Z...
    Better: Thermal Master P2 Pro -- lvnta.com/lv_p...
    Good: Flir One Pro Thermal Imaging Camera -- amzn.to/4iY0UZW
    Cheap: Seek Thermal Compact Thermal Camera -- amzn.to/4kUkdoH
    Thermal Compound
    PTM7950 Thermal Paste Sheet - ppci.me/i/43868
    ARCTIC MX-4 -- amzn.to/4tVEKxC
    Arctic Silver 5 -- amzn.to/3ZW7h8t
    Organization
    Magnetic Screw Bowl -- amzn.to/4qkgIJB
    Extra Large Soldering Mat -- amzn.to/46cVQgi
    BIOS Programming
    Chip Reader: TL866-3G (T48) amzn.to/4iRxKvX
    SOP8 Pogo Pin Chip Clip - 5x6mm and 6x8mm -- amzn.to/4j0ERSp
    WSON Pogo Pin Chip Clip - 5x6mm and 6x8mm -- amzn.to/4nzu1o7
    Chip Reader Software -- Xgpro
    Hex Editor Software: Neo Hex Editor -- hhdsoftware.co...
    EC Programming
    PCBite Probes (Full Kit) -- amzn.to/4jsXWNJ
    PCBite Probes (Probes on;y) -- amzn.to/4cNkYvY
    vertyanov SAS EC Programmer -- ioprogrammer.com/
    Microscope
    Amscope SM-4T Trincocular(3.5x-90x zoom) -- amzn.to/4bY5PaW
    Microscope Camera: -- Amscope MU1803 -- amzn.to/4c08uRm
    Better Microscope Camera: 4K HDMI KP-3609A4K -- amzn.to/4bWf6Ad
    Camera I Am Using: RisingCam IMX678 --www.aliexpress...
    Electronic Cleaning
    Ultrasonic Cleaner: Crest Ultrasonics P1200D -- amzn.to/4iV9qsw
    KIMTECH - Kim Cleaning Wipes -- amzn.to/4qLeDrz
    Cotton Swabs - Clean Swabs -- amzn.to/4hNMhJa
    Alcohol Dispenser Pump Bottle -- amzn.to/499YgyB
    MetroVac -- amzn.to/3L9bxhc
    Soldering Equipment
    SMD Rework Station (Hot-Air): Atten ST-862D -- amzn.to/420CHvb
    Solder Station: Metcal MX-5220 Ultra Fine Soldering and Rework System -- amzn.to/4miofXI
    FLUX - Blackhorse Omega 559 - www.ebay.com/i...
    UV Solder Mask -- amzn.to/3M62xK9
    UV Curing Light -- amzn.to/4qVTeLO
    Grinding Pen -- amzn.to/4bWcPXI
    Voltage Tools
    DMM Volt Meter: UNI-T Digital Multimeter UT161B -- amzn.to/4iF2LDc
    USB-C Meter: Power-Z C240 Portable USB-C Tester -- amzn.to/44rubrC
    USB-C Meter (w/ PC Interface): Power-Z KM003C USB-C Tester -- amzn.to/3Y3wPA2
    Voltage Injection: Short Killer-- amzn.to/46zn9lS
    Portable Oscilloscope Mini -- amzn.to/3ZcQuxD

Comments •

  • @SilverLightRain
    @SilverLightRain 6 months ago +173

    One thing I learned from this is that I should watch videos on RUclips first on how to disassemble the case of a laptop before upgrading any components.

    • @FCE-dogs
      @FCE-dogs 5 months ago +12

      The customer didnt bother, that's why he was prying from basically the hinge side instead... you'd think people would consider the screws are on the other side, and none along the side he was prying, that it must come open THERE where the screws are

    • @itwilsonboiii4789
      @itwilsonboiii4789 4 months ago +1

      same reason over here. Almost pry laptop open to get an extra ssd in

    • @ahsanyr5485
      @ahsanyr5485 3 months ago +1

      not enough. I damage my laptop after watch videos on youtube how to disasemble the laptop and the laptop end up in the repair shop. until now the laptop can not detect keyboard, wifi.. can boot boot window ( unix can).

    • @mrcheese9541
      @mrcheese9541 3 months ago +1

      Always be careful. I was repairing leds on an old curve tv and damaged chips on the display in the process. Never take anything for granted.

    • @BirbAlerted
      @BirbAlerted 29 days ago +1

      This, and in the modern day of RUclips it has gotten so easy. I do not miss the days of having to rely on manufacturer schematics and repair manuals wholly. But it is usually a good idea to have those too.

  • @Mae-xn3vy
    @Mae-xn3vy 8 months ago +1471

    I'm a plumber and have absolutely no idea what you are doing but it's so fascinating to watch how you manage to fix these broken computers.

    • @danielhulan3058
      @danielhulan3058 8 months ago +64

      I know right?!? Im a therapist and i have no idea how to do this but it's so awesome to watch. He's very good at what he does.

    • @kataseiko
      @kataseiko 8 months ago +34

      It's just like installing a very complicated floor heating. He changed the valve assembly because one of the valves was clogged.

    • @My_Modesty
      @My_Modesty 8 months ago +21

      I almost cut my finger trying to thread a water pipe. I have absolutely no knowledge on those stuff.

    • @ardeof
      @ardeof 8 months ago +12

      The impressive part is the soldering. Most people, given time and practice, can troubleshoot stuff like storage or RAM or whether it's a bad motherboard or not. Getting someone to fix a motherboard is pretty rare. The tools cost in total like $3,000, maybe half depending on the job. That's not even accounting for the training required in order to do it.

    • @mozzarellastickenthusiast
      @mozzarellastickenthusiast 8 months ago +6

      I’m unemployed and have somewhat of an idea of what he is doing.

  • @23jfk
    @23jfk 8 months ago +511

    That's a shame, they know that ssd must be removables, but they design their machine in a way that makes the procedure difficult.

    • @StolenJoker84
      @StolenJoker84 8 months ago +129

      My thoughts as well. Upgrading RAM or an SSD shouldn’t be something that causes damage to the board. Nice to know that Dells are still garbage.

    • @kngkrmson2179
      @kngkrmson2179 7 months ago +26

      ​@StolenJoker84 Their office stuff is decent, but I would never buy a Dell laptop for private use.

    • @StolenJoker84
      @StolenJoker84 7 months ago +15

      @kngkrmson2179I’ve owned exactly ONE Dell computer in my life. It was the worst piece of garbage I’ve ever owned. Never bought one since.

    • @BrandNew4U.
      @BrandNew4U. 7 months ago

      @StolenJoker84 dell = 4ell, I did it without disconnecting battery on an msi, no rubber gloves or what not.I think just get one of them good electronic screw drivers that spin (Precision Screwdriver).

    • @GoalOrientedLifting
      @GoalOrientedLifting 7 months ago +7

      this aint a difficult one though. its rather easy. the issue is that theres a lot of people who think theyre technical, but they got 10 thumbs. and as always if its something you do for the first time, you gotta expect issues. doesnt matter if its a PC, washing machine, car, etc

  • @FastLead308
    @FastLead308 8 months ago +573

    What this made me think of most was that back in the good old days (about 10+years), laptops would come with 2 (sometime 3) small panels that provided access to the RAM and HDD. meaning you NEVER had to try to pry the thing apart at all.

    • @chocolate_squiggle
      @chocolate_squiggle 8 months ago +24

      Nor disconnect the battery, which some cultists on here seem to be rabidly screaming about.

    • @Max_Mustermann
      @Max_Mustermann 8 months ago +25

      Depends on the laptop. My old Dell Latitude had easy access to things like the hard drive and RAM, but replacing the CMOS battery required a complete disassembly and taking out the motherboard.

    • @gmbsmkd8888
      @gmbsmkd8888 7 months ago +12

      ​@Max_Mustermannmy old dell precision (intel gen3) even had hot swappable HDD bay, it's really cool

    • @DJGRoc
      @DJGRoc 7 months ago +14

      Those were nice. I really miss being able to remove the battery without having to remove the bottom cover. Laptop batteries don't last for shhh... these days.

    • @blackdragonwolve8317
      @blackdragonwolve8317 7 months ago +4

      ​@DJGRoc it was nice but also didn't work as well as I thought back then because of warranties.
      Taking my laptop in because the battery died and they'd cover a free battery on warranty only for them to open it up anyway and replace a broken wifi chip charging me for the labour of it wasn't very nice... This was in 2010

  • @Urgleflogue
    @Urgleflogue 8 months ago +220

    They probably unscrewed the battery to replace the SSD, but didn't unplug it from the board and fried the PMC.

  • @doyleevans840
    @doyleevans840 8 months ago +962

    How many guys were yelling get the hair.

  • @ERSBoogie
    @ERSBoogie 8 months ago +88

    Bro is doing exactly what i've been doing for 25 years it's like watching myself lol. It's good to have small issues included in the video (knocked off components by capton tape) for people to understand that what we do is not always perfect but we do our best. Great video , cheers.

    • @Mr.Vertex
      @Mr.Vertex 8 months ago +13

      for me the knocked off components made it even more impressive because he stayed calm and just put them back on

    • @auntmaryspals7978
      @auntmaryspals7978 3 months ago +1

      As an expert, wouldn't there be something better to protect the components than that tape? It seems like there would have to be something.

    • @ERSBoogie
      @ERSBoogie 3 months ago +2

      @auntmaryspals7978 I don't use tape. I'm using metal ram shields salvaged from dead notebooks and thermal pad to cover delicate parts.

  • @FoxyAnimater
    @FoxyAnimater 5 months ago +41

    There's a reason why people say to disconnect your batteries from your laptops before you do anything inside of the laptop. In fact, most laptops from back in the day made it to where the first step in disassembly was removing the battery, now we live in an era where you could possibly destroy your own machine, just because of negligence.

    • @tomtube1012
      @tomtube1012 3 months ago +6

      With the older laptops, you had detachable battery that can be removed without taking any cover off. If I was at home, i would just detach it and use the laptop plugged in to save the battery from unnecessary wear and tear. I think making it possible for destroying your machine is one of the factors in abandoning the detachable battery format. They save a little money, increase your chance of wearing down your battery because of the constant discharge/recharge, and increase the chances of customers destroying their own machine so they will buy another.

  • @paulbreen8533
    @paulbreen8533 8 months ago +43

    You ought to be able to switch out an SSD without even opening up the laptop and that's all I have to say about that. Design your laptops so that consumers don't have to destroy them to try and fix something simple.

    • @sireniasong
      @sireniasong 7 months ago +9

      The laptops would be chunky as hell then. I'm just glad they haven't soldered it to the board or something dumb like that like they have with RAM.

    • @CTyler84
      @CTyler84 6 months ago +6

      @sireniasong Most laptops don't do that. That's more common on stuff that's meant to be thrown right in the garbage after a year or two, like chromebooks and similar. They are non-upgradable by design.

    • @skinnyjeanis7177
      @skinnyjeanis7177 5 months ago +7

      i love bulky early 2000s laptops. the ease of swapping hard drives is friggin' unmatched. the Dell Latitude D630 is my favorite example.

    • @Alfha_Robby
      @Alfha_Robby 5 months ago +1

      @CTyler84 Cough HP & Chromebook Cough

    • @CTyler84
      @CTyler84 5 months ago

      ​@Alfha_RobbyCareful now. HP has assassins working for them.

  • @Mehrdad995
    @Mehrdad995 6 months ago +27

    That's actually brain surgery level precision. Great job.

  • @Plug_and_plague
    @Plug_and_plague 6 months ago +12

    After seeing the laptop design, I’m kind of angry, because of how inaccessible the inside is. The service manuals are hard to get, and the design is so cryptic, that it’s literally impossible for a customer to open the damn thing, and not to bend something, cause a short, or spill your blood all over the motherboard. And putting the ssd slot a tad under the battery, not too much, just enough to tease you to install the ssd without removing anything, that's pure evil.
    It’s fascinating to watch you work, though. I appreciate you leaving the whole detective process intact and keeping the false guesses. Also, clickbaity title, but here I am, lol.

  • @laserwizard1
    @laserwizard1 8 months ago +140

    Amazing and clear commentary as well as great competence in diagnosis and repair.

    • @dellpartspeople
      @dellpartspeople  8 months ago +32

      Thanks! I try to keep it clear and easy to follow.

  • @danielhulan3058
    @danielhulan3058 8 months ago +30

    Man how do you keep your hands so steady? I am a therapist by trade but i have started trying my hands at microsoldering to fix things like switches, just as a hobby and then i donate them to a youth program that works with kids with mental health difficulties. My hands shake worse than a bald naked man at the summit of Mt. Everest.

    • @Fadamor
      @Fadamor 8 months ago +8

      About five years ago (age 60 then) I noticed my hands trembling when doing something as simple as holding a spoon. Fearing the onset of Parkinson's Disease, I had it looked at by a neurologist. He said it wasn't Parkinson's, but was instead something called "Essential Tremors". Besides thinking, "WTF is 'essential' about tremors?" I found out there was basically nothing that could be done. These days, I couldn't solder two 24 awg wires together because in-between the shaking soldering iron and the shaking hand holding the solder, I'd do more melting of wire insulation than soldering. 😔

    • @Necrostrike
      @Necrostrike 8 months ago +2

      @Fadamor Lucky you, I've had those essential tremors since 5th grade, not age 60. It sucks.

    • @LycanFerret
      @LycanFerret 5 months ago

      ​@Necrostrike Is shaking the slight wobble while holding something or outreaching an arm? My body has always slightly wobbled up, down, forward, and back when doing something. It's why I work best with fast movements. If I start trying to be slow and precise I vibrate.

    • @Necrostrike
      @Necrostrike 5 months ago +1

      @LycanFerreteven holding a glass of water, if my grip tries to be tight enough my hand can start shaking. Some days are better than others.

    • @LycanFerret
      @LycanFerret 5 months ago

      ​@Necrostrike Is it a violent shake(like clonic seizures), or just a wobble where your hand slightly drifts?

  • @danielhulan3058
    @danielhulan3058 8 months ago +133

    Wow, 18:38, that was slick man. Ive never seen that in an edit.

    • @looncraz
      @looncraz Month ago +3

      Yep, saw that and just came down to make a comment on that - that was a super slick edit.

    • @JemsMedia-inc
      @JemsMedia-inc 24 days ago +2

      Siiick

  • @Mookest1
    @Mookest1 8 months ago +28

    For those who watch these vids and hear Nathan say LDO and then say Linear Voltage Regulator and say "That doesn't line up with LDO acronym!" LDO = Low DropOut regulator. This is a type of Linear Voltage Regulator. The More You Know 🌠

    • @bokiNYC
      @bokiNYC 23 days ago +1

      Ah, thanks for that 👍

  • @0void
    @0void 8 months ago +558

    18:38 that was a slick edit

    • @elprof101
      @elprof101 8 months ago +16

      I was sure that i would fine someone that would be surprised as me

    • @filda2005
      @filda2005 8 months ago +3

      also highlights of mentioning the amps or voltage drops

    • @woodybailey7987
      @woodybailey7987 8 months ago +5

      I had to skip ahead just to see it. Yes, quite good!!!

    • @Master777with69
      @Master777with69 8 months ago +4

      Lol came to comment about the same

    • @klauserwin9860
      @klauserwin9860 8 months ago +4

      I hope he gave his video editor person a raise for that. :D

  • @LeCasulTIC
    @LeCasulTIC 8 months ago +328

    It dawns on me that even with intentional design like this Dell model (have battery sit on top of SSD heatsink), people will STILL refuse to remove the battery somehow.
    Awesome work man, I've been following you for a long while and it's a great learning experience.

    • @chocolate_squiggle
      @chocolate_squiggle 8 months ago +16

      I've replaced plenty of RAM, SSD's in multiple laptops and apart from the older ones where you just slide entire battery out before opening the case, I've never unplugged the newer style battery connectors. I don't get why you'd need to? As long as the device is properly powered off (and not standby) then there shouldn't be any power going anywhere, especially not the SSD. So what's the point - just to avoid shorts if you're careless?

    • @Max_Mustermann
      @Max_Mustermann 8 months ago +54

      ​@chocolate_squiggle Parts of the motherboard are always receiving current, even when the laptop is off. And it's not just the power management chip. One frequent issue is apparently that on some laptops replacing the LCD without disconnecting the battery can lead to the backlight fuse being blown.

    • @ShadowManceri
      @ShadowManceri 8 months ago +21

      I start with a disclaimer that: no, do not do it. Funny thing is that many components are hot swappable. But that also depends of the motherboard. NVMe is one of those components that likely isn't going to be. Also m.2 slots are tiny so wiggle could short the pins if done with aggression. The SATA-connectors for example are hot swappable. It's not bad idea to remove the battery anyway. The components are worth more than the time to unplug it. Also sometimes it might seem like the computer is shut down when it really isn't and there is no like hard power switch.

    • @tttm99
      @tttm99 8 months ago

      ​​kenichi8238once upon a time you'd almost guaranteed get away with it. Once soft power-on came to be though, less and less. I mean don't get me wrong... I've even done "live" plumbing before on too many things... But it almost never hurts to turn things off before trying to fix them... Whether it's an engine for a car or a mainspring in a mechanical watch. It's almost always easier than trying to dodge electrical shorts, water jets, small explosions, or flying parts... 😂

    • @Netzwerkdose
      @Netzwerkdose 8 months ago +8

      And people will also refuse to consult the free documentation from Dell that shows how to properly swap/add an SSD. These people should better not touch any computer.
      It clearly shows how to open the bottom and that you have to remove the battery.

  • @rhuephus
    @rhuephus 7 months ago +172

    #1 RULE OF WORKING ON LAPTOP: IF YOU REMOVE THE BOTTOM COVER, ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. ALWAYS.

    • @NGEvangeliman
      @NGEvangeliman 6 months ago +9

      Yeah it would be like working on a desktop while its plugged in.

    • @nathanvenen
      @nathanvenen 2 months ago +7

      And then press power on button once again to remove all static charge from the board

    • @MitchMitch77-77
      @MitchMitch77-77 23 days ago +1

      I've dropped comments on a couple of tutorial videos about that! You'd be surprised how many of these content creators leave out this vital step when doing a video about installing RAM or SSD.👍👍👍

    • @CaptainKremmen
      @CaptainKremmen 18 days ago

      On older Dells, the battery just unclipped instantly. The design is way worse now.

    • @emenesu
      @emenesu 10 days ago

      ALWAYS.

  • @kschewe
    @kschewe 8 months ago +25

    I been using silicone fiberglass flame tape instead of kapton. Some of the versions have copper or aluminum layer for extra protection. Its used for thermal spray. The 4 feeds of video are impressive in your videos

  • @TomVeik
    @TomVeik 8 months ago +9

    I'm just amazed that anyone troubleshoots down to individual chips anymore. Nice job!

  • @AlexGrom
    @AlexGrom 8 months ago +8

    I am a begginer technician and it's so cool to see all your tech and knowledge

  • @martinoptilon9915
    @martinoptilon9915 6 months ago +1

    Wow, since it's so easy to remove the battery. No intentional adhesion or glue underneath to make it more difficult, then I'm surprised that anyone would do anything else... People never stop to amaze...

  • @ncdave4life
    @ncdave4life 8 months ago +22

    Amazingly steady hands.

  • @Canuck-64
    @Canuck-64 5 months ago +2

    Retired Dell Tech here... love your channel and the way you explain things.

  • @Reziac
    @Reziac 8 months ago +79

    That looooooong CMOS reset is always alarming, especially if you're used to systems that take two seconds. Frex, I've added RAM to a lot of laptops and all the rest count up and boot in the usual way with no delay. Not the D620, it played dead for a while, then spit up an error message, then played dead some more, and five minutes later finally agreed that it did indeed have more RAM and could boot up. I have three other Dell laptops I've upgraded, but only the D620 had to hunt down all its marbles.

    • @petersack5074
      @petersack5074 8 months ago +9

      Yes, patience, is required. Time, is of thee essence, repairing modern ' puters. Doing it for 35 years. Lots of ' loops ' to cycle through, verifying and validating all hardware....with the Factories ' DEFAULT ' CMOS saved, settings. Takes several internal, kernel reboots with modern Windows. This, will probly become worse, over more high - tech devices.

    • @My_Modesty
      @My_Modesty 8 months ago +1

      I bet battery was deeply discharged in terms of normal operating voltage and capacity, and it needed some minutes to put it back on track.

    • @Reziac
      @Reziac 8 months ago +1

      @My_Modesty Nope, the battery was charged (it has two), and in any case this one runs if it's just plugged in, with no battery at all. It didn't take extra time to come up, it took extra time to stop displaying the error message!

    • @Max_Mustermann
      @Max_Mustermann 8 months ago +9

      Some time ago I replaced the fan on my old e5430, which required the motherboard to be removed. After re-assembling the laptop it refused to boot, with the status lights indicating a RAM issue. Cleaning the contacts and re-seating the ram module didn't help, but the laptop booted after placing the module in the 2nd slot. I turned the laptop back off and put the ram module back in the 1st slot. Miraculously it now booted without any issue. Later I had to take out the motherboard once again to replace the CMOS battery (great design, Dell). Exact same RAM error and exact same "solution".

    • @DJGRoc
      @DJGRoc 7 months ago +1

      Hated that model.

  • @mikey2788
    @mikey2788 Month ago +1

    I just LOVE these videos. As a retired electronics engineer, age 74, this fascinates me. I was in the Audio/Visual business so repaired TV's, VCR's and all Hi-Fi equipment. But I would've loved to repair these laptops. It's fair to say I AM HOOKED. Thank you Nathan.

  • @AbuMohandes-p2c
    @AbuMohandes-p2c 2 months ago +3

    Very nice to see a skilled person do a non trivial diagnosis.

  • @marilynman
    @marilynman 7 months ago +1

    Man, many laptops have such bad designs that you wonder why they even try. One clue is the unnecessary asymmetric position of the RAM memory, then putting battery on top of SSD? I miss the days in which main components had easy access for maintenance, and I'm just a normal guy who liked disassembling his own laptop to clean it up.

  • @penelopelgoss2520
    @penelopelgoss2520 8 months ago +5

    Im learning and just fascinated. I worked in PC assembly in the mid to late 80s. I enjoy assisting family, friends, and coworkers with their PC issues. This is more in depth.

  • @Roadkill7878
    @Roadkill7878 6 months ago +1

    I always use plastic pry tools and never go too far in to the case when prying off back. Always make sure you disconnect the battery before you do anything

  • @yakopnobi9758
    @yakopnobi9758 8 months ago +28

    Wow you're really good at what you do !

  • @dropsosense1506
    @dropsosense1506 7 months ago +1

    As Maxwell Smart, agent 86, might say: "The old pry and cry trick."

  • @Fadamor
    @Fadamor 8 months ago +228

    Speaking as an old sonar tech who had to troubleshoot TTL circuit cards, using thermal cameras to find shorts is CHEATING IN THE FIRST DEGREE!!!
    (mumbling: Kids these days! Back in MY day we powered things with batteries made out of potatoes and lemons! We tested voltage by licking the bare wires... AND LIKED IT!) 😊

    • @PJK-444
      @PJK-444 8 months ago +16

      Yea when the repair dept calls me with a mystery issue, I always plug in my FLIR and give them a list of parts to check. Why waste time troubleshooting when I could be designing stuff 😆

    • @Fadamor
      @Fadamor 8 months ago

      @PJK-444 (still mumbling) frakashanging young whippersnappers...

    • @mattpujol4787
      @mattpujol4787 7 months ago +8

      Yeah...sam here. Back in the day, no one knew what a thermal camera was, much less on our workbench.

    • @glintytear
      @glintytear 7 months ago +5

      Surely you meant you tasted voltage

    • @Fadamor
      @Fadamor 7 months ago +4

      @glintytear Actually, I meant what I wrote. (as long as it was 5 VDC or less). We'd even test a 9V battery using our tongues to see if it was dead or not.

  • @miweneia
    @miweneia 7 months ago +1

    He saved another laptop!!

  • @zaz5190
    @zaz5190 8 months ago +12

    24:13, the "issue" here is that the battery needs to be charged to 5% to boot, all Dell models without dedicated BIOS battery act the same. Correct me if I am wrong.

    • @sonictech1000
      @sonictech1000 7 months ago

      Good to know. I had no idea that they had done away with the lithium primary for bios/cmos.

  • @hartefbrown1
    @hartefbrown1 14 days ago +2

    Once again, "Solderlock Ohms" finds and fixes the problem:)

  • @Doggieman1111
    @Doggieman1111 2 months ago +3

    Never met a Dell that didn't have a problem

  • @B.D.TRX4
    @B.D.TRX4 2 months ago +1

    You are the Yoda of computer repair technicians

  • @drikster
    @drikster 8 months ago +8

    This chip transition is smooth 18:37

  • @セータン
    @セータン 5 days ago

    I ended up watching this all the way to the end despite not having the ability to do any of the repairs, but it does made me understand how things works and such. It's like watching a doctor or a surgeon, but for computer. Good watch, very insightful.

  • @PiKACHU_EB
    @PiKACHU_EB 8 months ago +4

    09:30 he is a rapper. no cap.

  • @jessetucker7326
    @jessetucker7326 Month ago +1

    Biggest balls on that guy. 10 out of 10. No panic.

    • @jessetucker7326
      @jessetucker7326 Month ago

      So it looks like I just removed 400% as many components as I meant to, so I guess I will just resolder the whole thing and haphazardly glance at another one real quick another one and what could go wrong?

  • @SuperTechIT
    @SuperTechIT 8 months ago +5

    so a real tech...real vids...I respect

  • @theGreatEnod
    @theGreatEnod 11 days ago

    Dude you must have the patience of a saint! I used to fix CB radios in the 80s, drove me nuts, especially the guy who plugged his 12 volt CB into the UK mains, took me 4 days replacing components and none of them used SMD components back then!

  • @davidbakin1953
    @davidbakin1953 8 months ago +11

    Can't understand why you'd attempt any upgrade/repair on any electronics without first removing the main battery completely. Also, I'm not familiar with Dell, but with Lenovo (my favorite!) you can get the hardware reference manual for any of their laptops free online and it details EXACTLY, with good drawings!, how to open things up in the right way, and in the correct order, which screws need to be removed for each repair, etc. Surely Dell does the same. Meanwhile - this video, first I've watched on your channel, was great. Learned a LOT just from this one video about diagnosing power issues and on replacing SMD components. Just the use of the USB power meter from the very beginning was enlightening. Thank you! I'll be back for more for certain.

    • @Necrostrike
      @Necrostrike 8 months ago +3

      Because sometimes dealing with unplugging the battery is a more likely point of fuck up.
      I just changed SSD on my Zephyrus G14, the SSD slot was perfectly far away, the laptop was powered off and unplugged, and the change in SSD went just fine, as it's just unsticking the nvme and putting a new one in, then closing the laptop. No fidgeting with cables, no touching anything else.

    • @chocolate_squiggle
      @chocolate_squiggle 8 months ago

      Because it's not strictly necessary.

    • @SBDavin
      @SBDavin 7 months ago +3

      It's much better with the higher quality Dell laptops. The steps are fully documented online.

    • @irlirsky6628
      @irlirsky6628 3 months ago

      Disconecting battery is not necessary, you just dont touch components. Speaking of lenovo, you know most of them have in BIOS ability to cut off battery? After that most of the board is without power.

  • @marksmith323
    @marksmith323 7 months ago +2

    Holy crap! Such tiny parts to solder. Amazing watching your calm demeanor while you work.
    Soothing to watch.

  • @JayWelchy
    @JayWelchy 8 months ago +3

    I will say ive owned Dell among others through the years. My last big laptop purchase I chose accessibility for repair/maintenance as a very high factor. And happy I did. I cant do what your doing, but to be able to get in for fan cleaning, memory upgrade, etc. easily and safely was a big factor.

  • @mbruce4152
    @mbruce4152 4 months ago

    Definitely going need this guy on board when we move to Mars. However, I would like to see this same repair done in zero gravity. Great narration.

  • @filda2005
    @filda2005 8 months ago +4

    Shout-out to editor highlighting the amps and voltages while being mentioned

  • @_SYDNA_
    @_SYDNA_ 8 days ago

    Wow. Watching video like this I realize I have no idea what it really means to "solder" something in this times. NO idea. How wonderful that you know that much about the layout of that board. To me, all the things you were aware of in doing this seem like something that would take an entire lifetime to learn. Yet there you are!
    Thanks for sharing!😊

  • @PCErepairs
    @PCErepairs 8 months ago +6

    Kapton tape can be a nightmare

  • @petergibson2318
    @petergibson2318 5 months ago +1

    As laptops get thinner and thinner everything has to crammed in on top of each other. Including the battery lying directly on top of other stuff….like SSD.

  • @jaywalker6464
    @jaywalker6464 6 months ago +3

    Bring back good old days with a bunch of panels for upgrade in the back of laptop.

  • @GentzGaming
    @GentzGaming 6 months ago +1

    As soon as I saw the battery still in the laptop in your thumbnail, I already knew 😂. I work at a computer refurbishing in Florence Kentucky. Shoutout to regadget inc ❤

  • @jsonlee01
    @jsonlee01 8 months ago +3

    Wow. I’ve been swapping components out of laptops for years without disconnecting the battery and never run into issues like these. I must be really lucky not shorting out my computers.

    • @DJGRoc
      @DJGRoc 7 months ago

      I'll say! I've been building & repairing computers for over 30 years, & I've always disconnected the power & removed batteries. The one time that I didn't, I got burned. Never doing that again.

  • @DolphinAvatar
    @DolphinAvatar 4 months ago +1

    My experience with Dell laptops has been that, whenever you change anything on it, even something as simple as system memory, it takes the Dell several minutes to “process” what has changed.

  • @GoodLuckBP
    @GoodLuckBP 8 months ago +5

    User servicing giving you a lot of business!!!

  • @TuPtammi
    @TuPtammi 4 months ago +1

    just stumble upon this channel. this is like, combined skills of electrician + detective + dentist + doctor all in one job

  • @ekaramdani6390
    @ekaramdani6390 8 months ago +3

    I'm surprised how common this is

    • @dellpartspeople
      @dellpartspeople  8 months ago +3

      Yes, especially on this model because of the SSD heatsinks.

    • @Reziac
      @Reziac 8 months ago +1

      @dellpartspeople And the big bloody screw, makes it hard to miss. But people still do. If it's not your everyday gig, it's so easy to not even SEE the problem.
      I'm wondering if those teeny bits the tape pulled off had already been bumped and were a tish loose.

  • @LeoLai9134
    @LeoLai9134 2 months ago +1

    Did I know what he is doing? No.
    Did I watched the whole video? Yes.

  • @HazardousVoltage
    @HazardousVoltage 4 months ago +2

    11:27 "Let me grab a charged battery..." also grabbed a different board? The markings on the components are different, also this one has 5V on the rail that the old one didn't. Presumably a re-enactment, or an unremarked comparison to another board?

  • @Gandoff2000
    @Gandoff2000 2 months ago

    Good on the customer for being honest and explaining what they did. Some people are embarrassed to give such details which makes it 100 times harder to troubleshoot.

  • @dom1310df
    @dom1310df 8 months ago +21

    I swapped the SSD in my 2016 XPS 13 9360 the other day. Bottom popped off easily (had been off only once before) and the SSD was nice and exposed. A shame the design has regressed since then.

    • @DJGRoc
      @DJGRoc 7 months ago +1

      Not really regressed. It's just newer & larger than your XPS 13. The battery in the XPS 17 is probably twice as big. Dell uses every amount of space that they can.

  • @keselekbakiak
    @keselekbakiak 17 days ago +2

    back then, we can unplug the battery before opening the laptop case.

  • @majorsharpe1453
    @majorsharpe1453 7 months ago +18

    I have to say, laptop manufacturers should be making it easier for customers to gain access to their laptops for upgrades. Years ago they used to have panels that you could remove to swap ram and hard drives, but they have swapped to these single piece backs which means a customer has to undo everything, and subject the laptop to much more potential damage.

    • @sireniasong
      @sireniasong 7 months ago +10

      It's a tradeoff for having our devices so light and thin today. Honestly, this laptop has pretty good access. They even tried to idiot proof it by forcing you to remove the battery to prevent shorts. Isn't hard for someone with basic computer repair skills, but the owner of this laptop was lazy and caused a much bigger problem.

    • @infiniteproduction1906
      @infiniteproduction1906 6 months ago

      @sireniasong More or less wrong excuse : manufacturers may don't want their own customers to do upgrade/repair themselves, they just don't have any respect for their customers as they want to get as much profit as possible on short term advantages like alleged performances.
      They also charge a lot for servicing laptops which actually is insanely stupid : send it to their center, wait weeks until someone who don't give a crap do its job, pray for getting it back in a good package without anything missing or badly mounted back, check as much as possible, finally be able to use YOUR product you've paid for quite a lot sometime again.
      For instance Asus just ask you to send them your full laptop at your own expense for removing windows and refund you a license cost just 20 €, this for a 2000 € gaming laptop. Just a shame and a big scam.
      Not just the harddrive in a small package.
      Finally, how many people actually asked for a tiny slim laptop ? Why they tightly packed components in such a way it's in fact stupid as hell (like lenovo does with batteries) ? They got to conclusion based on sale without actually asking if this is what buyers want and without providing any alternate designs.

    • @DragonOfTheMortalKombat
      @DragonOfTheMortalKombat 5 months ago +1

      @sireniasong HAving panels would still be better and barely make a difference in thickness or design

  • @CelticArmory
    @CelticArmory 15 days ago

    Love the Bob Ross nod. "Happy little repair".

  • @DarrenSteele-mx3ks
    @DarrenSteele-mx3ks 8 months ago +10

    Your expressions are priceless, lol. Boy, you have great communication skills. Nice photographic effect, with the chip-well done, and the bit with your "hands" 2:50? very creative!

  • @domenicpolsoni8370
    @domenicpolsoni8370 20 days ago

    This channel is a great advertisement for Framework. Most laptop manufacturers do a terrible job of providing an easy repair path. Thank God we have services like this one however. At least they have the expertise and the tools to bring our very expensive machines back to life. Thank you for what you do.

  • @giorgiolelmi8175
    @giorgiolelmi8175 7 months ago +3

    How much did you charge him for this?

  • @Evergreen64
    @Evergreen64 8 months ago +1

    That pink thermal compound reminds me of silly putty.

  • @KangleipakManipur2000
    @KangleipakManipur2000 7 months ago +13

    i installed ssd myself without removing battery and ended up changing motherboard 🤣🤣🤣

    • @jaybrox1652
      @jaybrox1652 6 months ago +3

      It is logical to cut the power to the motherboard before you touch it😂

  • @picklerick6759
    @picklerick6759 2 months ago

    You made a perfect comment several times of which I'm sure many people don't listen which is make sure before you do anything use plastic tools taken it apart so you don't show anything and always unplug the battery before you do anything!!

  • @yuikonnu5079
    @yuikonnu5079 8 months ago +4

    The amount of people who would not unplug the battery before plugging ssd or ram is baffling me. I had one friend also did this who didn't believe he need to unplug the battery for safety. Luckily there's no short happening

    • @orange11squares
      @orange11squares 8 months ago +1

      usually there's no need if the laptop has been properly shut down, but unplugging the battery can only be a good thing.

    • @chocolate_squiggle
      @chocolate_squiggle 8 months ago

      Like someone else pointed out - laptops used to come with small panels for quick access to RAM / HDD's. There was never a panel to disconnect the battery during such maintenance/upgrades. It's not the crime people in these comments seem to believe.

  • @JackPendajo
    @JackPendajo 5 months ago +1

    Electronic circuit board surgeon.

  • @Nebbia_affaraccimiei
    @Nebbia_affaraccimiei 8 months ago +13

    why on earth would u not remove the battery in the first place? you have to disconnect it anyway.. its only a few screws right? no sh*t adhesive like another popular brand...

    • @albertfrengki
      @albertfrengki 8 months ago +2

      this what i thought first

    • @darylsonnier658
      @darylsonnier658 8 months ago +7

      And further, why wouldn't you look at the manual or even a quick search on YT for a video showing the upgrade process? There's no excuse for bending up the heat sink with pry tools (that looked more like screwdriver damage to me).

    • @blackdragonwolve8317
      @blackdragonwolve8317 7 months ago +1

      ​@darylsonnier658 you're right lol there isn't an excuse for it, in my experience I've only removed 3 laptop heatsinks before and each time I met an uncomfortable amount of force I stopped to continue checking for hidden screws or just continued wiggling it out. Who uses a metal screwdriver as a pry tool in a laptop anyway

    • @Rattyuuu
      @Rattyuuu 7 months ago +1

      I might’ve opened up 3 laptops and never disconnected the battery even to add more m.2 drives and ram

  • @LarixusSnydes
    @LarixusSnydes 8 months ago +1

    I'm not buying any laptop wit soldered down memory, battery or SSD, but even though I used a plastic pry tool to open it, I snapped one of the plastic snaps. I did disconnect the battery before inserting the SSD, so my laptop still works perfectly.

  • @fiatmortem5128
    @fiatmortem5128 8 months ago +2

    So, Kapton is good high temp tape and does keep the air off components, but has low thermal mass and will heat up.
    Consider using high temp metal tape like 3M flue tape over the kapton. It's adhesive is a pain so you want kapton under it for removability.
    Or, you can drop an old shield can over the protected areas and immobilize with kapton.
    Another note, ECs don't just run a loop. They're responsible for power up and down sequencing and coordinate power across the mobo. Only when all the power-good signals come in from the PMICs and charger/fuel gauge ICs will they give the OK to bring up the SOC.

  • @splagyetsi3287
    @splagyetsi3287 5 months ago

    I'm the type of person who will try and fix anything. Micro circuit boards make me nervous tho. This video has given me renewed confidence to have a go.

  • @peterpv0001
    @peterpv0001 8 months ago +4

    Dell: helpfully providing a SERVICE MANUAL (thumbs up for Dell) with instructions on how to open the laptop and replace the SSD.
    Customer replacing SSD: let's ignore the fact that Dell provided instructions and let's just wing it.

  • @محمد_فراز
    @محمد_فراز 6 months ago +1

    As a Laptop Tech I learned these few things which I have ignored for the past 7 years. Thanks man, you did a Wow job.

  • @Vagabond-Etranger
    @Vagabond-Etranger 8 months ago +9

    How do you destroy a laptop, if you're just swapping out the SSD? I'm no computer repair expert, but using common sense, I just remove the former SSD, put in the new SSD, made sure I didn't touch anything I'm not supposed to. Voila.

    • @dellpartspeople
      @dellpartspeople  8 months ago +6

      yep, you are correct!

    • @albertfrengki
      @albertfrengki 8 months ago +3

      seems you missing removing the battery from socket first then you can do anything

    • @kitsuneneko2567
      @kitsuneneko2567 8 months ago +2

      ​@albertfrengki I removed the battery and still fried a mosfet.

    • @GavisFree
      @GavisFree 8 months ago +1

      That cmos reset gets you every time. 😅

    • @LM_740
      @LM_740 8 months ago

      yep, youre not a computer repair expert, you know shit.

  • @marcelzuidwijk
    @marcelzuidwijk 18 days ago

    First time seeing a video from you. I'm used to watch Louis Rossmann fixing Macbooks (fan spin, faulty capacitor) ... was actually nice to watch, same steps and process as on a Macbook.

  • @sphillips6357
    @sphillips6357 22 days ago

    Wow, for most of my life I was a repair technician, starting with IBM Selectric typewritters, then word processors then computers. I always worked for a large company, going from office to office to repair - some military bases but mostly downtown business offices. I was always taught to just replace the circuit board so I could be on my way quickly to the next office building. It was expected to repair several machines in a day, including the travel time from place to place. Unfortunately I was never taught component level repair. I find your work absolutely incredible. I am beyond impressed with what you do. How did you learn to do these component-level repairs? Not only your knowledge of exactly how things work, but also the soldering techniques you use. I am just so in awe of your work. Where / how did you learn these skills?

  • @gregbellinger5765
    @gregbellinger5765 6 months ago +1

    Way over my head, but presented in a way to educate very well. Explains when a design helps you decide what level of repair you should or not do. Thanks, GB

  • @alongcool94
    @alongcool94 3 months ago

    i respect when the repair guys not putting 100% blame on the people who messed up while try to diy fixing or upgrading their own stuff

  • @rickpaulos
    @rickpaulos 2 months ago

    16:00 when those tiny resistors came off, instead of checking another board to see what was there, just run the video back a few minutes to see what was there before the heat.

  • @nathanvenen
    @nathanvenen 2 months ago

    The dexterity of the soldering. Nice man. I do some precise stuff but you are next level

  • @questionmarkzero
    @questionmarkzero 2 months ago

    First time watching the channel, your repair work is the cleanest I have ever seen! Very impressive

  • @GH51505150
    @GH51505150 7 months ago

    Just when you think you know a little something about computers..... you see a video like this and makes you realize you know nothing.. Great Video!!

  • @wcavedog
    @wcavedog 7 months ago +2

    I'm willing to bet the battery was not unplugged when he was trying to add the second drive and thats what caused all of issues.

  • @mysoul-hurts
    @mysoul-hurts 7 months ago

    18:41 that transition was smooooooth

  • @IjasAhmed-m5p
    @IjasAhmed-m5p 3 months ago

    Dell should hire you. Good job mate

  • @zaman4111
    @zaman4111 2 months ago

    Damn, this was such a joy to watch. Did not expect to watch the entire video, but you had me hooked. Especially enjoyed the thorough explanation on everything you were doing and everything that could go wrong!

  • @lycant4030
    @lycant4030 7 months ago +1

    Thanks for the great video. I used to work in a computer shop back int the early 80's things were so much easier to repair back then. :)

  • @orange11squares
    @orange11squares 8 months ago +2

    you're doing a better job than dell, well done.

  • @SuntJack
    @SuntJack 3 months ago

    Nice job mate. Subscribed because as a guy with shaky hands I freakin love to watch people do things I can't

  • @systemBuilder
    @systemBuilder 5 months ago +1

    Visual inspections are so important. Once upon a time in College I spent 4 hours trying to fix a Heathkit Oscilloscope (that I DID NOT build - a rommate had built it but it had never worked!) Finally when I was at my whit's end, I glanced at all the components and the voltage regulator was cracked in half by overheating, 5 mins soldering with a 7805 and it worked for the first time, ever !!! I could not remove the dark spot on the circuit board from when it fried, however ...

  • @learneralwayslearn
    @learneralwayslearn 5 months ago

    Good to see some engineers are there who try to find the bug. Else most of time I met with technician/replacer who don't know how to find bug, just there to replace things off.

  • @t.w.3
    @t.w.3 6 months ago

    Nice repair. I have opened several these at work, and never had issues, but I also only put my pry tool _on the edge_, never let it go inside the machine. As they say: No sign of the repair is a successful repair.

  • @FrodeBergetonNilsen
    @FrodeBergetonNilsen 4 months ago

    Thanks for the vid. Particularly love the endless pointing out what you have seen gone wrong, since that tells me what to be aware of. Really appreciate it, and I will be more cautious the next time I venture into a laptop. I know I will hear this thing about "not prying of chips" while prying it open. I guess I will try to find a vid somewhere showing me the internals of the machine in question, as to be particularly careful in spaces where the parts are close to the edge.