Repairing your Dell laptop's motherboard requires flashing the BIOS, or motherboard replacement.
Your Dell laptop's motherboard is the central circuit board where most of your hardware devices are connected to your computer. If your motherboard is regularly not recognizing important hardware devices such as the hard drive, or video card--you may be experiencing a serious motherboard malfunction. This may mean that your motherboard is fried, or you may need to flash your Dell's system BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). If flashing the BIOS does not work, you may have to completely remove and replace your Dell laptop's motherboard.
Instructions
Flashing the BIOS
1. Refer to the user's manual for your Dell laptop to determine your motherboard's exact make and model. Then navigate to your motherboard's manufacturer's web page with your preferred web browser. Navigate to the manufacturer's support page, and then locate the the page link for BIOS updates, double-click on it, and then download the most recent BIOS update for your motherboard.
2. Locate the ZIP folder with the BIOS updates, right-click on the folder and click on "Extract Here." Then insert a floppy disk into your floppy drive. Copy the extracted BIOS update folder to the floppy disk. The floppy disk is usually assigned to drive A. If your computer does not have a floppy drive you need to download an ISO creation tool. Several ISO creation programs are available online (see Resources).
3. Open the ISO creation software, and then insert a blank CD-R into your CD drive. Click on "File," and then select "New CD Image." Navigate to and select the BIOS update file and click on the "Save" button. Burn the ISO image to your blank CD with your computer's CD burning program.
4. Leave the floppy disk, or burned CD in their respective drives, and then restart your computer. Wait for the boot-up menu to appear, and then use the arrow key to navigate to the "Boot From Disk" option. Press the "Enter" key to continue, and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the BIOS flashing procedure.
5. Restart your computer.
Replacing the Motherboard.
6. Purchase a new motherboard from your desired motherboard manufacturer. Power down your computer, disconnect all cables from the laptop and close the LCD screen until it latches closed. Place the laptop face-down, and then remove the battery pack from its compartment and set it aside.
7. Place the laptop face-up, and then open the LCD screen as far as it will go. Use a flat-head screwdriver to pry up the keyboard cover, which is a flat stop of plastic located between the keyboard and LCD screen. Remove the over and set it aside. Remove the Phillips-head screws securing the keyboard in place. Lift up on the keyboard and place it face-down over the palm rest. Disconnect the keyboard ribbon cable from the motherboard. Remove the keyboard and set it aside.
8. Disconnect the video cable from the motherboard, and then with one hand, hold the LCD screen in place, and then remove the Phillips-head screws from each hinge beneath the LCD screen with your other hand. Carefully remove the LCD screen from the laptop and set it aside. Place the laptop face-down, and then remove the single Phillips-head screw securing the CD/DVD/optical drive in place, and then slide the optical drive out of its compartment and set it aside.
9. Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the screws securing the hard drive, RAM and wireless card covers in place. Remove the covers and set them aside. Lift the hard drive out of its compartment and set it aside. Disengage the retaining tabs on either side of each RAM module. Tilt each RAM module at a 45-degree angle, and then remove each module from its respective compartment. Push on the retaining tabs on each side of the wireless card, and then tilt the card at a 45-degree angle. Disconnect the two antenna cables from the card, and then remove it from the laptop and set it aside. Remove all visible Phillips-head screws from the bottom casing, and then place the laptop casing face-up.
10. Remove the visible Phillips-head screws securing the top casing to the base of the laptop, and then disconnect the touch-pad cable from the motherboard. Remove the upper casing from the laptop and set it aside. Remove the remaining screws securing the motherboard assembly to the bottom casing of the laptop, and then lift the motherboard assembly out of the bottom casing and set it carefully aside. Repeat this procedure in reverse to install the new motherboard.
Tags: your computer, then remove, your motherboard, Dell laptop, floppy disk, from laptop