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Repairing an HP Pavillion DV6 Motherboard

Here's my procedure on how to remove and replace the logic board of an HP Pavilion DV6.

My model is a DV6-3122US, and many DV6s of the 3000 series are similar.

These machines often fail to start due to a motherboard failure.  With a motherboard failure, upon pressing power the fan will first spin and the power light comes on.  The capslock key will flash white once every 4 seconds, and the f12 key will stay a solid orange, and the screen - although powered up - displays black only.

Although the caps lock "single blink" indicator at boot implies a CPU failure, in my experience it is not due to the CPU itself but the supporting components on the motherboard. The only solid solution is to repair or replace the motherboard.  Replacement boards are readily available.  I bought one and replaced it myself.

Disassembly Procedure

NOTE: The screws are different sizes, and its important to reinstall them correctly.  I color-coded the different screws in the photos below and refer to them in the text.



  • Unplug laptop
  • Remove battery
  • Remove bottom access plate panel
    • Loosen the four captive screws (magenta)
    • Pry up the access panel
  • Remove screws around perimeter (8).
    • Note that the long screws (red) are in the corners by the display hinge.
    • The other six screws (orange) are of medium length.
  • Remove the three screws in the battery compartment
    • Two short screws (yellow)
    • One very short screw (green).

  • Remove 5 short screws (red) in the access panel compartment.
  • Hard Drive
    • Lift up hard drive retainer
    • Unplug SATA cable
  • CD Drive
    • Remove the very short screw that retains the CD drive (orange) 
    • Remove CD drive by sliding it out
  • WiFi card:
    • Remove two antenna connectors
    • Remove two short screws holding in WiFi card (yellow)
    • Withdraw the WiFi card
  • Unlatch all electrical connectors under access panel
    • Hard drive SATA cable: pull up on connector
    • trackpad: flip up connector and slide out cable
    • CD SATA cable: pull up on connector
  • Remove Keyboard:
    • Flip over and "open" display to vertical position
    • Partially release keyboard from upper case by pulling from the top.
    • Detach the keyboard cable by flipping up connector and withdrawing ribbon cable
    • Fully remove keyboard
  • Detach all connectors under keyboard
  • Remove top case
  • Remove logic board:
    • Unplug all remaining electrical connectors and cables
    • Verify that all connectors have been removed from motherboard
    • Withdraw motherboard
  • Remove CPU:
    • Unplug fan connector
    • Loosen the three captive, chrome screws that attach heat sink to motherboard
    • Remove heatsink with fan
    • Turn screw latch holding CPU in socket with a flat head screwdriver
    • Remove CPU

Reassembly:

  • Install CPU:
    • Insert CPU into socket
    • Turn socket latch to lock CPU into socket
    • Clean mating surfaces of CPU and heatsink
    • Re-apply heat sink compound
    • Re-attach heat sink to motherboard via three chrome screws
    • Plug in fan connector
  • Reverse above disassembly instructions

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