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Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement

What you need

  1. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Unlocking the Battery: step 1, image 1 of 1

    • Slide the left and the right battery release latches to the unlock position.

    Edit

  2. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Removing the Battery: step 2, image 1 of 1

    • Slide the battery and remove it from the computer.

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  3. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Press the ExpressCard: step 3, image 1 of 1

    • Press the ExpressCard to release it from the computer.

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  4. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Slide the ExpressCard: step 4, image 1 of 1

    • Slide the ExpressCard out of the computer.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

    Edit

  5. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Prying the Keyboard: step 5, image 1 of 1

    • Press the keyboard down. Pry the keyboard with the use of a flat-head screwdriver towards the display to reveal the first keyboard retainer.

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  6. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Prying the Keyboard retainer: step 6, image 1 of 1

    • Pry up the second keyboard retainer.

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  7. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Pry up the Keyboard Retainer: step 7, image 1 of 1

    • Pry up the third keyboard retainer.

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  8. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Prying the Retainer: step 8, image 1 of 1

    • Pry up the fourth keyboard retainer.

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  9. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Pull up the Keyboard: step 9, image 1 of 1

    • Pull up the keyboard from the palm rest.

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  10. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Release the Latch: step 10, image 1 of 1

    • Release the latch on the system board connector, then disconnect the keyboard cable.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

    Edit

  11. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Loosen the Screw: step 11, image 1 of 1

    • Loosen the screw that secures the memory door.

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  12. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Removing the Memory Door: step 12, image 1 of 1

    • Pry up the memory door near the screw hole, lift and remove it.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

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  13. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screw: step 13, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screw that secures the optical drive to the computer.

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  14. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Prying the Drive: step 14, image 1 of 1

    • Gently pry the optical drive out of the computer.

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  15. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 15, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws that secure the optical drive bracket.

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  16. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Removing the Optical Drive: step 16, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the optical drive bracket from the optical drive module.

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  17. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 17, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws in the battery compartment.

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  18. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 18, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws in the optical drive compartment.

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  19. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Rubber: step 19, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the rubber from the bottom base on the right side.

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  21. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Rubber: step 20, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the rubber from the bottom base on the left side.

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  22. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 21, image 1 of 1

    • Remove all the screws from the bottom base.

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  23. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 22, image 1 of 1

    • Flip the computer around and remove the screws that secures the palm rest.

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  24. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Release the Latches: step 23, image 1 of 1

    • Release the latches on the system board connector, then disconnect the touch pad cable and the finger printer cable.

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  25. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Release the Latch: step 24, image 1 of 1

    • Release the latch on the system board connector and then disconnect the power button cable.

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  26. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Disconnecting the Key Cable: step 25, image 1 of 1

    • Release the latch on the system board connector and then disconnect the hot key cable.

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  27. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Prying the Palm Rest: step 26, image 1 of 1

    • Pry up the right side of the palm rest.

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  28. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Prying the Palm Rest: step 27, image 1 of 1

    • Pry up the left side of the palm rest.

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  29. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Prying the Sides: step 28, image 1 of 1

    • Pry up the sides of the palm rest and remove it from the computer.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

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  30. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 29, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws that secure the hinge cover.

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  31. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Press Down on the Hooks: step 30, image 1 of 1

    • Press down on the hooks highlighted in the image.

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  32. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Removing the Hinge Cover: step 31, image 1 of 1

    • Flip the computer around and remove the hinge cover from the side.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

    Edit

  33. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 32, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws that secure the display hinge.

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  34. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Loosen the Screw: step 33, image 1 of 1

    • Loosen the screw that secures the low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) cable.

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  35. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Disconnecting the LVDS Cable: step 34, image 1 of 1

    • Disconnect the LVDS cable from the system board.

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  36. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Disconnecting the Wireless Cables: step 35, image 1 of 1

    • Disconnect the wireless local area network (WLAN) antenna cable.

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  37. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 36, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws that secure the left hinge.

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  38. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 37, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws that secure the right hinge.

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  39. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Lifting the Display Assembly: step 38, image 1 of 1

    • Lift the display assembly and remove it from the computer.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

    Edit

  40. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screw: step 39, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screw that secures the WLAN card.

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  41. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Pull the Card: step 40, image 1 of 1

    • Pull the WLAN card straight out of its socket and remove it.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

    Edit

  42. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Release the Latch: step 41, image 1 of 1

    • Release the latch on the system board and then disconnect the VGA cable.

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  43. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screw: step 42, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screw that secures the VGA board.

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  44. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the VGA Board: step 43, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the VGA board from the chassis.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

    Edit

  45. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Disconnect the System Fan Cable: step 44, image 1 of 1

    • Disconnect the system fan cable from the system board.

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  46. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screw: step 45, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screw that secures the system fan.

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  47. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the System Fan: step 46, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the system fan from the bottom base module.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

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  48. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Disconnect the DC-in Cable: step 47, image 1 of 1

    • Disconnect the DC-in cable connector from the system board.

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  49. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Disconnecting the Speaker Cable: step 48, image 1 of 1

    • Disconnect the speaker cable from the system board.

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  50. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the Screws: step 49, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws that secures the system board.

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  51. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Disconnecting the System Board: step 50, image 1 of 1

    • Disconnect the system board from the Input/Output panel.

    Edit

  52. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Remove the System Board: step 51, image 1 of 1

    • Lift and remove system board from the chassis.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

    Edit

  53. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 52, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws that secures the hard drive bracket

    Edit

  54. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement: step 53, image 1 of 1

    • Slide the hard-drive module to release it from the system board

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  55. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement: step 54, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the hard drive module from the system board.

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  56. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement: step 55, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws that secures the hard-drive bracket on one side.

    Edit

  57. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement: step 56, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the screws that secures the hard-drive bracket on the other side

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  58. Dell Vostro 3450 Hard Drive Replacement: step 57, image 1 of 1

    • Slide the hard drive from the hard-drive bracket.

    • If this is all you are doing Follow Step In Reverse if not Go to Next Step.

    Edit
Conclusion

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

4 other people completed this guide.

Author

with 2 other contributors

Johnathan Hammond

Member since: 02/28/18

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Team

RampUP America, Inc. Member of RampUP America, Inc.

Community

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4 Comments

Stupidest HDD location EVER! You have to fully disassemble your device for the simple operation.

vytookas - Reply

Who the !&&* designs a hard drive location that requires complete disassembly of the motherboard and the laptop to replace. Horrible, horrible design.

garbage911garbage - Reply

It’s possible to skip removing the display and the WLAN card, which saves a bit of time and trouble. I think I understand why this guide and Dell’s user guide recommend removing these parts, it makes other steps a _little_ easier, but I didn’t find it was worthwhile.

BorpoIT - Reply

I’ve done this upgrade twice now, and I think the iFixit Opening Tool (along with the spudger) makes this job easier. Besides releasing latches for the palm rest and the memory door, it was very helpful to pry up the System Board from the Input/Output Panel.

BorpoIT - Reply

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