Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Hard Drive Replacement

Introduction

Do your stored files appear corrupted for no reason? Does your laptop have a slow boot time? Then this guide should help you either replace the hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD) installed within your device. Keep in mind that this device does not support SSDs with M.2. slots.

What you need

Step 1 Hard Drive

Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 1, image 1 of 2

Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 1, image 2 of 2

Flip the laptop to the bottom so the backplate is shown.
Use a Phillips #0 screwdriver to unscrew the 2 captive screws that secure the backplate.
These screws should hold on to the backplate even after removal. So, you shouldn't worry about losing them.

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Step 2

Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to unscrew the single 3 mm screw that secures the hard drive.

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Step 3

Lift up the bottom half of the hard drive at a 25 degree angle.
Simply pull out the hard drive.

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Step 4

Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Hard Drive Replacement: step 4, image 3 of 3

Safely remove the plastic guard surrounding both the hard drive and ESD shielding.

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Step 5

Carefully removing the ESD shielding surrounding the hard drive.
Do not disregard the ESD shielding unless your new hard drive or SSD comes with its own shielding. Failure to do so will lead to severe damage to your device.

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