Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (3rd Gen) SSD Replacement

Introduction

Follow this guide to replace the solid-state hard drive, or SSD, in your Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (3rd Gen) laptop. If you are looking to increase your storage capacity, increase your read and write speeds, or your current drive has failed, this guide will help you navigate the process of installing a new SSD. This laptop supports the standard M.2 form factor of solid-state drive.

Consider backing up data that you wish to keep. To do this, you may use a USB flash drive, or, a cloud storage service of your choice (such as Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive).
You are strongly encouraged to be familiar with how to install an operating system (OS). You will need to install a new OS once you have replaced the old SSD.

What you need

Step 1 SSD

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (3rd Gen) SSD Replacement, SSD: step 1, image 1 of 1

Restart your laptop.
Press the "Enter" key repeatedly. This will bring you to the BIOS.
Your laptop should not be plugged in, or charging, for the next steps.

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Step 2

Use the left and right arrow keys to navigate to the Config section of the BIOS.
From the Config section, use the up and down arrow keys to navigate to the Disable Built-in Battery option.
Hit the "Enter" key twice to proceed.
The battery will now be temporarily disabled, allowing you to safely complete the next steps. To power on your laptop, it must now be plugged in to a charger.

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Step 3

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (3rd Gen) SSD Replacement: step 3, image 3 of 3

Loosen the eight 2 mm-long captive Phillips #00 screws on the lower case.
These screws are self-contained in the lower case.

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Step 4

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Pry the backplate cover away from the laptop using your hands.
If you have access to a prying tool, you may use one.
Do not bend the backplate. With the screws loosened from the previous step, this panel can be removed with only a little effort.
Grasp the plastic shield with your hand and pull it away from the laptop.
This will reveal the M.2 slot, where your SSD is installed.

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Step 5

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Remove the 2.8 mm-long Phillips #00 screw that secures the SSD.
Do not lose this screw! It must be reused later.
Gently grasp the SSD from where the screw was located.
Pull the SSD to remove it from the M.2 slot. If the SSD does not immediately release, gently wiggle it while pulling.
Once you have removed the old hard drive, pull it out of the plastic heatshield.
This heatshield will be reused with your new hard drive.