Hi, I’m Mike with Lenovo.
In this video, I’m going to show the best practices
when servicing system boards in Lenovo products.
Lenovo produces laptops, tablets,
workstations, and desktop systems.
Within the different types of systems,
the system boards can vary in shape,
size,
and method of removal and replacement.
I will cover the removal and replacement by type,
as well as what to do afterward
to ensure that the board is updated with the correct serial
and machine type model numbers.
One of the first things a technician should do
before servicing a system board in any Lenovo product
is download and review the Hardware Maintenance Manual,
or HMM.
The system board in most systems
cannot be removed without first removing many other components.
Find the section of the HMM
that describes the removal of the system board.
there will be a list of components that must be removed,
as well as the correct order to remove them.
For tower systems,
remove the computer cover and any components that are blocking access
to the system board.
Once the necessary components have been removed,
the power supply cables must be disconnected.
There will usually be a fourteen-pin power connector
and a four-pin power connector.
Any SATA cables
and power cable leads should also be disconnected.
Most systems will also have front panel cables
for the power switch
and USB ports that also need to be disconnected.
Once you have all of the components removed
and cables disconnected,
it is time to remove all of the screws that hold the system board in place.
Different systems will have different amounts of screws.
After removing the screws,
lift the system board on the side furthest
from the rear of the system.
As you lift,
make sure the ports on the rear of the board
are clear of the chassis
before lifting the system board out of the machine.
When replacing the system board,
be sure to align the ports on the board
with the correct holes in the rear of the chassis.
Align the screw holes on the system board
with the posts on the chassis.
When installing the screws,
tighten them a little more than snug,
but not too tight.
Some workstation systems have a tool-less removal system
for the system board.
you will need to press a button
and slide the system board away from the ports on the rear of the machine,
and then lift it out of the chassis.
To replace the system board,
you will need to align the ports on the board with the holes on the rear of the machine,
and slide the system board toward the rear to lock it in place.
After installing the new system board,
follow the instructions in the HMM
to replace all of the components in the system.
Once the components are all installed,
connect the SATA cables,
power cables,
and front panel cables to the system board.
Be sure to double-check each component
to verify that there are no loose connections,
and install the computer cover.
Servicing the system board in a small form factor desktop
is similar to the tower.
because of the design of the small form factor chassis,
there will be some differences in how you remove other components
prior to removing the system board.
Remove the computer cover and open the drive bay assembly.
This drive bay assembly
will contain the optical drive and storage drives.
the drive bay assembly lifts these components out of the way
when it is opened,
so there may be no need to remove the storage drives.
Refer to the HMM
to determine which components must be removed.
Disconnect the power cables from the system board,
as well as the front panel cables,
and any other cables that might be connected.
Once the components are removed
and the cables are disconnected,
you can remove the screws that hold the system board in place.
Then remove the system board
by lifting the edge
and pulling the ports from the holes on the rear of the system.
Replacing the system board in the small form factor
is basically the same process as the tower.
Align the ports on the board
with the holes in the rear of the system
and the screw holes
with the posts on the chassis.
Once the screws are installed,
you can then install the other components
and connect the cables throughout the system.
Replacing the system board in a tiny form factor system
is quite different from the tower and small form factor.
These systems are very small,
and the components are arranged in a different way
than in the other desktops form factors.
Refer to the HMM
to see which components must be removed to access the system board.
Begin by removing the computer cover.
Once the cover has been removed,
you can see that most of the components are stacked tightly together.
Begin removing the components,
as listed in the HMM,
until you have the system board fully exposed.
Remove the screws from the system board
and lift it from the system.
To replace the system board,
align the screw holes and the ports on the board
with the holes in the rear of the system.
Install the screws,
and replace the other components.
Servicing all-in-one systems is a little different
than working with other desktop systems.
In an all-in-one,
the computer components are housed in the same case as the monitor.
As with the other systems,
download and review the HMM
to help you determine which components to remove,
and in which order to remove them.
Lay the system face down on a flat surface
and remove the stand.
Loosen the screws in the computer cover,
and use a non-metallic pry tool to separate the cover from the system.
and then remove it.
Generally in an all-in-one system,
there will be a shield over the system board.
Remove the screws that hold the shield in place,
and lift it from the system.
Some all-in-one systems may have a cover over the ports
that may have to be removed before removing the system board.
Once all of the necessary components have been removed,
disconnect all cables, remove the screws from the system board,
and lift it from the system.
To replace the system board,
align the holes in the board with the holes on the chassis.
Install the screws into the holes marked with a triangle.
Connect the cables to the system board,
and replace the other components.
Replace the shield, and then the computer cover.
Tighten the screws and install the stand.
Laptop system boards can be very different from one system to another.
After reviewing the HMM,
follow the order of operations listed
for the removal of the system board.
It usually begins with removing the bottom cover,
or the keyboard.
In some laptops,
you will need to remove the keyboard bezel,
rather than the bottom cover.
Once you have opened the system correctly,
disconnect all of the cables from the system board,
and then removing all of the necessary components.
Once this has been done,
you can remove the screws from the system board.
Be careful when pulling the ports on the board from the holes in the chassis.
Replacing the system board in a laptop
can sometimes be a challenge.
It is easy to replace the board, and all of the components,
but still end up with a few extra screws.
. In order to prevent this,
you should keep the screws with the components they are removed with,
and take a picture,
or draw yourself a map
to remind you of where all the screws go during the process.
Place the system board into the chassis,
using the screw holes and ports on the board for alignment.
Install the screws into the holes marked with triangles.
Then you can begin to install the rest of the components.
Be sure to route the cables correctly
to prevent cable breakage during assembly,
and replace the keyboard if needed.
Tablet and 2-in-1 systems
are much smaller than laptops and desktops,
and this means the components are also much smaller.
As with the other systems,
download and review the HMM before beginning.
When removing the system board from a tablet or a 2-in-1 system,
remove any screws that might be in the back cover.
Then use a non-metallic pry tool
to gently pry open the back cover and unsnap the clips
around the edges.
Lift the cover from the system.
Most tablets will have a battery,
one or more ribbon cables,
and a few other components that will need to be removed
before accessing the system board.
There is often more than one circuit board in a tablet system,
but the system board will generally be the largest one.
Remove the screws and lift the board from the system.
To replace the system board,
place it into the system, using the screw holes for alignment.
Install the screws into the board
and then install the rest of the components.
Install the battery,
and connect all necessary cables,
then replace the cover and install the screws.
Most tablets will have memory and storage soldered onto the system board.
This means that when a system board has been replaced,
you'll need to perform a system recovery to restore the operating system.
The files can be found on the Lenovo support site.
After replacing the system board in a desktop,
laptop, or tablet system,
the maintenance utility must be used to update the serial number
and machine type model number in the system.
Lenovo authorized warranty service providers
and self-maintainers can access the servicer login
on the Lenovo support website.
Once logged in,
the servicer can search for the correct system maintenance utility
and download all the files needed to create the disk
or USB key that can be used to make the changes.
Follow the instructions on the site to create the bootable media,
and then use it to boot the system.
You may have to change the boot setting in the BIOS
in order to boot from the media.
Once the system has been booted from the media,
follow the on-screen instructions
to enter the correct serial and machine type model information.
This concludes our video on servicing system boards in Lenovo products.