[Live Repair Blog] Surface Pro 1

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The last part of my parcel has arrived.

Nerds unite! Ever wondered about the intricacies of commonly seen mobile devices?

Show of hands

Who would be interested in seeing how this amateur moderator, tackle the opening, dismantling and replacing of his Surface Pro 1's punctured battery and rebuild his Surface Pro from parts ordered from eBay and Amazon.

If reception is good, will do a multiple part dismantling of different devices

 

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Step 1: Carefully use a heat gun / hair dryer to heat up the glue and remove the screen. Use a credit card / plastic pry tool to unseat the screen by the edges.


Tip: Be vary of screen flex cables when carefully lifting up the screen. These cables are located at the base of the device (keyboard dock connector side)

Tip 2: A suction cup is pretty helpful in lifting the screen module up and preventing edge chips / cracks to the screen should one decide to pry it by the edges.

 

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Apart from the extremely fragile screen and huge chunks of glue that adhesives the screen, one of the annoying parts of dismantling a Surface Pro are the bits required.

Torx Bits
T2, T3, T4, T5.

T2 drivers are extremely hard to find in most repair kits.

Tip: Would highly recommend that one uses professional repair tools which are magnetic - owing to the vast amount and extremely small size of screws - over 50

 

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Step 2: Removal of plastic midframe

Note the amount of adhesive

 

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Step 3:

Next comes the removal of a pair of metal side frames holding on to the motherboard.

All that's left this are flex cables for various components - charging port , power button , volume button assembly and
many T5 screws of various sizes securing the motherboard to the main / back housing assembly

 

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Integrated Pull tabs makes such removals easier

 

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Certain parts are modular and replaceable.

Though on the whole, it is a pain and a possibly a screen shattering experience should one intend to replace just a faulty speaker.

Due to the scarcity of such components, they are fairly expensive at approximately S$30 inclusive of shipping -
Which is approximately 10% of buying a used working Surface Pro on the second hand market

 

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Intricate and delicate are words i would describe the blue and red wires which connects the vibration motor to the mobo of the Surface Pro

 

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The amount of screws present just to secure the motherboard to the assembly .. just when you thought you are done, there's always more - just like the 2 Torx T5 screws that is blended with the motherboard in the middle.

Good to make a mental note and check it twice for stray screws that are still securing the motherboard to the frame assembly

 

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Motherboard removed

Tip: keep the fans together with the Motherboard assembly.
Do not remove the flex cable connecting it to the motherboard

 

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The number of screws at this juncture is insane.
Mixed lengths among similar sized screws of T2 to T5 sizes

Tip: Use saucers (like me) or have containers available to differentiate screws by different sizes / or by different sections ( such as plastic mid frame assembly screws from Motherboard screws)

 

[siewmai or hargow]

Go go go!

Sent from Meow Meow Meow using GAGT

 

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You can say it's a shell of its former self

 

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Doing final checks to ensure everything is connected and screwed

 

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Placed everything together without screwing them down and did a system throughout test to ensure proper installation of systems and the new battery

Lesson learnt: During a previous reinstallation
I had, missed out, connecting the flex cable for the microphone (which was beneath the motherboard)
This resulted in a total dismantle and removal of 50+ screws (and the removal of the motherboard) to get to one said flex connectors

 

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Inner metal frame re-connected

 

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Posting this from my Surface Pro 1
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

 

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Throw back to yesterday:
(Phone ran out of juice)

This is how the bottom side of the Surface is like
present on mine is a 64gb mSata SSD. It is user upgradable (non soldered) for higher capacity should one wishes.

Tip: Since you are already at this stage, and if you have a smaller capacity surface - like mine. You should take this opportunity to introduce more storage capacity.

 

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Stripped one of my screws and it is non removable now.

Tip: Due to how intricate and small these screws are.
Take it slow, match screws to driver, don't over tighten.
A pack of screws are $18 excluding shipping. So it is not worth the cost.

Tip 2: Trash screws that are questionable. There is an overkill of screws holding the Surface Pro together. One less makes not much of a difference

 

[xsoldix]

Wow!

Very interesting bro!
Educational i believe.

Thanks for sharing with us.

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