Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (15-inch) Touchpad Replacement

Written By: Spencer Day

Comments: 1

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (15-inch) Touchpad Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

Use this guide to remove or replace the touchpad in your Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (15-inch).

If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

Some photos in this guide are from a different model and may contain slight visual discrepancies, but they won't affect the guide procedure.

Tools

Parts

8 mm Rubber Furniture Feet

Step 1

Allow your laptop's battery to drain below 25% before starting this repair. A charged battery may catch fire if damaged.
Unplug all cables and fully shut down your laptop.

Step 2

Close the screen and lay your laptop down with the rear case facing up to access the four rubber feet.

Step 3

Each foot has a recess to help pry it from the laptop:
The back feet recesses are closest to the back edge of the laptop.
The front feet recesses are closest to the front edge of the laptop.

Step 4

Insert one arm of your tweezers into the recess of one of the feet.
Twist your tweezers and pry up to separate the adhesive and unclip the foot from the laptop.
The feet eject very quickly—be careful not to lose them.
Remove the foot.
Repeat this process on the remaining feet.

Step 5

This laptop has two different types of feet. During reassembly, make sure the feet go in their correct recesses.
The rear feet have a single center clip.
The front feet have three clips and can only be reinserted one way.
Press the feet into their recesses to secure them to the frame.
If the existing feet no longer adhere to the frame, remove the old adhesive and apply a small amount of Tesa Tape where the old adhesive was.

Step 6

If the feet are damaged or worn out, use 8 mm rubber furniture pads:
Peel a pad away from its backing.
Align the pad over a foot cavity and press down to secure it.

The feet are expensive and I've only been losing the back feet. The link to the alternate was really appreciated. Thanks.

Mike -

Step 7

These screws strip easily. Apply constant, downward force to prevent stripping.
Use a T5 Torx driver to remove the four 3 mm screws securing the upper case.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Step 8

Flip your laptop over and fully open the screen.

Step 9

The upper case is secured by magnets.
Grip the top edge of the upper case above the keyboard and lift straight up to release it.
Don't try to completely remove the upper case, as it's still connected to the laptop by a cable.
Lift the bottom edge of the upper case up and away from the laptop, taking care to not strain the ribbon cable underneath.
During reassembly, lower the upper case onto the lower case until the magnets snap into place and it lays flat.
Check that the upper case sits flush around the entire perimeter. Any gaps between the upper and lower case near the screen could damage the screen as it closes.

Step 10

The keyboard and touchpad cable connects the upper case to the laptop.
Insert the pointed end of a spudger under one edge of the magnet connector and pry up to disconnect it.
To reconnect the cable, align the magnet connector over its socket with the cable facing the bottom of the laptop. Press down on the connector to secure it.

Step 11

Remove the upper case and set it keyboard-side down on a clean surface.

Step 12

Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the eight 1.9 mm screws securing the touchpad cover.

Step 13

Remove the touchpad cover.

Step 14

Insert one arm of your tweezers under the corner of the touchpad shield.
Make sure to insert your tweezers between the shield and the frame. Don't pry behind the metal frame.
Gently pry up to release the clips securing the shield.
Try not to deform the shield too much. You'll need to reinstall it during reassembly.
Repeat this process around the perimeter of the shield until you can remove it.
To reinstall the shield, orient it correctly and press down around the perimeter to engage the shield clips.

Step 15

Remove the touchpad shield.

Step 16

Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift the locking flaps on the three ZIF connectors on the touchpad.

Step 17

Light adhesive secures the two black ribbon cables to the touchpad bracket.
Slide one arm of your angled tweezers under the wider ribbon cable and gently lift to separate the adhesive securing it to the touchpad bracket.
Repeat for the middle ribbon cable to separate the adhesive.

Step 18

Use a pair of tweezers to pull the three cables out of their connectors on the touchpad.
When possible, use the attached pull tabs rather than pulling on the actual cables.

Step 19

Remove the keyboard and touchpad cable (the middle ribbon cable) from the upper case and set it aside for reassembly.

Step 20

Use a T5 Torx driver to remove the six 3.1 mm screws securing the touchpad.

Step 21

Push the touchpad up through the case and slide it towards the keyboard, freeing it from its front tab.
Remove the touchpad.
During reassembly:
When lowering the touchpad into place, make sure all ribbon cables are out of the way.
Make sure the touchpad is under its front tab and the other two securing tabs are in place.

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before you install it.

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

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting or check out our Answers community for help.

Author

Spencer Day

Member since: 14/09/22

88286 Reputation

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (15-inch) Touchpad Replacement

Introduction

Tools

Parts

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