Inside the Chromebook Pixel

Taking apart your Chromebook is not encouraged. There’s not much inside that you can fix yourself. Be advised that disassembly might void warranties if you have them, so please consult any and all paperwork you received first.

Tools:

Proceedure

• Shut the system down and close the lid
• Flip the laptop over so the bottom is facing up and the hinge is facing away from you
• Using a flat head screwdriver, pop the four rubber feet off, starting from the edge of the case
• Using a Phillips head screw driver (PH0), remove the 4 screws under the rubber feet
• Stick the suction cup onto the bottom of the case
  • Center it with respect to the sides (left/right)
  • Place it roughly 1 centimeter from the front (not the hinge) side
  • The handle should be parallel with the left/right sides
• Put one hand on the hinge to hold it down (so that you are not touching the case itself)
• Rotate the suction cup as follows:
  • The handle edge closest to the hinge pulls up
  • The handle edge closest to the front pushes down
  • The side snaps should disengage
• After the side snaps disengage, you should be able to gently pull the bottom off
  • Continue applying the rotation force as you do, increasing slightly if it does not disconnect
• If the front edge feels like it isn’t coming off, it’s probably due to the glue
  • Once the back and side snaps have been disconnected, you can gently pivot the panel up to force the glue to disconnect
  • The glue is the semi-reusable type you might find with credit cards in the mail, so it might sort-of restick itself when you close it up.
• Once the back piece is removed, you can remove the Write Protect screw. Make sure to remove both the washer and the screw itself and store them someplace safe. See image below for location.
• When you put the bottom panel back, the hinge-side clips should go in first. 

 

Find the write-protect screw between the USB port and the headphone cable (see golden rings in image)

 

Servo Header
Pixel uses the now obsolete 1×42 servo header found here.