Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (13.5-inch) Upper Case Replacement

Introduction

Follow this guide to replace the upper case in your Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (13.5-inch).

The upper case contains the keyboard and touchpad.

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.

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.

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

Tool used on this step:

Tweezers

$4.99

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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.

Tool used on this step:

Tesa 61395 Tape

$5.99

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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.

Tool used on this step:

FixMat

$36.95

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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.

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.

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.