Dell Chromebook 3100 Service Manual
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Dell Chromebook 3100 Service Manual

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Dell Chromebook 3100
Service Manual
Regulatory Model: P29T
Regulatory Type: P29T001
March 2021
Rev. A03

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Summary of Contents for Dell Chromebook 3100

  • Page 1 Dell Chromebook 3100 Service Manual Regulatory Model: P29T Regulatory Type: P29T001 March 2021 Rev. A03...
  • Page 2 A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. © 2021 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Chapter 1: Working on your computer................... 5 Before working inside your computer..........................5 Safety precautions................................5 Electrostatic discharge—ESD protection........................6 ESD field service kit ................................6 Transporting sensitive components..........................7 Safety instructions................................8 Storing Chromebooks for long term - best practices....................8 After working inside your computer..........................9 Chapter 2: Removing and installing components................
  • Page 4 CROSH commands................................73 Chrome commands................................75 Commonly used CROSH command..........................81 Check battery charging status..........................81 Reset Chromebook................................88 Recovery Chromebook..............................91 Recovering the Chromebook.............................91 Chapter 5: Getting help and contacting Dell................94 Contents...

  • Page 5: Chapter 1: Working On Your Computer

    Standby power Dell products with standby power must be unplugged before you open the case. Systems that incorporate standby power are essentially powered while turned off. The internal power enables the system to be remotely turned on (wake on LAN) and suspended into a sleep mode and has other advanced power management features.

  • Page 6: Electrostatic Discharge-Esd Protection

    ESD protection is an increasing concern. Due to the increased density of semiconductors used in recent Dell products, the sensitivity to static damage is now higher than in previous Dell products. For this reason, some previously approved methods of handling parts are no longer applicable.

  • Page 7: Transporting Sensitive Components

    It is recommended that all field service technicians use the traditional wired ESD grounding wrist strap and protective anti-static mat at all times when servicing Dell products. In addition, it is critical that technicians keep sensitive parts separate from all insulator parts while performing service and that they use anti-static bags for transporting sensitive components.

  • Page 8: Safety Instructions

    Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the product.

  • Page 9: After Working Inside Your Computer

    After working inside your computer About this task NOTE: Leaving stray or loose screws inside your computer may severely damage your computer. Steps 1. Replace all screws and ensure that no stray screws remain inside your computer. 2. Connect any external devices, peripherals, or cables you removed before working on your computer. 3.

  • Page 10: Chapter 2: Removing And Installing Components

    Removing and installing components NOTE: The images in this document may differ from your computer depending on the configuration you ordered. Topics: • Recommended tools • Screw list • Major components of your system • Disassembly and reassembly Recommended tools The procedures in this document may require the following tools: ●...
  • Page 11 Table 1. Screw list Component Screw type Quantity Screw image Wireless card bracket M2x3 Display cable bracket M2x4 Display bezel M2.5x3.8 Display panel M2x3 Display hinges M2.5x2.5 M2x3 Removing and installing components...

  • Page 12: Major Components Of Your System

    Major components of your system 1. Base cover 2. System board 3. Battery 4. Speaker 5. Palmrest assembly 6. Display assembly Removing and installing components...

  • Page 13: Disassembly And Reassembly

    7. Input and output board NOTE: Dell provides a list of components and their part numbers for the original system configuration purchased. These parts are available according to warranty coverages purchased by the customer. Contact your Dell sales representative for purchase options.
  • Page 14 Steps 1. Loosen the nine captive screws that secure the base cover to the computer chassis. 2. Use a plastic scribe to pry open the base cover, starting from the U-shaped indents at the top side of the base cover, and then working along the sides.
  • Page 15 pry open from the upper left side of the base cover, continue working your way around the left and right side of the base cover, then remove the base cover from the system. 3. Lift and remove the base cover from the computer chassis. 4.
  • Page 16 Removing and installing components...

  • Page 17: Sim Card

    Steps 1. Connect the battery cable to the connector on the system board. 2. Align and place the base cover on the computer chassis, and snap the base cover latches into place. 3. Tighten the nine captive screws to secure the base cover to the computer chassis. Next steps ●...
  • Page 18 Steps 1. Gently press the SIM card to release it from the SIM card slot. 2. Slide the SIM card out from the slot on the system board. Installing the SIM card About this task NOTE: The following steps are applicable only for 4G LTE enabled systems. NOTE: The following steps are not applicable for systems configured with pre-installed SIM card.

  • Page 19: Wwan Card

    Steps 1. Align and slide the SIM card in the SIM card slot on the system board. NOTE: Align the SIM card parallel to the system board. Insert the SIM card carefully in the direction of the SIM card slot. 2.
  • Page 20 Steps 1. Remove the screw (M2x4) that secures the WWAN bracket to the WWAN card on the system board. 2. Remove the WWAN bracket from the WWAN card that secures the two antenna cables. 3. Disconnect the two antenna cables that are connected to the WWAN card. 4.

  • Page 21: Battery

    Steps 1. Align and connect the WWAN card into the slot on the system board. 2. Connect the two antenna cables to the WWAN card. 3. Align and place the WWAN bracket on the WWAN card to secure the antenna cables in place. 4.
  • Page 22 ● If the battery gets stuck inside your computer as a result of swelling, do not try to release it as puncturing, bending, or crushing a lithium-ion battery can be dangerous. In such an instance, contact Dell technical support for assistance. See www.dell.com/contactdell.
  • Page 23 Steps 1. Unroute the battery cable from the routing channel in the palmrest assembly. 2. Remove the three screws (M2x4) that secure the battery to the palmrest assembly. 3. Flip the adhesive tape on the bottom-left corner of the battery. 4.
  • Page 24 About this task NOTE: If the battery is disconnected from system board, there is delay during computer boot as the computer undergoes Real Time Clock (RTC) reset. The following image indicates the location of the battery and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Steps 1.

  • Page 25: Keyboard

    Keyboard Removing the keyboard Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the base cover. About this task The following images indicate the location of the keyboard, and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure. Removing and installing components...
  • Page 26 Steps 1. Unroute the battery cable from the routing channel on the palmrest assembly. 2. Disconnect the keyboard Flexible Printed Circuits cable (FPC) from the connector on the system board. 3. Place the system on a flat surface with the keyboard facing up. Open the system to 180 degrees. NOTE: The system will automatically power on when it is opened past 5-degree angle.
  • Page 27 Removing and installing components...

  • Page 28: Display Assembly

    Steps 1. Insert the keyboard FPC cable from the gap in the palmrest assembly. 2. Align the keyboard on the palmrest assembly. Gently press the keyboard and snap it into place. 3. Connect the keyboard FPC cable to the connector on the system board. Next steps 1.
  • Page 29 Removing and installing components...
  • Page 30 Steps 1. Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the WLAN bracket to the system board. 2. Remove the WLAN bracket from the system board. 3. Disconnect the two antenna cables that are connected to the WLAN module. 4. Remove the screw (M2x4) that secures the display cable bracket to the system board. NOTE: The screw securing the display cable bracket also secures the left Input Output bracket to the system board, as a result removal of the display cable bracket may leave the left Input Output bracket unsecured.

  • Page 31: Input Output Board

    5. Adhere the conductive tape to secure the display cable to the system board. NOTE: For Chromebook 3100 models with LTE capabilities, the piece of conductive tape on display cable must be adhered onto display hinge bracket and the display cable must be adhered onto the system board.
  • Page 32 1. Follow the procedure in before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the base cover. 3. Remove the WWAN card for 4G LTE enabled systems. About this task The following image indicates the location of the Input Output board and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure.
  • Page 33 Installing the Input Output board Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure. About this task The following image indicates the location of the Input Output board and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure.

  • Page 34: System Board

    9. Connect the Type-C power cable to the connector on the Input Output board. Adhere the Type-C power cable onto the system board and Input Output board. Next steps 1. Install the WWAN card for 4G LTE enabled systems. 2. Install the base cover.
  • Page 35 Removing and installing components...
  • Page 36 Steps 1. Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the WLAN bracket to the system board. 2. Remove the WLAN bracket from the system board. 3. Disconnect the two antenna cables that are connected to the WLAN module. 4. For systems enabled with 4G LTE, disconnect the LTE signal cable from the connector on the system board. 5.
  • Page 37 Installing the system board Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure. About this task The following image indicates the connectors on your system board. Figure 2. System-board connectors 1. 30-pin FFC Input Output board cable ( 30-pin FPC Input 2.
  • Page 38 Removing and installing components...
  • Page 39 Steps 1. Align and place the system board into the chassis. 2. Replace the four screws (M2x4) to secure the system board in place. 3. Replace the Type-C bracket on the chassis. 4. Connect the display cable to the connector on the system board and close the latch. 5.

  • Page 40: Speaker

    Speaker Removing the speakers Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the base cover. 3. Remove the battery. About this task The following image indicates the location of the speakers and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure. Steps 1.
  • Page 41 NOTE: While removing the speakers, technicians must first peel the clear transparent covering the speaker cable. If not peeled, there is a risk of damaging the speaker cable while removing the speakers. 4. Unroute the speaker cable from retention clips in the routing channels at the bottom of the palmrest assembly. 5.

  • Page 42: Display Bezel

    NOTE: While installing the speakers onto the palmrest assembly, the speaker cables must be routed correctly into the routing channels at the bottom of the palmrest assembly. If not routed properly, the speaker cables may become pinched and damaged when replacing the base cover. 3.
  • Page 43 Removing and installing components...
  • Page 44 Steps NOTE: The bezel screws are covered with disposable cosmetic mylar stickers that must not be peeled off before bezel screw removal. Use a blade to peel the four bezel sickers covering the screw. 2. Remove the four screws (M2.5x3.8) that secure the display bezel on the display assembly. 3.
  • Page 45 Removing and installing components...

  • Page 46: Display Panel

    Steps 1. Align the display bezel with the display assembly. Gently snap the display bezel into place. 2. Replace the four screws (M2.5x3.8) to secure the display bezel on the display assembly. 3. Adhere the stickers over the screws once the screws have been secured. NOTE: A new set of stickers is included with any replacement display bezel.
  • Page 47 About this task The following images indicate the location of the display panel and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure. Removing and installing components...
  • Page 48 Steps 1. Remove the four (M2x3) screws that secure the display panel to the display assembly. 2. Lift to turn over the display panel to access the display cable. 3. Peel the conductive tape covering the display cable connector. 4. Peel the clear tape covering the display cable connector. 5.
  • Page 49 Removing and installing components...

  • Page 50: Camera

    Steps 1. Connect the display cable to the connector and close the latch. 2. Adhere the rubber spacer covering the display cable. 3. Adhere the conductive tape covering the display cable connector. 4. Adhere the clear tape to cover the display cable connector. 5.
  • Page 51 About this task The following images indicate the location of the camera and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure. Steps 1. Disconnect the camera cable from its connector on the camera. 2. Peel the conductive tape that secures the camera in place. 3.

  • Page 52: Display Hinges

    Steps 1. Insert the camera into the slot on the display back cover. 2. Adhere the adhesive tape and secure the camera in place. 3. Connect the camera cable to the connector. Next steps 1. Install the display bezel. 2. Install the display assembly.
  • Page 53 Steps 1. Peel the conductive tape that secures the display cable in place from the left display hinge. 2. Remove the four (M2.5x2.5) and two (M2x3) screws that secure the left and right display hinges. 3. Remove the display hinges from the display back cover. Installing the display hinges Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure.
  • Page 54 Steps 1. Lower the display hinges on the display assembly. 2. Replace the four (M2.5x2.5) and two (M2x3) screws to secure the left and right display hinges to the display back cover. 3. Adhere the conductive tape to secure the display cable in place at the left display hinge. Next steps 1.

  • Page 55: Display Cable

    Display cable Removing the Display cable Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the base cover. 3. Remove the WWAN card for 4G LTE enabled systems. 4. Remove the display assembly. 5. Remove the display bezel.
  • Page 56 Installing the display cable Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure. About this task The following image indicates the location of the display cable and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Steps 1.

  • Page 57: Display Back Cover

    Display back cover Removing the display back-cover and antenna assembly Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the base cover. 3. Remove the WWAN card for 4G LTE enabled systems. 4. Remove the display assembly.

  • Page 58: Palmrest Assembly

    About this task The following image indicates the location of the coin-cell battery and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Steps Place the display back-cover on a flat surface and perform the following steps to install the display back cover. Next steps 1.
  • Page 59 Steps Place the palmrest assembly on a flat surface. Next steps 1. Install the speakers. 2. Install the system board. 3. Install the Input Output board. 4. Install the display assembly. 5. Install the keyboard. 6. Install the WWAN card for 4G LTE enabled systems.
  • Page 60 Steps The component you are left with is the palmrest assembly. NOTE: The palmrest assembly cannot be further disassembled once all the pre-removal parts procedures are completed. If the touchpad frame, touchpad support bracket, touchpad mylar, touchpad module, touchpad FFC, conductive tape, or thermal pad are malfunctioning and need to be replaced, replace the entire palmrest assembly.

  • Page 61: Chapter 3: Technology And Components

    Technology and components NOTE: Instructions provided in this section are applicable on computers shipped with Windows 10 operating system. Windows 10 is factory-installed with this computer. Topics: • USB features • USB Type-C • Keyboard • Touchpad • Bluetooth USB features Universal Serial Bus, or USB, was introduced in 1996.
  • Page 62 Speed Currently, there are 3 speed modes defined by the latest USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 specification. They are Super-Speed, Hi-Speed and Full-Speed. The new SuperSpeed mode has a transfer rate of 4.8Gbps. While the specification retains Hi-Speed, and Full-Speed USB mode, commonly known as USB 2.0 and 1.1 respectively, the slower modes still operate at 480Mbps and 12Mbps respectively and are kept to maintain backward compatibility.

  • Page 63: Usb Type-C

    Compatibility The good news is that USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 has been carefully planned from the start to peacefully co-exist with USB 2.0. First of all, while USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 specifies new physical connections and thus new cables to take advantage of the higher speed capability of the new protocol, the connector itself remains the same rectangular shape with the four USB 2.0 contacts in the exact same location as before.

  • Page 64: Keyboard

    Figure 4. Thunderbolt Iconography Variations Keyboard Dell Chromebook 3100 keyboards have a few extra features to help you browse the web effortlessly and efficiently. The keyboard contains a dedicated search key and a new row of web shortcut keys. A standard USB Windows keyboard...

  • Page 65: Keyboard Keys Function

    can also be used with the Chromebook, using the same keyboard shortcuts. The image below shows the keyboard layout. Keyboard keys function The Chrome device keyboard is designed to help you get to the things you need the most. The table below is an overview of the special keys on the top row of the keyboard: Table 3.

  • Page 66: Touchpad

    To see more shortcuts, simply press Ctrl+Alt+? To open the keyboard viewer on your screen. Touchpad This page contains information for Dell touchpad gestures. The following table lists some gestures and actions supported by the Chromebook touchpad: Table 5. Touch pad gestures...

  • Page 67: Bluetooth

    Table 5. Touch pad gestures Touchpad gestures Press down on the lower half of the touchpad. Since tap-to-click is enabled by default, you can quickly tap the touchpad to click. Click the touchpad with two fingers. Place two fingers on the touchpad and move them up and down to scroll vertically, left and right to scroll horizontally.
  • Page 68 3. Select your Bluetooth status in the menu that appears. 4. If Bluetooth is disconnected, click the disconnected icon. or click Enable Bluetooth in the menu. Your Chromebook will automatically begin scanning for available Bluetooth devices. 5. Pick the device you want to add from the list of available Bluetooth devices and click Connect. 6.

  • Page 69: Chapter 4: Troubleshooting

    • Commonly used CROSH command • Reset Chromebook • Recovery Chromebook Basic troubleshooting This page contains all the information for Dell Chromebook 3100 basic troubleshooting. NOTE: Refer to Google Help Center for the online troubleshooter. NOTE: Resetting the Chromebook, also known as Powerwash, can be attempted before Recovering the Chromebook.
  • Page 70 Display issue Table 7. Display issue Display issue Issue Possible solutions If the Chromebook's screen is blank, try the following troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue, checking to see if the screen turns on after each step: 1. Make sure that the Chromebook is on. If you are using the battery, plug the Chromebook in and press the power Screen is Blank button.
  • Page 71 Table 8. Audio, screen, and camera issues Audio, screen, and camera issues 4. If the camera issues persist, try to Reset or Recover the Chomebook. Bluetooth issue Table 9. Bluetooth issue Bluetooth issue Issue Possible solutions If you run into issues while attempting to pair or use a Bluetooth device with the Chromebook, try the following steps to resolve the issue: 1.
  • Page 72 Table 10. Touchpad and hotkeys issues Touchpad / Hotkeys issues 3. Restart the Chrome OS by holding down the power button until the device turns off, and then turn it back on again. 4. Try using the keys in the Guest account. 5.

  • Page 73: Crosh

    The Chrome OS does not support ePSA, Dell BIOS, the F12 boot menu, or DellConnect. There are no preboot diagnostics. All troubleshootings must be done inside the OS. Chrome Shell (CROSH) and the Chrome URL commands provide some troubleshooting tools, information, and advanced settings.
  • Page 74 Table 12. Help commands Command Purpose ping [-c count] [-i interval] [-n] [-s packetsize] [-W waittime] — Sends ICMP ECHO_REQUEST packets to a network host. If it is "gw", then the next hop gateway for the default route is used. It works like the ping command on other operating systems.

  • Page 75: Chrome Commands

    Table 13. Advanced help command Command Purpose route [-n] [-6] Displays the routing tables. set_apn [-n <network-id>] [-u <username>] [-p Sets the APN to use when connecting to the network specified by <network-id>. If <network-id> is not specified, <password>] <apn> use the network-id of the currently registered network.
  • Page 76 More "Who am I" type of stuff Create Recovery USB Stick chrome://imageburner/ Google's version of DBAR/DBRM Chrome Flags chrome://flags Experimental features beyond the scope of what Dell supports Memory Troubleshooting chrome://memory View running processes and memory utilization Module Load chrome://conflicts...
  • Page 77 2. chrome://dns: This displays the list of host names for which the browser will pre-fetch the DNS records. 3. chrome://downloads: This is also available from the Menu > Downloads. Shortcut key is Ctrl+J. 4. chrome://extensions: This is also available from the Menu > Tools > Extensions. Troubleshooting...
  • Page 78 5. chrome://bookmarks: This is also available from the Menu > Bookmarks > Bookmark Manager. Short cut key is Ctrl+Shift+O. 6. chrome://history: This is also available from the Menu > History. Short cut key is Ctrl+H. Troubleshooting...
  • Page 79 7. chrome://memory: This will redirect to “chrome://memory-redirect/”. This will display the memory used by the Google Chrome browser. This also displays all the process related to browser with their PID, process name, and the memory it takes. NOTE: Net-internals events viewer and related functionality has been removed. Please use Chrome://net-export to save netlogs and the external Catapult netlog_viewer to view them.
  • Page 80 10. chrome://sessions: This displays the number of sessions and magic list that are currently running. 11. chrome://settings: This is also available from the Menu > Options (on Windows), and Menu > Preferences (on Linux). From here you can control various browser related settings. 12.

  • Page 81: Commonly Used Crosh Command

    Commonly used CROSH command This page contains information about the most commonly used CROSH commands to diagnose the Dell Chromebook 3100. Below are some of the most commonly used CROSH commands to troubleshoot a hardware issue. NOTE: CROSH storage_test_1 and storage_test_2 are not supported on the eMMC storage device.
  • Page 82 5. Type battery_test 1 into CROSH, and then press Enter. 6. Check the result to confirm that the battery is charging. Check battery health Follow the steps to evaluate the health of the Chromebook battery, and check the discharge rate: 1.
  • Page 83 4. Press CTRL + ALT + T to open CROSH. 5. Type battery_test 1 into CROSH, and then press Enter. 6. A screen displays the current battery health and discharge rate. ● If the Battery health percentage is greater than 50%, the battery is within the expected wear limits. ●...
  • Page 84 Checking memory Follow the steps below to perform a memory check for Chromebook: NOTE: This will approximately take 20 minutes to complete the test, and it also depends on the capacity of the memory. 1. Turn on and sign in to Chromebook. 2.
  • Page 85 5. A diagnostic screen displays the result of the memory test passed without any errors. Example of a memory test failure. Checking network status If you are having trouble connecting to the Internet, use the steps in one or more of the following sections to test the network adapter: Troubleshooting...
  • Page 86 Follow the instruction to gather the information about the network and diagnose the network errors. 1. Turn on and sign in to Chromebook. 2. Open the Chrome browser. 3. Press CTRL + ALT + T to open CROSH. 4. Type network_diag into CROSH, and then press Enter. Troubleshooting...
  • Page 87 5. Wait while CROSH performs a set of network diagnostic tests. A diagnostic screen displays the results of the network adapter health test. 6. The diagnostic test log is saved as a.txt (plain text) file in the Files app. Troubleshooting...

  • Page 88: Reset Chromebook

    7. If the diagnostic test returns a failure message, make sure the Wi-Fi adapter is enabled and connect to a network. Reset Chromebook This page contains all information about resetting Dell Chromebook 3100. All local user data stored on the Chromebook can be cleared by resetting it to its original factory state (also known as Powerwash).
  • Page 89 2. Click Settings as highlighted from the screenshot below. 3. Click Show advanced settings to expand the menu. Troubleshooting...
  • Page 90 4. Click the Powerwash button. 5. Click Restart when prompted. You can also reset your Chromebook from the sign-in screen by holding down the keys Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R and clicking Restart. (If you are signed in to your Chromebook, sign out first before you press on Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R, then click Restart. Once the Chromebook is restarted, click Reset.) After you restart the Chromebook, you should now see the setup screen.

  • Page 91: Recovery Chromebook

    Recovery Chromebook This page contains information about recovering Dell Chromebook 3100. Recovering the Chromebook Install a new version of the Chrome operating system on your Chromebook by going through the recovery process. You may want to go through this process if you are having problems updating your Chromebook or if it stops working.
  • Page 92 Table 15. USB flash drive or SD card Operating System Instructions 2. Run the tool and follow the instructions that appear on your screen. After the process is complete, you might see an alert saying your USB drive or SD card is unreadable. If this fails, try removing and reinserting your USB drive or SD card.
  • Page 93 Table 16. Troubleshooting tips Question Solution 3. If the problem persists, contact Google Chrome support team. An error message You are using an out-of-date Chrome You should download an up-to date recovery image. Simply OS recovery image. follow all the instructions exactly as specified in Step 2 above. You successfully recovered your Chromebook but now you After you have completed recovery, you need to format your can not use your USB or SD card with Windows...

  • Page 94: Chapter 5: Getting Help And Contacting Dell

    Getting help and contacting Dell Self-help resources You can get information and help on Dell products and services using these self-help resources: Table 17. Self-help resources Self-help resources Resource location Information about Dell products and services www.dell.com My Dell app...

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