This build is from 2013, when the channel was still MeanPC.com — same Lonnie, same garage, same workbench.

The HP Envy dv6 got dropped. Screens do not survive drops well. What was a perfectly functional laptop becomes a machine you can only use with an external monitor, which defeats the purpose of a laptop, so you’re essentially looking at either a repair or a replacement.

The repair, it turns out, is not particularly difficult. The dv6’s screen assembly is straightforward to disassemble — four screws, a pried bezel, a handful of mounting screws, and one ribbon cable connector between you and a working panel. This walkthrough covers the whole process, including where to source a replacement panel and what to watch out for during reassembly.

Getting a replacement panel

The first thing you need is a replacement screen. The panel in the dv6 is a standard 15.6” LED-backlit laptop LCD — widely available from screen suppliers who specialize in laptop panels.

Screen Country is the supplier used in this repair. They ship panels in rigid boxes with bubble mailer inner packaging, and the lead time has been fast across multiple orders. The price for a direct panel replacement is significantly less than going through HP, an authorized repair center, or buying a used machine. If you’ve never ordered a laptop screen before, the ordering process usually requires your laptop’s exact model number (printed on the sticker on the bottom of the machine), which the supplier uses to match you with the right panel for your display’s resolution, backlight type, and connector configuration.

Test the new panel before fully reassembling the laptop. Connecting the ribbon cable and powering on with the bezel off takes thirty seconds and saves you from disassembling everything again if there’s a problem.

What you’ll need

• Replacement 15.6” LCD panel matched to your dv6 model
• Small Phillips head screwdriver
• Something flat and non-marring for prying — a plastic spudger, a guitar pick, or a thin spatula. A flathead screwdriver works but is more likely to leave marks.
• Optional: heat gun or hair dryer if the bezel adhesive is stubborn

Step 1: Power down and remove the battery

Always remove the battery before working on a laptop screen. The screen assembly is connected to the motherboard by a ribbon cable, and you do not want the machine to wake up during the repair. Pop the battery out from the bottom of the machine and set it aside.

Step 2: Remove the four bezel screws

Look at the bottom corners and edges of the screen bezel — the plastic frame surrounding the display. On the dv6, there are four screws holding the bezel to the lid assembly. They may be covered by small rubber plugs or a strip of black tape. Peel back any covers, remove the four screws, and keep them somewhere they won’t roll away.

Step 3: Pry off the bezel

With the screws out, the bezel is held in place only by plastic clips along its perimeter. This is the step that makes people nervous the first time.

Start at a corner and work a thin, flat tool into the seam between the bezel and the lid. You’ll hear and feel the clips releasing — a soft pop as each one lets go. Work around the entire perimeter, top, bottom, and sides. Don’t try to force a single spot; keep the prying distributed so you’re not putting too much stress on any one clip.

The bezel on the dv6 also has a light layer of adhesive along the inner surface. If the bezel feels especially resistant, a few seconds of heat from a hair dryer softens the adhesive and makes it release more cleanly. Don’t jam the prying tool in too deep near the bottom of the screen — the ribbon cable connector is nearby and you don’t want to contact it.

Once the bezel is off, set it aside. The speakers are mounted to the back of the lid and stay there; don’t try to remove them.

Step 4: Remove the screen mounting screws

The LCD panel is held to the lid assembly by four screws, one at each corner of the panel’s metal frame. Remove these, and the panel can be tilted forward out of the lid.

Step 5: Disconnect the ribbon cable

With the panel tilted forward, you’ll see the ribbon cable connecting it to the motherboard. The connector is taped down with a strip of adhesive. Peel back the tape — it acts as a hinge, lifting the locking bar of the connector as it comes off — and the ribbon cable can be slid straight out of the connector housing.

This is the only electrical connection to the screen. Handle it carefully. The connector is not keyed in a way that makes it impossible to insert at an angle, so when reconnecting, make sure it’s seated straight and fully engaged before closing the locking bar.

Step 6: Install the new screen

Set the old panel aside. Bring the new panel to the lid. There’s a thin film on the front of the new screen — peel it off before installation.

Orient the panel correctly (the cable exits from the bottom) and slide the ribbon cable connector firmly into its socket. Close the locking bar or lay the adhesive tape back across it to secure the cable. Set the panel into the lid frame and replace the four corner screws.

Before reassembling the bezel: plug in the power and turn the laptop on. Verify the display is working — correct resolution, no dead zones, backlight on. If it looks good, power back down and continue. If something’s wrong, now is the time to reseat the cable or address it, not after you’ve clipped the bezel back in place.

Step 7: Snap the bezel back on

Starting at one corner and working around the perimeter, press the bezel clips back into place. You’ll feel and hear each one seat. The adhesive behind the bezel won’t be quite as strong as it was from the factory, but the clips carry the load — the adhesive is mostly just vibration damping.

Replace the four bezel screws and any rubber plugs or tape covers over them. Reinstall the battery.

The result

This is the second laptop screen replacement I’ve done, after one on a netbook a few years earlier. The dv6 was by far the easier of the two — a single cable, straightforward screw locations, and a bezel that released without drama. Compared to phone screen replacements (which involve adhesive, heat guns, and fussier connectors), it barely registers as a repair.

The cost of the new panel plus ten or fifteen minutes of work brings a machine back to full function. The alternative — factoring in the cost of a replacement machine or a shop repair — makes this a straightforward call.

References and further reading

• iFixit HP Envy dv6 repair guides — step-by-step teardown photos for the dv6 and related models
• Screen Country — replacement panels; use your laptop’s model number to find the right match
• Laptop screen replacement general guide — iFixit — covers the general process across most laptop models