Tim Ellison

Answering my own question: Removing the motherboard requires that you first pop the SIM card / MicroSD card holder out of the socket, otherwise it won’t lift out. Submitted an update to the guide to save others falling into the same trap.

All going as described, until the final step trying to pull the motherboard out, and there is something still holding it in place. With a bit of a wiggle and pull, there is something about near the screw hole that was holding the wifi card down preventing the card from lifting there. Any clues?

In case it is not obvious, you should turn the laptop over again after removing the screws as you are “lifting off the keyboard”, not “removing the back”!

Successfully completed this guide. I have touch id home button, so transferred it from the old broken front assembly to the new one successfully. All working as expected again.

Cool, thanks guys. I used the guide successfully to upgrade the RAM on my HP 15-r033na Notebook. It would have taken ages without your help! A really tough way to reach the memory.

I wonder if the second DIMM slot is usable. The specs I've found says this board only takes one card, so maybe the second is disconnected.