M1210 - 2nd RAM slot?

I couldn't bear to pay dell's inflated RAM prices, so I bought my m1210 w/ bare minimum and then bought my own RAM upgrade.

so...

I'm sitting here with my new RAM and I open the RAM cover on the bottom of the 'book and there's only one RAM slot! It's labeled slot B, and everything I read all over the 'net insists this baby has two slots, but where the heck is slot A?

Has anyone done this upgrade that can clue me in?
Thx!

[Edit: Please post 11 for the detailed solution.]

 

One of them is under the keyboard.

 

Thanks! That's what I was afraid you'd say. Do I need to unscrew anything, or can I just pry the keyboard up?

 

I wondered why they would do this

 

Same here, gridtalker. The first slot is so easy to access, but it's useless without being able to access the second just as easily.

 

Go to dell's website and access support. Download the manual which has pictures. Remove the hinge cover and keyboard. It involves a couple tabs and 2 screws.

 

Oh, it's not 2 screws. It's 3 screws that are holding the keyboard down in its place.

 

I figured you didnt have to worry about the 3rd just break it off. 2 are good enough

 

for some notebook makers, one of the ram is soldered into the motherboard. good luck.
fyi, taken your notebook apart voids the warrantee.

 

No it dosent seanlee, upgrading ram dosent void your warranty. All you need to do is take of the hing cover (easy) and revove the keyboard, that dosent voit your warranty.

If your asking why they put slot A under the keyboard, and not on the bottom of the computer, why dont you take a look at the underside of a 1210, there is no room for it. I mean its a 12.1' notebook with a battery, 1 ram slot, hard optical drive, battery, hard drive, and fan intake all located on the bottom. The only place it could go is right abouve slot b, right under they keyboard.

 

@sheff159: I guess a better way to ask my question is, "If they're going to make one slot hard to get to, why not just make them both hard to get to?" More bemusement than a serious question.

Anyway...

For anyone who stumbles across this thread with the same question, here's where to find the instructions.

First, access Dell's online M1210 Service Manual.
On that page, first click the link Hinge Cover and follow the instructions.
Once finished, come back to the first page and click the link Keyboard. Again, follow the instructions. The memory slot is now exposed, and you can swap the RAM.
If you're not sure how this works, come back to the main page and follow the link Memory Module(s). The first set of instructions on that page covers the access panel on the bottom of the laptop. The second set of instructions further down covers the slot under the keyboard.

When I was removing my keyboard, I found that the keyboard did not swing up freely after taking the screws out. It had adhered a little bit to the chassis underneath by way of a tiny bit of exposed adhesive tape. The three screws really are all that's holding it down, so if your keyboard also sticks a bet don't be afraid to gently pry it up.

Thanks for all the help, guys! I'm now a 2GB happy camper.