I just wanted to document the steps for disassembly. In the event someone wanted to repurpose one of these devices it is necessary to disassemble to access the BIOS through a hidden HDMI port.
Disassembly Steps
- Remove RAM/M.2 cover
- Take off the RAM/M.2 cover.
- Watch out for the spring-loaded pin—it’s captive, but it will get in the way later.
- Back cover screws
- Remove the four rubber stoppers on the back to access the screws underneath.
- Once those screws are out, use a PCIe slot cover (hook it through the fan grate, with the short flat side against the underside) to gently pull until the back cover loosens.
- Alternatively, needle-nose pliers with a steady hand can work—just be careful not to damage anything.
- Remove the fan
- The fan is secured with four long screws—remove them to take the fan out.
- Brackets and case separation
- There are two narrow brackets with four screws each, partially covered by a warranty sticker. Remove all eight screws.
- Use a plastic pry tool (never metal, as the case scratches easily) along the front seam.
- On my unit, pushing from the back near the fan helped the case start sliding.
- The case separates back to front and can be slid off—just be sure to depress that spring pin as it will hook on the m.2 access cutout.
- Notes
- The HDMI port is located on the inside, along the side.
- Keep the fan plugged in—if not, the system will throw loud errors.
- How to Access BIOS
- Spam delete to enter the BIOS screen
- Locate the watchdog option and disable it
- Your screen will flicker just wait a moment until you are in the BIOS screen again
- Now you can modify the boot loader to select your media of choice
Congrats now you can repurpose the Ugreen NAS