XPS 8700, top cover removal

The manual states "Pull the retention clip, slide and lift the top cover away from top panel.". Did you pull the retention clip?

It may be extremely tight.  I can't confirm for sure how it works on the 8700 but I have a desktop that uses a "BeQuiet" brand case.  The top slides off and I needed to remove it and it was stuck.  I tried prying with a screwdriver, and several other tools and it wouldn't budge. Finally, "with a bigger hammer" I was able to remove it.

Ahh.

I have a superseded manual!

I downloaded the one now at Dell.com and see there is that additional step.

Thank you.

Ken C

IMPORTANT: I have a Dell XPS 8700. The Dell manual for the XPS 8700 says "Pull the retention clip, slide and lift the top cover away from top panel." 

HOWEVER (amazing this is missing in the manual), you have to unsecure the optical drive, and push it partially out the front to get access to the retaining clip. I couldn't even see the retaining clip until I did that.

It took me 30 minutes to figure out why the heck my 8700 had no retaining clip. Major oversight in the manual.

The image (shown below) in the manual is so bad. Where exactly is the retaining clip? To where exactly is that detail of the clip pointing?  It looks like its pointing to the side of the case, not up and under, and toward the front of the computer.

Terrible

I happened to stumble upon the answer when checking the procedure in the service manual for the DELL XPS 8300.

Image from DELL XPS 8700 Manual is below. Misleading!

@scrambled eggs​  I agree the manual is terrible. But even after reading this and pulling out the optical drive I still don't understand what/where the retaining clip is, lol. 

Edit: Just found it. :)