You only need to complete steps 1, 8, & 9. The cables for the wireless card come out of the side of the fan assembly without unplugging them. If you want to disconnect the battery for peace of mind you can do that without removing the battery. Definitely don't need to remove the speakers. I came across this guide looking for a replacement fan part but have done this particular job twice and removed the fan on another occasion to bench test it, so I've done the process 3 times. Seems like the author was hunting for additional steps for more brownie points but it's much simpler than that.