Installing MacBook Unibody Hard Drive Cable

Installing MacBook Unibody Hard Drive Cable

This guide will show you how to remove the hard drive cable from your laptop.

Tools used in this guide : Phillips #00 Screwdriver , Spudger

Parts relevant to this guide : MacBook Unibody Hard Drive Cable

Step 1 — Access Door

With the case closed, place the Unibody top-side down on a flat surface.

Depress the grooved side of the access door release latch enough to grab the free end. Lift the release latch until it is vertical.

Step 2

The access door should now be raised enough to lift it up and out of the Unibody.

Step 3 — Battery

Be sure the access door release latch is vertical before proceeding.

Grab the white plastic tab and pull the battery up and out of the Unibody.

Step 4 — Lower Case

Remove the following eight screws securing the lower case to the chassis:

One 3 mm Phillips screw.

Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

Four 3.5 mm Phillips screws.

Step 5

Using both hands, lift and remove the lower case off the upper case.

Step 6 — Optical Drive

Using the flat end of a spudger, pry the subwoofer connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 7

Disconnect the camera cable by pulling the male end straight away from its socket.

Step 8

• Use a spudger to pry the optical drive connector straight up off the logic board.
  

Step 9

• Remove the two Phillips screws securing the subwoofer to the upper case.

• The longer of the two screws is on the right.

Step 10

The subwoofer is still connected to the right speaker, so don't completely remove it just yet.

Lift the subwoofer off the optical drive, and set it above the computer.

Step 11

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the camera cable bracket to the upper case.

The leftmost screw may remain captive in the camera cable.

Step 12

Remove the three 2.5 mm Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case.

Step 13

Lift the optical drive from its right edge and pull it out of the computer.

The hard drive cable may become disconnected from the logic board when removing the optical drive. Ensure it is connected during reassembly.

Step 14 — Hard Drive Cable

Remove the single Phillips screw securing the hard drive bracket to the upper case.

This screw is captive in the hard drive bracket

Step 15

Lift the hard drive by its plastic pull tab and remove the freed hard drive bracket.

Step 16

Lift the hard drive out of its supports and disconnect the SATA cable by pulling the connector straight away from the hard drive.

Step 17

Remove the four 10.3 mm Phillips screws securing the mid wall to the upper case.

Step 18

Lift the mid wall out of the upper case.

Step 19

Use a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 20

Peel the hard drive cable from the adhesive securing it to the upper case, and maneuver the plastic retaining block out of the upper case.

During reassembly, be sure the two pins on top of the plastic retaining block mate to the holes on the underside of the midwall.

Congratulations!

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse orde

Installing MacBook Unibody Fan

Installing MacBook Unibody Fan

Replacing a defective fan will keep your laptop running cool.

Tools used in this guide : Phillips #00 Screwdriver , Spudger

Parts relevant to this guide : MacBook Unibody/MBP 13" Unibody Fan

Step 1 — Access Door

With the case closed, place the Unibody top-side down on a flat surface.

Depress the grooved side of the access door release latch enough to grab the free end. Lift the release latch until it is vertical.

Step 2

The access door should now be raised enough to lift it up and out of the Unibody.

Step 3 — Battery

Be sure the access door release latch is vertical before proceeding.

Grab the white plastic tab and pull the battery up and out of the Unibody.

Step 4 — Lower Case

Remove the following eight screws securing the lower case to the chassis:

One 3 mm Phillips screw.

Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

Four 3.5 mm Phillips screws.

Step 5

Using both hands, lift and remove the lower case off the upper case.

Step 6 — Fan

Use a spudger to pry the fan connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 7

Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:

Two 5 mm Phillips screws.

One 7 mm Phillips screw.

Step 8

Lift the fan out of the upper case.

Congratulations!

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order

Installing MacBook Unibody DC-In Board

Installing MacBook Unibody DC-In Board

No power to the laptop? Replace the DC-in Board.

Tools used in this guide : Phillips #00 Screwdriver , Spudger

Parts relevant to this guide: MacBook Unibody Magsafe DC-in Board

Step 1 — Access Door

With the case closed, place the Unibody top-side down on a flat surface.

Depress the grooved side of the access door release latch enough to grab the free end. Lift the release latch until it is vertical.

Step 2

The access door should now be raised enough to lift it up and out of the Unibody.

Step 3 — Battery

Be sure the access door release latch is vertical before proceeding.

Grab the white plastic tab and pull the battery up and out of the Unibody.

Step 4 — Lower Case

Remove the following eight screws securing the lower case to the chassis:

One 3 mm Phillips screw.

Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

Four 3.5 mm Phillips screws.

Step 5

Using both hands, lift and remove the lower case off the upper case.

Step 6 — Mid Wall

Remove the four 10.3 mm Phillips screws securing the mid wall to the upper case.

Step 7

Lift the mid wall out of the upper case.

Step 8 — Fan

Use a spudger to pry the fan connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 9

Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:

Two 5 mm Phillips screws.

One 7 mm Phillips screw.

Step 10

Lift the fan out of the upper case.

Step 11 — Logic Board

In the next few steps, you will disconnect the highlighted cables which connect the logic board to the upper case.

Each connector is different, so the following steps will show you how disconnect each in detail.

Step 12

Remove the single Phillips screw securing the battery cable cover to the upper case.

Remove the battery cable cover from the upper case.

Step 13

Use a spudger to pry the battery level indicator cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 14

Disconnect the battery cable connector by pulling it straight away from the logic board.

If you cannot grasp the cable with your fingers, a spudger and tweezers may be helpful for removal.

Step 15

Using the tip of a spudger, flip up the keyboard ribbon cable retaining flap.

Pull the keyboard ribbon cable straight out of its socket.

Step 16

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the trackpad connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 17

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the locking lever to release the IR sensor ribbon cable from its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger to pull the IR sensor ribbon cable straight away from the logic board.

Step 18

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 19

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 20

Disconnect the display data cable by pulling the male end straight away from its socket.

Step 21

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the subwoofer cable connector straight up off the logic board.

Step 22

Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the LVDS cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-in side of the computer.

Pull the LVDS connector straight away from its socket.

Step 23

Remove the following two screws securing the LVDS cable bracket to the upper case:

One 7mm Phillips screw.

One 5mm Phillips screw.

Remove the two 7 mm Phillips screws from the DC-in board.

Lift the LVDS cable bracket out of the upper case.

Step 24

If present, remove the two 4mm Phillips screws securing the bottom case clip to the upper case.

Lift the bottom case clip out of the upper case.

Step 25

Remove the two 5mm Phillips screws securing the keyboard flex bracket to the upper case.

Lift the keyboard flex bracket out of the upper case.

Step 26

Use the tip of a spudger to release the microphone from the upper case.

Step 27

Remove the following five screws securing the logic board to the upper case:

Four 3mm Phillips screws.

One 3.5mm Phillips screw.

Lift the logic board from its left edge and pull it out of the upper case.

Step 28 — DC-In Board

Disconnect the DC-In Board connector from the logic board by pulling it straight away from its socket.

Congratulations!

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order