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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

21

Time Required

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Sections

6

  • Access Door
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Optical Drive
  • 8 steps
  • Optical Drive
  • 2 steps
  • Dual Hard Drive
  • 6 steps

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Introduction

What you need

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.

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.

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Step 2

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

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.

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.

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.

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.
  • On some models, the subwoofer connector is soldered to the logic board and will break if you pry it off. If you need to replace the speaker/subwoofer, you can pull back the foam padding on the connector and remove the red and black wires to disconnect. You will need to reinsert the wires from the new speaker to reconnect.
  • If you are only removing the optical drive and not replacing the speaker/subwoofer, you do not need to disconnect this connector.

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

On some models, the subwoofer connector is soldered to the logic board and will break if you pry it off. If you need to replace the speaker/subwoofer, you can pull back the foam padding on the connector and remove the red and black wires to disconnect. You will need to reinsert the wires from the new speaker to reconnect.

If you are only removing the optical drive and not replacing the speaker/subwoofer, you do not need to disconnect this connector.

Step 7

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

              Optical Drive
  • Remove the optical drive cable by pulling it straight away from the optical drive.
  • This connector is particularly deep, so be sure to pull away from the drive at the center of the connector.
  • If you have a CD or any other object jammed in your optical drive, we have an optical drive repair guide.

Remove the optical drive cable by pulling it straight away from the optical drive.

This connector is particularly deep, so be sure to pull away from the drive at the center of the connector.

If you have a CD or any other object jammed in your optical drive, we have an optical drive repair guide.

Step 15

  • Remove the two black Phillips #0 screws securing the small metal mounting bracket. Transfer this bracket to your new optical drive or hard drive enclosure.

Remove the two black Phillips #0 screws securing the small metal mounting bracket. Transfer this bracket to your new optical drive or hard drive enclosure.

Step 16

              Dual Hard Drive
  • Remove the plastic spacer from the optical bay hard drive enclosure by pressing in on one of the clips on either side and lifting it up and out of the enclosure.

Remove the plastic spacer from the optical bay hard drive enclosure by pressing in on one of the clips on either side and lifting it up and out of the enclosure.

Step 17

  • Make sure that the hard drive connectors are facing down before placing it into the enclosure.
  • Gently place the hard drive into the enclosure’s hard drive slot.
  • While firmly holding the enclosure in place with one hand, use your other hand to press the hard drive into the enclosure connectors.

Make sure that the hard drive connectors are facing down before placing it into the enclosure.

Gently place the hard drive into the enclosure’s hard drive slot.

While firmly holding the enclosure in place with one hand, use your other hand to press the hard drive into the enclosure connectors.

Step 18

  • Once the hard drive is snug, reinsert the plastic spacer while holding the hard drive against the bottom of the enclosure.

Once the hard drive is snug, reinsert the plastic spacer while holding the hard drive against the bottom of the enclosure.

Step 19

  • Use two Phillips #1 screws to secure the drive to its enclosure.

Use two Phillips #1 screws to secure the drive to its enclosure.

Step 20

  • Attach the optical drive bracket to the new enclosure with two Phillips #0 screws.
  • Reconnect any cables you have removed from the original optical drive onto the optical bay enclosure.

Attach the optical drive bracket to the new enclosure with two Phillips #0 screws.

Reconnect any cables you have removed from the original optical drive onto the optical bay enclosure.

Step 21

  • Don’t ditch that drive! You can still use your optical drive externally with the help of our SATA Optical Drive USB Cable.
  • Align the cable’s SATA connector with the drive’s port and plug in securely.
  • Plug the USB connector into your laptop and your optical drive is ready for use.

Don’t ditch that drive! You can still use your optical drive externally with the help of our SATA Optical Drive USB Cable.

Align the cable’s SATA connector with the drive’s port and plug in securely.

Plug the USB connector into your laptop and your optical drive is ready for use.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Jake Devincenzi

Member since: 04/18/2011

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Albert Zweistein - Feb 4, 2018

Reply

Great guide, thank you! Took me 40 minutes to complete. I also cleaned my cooler fan though as i regularly do. I have moderate experience, Took apart my macbook (and other stuff too) several times. Not doing this daily though. Everyone can do this when keeping the basic rules in mind: Take your time and space and use quality tools.

Shyaam D - Jul 4, 2019

Reply

How do you clean the cooler fan? Anyways, do you need to re-apply thermal paste for the Intel chips to keep it cool?

Philip - Jun 25, 2022

Thank You so much for all the videos. Use I Fm

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