Installing Macbook Unibody Model A1342 Dual Hard Drive Repair Guide

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Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

Lower Case
2 steps
Battery
1 step
Rear Vent
3 steps
Optical Drive
9 steps
Optical Drive
2 steps
Dual Hard Drive
6 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Case

Remove the eight 4 mm Phillips screws securing the lower case to the MacBook.

Remove the eight 4 mm Phillips screws securing the lower case to the MacBook.

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Step 2

The lower case is constructed of rubber-coated aluminum. Do not excessively bend the aluminum during removal, as any permanent deformation will cause tolerance issues after reassembly.
Slightly lift the lower case near the vent opening.
Continue running your fingers between the lower and upper cases until the upper case pops off its retaining clips.
The location of these three clips is shown in the third picture.

The lower case is constructed of rubber-coated aluminum. Do not excessively bend the aluminum during removal, as any permanent deformation will cause tolerance issues after reassembly.

Slightly lift the lower case near the vent opening.

Continue running your fingers between the lower and upper cases until the upper case pops off its retaining clips.

The location of these three clips is shown in the third picture.

Step 3

              Battery

For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge. This step is optional and is not required.
Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.
It may be easier to use your fingernails to lift up on both sides of the connector.

For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge. This step is optional and is not required.

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.

It may be easier to use your fingernails to lift up on both sides of the connector.

Step 4

              Rear Vent

Remove the following screws from the optical drive side of the rear vent:
Two 10 mm T8 Torx
Two 5.2 mm Phillips

Remove the following screws from the optical drive side of the rear vent:

Two 10 mm T8 Torx

Two 5.2 mm Phillips

Step 5

Remove the following screws from the port side of rear vent:
Two 10 mm T8 Torx
Two 5.2 mm Phillips

Remove the following screws from the port side of rear vent:

Step 6

Carefully lift the rear vent out of the upper case.

Carefully lift the rear vent out of the upper case.

Step 7

              Optical Drive

Remove the single 12 mm Phillips screw securing the top of the rear speaker housing to the upper case.

Remove the single 12 mm Phillips screw securing the top of the rear speaker housing to the upper case.

Step 8

Remove the single 2.2 mm Phillips screw inserted horizontally into the side of the optical drive.
This screw is located in a gap within the right speaker assembly, and is visible only from the hinge edge.

Remove the single 2.2 mm Phillips screw inserted horizontally into the side of the optical drive.

This screw is located in a gap within the right speaker assembly, and is visible only from the hinge edge.

Step 9

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable connector up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable connector up off the logic board.

Step 10

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the rear speaker connector up off the logic board.
Pry up underneath the wires.
This connector is very delicate and easily broken.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the rear speaker connector up off the logic board.

Pry up underneath the wires.

This connector is very delicate and easily broken.

Step 11

Carefully rotate the rear speaker assembly (with AirPort/Antenna cables still attached) out of the lower case.

Carefully rotate the rear speaker assembly (with AirPort/Antenna cables still attached) out of the lower case.

Step 12

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

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

Step 13

Remove the single 4.5 mm Phillips screw securing the optical drive bracket to the upper case near the fan.

Remove the single 4.5 mm Phillips screw securing the optical drive bracket to the upper case near the fan.

Step 14

Remove the two 2.5 mm Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case near the optical drive opening.

Remove the two 2.5 mm Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case near the optical drive opening.

Step 15

Lift the optical drive near its connector and pull it away from the upper case to remove it from the computer.

Lift the optical drive near its connector and pull it away from the upper case to remove it from the computer.

Step 16

              Optical Drive

Pull the optical drive cable connector away from the body of the optical drive.

Pull the optical drive cable connector away from the body of the optical drive.

Step 17

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 18

              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 19

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 20

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 21

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 22

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 23

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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                                                                                      122 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 7 other contributors

                    Jake Devincenzi

Member since: 04/18/2011

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Rayan Sait - Sep 23, 2013

when i did i have a gray screen and in the middle i have a question mark in a file and it flashing

Jesse Mora - Sep 10, 2014

You haven’t installed and software on the new hardrive. Install some using a boot disk or USB

Diego de Vicente Contreras - Oct 27, 2015

Hi! I have a big problem… I have MB unibody 09. After install the hdd the MB doesn’t switch on, so I reinstall the dvd unit and after try sometimes the laptop starts and at the status bar appears there has no a battery and the fan works very hard.

I find an area near the switch battery ( in the mainboard), that I unplugged to install the hdd, where there is an small chip that takes a very high temperature when I plug the batery connector… So what could be the problem, and what can I do?

I followed step by step so I Don’t know where can be the problem… Some help please!

adridiaspereira - Feb 12, 2016

Is it possible to remove the optical drive and connect a sata extension cable where it was connected to the motherboard? The sata extension cable would stick out thru the cd entry. this way one could had a sata port to connect external hard drives faster than by the usb 2.0 ports! I don’t understand much about electronics so I’m sorry if it’s a stupid question.

jeffrey griffith - Oct 14, 2017

thank you!!!

Featured Guide#

Introduction#

What you need#

Featured Guide

Introduction

What you need