Introduction
Upgrade or replace the combo or SuperDrive (requires a slim drive).
What you need
Video Overview
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Use a coin to rotate the battery-locking screw 90 degrees clockwise.
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Remove the three evenly-spaced Phillips screws from along the rear wall of the battery compartment.
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Remove the following 3 screws:
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One 11 mm Phillips #00 in the middle of the case.
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Two 14.5 mm Phillips #00.
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Remove the following 3 screws from the rear wall of the battery compartment:
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Two 3 mm Phillips #00. (A1181 has three 3 mm screws and one 4 mm.)
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One 4 mm Phillips #00 on the right side.
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Remove the two 6 mm Phillips #00 screws from either side of the right wall of the battery compartment (not the ones closest to the battery connector).
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Remove the four 3 mm indicated Phillips #00 screws from the front wall of the battery compartment. When working from the left, remove the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th screw.
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Remove the following 4 screws from the back of the computer:
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Two 7 mm shouldered Phillips on the far sides.
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Two 10.5 mm Phillips toward the center.
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Starting near the display and working around to the front of the computer, pry up on the upper case. It is held with clips on the right above the optical drive. These will release with some firm lifting pressure.
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Be careful when prying up the upper case. It's very easy to slice open a fingertip and thus provide the blood sacrifice the Mac gods sometimes require of those who insist on doing their own repairs.
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While holding up the upper case (from the bottom or the top), use a spudger to pry up the orange trackpad and keyboard cable from its connector.
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Grasp the white plastic tab attached to the hard drive and pull it to the left, removing the hard drive from the computer.
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Disconnect the newly-revealed display data cable. If there is no pull-tab on the top of the connector, it may be helpful to use a spudger to disconnect this connector.
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Peel up the foil tape between the fan and the optical drive.
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Remove the 8.5 mm Phillips screw securing the display data cable to the metal framework.
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Pull up the display data cable from along the edge of the optical drive to reveal a silver Phillips screw.
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Remove the 2.8 mm Phillips screw securing the optical drive.
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After removing the screw, push the metal tab backwards, towards the fan, to release the front of the optical drive.
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Use a spudger to carefully pry the silver metal bracket off the left side of the optical drive. Be careful not to bend the bracket, as it is very thin and bends easily. If the bracket doesn't come free easily, heating the adhesive may make prying the bracket off easier.
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Remove the two Phillips screws securing the mounting bracket to the right side of the optical drive.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.