MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Late 2008 and Early 2009 Hard Drive Cable Replacement

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.

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

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

If the latch is depressed it will lock the battery in place.

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

One 5.4 mm Phillips screw.

Three 14 mm Phillips screws.

Four 3.5 mm Phillips screws.

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

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

Deroute the camera data cable from the channel in the optical drive.

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

Remove two 8 mm Phillips screws securing the camera cable bracket to the upper case.

Lift the camera cable bracket out from the upper case.

Remove the following three Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case:

One 3.5 mm Phillips screw.

Two 2.5 mm Phillips screws.

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

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

Remove the following four screws securing the subwoofer and right speaker to the upper case:

Two 3.2 mm Phillips screws.

One 2.6 mm Phillips screw.

One 5 mm Phillips screw.

Lift the subwoofer and right speaker assembly out of the upper case.

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

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

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

Remove the following 5 screws securing the mid wall to the upper case:

Three 10.5 mm Phillips screws.

Two 3.7 mm Phillips screws.

Lift the mid wall out of the upper case.

Lift the mid wall out of the upper case.

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

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.