Installing MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Upper Case
Replace the upper case on your MacBook Pro 17" Unibody.
Use this guide to replace your MacBook Pro's upper case. Replacing the upper case requires removal of most components inside your computer, including the display assembly.
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Tools (continued)
Relevant parts
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Step 1
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Lower Case
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Step 3
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Battery
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Whenever working near the logic board, it is always wise to first disconnect the battery to avoid short circuits.
Grab the plastic tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the device.
Pull the tab parallel to the face of the logic board.
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Step 4
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Right Fan
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Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the right fan connector out of its socket on the logic board.
It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.
The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.
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Step 7
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Logic Board
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Remove the three 3.1 mm Phillips screws securing the left fan to the logic board.
Remove the left fan from the upper case, minding its cable that may get caught.
Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard backlight ribbon cable.
Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Pull the keyboard backlight ribbon cable out of its socket.
Before disconnecting the camera cable, a small plastic retainer stuck to the logic board must first be moved out of the way.
Use the tip of a spudger to push the small plastic cable retainer away from the camera cable socket for enough clearance to remove the camera cable.
Pull the camera cable toward the optical drive opening to disconnect it from the logic board.
The camera cable socket is very fragile. Do not apply any upward force to this socket, as it may break off the logic board. Pull the camera cable parallel to the face of the logic board.
Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the IR sensor ribbon cable socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Pull the IR sensor ribbon cable out of its socket.
Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard ribbon cable socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Pull the keyboard ribbon cable out of its socket.
Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the express card cage ribbon cable socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Pull the express card cage ribbon cable out of its socket.
Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the battery indicator cable socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Pull the battery indicator ribbon cable out of its socket.
Lift the black plastic flap attached to the display data cable retainer and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the MacBook.
Pull the display data cable out of its socket.
The display data cable socket is very fragile. Do not lift the connector upward as you disconnect it, as the socket may break off the logic board. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.
Handle the logic board by its edges only.
Lift the logic board from the side nearest the optical drive and lift it away from the upper case.
Carefully pull the ports and DC-In board away from the side of the upper case and remove the logic board, minding any cables that may get caught.
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Step 24
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Express Card Cage
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Remove the two Phillips screws securing the hard drive bracket to the upper case.
Both screws are captive to the hard drive bracket.
Remove the hard drive bracket from the upper case.
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Step 28
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Upper Case
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Using its attached pull tab, lift the hard drive out of the upper case.
Do not try to completely remove the hard drive just yet! The hard drive cable is still attached to the upper case.
Use an iPod opening tool or another soft thin-edged tool to carefully lift up a corner of the "Warning: Do not remove the battery" sticker off the right speaker/subwoofer enclosure.
Peel the sticker off the right speaker/subwoofer enclosure.
It is not necessary to peel the sticker off the battery.
Remove the three 6.5 mm Y1 Tri-wing screws securing the battery to the upper case.
Using its attached pull tab, lift the battery out of the upper case.
Remove the three 3.5 mm Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case.
To remove the screw closest to the battery, it may be helpful to use a T6 Torx screwdriver to first remove the upper case bracket directly above it.
Remove the two outer 6.8 mm T6 Torx screws from each of the two display brackets (four screws total).
We purposely have you leave one screw attaching each display bracket to the upper case to aid in future steps.
Open your MacBook Pro so the display is perpendicular to the upper case.
Place your opened MacBook Pro on a table as pictured.
While holding the display and upper case together with your left hand, remove the remaining T6 Torx screw from the lower display bracket.
Be sure to hold the display and upper case together with your left hand. Failure to do so may cause the freed display/upper case to fall, potentially damaging each component.
Remove the last remaining T6 Torx screw securing the display to the upper case.
Grab the upper case with your right hand and rotate it slightly toward the top of the display so the upper display bracket clears the edge of the upper case.
Rotate the display slightly away from the upper case.
Lift the display up and away from the upper case, minding any brackets or cables that may get caught.
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