iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement

  • Author: iRobot
  • Difficulty: Difficult
  • Add Note x
  • x 108

You can install hard drives up to 9.5mm thick.

Sections
Files
Tools
Relevant parts
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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Battery  ¶ 

  • Use a coin to rotate the battery locking screw 90 degrees clockwise.

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Add Note Edit Step 2  ¶ 

  • Lift the battery out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 3 — Keyboard  ¶ 

  • Pull the keyboard release tabs toward you and lift up on the keyboard until it pops free.

  • If the keyboard does not come free, use a small flathead screwdriver to turn the keyboard locking screw 180 degrees in either direction and try again.

  • Flip the keyboard over, away from the screen, and rest it face-down on the trackpad area.

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Add Note Edit Step 4  ¶ 

  • If the computer has an AirPort card installed, follow the next three steps to remove it.

  • Push the wire clasp away from the AirPort card and toward the display, then rotate up to free it from the RAM shield.

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Add Note Edit Step 5  ¶ 

  • Grasp the clear plastic tab on the AirPort card and pull toward the display.

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Add Note Edit Step 6  ¶ 

  • Hold the AirPort card in one hand and use your other hand to remove the antenna cable.

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Add Note Edit Step 7  ¶ 

  • Remove the four silver Phillips screws that secure the RAM shield.

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Add Note Edit Step 8  ¶ 

  • Grasp the metal bracket on top of the RAM shield and pull upward to remove the shield.

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Add Note Edit Step 9  ¶ 

  • Pull the keyboard cable up from the logic board, holding the cable as close to the connector as possible.

  • Make sure that you reconnect the keyboard cable before replacing the RAM shield.

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Add Note Edit Step 10 — Lower Case  ¶ 

  • Use a pin (or anything you like) to remove the three rubber feet from the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 11  ¶ 

  • Remove the three newly-revealed Phillips screws.

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Add Note Edit Step 12  ¶ 

  • Use a spudger or small flathead screwdriver to pry up the three metal rings that housed the rubber bumpers.

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Add Note Edit Step 13  ¶ 

  • Remove the three hex screws using a T8 Torx screwdriver (or Allen screws using an Allen key if these are used).

  • The shorter screw is in the center of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 14  ¶ 

  • Remove the two Phillips screws on either side of the battery contacts.

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Add Note Edit Step 15  ¶ 

  • Breathe deeply. Trying times are ahead, but we promise the lower case does come off.

  • Push the thin rims of the lower case surrounding the battery compartment in, bending them past the tabs, and then lift up to free that corner of the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 16  ¶ 

  • There is a slot on the wall of the battery compartment that locks the lower case in place. Use a small flathead screwdriver to pry out the slot's lower rim and pull up on the lower case to free the slot from the tabs holding it.

  • Be careful not to break this clip!

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Add Note Edit Step 17  ¶ 

  • Run a spudger along the seam between the lower case and upper case on the front of the computer to free the tabs locking the lower case. Pull up on the lower case and continue to use the spudger as necessary until you hear three distinct clicks.

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Add Note Edit Step 18  ¶ 

  • Continue to run the spudger around the front, right corner. There are two tabs on the port side of the computer, one near the front corner and one near the sound-out port.

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Add Note Edit Step 19  ¶ 

  • There are three tabs over the optical drive that must be released before the lower case can come off. Slide the spudger into the lower case above the optical drive and run it toward the back of the computer until you hear three distinct clicks.

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Add Note Edit Step 20  ¶ 

  • Once the front and sides of the lower case are free, turn the computer so that the back is facing you and pull the lower case up and toward you until the back tabs pop free (it may be helpful to jiggle the case up and down).

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Add Note Edit Step 21  ¶ 

  • Remove the small greasy springs with white plastic caps from either side of the battery contacts.

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Add Note Edit Step 22 — Bottom Shield  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 10 screws from the bottom shield:

    • Six 3 mm Phillips

    • Three 7.5 mm Phillips

    • One 14 mm Phillips

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Add Note Edit Step 23  ¶ 

  • Lift the bottom shield off.

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Add Note Edit Step 24 — DC-In Board  ¶ 

  • Remove the single Phillips screw securing the DC-In board.

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Add Note Edit Step 25  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the DC-In cable from the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 26  ¶ 

  • Deroute the cable from around the optical drive, removing tape as necessary, and angle the DC-In board out of its compartment.

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Add Note Edit Step 27 — Upper Case  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 11 screws from the bottom of the computer:

    • Three 3 mm Phillips around the battery compartment. (Some models may only have two screws.)

    • Three 4.5 mm Phillips along the optical drive bezel. (a magnetic screwdriver may help to lift these screws out)

    • One 11 mm Phillips in the lower right corner. (if present)

    • Four 14.5 mm Phillips.

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Add Note Edit Step 28  ¶ 

  • We recommend placing the computer on a soft cloth from this point on to prevent damaging the logic board.

  • Turn over the computer and open it.

  • Remove the 2 Phillips screws (3mm) from the edges of the keyboard area.

  • Remove the 4 mm Phillips screw from the lower left corner.

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Add Note Edit Step 29  ¶ 

  • Before you can yank the upper case off, you must disconnect the trackpad connector, the blue and white power cable, and speaker cable as described in the next steps. Be especially careful with these cables; never pull directly on the cables, but use a spudger to pry up the connector directly.

  • Lift the upper case and use a spudger or your finger to disconnect the trackpad connector hidden beneath the white plastic tab. Due to model variatons your trackpad connector may be different than the one pictured.

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Add Note Edit Step 30  ¶ 

  • Carefully lift the upper case about half of an inch and move it so that you can access the power and speaker cables.

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Add Note Edit Step 31  ¶ 

  • The connectors at the ends of the cables are attached very firmly to the sockets on the logic board. Pulling directly on the cable will either separate the cable from its connector or the socket from the logic board.

  • Lift the upper case enough to disconnect the blue and white power cable from the logic board. Using your fingernails or a dental pick, carefully pry the connector from its socket. Make sure you're pulling only on the connector and not on the socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 32  ¶ 

  • Carefully disconnect the multicolored speaker cable from the logic board. As before, make sure you're pulling only on the connector and not on the socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 33 — Top Shield  ¶ 

  • The screw circled in orange may not be present in some models.

  • Remove the following 16 screws:

    • Thirteen 3 mm Phillips.

    • One 3 mm Phillips. (actual screw not present in image)

    • Two 4 mm Phillips.

  • Be sure to fit the screw near the left hinge through the loop in the display data cable, securing the cable to the upper case.

  • Missing in this photo is the Bluetooth antenna present in some iBooks. It is located at the upper right corner of the battery compartment, just above the 4mm screw. You can see the bracket for the antenna in the photo. It is the two I-shaped holes just above the 4mm screw that must be removed in this step. To remove the antenna, slide it toward the LCD, and tilt it vertically back towards yourself.

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Add Note Edit Step 34  ¶ 

  • Lift the top shield up from the right side, minding the upper left corner, which may catch on the metal framework.

  • If your iBook has Bluetooth, as discussed in the previous step, you will need to slide the antenna through the lower I-shaped hole in the shield before completely removing the shield.

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Add Note Edit Step 35 — Hard Drive  ¶ 

  • Turn the computer over and disconnect the orange hard drive cable, removing tape as necessary.

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Add Note Edit Step 36  ¶ 

  • Remove the four Phillips screws securing the hard drive to the metal framework.

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Add Note Edit Step 37  ¶ 

  • Lift the hard drive up, carefully guiding the cable through the slot in the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 38 — Hard Drive Replacement  ¶ 

  • Remove the hard drive brackets from the left and right sides of the hard drive.

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Add Note Edit Step 39  ¶ 

  • Remove the two black T8 Torx screws from either side of the hard drive (four screws total).

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Add Note Edit Step 40  ¶ 

  • Use the transparent orange loop to disconnect the large orange ribbon cable from the hard drive.

  • This is a bit tricky. Try rocking the cable gently from side to side while applying even pressure. If you bend the pins, do your best to straighten them, using the hard drive cable as a guide.

  • If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.

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

For more information, check out the iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz device page.

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