Installing MacBook Core Duo Optical Drive Replacement

Add NoteIntroduction

Difficulty: Moderate

Upgrade or replace the combo or SuperDrive (requires a slim drive).

Tools used in this guide
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Add NoteStep 1 — Battery 

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

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Add NoteStep 2

  • Lift the battery out of the computer.

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Add NoteStep 3 — Memory Cover 

  • Remove the three evenly-spaced Phillips screws from along the rear wall of the battery compartment.

  • The screws are captive to the metal memory cover.

Add NoteNotes: Step 1

This is a difficult project. It is imperative that you read the entire guide before you proceed. Have a system in place to keep track of the screws so you know what goes where. Budget several hours for this.

I found this to be the easiest upgrade I have ever done. New HDD and memory in ten minutes, start to finish. The hardest part was getting the #8 Torx screwdriver. Booted from the OSX disk, formatted the drive, (use the GUID scheme) and we're screaming along.

This is a great guide.

Brilliant guide from you guys. I tackled a cd drive replacement on my Dad's MacBook a little while ago, but my skills were really tested when I accidentally stood on my laptop - new LCD needed. A visit to Ebay (don't forget duties when importing!), and this LCD Display replacement guide are all I needed. Yes it took a while (2-3 hours), but as long as you remember you need to do everything backwards then it's straightforward. I wouldn't have known where to start without this guide so thanks for creating them.

Laurence