Installing PowerBook G4 Aluminum 12" 1-1.5 GHz Keyboard

Add Note Introduction

This guide shows the hidden screws you must remove when replacing the keyboard.

Tools used in this guide
Parts relevant to this guide

Paginated Single Page Steps

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Add Note Step 1 — Battery

  • Use a coin to turn the battery locking screw 90 degrees to the right.

  • Lift the battery out of the computer.

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Add Note Step 2 — EMI Finger

  • Remove the four Phillips screws from the memory door.

  • Slide the memory door away from the memory compartment.

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Add Note Step 3

  • Remove the long black Phillips screw next to the memory card.

  • Remove the small EMI finger beneath the black screw.

Add NoteNotes: Step 1

Flag Reply by Gopal Nov 3 @ 2:15 PM

What can I say?

It is certainly do able. I just completed it. Took me 2 hours. The most important tool you'll need is patience - bag full of patience!!

Add NoteNotes: Step 3

Flag Reply by zdavatz Mar 25 @ 6:35 AM

What is an EMI Finger???

Flag Reply by springboard Mar 25 @ 6:19 PM

Quote from zdavatz:

What is an EMI Finger???

yeah, good question. I just blew that off - everything else worked just fine - thanks to ifixit for such a great step-by-step!

Flag Reply by aratuk Mar 29 @ 9:34 AM

Quote from zdavatz:

What is an EMI Finger???

That black screw needs to come out because it goes all the way through the computer into the back of the keyboard. However, I didn't see any EMI finger, unless that's the purpose of the metal directly underneath it. EMI fingers are those little tin foil like things you'll see along the ports inside the computer. They provide shielding from what I presume stand for electro-magnetic interference.

Flag Reply by Kredanta Apr 17 @ 5:15 PM

Quote from zdavatz:

What is an EMI Finger???

I think the EMI Finger is probably the silver clip that is under the head of the black screw that step 3 tells us to remove.

Flag Reply by jerrykrinock Jun 3 @ 3:37 PM

EMI stands for electro-magnetic inteference. An EMI finger is a piece of metal that connects two pieces of a metal case together, preventing EMI ("radio waves") from passing in or out. In this case, yes it is the "clip".

Flag Reply by powerbookg4hdd Jun 13 @ 2:37 AM

The black phillips screw is completely stuck on my compulter, and in my frustration, I managed to stripp the screw.. Noe I am concidering drilling it out, this will most likely destroy both the screw and the "EMI finger". Is this a problem? I guess the screw is no problem, but the EMI finger? Or anybody have any ideas to what I could do, I wanted to change my harddrive.. Thanks!

Flag Reply by jerrykrinock Jun 13 @ 7:35 AM

Dear powerbookg4hdd. This is a very long screw and you could not drill it out. First, try to turn it with needle-nose pliers. If that is too difficult, use a larger drill bit and try to drill the head completely off instead. You're in a very difficult situation. Of course, remove the RAM card to give yourself some working space.

Flag Reply by powerbookg4hdd Jun 18 @ 8:26 AM

Dear jerrkrinock! Thank you for your quick reply. Taking your recommendation, I did not try to drill it out, and after considering several approaches, I used a cutter and changed the "star" screw into a "straight" one. This was successful, and I was able to change the drive. I did not find anything that could be an EMI finger, though.. Anyways, thanks ifixit.som for great guides!

Flag Reply by tredding Jun 22 @ 7:34 AM

I believe the clip is referring to the ribbon of grounding material that the plate sits on. You need to move it over to take the long screw out without tearing it. And then you need to lift it and hold it out of the way when you replace the the long screw to avoid pinching it under the head of the screw. TR

Flag Reply by afb Aug 22 @ 7:20 PM

powerbookg4hdd: or anyone else -- i'm in a similar situation. what kind of cutter did you use to re-notch the screw? or is there another way to get this screw out if it is stripped?

Flag Reply by mancunianlad Sep 11 @ 5:56 AM

To be clear on this step you don't need to remove the long black screw (in fact it doesn't appear possible to remove it completely) just make sure it's been unscrewed as much as possible and then leave alone