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MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement

What you need

  1. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement, Lower Case: step 1, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:

    • Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.

    • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

    • When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.

  2. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 1
    • Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.

    • Remove the lower case and set it aside.

  3. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement, Battery Connector: step 3, image 1 of 2 MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement, Battery Connector: step 3, image 2 of 2
    • For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), disconnecting the battery connector is not necessary but is recommended as it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not disconnect the battery connector, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.

    • Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.

    • It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to "walk" it out of its socket.

  4. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 4, image 1 of 1
    • Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

  5. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement, Hard Drive: step 5, image 1 of 1
    • Remove two Phillips screws securing the hard drive bracket to the upper case.

    • These screws are captive to the hard drive bracket.

  6. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 1
    • Lift the retaining bracket out of the upper case.

  7. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 1
    • Lift the hard drive by its pull tab and pull it out of the chassis, minding the cable attaching it to the computer.

  8. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 2 MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 8, image 2 of 2
    • Remove the hard drive cable by pulling its connector straight away from the hard drive.

  9. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement, Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable: step 9, image 1 of 1
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector up off the logic board.

  10. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the following four screws securing the hard drive and IR sensor cable to the upper case:

    • Two 1.5 mm Phillips screws.

    • Two 4 mm Phillips screws.

  11. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 3 MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 11, image 2 of 3 MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 11, image 3 of 3
    • Slide the hard drive and IR sensor bracket away from the edge of the upper case.

    • Carefully peel the hard drive and IR sensor cable from the upper case.

    • Lift the hard drive and IR sensor assembly out of the upper case.

  12. MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 12, image 1 of 3 MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 12, image 2 of 3 MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive/IR Sensor Cable Replacement: step 12, image 3 of 3
    • Your replacement part may or may not come with the front (sensor) bracket. If it does not, you'll need to transfer it to your new cable.

    • Use the tip of a spudger to flip the ZIF connector on the hard drive cable.

    • Gently pull the sensor bracket cable out of the ZIF connector.

    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive cable up off the sensor bracket.

    • Remove the adhesive backing from your new hard drive cable, stick it onto the sensor bracket, and connect the sensor bracket cable.

Conclusion

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

13 other people completed this guide.

8 Comments

Any recommendations on a known supported 512gb for MBP A1286. I've been looking at the Crucial m4. Seems legit. More options welcome. Thanks. http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-512GB-2-5-...

Jibran Bisharat - Reply

I have a macbook pro with a blue screen showing up. I am wondering if the symptoms I'm seeing on this computers might be related to this problem. i"ve read it's fairly common for these macs to have issues with those cables.

Christian Abreu - Reply

Worked for me, after my MacBook stopped working I first just replaced the harddisk for a SDD one only. But the re-install did not work, I lost the file system and managed to partially install the new drive. I realised this might be caused by the faulty SATA cable and was proven right.

I also taped some electrical isolation tape on the alu cover to protect the SATA cable.

martin38 - Reply

hello mr Walter

I need bit help when I put my MacBook Pro to sleep, after the taking lid back to normal,

the screen stays black. the keyboard does not wake up the screen. the not even power button, I have to power on and off 3 to 4 times to make a normal boot. do you think something wrong with sleep sensor, ?

if i change this part, it will resolve the problem

many thanks

Many Thanks!

Rahman - Reply

By the way, I cannot recommend Experimac for any Mac repairs. They are NOT Apple certified, you should know this up front. They took my 15” MacBook Pro to repair a keyboard/backlight/power button issue. Said it would be finished by the following weekend. No phone call to tell me it was repaired the following weekend, when I called, I was told the part had not been ordered, it WOULD be ordered the coming week, would be repaired by the following weekend. I called on Saturday (now 2 weeks later) in the morning when I didn’t hear from them. Was told I would get a call back from the manager/owner later. No call. I went there on Monday, and at noon, all lights in the store where off and the door locked…at NOON. Was told the “repair failed”. I was given my MBP back, unrepaired. Took it to Apple, they complained that all the screws ( many were missing) were STRIPPED on the grid that fastens the keyboard to the backlight unit. Thanks Experimac. You suck, and I’ll tell everyone who’ll listen to never visit your store.

fhussar - Reply

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