Skip to main content

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

What you need

  1. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement, Battery: step 1, image 1 of 1
    • Use a coin to rotate the battery locking screw 90 degrees clockwise.

  2. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 1
    • Lift the battery out of the computer.

  3. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement, Keyboard: step 3, image 1 of 1
    • 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. The locking screw is in between the F5 and F6 keys and is a clear piece of plastic.

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

  4. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 4, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  5. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 1
    • Grasp the clear plastic tab on the AirPort card and pull toward the display.

  6. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 1
    • Hold the AirPort card in one hand and use your other hand to remove the antenna cable.

  7. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the four silver Phillips screws that secure the RAM shield.

  8. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 1
    • Grasp the metal bracket on top of the RAM shield and pull upward to remove the shield.

  9. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  10. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement, Lower Case: step 10, image 1 of 1
    • Use a pin (or anything you like) to remove the three rubber feet from the lower case.

  11. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the three newly-revealed Phillips screws.

  12. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 12, image 1 of 1
    • Use a spudger or small flathead screwdriver to pry up the three metal rings that housed the rubber bumpers.

  13. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 13, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  14. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 14, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the two Phillips screws on either side of the battery contacts.

  15. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 15, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  16. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 16, image 1 of 1
    • 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!

  17. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 17, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  18. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 18, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  19. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 19, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  20. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 20, image 1 of 1
    • 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).

  21. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 21, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the small greasy springs with white plastic caps from either side of the battery contacts.

  22. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement, Bottom Shield: step 22, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the following 10 screws from the bottom shield:

    • Six 3 mm Phillips

    • Three 7.5 mm Phillips

    • One 14 mm Phillips

  23. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 23, image 1 of 1
    • Lift the bottom shield off.

  24. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement, DC-In Board: step 24, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the single Phillips screw securing the DC-In board.

  25. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 25, image 1 of 1
    • Disconnect the DC-In cable from the logic board.

  26. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 26, image 1 of 1
    • Deroute the cable from around the optical drive, removing tape as necessary, and angle the DC-In board out of its compartment.

  27. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement, Upper Case: step 27, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  28. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 28, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  29. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 29, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  30. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 30, image 1 of 1
    • Carefully lift the upper case about half of an inch and move it so that you can access the power and speaker cables.

  31. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 31, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  32. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 32, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  33. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement, Top Shield: step 33, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  34. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 34, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

  35. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 35, image 1 of 1
    • Turn the computer over and disconnect the orange hard drive cable, removing tape as necessary.

  36. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 36, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the four Phillips screws securing the hard drive to the metal framework.

  37. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 37, image 1 of 1
    • Lift the hard drive up, carefully guiding the cable through the slot in the lower case.

  38. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 38, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the hard drive brackets from the left and right sides of the hard drive.

  39. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 39, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the two black T8 Torx screws from either side of the hard drive (four screws total).

  40. iBook G4 14" 933 MHz-1.33 GHz Hard Drive Replacement: step 40, image 1 of 1
    • 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.

Conclusion

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

156 other people completed this guide.

Attached Documents

iRobot

Member since: 09/24/09

1 Reputation

636 Guides authored

17 Comments

isit really possible change 320gb hard drive to ibook g4 1.33 14". i heard motherboard doesnt support bigger than 128Gb?

chacal - Reply

I put one in and now the machine doesn't recognize the drive.

I'm gonna just pull it out and use it as an external until I can figure it out.

olefaithfull -

Quote from chacal:

isit really possible change 320gb hard drive to ibook g4 1.33 14". i heard motherboard doesnt support bigger than 128Gb?

I just went through the whole process and it worked fine. Used super duper to copy the original drive then restored using target disk mode and my MBP

sapugh - Reply

Make sure that you print out the screw sheet (PDF), and lay out all the screws on the 3 sheets of paper. It makes it easy to keep track of all the screws, and you won't make a mistake when putting every thing back. Also, go slow and take your time. You don't want to rush on the HD replacement. It took me about 2 hours. The hardest part was take the case apart. You may want to look at a youtube video called "iBook G4 Hard Drive Swap", by smalldog.com. The video shows how the case comes apart, and puts your mind at ease when you hear the cracking sounds as the tabs are released. The instructions on the ifixit.com web site were awesome.

ticzon - Reply

Quote from sapugh:

I just went through the whole process and it worked fine. Used super duper to copy the original drive then restored using target disk mode and my MBP

I too installed a 320 gb WD Hard Drive in a iBook G4. No problems. However, I did test the drive with one of my hard drives utilities to make the sure there were no write errors before installing the drive.

ticzon - Reply

Add Comment

View Statistics:

Past 24 Hours: 3

Past 7 Days: 10

Past 30 Days: 87

All Time: 150,664