MacBook Core 2 Duo better than new

My Problem

The LCD display on my 2.2 GHz MacBook Core 2 Duo (late 2007) worked fine when it was part way open but went dark when fully open. I used it for several months while the problem got progressively worse. A little online research convinced me that I had a bad inverter cable. I discovered iFixit had the instructions for replacing the cable so I decided to give it a go. Why buy a new laptop if you can fix the old one for a few dollars?

My Fix

I got a few tools from iFixit and just followed the instructions. There were a couple of spots where I had to look closely and prod gently to figure out how things came apart. I worked slowly and carefully. It was fun. When I was done, the laptop worked perfectly.

My Advice

I put the parts I removed at each step in separate, labeled zip-loc bags. A desk lamp with a built-in magnifying glass was an invaluable tool. I took the opportunity to clean out years of accumulated dust and dirt. I even cleaned the exterior surfaces to make them white again.

The laptop worked so well that I replaced the hard drive with a solid state drive (SSD) and was amazed at the increase in speed. I am enjoying it more now than when it was new.