Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

6

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

1

  • Top Housing
  • 6 steps

Flags

This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

  • BackMac mini Model A1176 Repair (Early 2006 - Mid 2007)

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Top Housing               
  • Power down your Mac mini, disconnect all of the cables, and flip it over.
  • Insert the Jimmy into the crack between the aluminum top housing and the plastic lower housing.
  • The Jimmy should reach a stop about 3/8" down.

Power down your Mac mini, disconnect all of the cables, and flip it over.

Insert the Jimmy into the crack between the aluminum top housing and the plastic lower housing.

The Jimmy should reach a stop about 3/8" down.

1024

Step 2

  • Gently bend the Jimmy outwards to pry the crack open a little larger and lift the lower housing up a small amount.
  • There are several plastic clips on the lower housing that fit into a channel in the aluminum top housing. Your goal is to use the Jimmy to push these clips inward enough to free them from the channel, while gently pulling up on the lower housing.

Gently bend the Jimmy outwards to pry the crack open a little larger and lift the lower housing up a small amount.

There are several plastic clips on the lower housing that fit into a channel in the aluminum top housing. Your goal is to use the Jimmy to push these clips inward enough to free them from the channel, while gently pulling up on the lower housing.

Step 3

  • Once you have the first side free, rotate the Mac mini and start prying up on the front edge.
  • Use the same prying motion to both bend the clips inward and lift the lower housing up out of the top housing.

Once you have the first side free, rotate the Mac mini and start prying up on the front edge.

Use the same prying motion to both bend the clips inward and lift the lower housing up out of the top housing.

Step 4

  • You may need to move the Jimmy along the edge to pry up all of the clips. Be patient and do a little bit at a time.

You may need to move the Jimmy along the edge to pry up all of the clips. Be patient and do a little bit at a time.

Step 5

  • Keep working around the perimeter, freeing the clips along the final edge.

Keep working around the perimeter, freeing the clips along the final edge.

Step 6

  • Flip the Mac mini back over and lift the top housing off of the lower housing.

Flip the Mac mini back over and lift the top housing off of the lower housing.

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

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      46 other people completed this guide.                                             

Author

                                      with 6 other contributors 

                    Walter Galan                     

682,038 Reputation

                                      1,203 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       54







                                                        +51 more badges                           

ajunelady6 - Feb 22, 2016

Reply

Does this work to remove a disc

Skylar - Jul 24, 2017

That’s part of the process. After that, you will probably need to disassemble the optical drive.