Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

9

Time Required

                          30 - 45 minutes

Sections

4

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery Connection
  • 2 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 4 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 1 step

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Introduction

What you need

Video Overview

Step 1

              Lower Case
  • Remove the following ten screws:
  • Three 14.4 mm Phillips #00 screws
  • Three 3.5 mm Phillips #00 screws
  • Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws
  • When replacing the small screws, align them perpendicular to the slight curvature of the case (they don’t go straight down).

Remove the following ten screws:

Three 14.4 mm Phillips #00 screws

Three 3.5 mm Phillips #00 screws

Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws

When replacing the small screws, align them perpendicular to the slight curvature of the case (they don’t go straight down).

1024

Step 2

  • Use your fingers to pry the lower case away from the body of the MacBook near the vent.
  • Remove the lower case.

Use your fingers to pry the lower case away from the body of the MacBook near the vent.

Remove the lower case.

Step 3

              Battery Connection
  • 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. Be careful with the corners of the connectors, they can be easily broken off.

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. Be careful with the corners of the connectors, they can be easily broken off.

Step 4

  • Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

Step 5

              Hard Drive
  • Remove the two Phillips screws securing the hard drive bracket to the upper case.
  • These screws will remain attached to the hard drive bracket.

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the hard drive bracket to the upper case.

These screws will remain attached to the hard drive bracket.

Step 6

  • Remove the hard drive bracket.
  • The hard drive bracket may be firmly seated against the upper case.

Remove the hard drive bracket.

The hard drive bracket may be firmly seated against the upper case.

Step 7

  • Use the attached pull tab to lift the hard drive out of the upper case.
  • Don’t try to completely remove the hard drive just yet. It is still attached to the hard drive cable.

Use the attached pull tab to lift the hard drive out of the upper case.

Don’t try to completely remove the hard drive just yet. It is still attached to the hard drive cable.

Step 8

  • Pull the hard drive cable away from the body of the hard drive.
  • Remove the hard drive.

Pull the hard drive cable away from the body of the hard drive.

Remove the hard drive.

Step 9

              Hard Drive
  • Remove the four 6.0 mm T6 Torx hard drive retaining posts from the sides of the hard drive.
  • Transfer the hard drive retaining posts to your new hard drive.
  • If desired, transfer the pull tab over to your new drive.
  • If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.
  • If you upgraded your EFI Firmware ROM you can also perform an internet recovery.

Remove the four 6.0 mm T6 Torx hard drive retaining posts from the sides of the hard drive.

Transfer the hard drive retaining posts to your new hard drive.

If desired, transfer the pull tab over to your new drive.

If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.

If you upgraded your EFI Firmware ROM you can also perform an internet recovery.

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

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Author

                                      with 8 other contributors 


                    Phillip Takahashi

Member since: 08/22/2011

85,204 Reputation

                                      87 Guides authored                  



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wtfjackiass - Jul 31, 2012

Reply

Is there any specific order that’s best for putting back the screws?

William Stadler - Jul 25, 2018

Start with the corners but after that it dose not matter

xdragoons - Mar 2, 2014

Reply

How do you install the Operating system once this has been done?

Haneef - Nov 25, 2019

How to Install macOS High Sierra

jonathan - May 9, 2015

Reply

If the retaining screws in the HD are stuck, use a rubber band between the T6 bit and the screw for better grip. Works like a charm.