Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

22

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

4

  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • RAM Shield
  • 1 step
  • Upper Case
  • 7 steps
  • Upper Case
  • 13 steps

Flags

0

  • BackMacBook Pro 15" Core 2 Duo Models A1226 & A1260

  • 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

              Battery
  • Use your fingers to push both battery release tabs away from the battery, and lift the battery out of the computer.

Use your fingers to push both battery release tabs away from the battery, and lift the battery out of the computer.

1024

Step 2

              RAM Shield
  • Remove the three identical 2mm Phillips screws from the memory door.
  • Lift the memory door up enough to grip it and slide it toward you, pulling it away from the casing.

Remove the three identical 2mm Phillips screws from the memory door.

Lift the memory door up enough to grip it and slide it toward you, pulling it away from the casing.

Step 3

              Upper Case
  • Remove the two 2.8 mm Phillips screws in the battery compartment near the latch.

Remove the two 2.8 mm Phillips screws in the battery compartment near the latch.

Step 4

  • Remove the following 6 screws:
  • Two 10 mm T6 Torx screws on either side of the RAM slot.
  • Four 14.5 mm Phillips screws along the hinge.

Remove the following 6 screws:

Two 10 mm T6 Torx screws on either side of the RAM slot.

Four 14.5 mm Phillips screws along the hinge.

Step 5

  • Remove the four 3.2 mm PH00 Phillips screws on the port side of the computer.

Remove the four 3.2 mm PH00 Phillips screws on the port side of the computer.

Step 6

  • Rotate the computer 90 degrees and remove the two 3.2 mm Phillips screws from the rear of the computer.

Rotate the computer 90 degrees and remove the two 3.2 mm Phillips screws from the rear of the computer.

Step 7

  • Rotate the computer 90 degrees again and remove the four 3.2 mm Phillips screws from the side of the computer.

Rotate the computer 90 degrees again and remove the four 3.2 mm Phillips screws from the side of the computer.

Step 8

  • Do not yank the upper case off quickly. The case is attached to the logic board via a ribbon cable.
  • Lift up at the rear of the case and work your fingers along the sides, freeing the case as you go. Once you have freed the sides, you may need to rock the case up and down to free the front of the upper case.
  • There are four plastic clips above the DVD slot, and another above and to the left of the IR sensor. These clips can be very difficult to disengage without prying. They can also be difficult to re-engage during reassembly.
  • Reassembly Tip: Press down firmly on the tip of the top case above the location of each clip until you hear a snap to reseat them in their slots.
  • Reassembly Tip: The two center DVD clips will rarely snap back into place properly without help, and downward pressure will instead simply deform the frame around the DVD slot. Support the frame by inserting a plastic spudger into the DVD slot directly under the clip location until it is snug, then press down until you hear the snap.

Do not yank the upper case off quickly. The case is attached to the logic board via a ribbon cable.

Lift up at the rear of the case and work your fingers along the sides, freeing the case as you go. Once you have freed the sides, you may need to rock the case up and down to free the front of the upper case.

There are four plastic clips above the DVD slot, and another above and to the left of the IR sensor. These clips can be very difficult to disengage without prying. They can also be difficult to re-engage during reassembly.

Reassembly Tip: Press down firmly on the tip of the top case above the location of each clip until you hear a snap to reseat them in their slots.

Reassembly Tip: The two center DVD clips will rarely snap back into place properly without help, and downward pressure will instead simply deform the frame around the DVD slot. Support the frame by inserting a plastic spudger into the DVD slot directly under the clip location until it is snug, then press down until you hear the snap.

Step 9

  • Disconnect the trackpad and keyboard ribbon cable from the logic board, removing tape as necessary.
  • Note: It is possible to replace the hard drive without disconnecting the keyboard from the chassis, but it will need to be held upright to keep it out of the way, while still allowing you both hands to work on the drive removal.
  • Be careful when removing the keyboard-trackpad ribbon cable to ensure that the rear of the upper case is disengaged from the area near the hinge. It is easy to accidentally bend the screw receivers on either side of the keyboard.
  • Remove the upper case.

Disconnect the trackpad and keyboard ribbon cable from the logic board, removing tape as necessary.

Note: It is possible to replace the hard drive without disconnecting the keyboard from the chassis, but it will need to be held upright to keep it out of the way, while still allowing you both hands to work on the drive removal.

Be careful when removing the keyboard-trackpad ribbon cable to ensure that the rear of the upper case is disengaged from the area near the hinge. It is easy to accidentally bend the screw receivers on either side of the keyboard.

Remove the upper case.

Step 10

              Upper Case
  • Use a spudger to pry up the translucent plastic sheet covering the keyboard connector.

Use a spudger to pry up the translucent plastic sheet covering the keyboard connector.

Step 11

  • Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the black plastic flap locking down the keyboard ribbon cable.
  • Slide the orange keyboard backlight ribbon out of its connector.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the black plastic flap locking down the keyboard ribbon cable.

Slide the orange keyboard backlight ribbon out of its connector.

Step 12

  • Peel up the orange tape covering the keyboard backlight connector.

Peel up the orange tape covering the keyboard backlight connector.

Step 13

  • Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the brown plastic flap locking down the keyboard backlight ribbon cable.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the brown plastic flap locking down the keyboard backlight ribbon cable.

Step 14

  • Use a spudger or your finger to slide the keyboard backlight ribbon out of its connector.

Use a spudger or your finger to slide the keyboard backlight ribbon out of its connector.

Step 15

  • In this step you will be peeling adhesive to give access to screws, it is not necessary to fully remove these shields.
  • Peel back the black protective sheath on the right side of the upper case.
  • Similarly, peel back the black protective sheath on the left side of the upper case.

In this step you will be peeling adhesive to give access to screws, it is not necessary to fully remove these shields.

Peel back the black protective sheath on the right side of the upper case.

Similarly, peel back the black protective sheath on the left side of the upper case.

Step 16

  • Remove the 12 identical Phillips screws attaching the keyboard to the casing.
  • There are six locking tabs along the back edge of the keyboard holding it in place. These tabs must be straightened before you can remove the keyboard.

Remove the 12 identical Phillips screws attaching the keyboard to the casing.

There are six locking tabs along the back edge of the keyboard holding it in place. These tabs must be straightened before you can remove the keyboard.

Step 17

  • Slide the keyboard ribbon out of its connector.
  • If the keyboard ribbon won’t slide out, make sure that the black plastic flap holding the ribbon in place is vertical.
  • It is common for the small ribbon just beside the keyboard ribbon to wear out with use in this model. (Keyboard and trackpad would not work but power button will.) The solution is to apply pressure directly on that cable where it enters the flap (with a piece of plastic or a folded paper that is pushed against by the battery).

Slide the keyboard ribbon out of its connector.

If the keyboard ribbon won’t slide out, make sure that the black plastic flap holding the ribbon in place is vertical.

It is common for the small ribbon just beside the keyboard ribbon to wear out with use in this model. (Keyboard and trackpad would not work but power button will.) The solution is to apply pressure directly on that cable where it enters the flap (with a piece of plastic or a folded paper that is pushed against by the battery).

Step 18

  • Place the upper casing on its edge and use a spudger to push the keyboard away from the casing, poking the spudger through the central keyboard screw hole. Grasp the keyboard as it separates from the casing.
  • Maintaining your hold on the keyboard, lay the casing flat and gently bow the keyboard until the two tabs on either side of the keyboard come free.
  • Slide the keyboard away from the trackpad and out of the upper case.
  • Reassembly Tip: Ensure that the keyboard backlight ribbon emerges cable through the hole in the upper case.

Place the upper casing on its edge and use a spudger to push the keyboard away from the casing, poking the spudger through the central keyboard screw hole. Grasp the keyboard as it separates from the casing.

Maintaining your hold on the keyboard, lay the casing flat and gently bow the keyboard until the two tabs on either side of the keyboard come free.

Slide the keyboard away from the trackpad and out of the upper case.

Reassembly Tip: Ensure that the keyboard backlight ribbon emerges cable through the hole in the upper case.

Step 19

  • Remove the two Phillips screws securing the black antenna holder to the upper case.
  • Lift the black Bluetooth antenna holder off of the upper case.
  • Disconnect the Bluetooth antenna cable from the Bluetooth board.
  • Lift the Bluetooth antenna out of its housing in the upper case. The Bluetooth antenna may be secured to the upper case with an adhesive, so rocking the antenna board from side to side may help it come free easier.

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the black antenna holder to the upper case.

Lift the black Bluetooth antenna holder off of the upper case.

Disconnect the Bluetooth antenna cable from the Bluetooth board.

Lift the Bluetooth antenna out of its housing in the upper case. The Bluetooth antenna may be secured to the upper case with an adhesive, so rocking the antenna board from side to side may help it come free easier.

Step 20

  • Disconnect the Bluetooth antenna cable from the Bluetooth board.
  • Lift the Bluetooth antenna out of its housing in the upper case. The Bluetooth antenna may be secured to the upper case with an adhesive, so rocking the antenna board from side to side may help it come free easier.

Step 21

  • Remove the single Phillips screw securing the Bluetooth board to the lower case.

Remove the single Phillips screw securing the Bluetooth board to the lower case.

Step 22

  • Peel up the Bluetooth data cable from the adhesive on the upper case, removing tape as necessary.
  • Disconnect the Bluetooth data cable from the upper case.
  • Lift the Bluetooth board and attached cable off the upper case.
  • To install your replacement upper case, install your current Bluetooth board, antenna, and keyboard into the replacement case and reassemble your computer.

Peel up the Bluetooth data cable from the adhesive on the upper case, removing tape as necessary.

Disconnect the Bluetooth data cable from the upper case.

Lift the Bluetooth board and attached cable off the upper case.

To install your replacement upper case, install your current Bluetooth board, antenna, and keyboard into the replacement case and reassemble your computer.

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

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      28 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 8 other contributors 


                    Walter Galan

682,038 Reputation

                                      1,203 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       54







                                                        +51 more badges

David Iwanicki - Nov 11, 2009

Reply

this part is actually called the “top case”, and is referenced as such in Apple’s part numbers and take-apart guides.

davidkkim - Nov 5, 2011

Reply

Just did this. The guide is great. A good mod. Caveats:

(1) Use good screwdrivers… Really. I’ve done this for years and made the mistake of impatience anyway. I used poor-quality ones (though the right size) and partly stripped screws… Long story short, I had to buy replacement screws and dremel off the heads of the originals (thus also unable to easily re-use old top case)

(2) If your computer’s old, you might need some new tape or adhesive at a few points (for the old sticky covers).

(3) If your upgrading A1226 to A1260 to get the new multi-touch trackpad (works BEAUTIFULLY, by the way :)), consider buying the keyboard with the upper case. Swapping keyboards is a fair bit of work, another chance to strip screws, and then you need to re-label (or swap) some keys to reflect the new special functions (these are changed by the new top case controller). If you keep the old keyboard (as I did), a simple P-touch labeler can be used to make new labels over the old keys (or you can swap keycaps if you have them from the new keyboard). Bottom line… A much more elegant solution is to swap the keyboard at the same time.

(4) Take care reassembling new the DVD drive. It’s easy to bend the top piece of metal down (the one that engages the clips) and your DVD can get stuck occasional ejecting. Very annoying. Maybe give it a little prophylactic bend upward.

Overall, very happy!! Awesome pictures in the guide.

Yet another way to get good life out of an old Mac. Had an original MacBook Pro 3,1, since upgraded to new mainboard (under warranty), 6GB RAM, new MB fans (thanks iFixIt), new 500GB hybrid flash drive, now multi-touch thanks to this! Running 10.7.2 easily, great return on a purchase in 2007.

Cheers to the iFixit community!

David Schubert - Dec 18, 2015

Reply