Macbook Pro 15 Unibody Mid 2010 Optical Drive Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

                          15 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

Lower Case
2 steps
Battery
4 steps
Optical Drive
6 steps
Optical Drive
2 steps

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BackMacBook Pro 15" Unibody Mid 2010
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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Case

Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:
Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.
Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.
When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.

Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:

Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.

Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.

1024

Step 2

Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.
Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.

Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Step 3

              Battery

Remove the two 7.4 mm Tri-point screws securing the battery to the upper case.
Note: For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), removing the battery is not necessary but it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not remove the battery, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.
You do not necessarily have to follow steps 3-6 to remove the battery in order to replace the hard drive. However it is recommended to remove all power sources from electronics before working on them.

Remove the two 7.4 mm Tri-point screws securing the battery to the upper case.

Note: For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), removing the battery is not necessary but it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not remove the battery, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.

You do not necessarily have to follow steps 3-6 to remove the battery in order to replace the hard drive. However it is recommended to remove all power sources from electronics before working on them.

Step 4

Use the tip of your finger to carefully peel back the corner of the warning label to reveal a hidden Tri-point screw.
Remove the last 7.4 mm Tri-point screw securing the battery to the upper case.

Use the tip of your finger to carefully peel back the corner of the warning label to reveal a hidden Tri-point screw.

Remove the last 7.4 mm Tri-point screw securing the battery to the upper case.

Step 5

Lift the battery by its plastic pull tab and slide it away from the long edge of the upper case.
Do not try to completely remove the battery just yet.

Lift the battery by its plastic pull tab and slide it away from the long edge of the upper case.

Do not try to completely remove the battery just yet.

Step 6

Tilt the battery away from the logic board enough to access the battery cable connector.
Pull the battery cable connector away from its socket on the logic board and remove the battery from the upper case.
Pull the battery cable connector away from the center of the logic board.
If you’re installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:
Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Next, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.
If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook’s SMC.

Tilt the battery away from the logic board enough to access the battery cable connector.

Pull the battery cable connector away from its socket on the logic board and remove the battery from the upper case.

Pull the battery cable connector away from the center of the logic board.

If you’re installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:

Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Next, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.

If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook’s SMC.

Step 7

              Optical Drive

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable connector up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable connector up off the logic board.

Step 8

Disconnect the camera cable by pulling its connector away from the socket (toward the optical drive) on the logic board.

Disconnect the camera cable by pulling its connector away from the socket (toward the optical drive) on the logic board.

Step 9

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive connector up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive connector up off the logic board.

Step 10

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the AirPort/Bluetooth board housing.
Carefully rotate the AirPort/Bluetooth board housing (with AirPort/Antenna cables still attached) out of the lower case.

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the AirPort/Bluetooth board housing.

Carefully rotate the AirPort/Bluetooth board housing (with AirPort/Antenna cables still attached) out of the lower case.

Step 11

Remove the following three Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case:
One 4.5 mm Phillips screw securing the optical drive bracket to the upper case near the fan.
Two 2.5 mm Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case near the optical drive opening.

Remove the following three Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case:

One 4.5 mm Phillips screw securing the optical drive bracket to the upper case near the fan.

Two 2.5 mm Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case near the optical drive opening.

Step 12

Lift the optical drive near its connector and pull it away from the upper case to remove it from the computer.

Lift the optical drive near its connector and pull it away from the upper case to remove it from the computer.

Step 13

              Optical Drive

Pull the optical drive cable out of the optical drive.
Be sure to pull by the edges of the connector, not by the cable itself.
Optical drive remains.
If you have a CD or any other object jammed in your optical drive, we have an optical drive repair guide.

Pull the optical drive cable out of the optical drive.

Be sure to pull by the edges of the connector, not by the cable itself.

Optical drive remains.

If you have a CD or any other object jammed in your optical drive, we have an optical drive repair guide.

Step 14

Remove the two black Phillips #0 screws securing the small metal mounting bracket. Transfer this bracket to your new optical drive or hard drive enclosure.

Remove the two black Phillips #0 screws securing the small metal mounting bracket. Transfer this bracket to your new optical drive or hard drive enclosure.

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

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                    Andrew Bookholt

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Miguel Costa - Sep 25, 2012

Used this guide to replaced optical with ssd with caddy. Perfect! :-)

Chris - Mar 1, 2017

Thanks. Very helpful.

Sean Devlin - Sep 13, 2017

Used this in combination with the disc/foreign object removal guide to clear some junk from my optical drive. It finally accepts discs again! Great guide, thank you!

Ronnie + Sandy Downing - Dec 2, 2017

The 3 screws that secure our drive (Step 11) are hex screws

Andrew Optimus Goldheart - Dec 4, 2017

Hi Ronnie and Sandy! Are you sure you correctly identified your MacBook Pro? Starting with the Early 2011 Model, those screws are Torx T6 instead of Phillips. Check out our ID your Mac tool to double-check: https://www.ifixit.com/Info/ID-your-Mac

Introduction#

What you need#

Introduction

What you need