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Featured Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

4

Time Required

                          10 minutes

Sections

3

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • RAM
  • 1 step

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1

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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 Phillips screws.
  • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

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

Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

1024

Step 2

  • Wedge your fingers between the lower case and the vent, and lift upward to release the two clips holding the lower case to the upper case.
  • During reassembly, carefully align the lower case and then press it firmly until both clips engage.
  • Remove the lower case.

Wedge your fingers between the lower case and the vent, and lift upward to release the two clips holding the lower case to the upper case.

During reassembly, carefully align the lower case and then press it firmly until both clips engage.

Remove the lower case.

Step 3

              Battery
  • Whenever working near the logic board, it is always wise to first disconnect the battery to avoid short circuits.
  • If present, grab the plastic tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the device. For Late-2011 models the battery connector will not have a tab and is simply a plug that inserts straight down into the motherboard–to remove pry the plug straight up.
  • If the plastic tab is missing, use a spudger to pry the connector up from its socket.
  • Pull the tab parallel to the face of the logic board.

Whenever working near the logic board, it is always wise to first disconnect the battery to avoid short circuits.

If present, grab the plastic tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the device. For Late-2011 models the battery connector will not have a tab and is simply a plug that inserts straight down into the motherboard–to remove pry the plug straight up.

If the plastic tab is missing, use a spudger to pry the connector up from its socket.

Pull the tab parallel to the face of the logic board.

Step 4

              RAM
  • Release the tabs on each side of the RAM chip by simultaneously pushing each tab away from the RAM.
  • These tabs lock the chip in place and releasing them will cause the chip to “pop” up.
  • After the RAM chip has popped up, pull it straight out of its socket.
  • Repeat this process if a second RAM chip is installed.

Release the tabs on each side of the RAM chip by simultaneously pushing each tab away from the RAM.

These tabs lock the chip in place and releasing them will cause the chip to “pop” up.

After the RAM chip has popped up, pull it straight out of its socket.

Repeat this process if a second RAM chip is installed.

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

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                                                                                      129 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 5 other contributors 


                    Andrew Bookholt

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paleo5 - Apr 7, 2012

Reply

Thank you iFixIt. Your tutorial gave me confidence to move forward and get inside my computer. I agree with bhodges2, a great opportunity to clean. I’d keep a can of compressed air handy next time. I would also use a separate compartment for each screw. I treated the case like a wheel, lightly tightening each first. Still, the 3mm screws do not seem not entirely interchangeable. Mixing them around, not forcing anything, eventually worked out.

Ruth H - Sep 27, 2014

Reply

These instructions worked perfectly, thank you!

Gary howarth - Feb 25, 2016

Reply

Folded masking tape to make two sided.Made rectangle like shape of Mac.Put the screws on the tape in order, so I would not mix screws or loose them.That process took longer than installation. Done in 10 mins..No need to remove battery.Put finger on metal stated by Apple.Now going to add 16gigs more in my IMac.Thanks for the illustrations Andrew !!!!

rewtz - Dec 1, 2016

Reply

Hi may i know what is the maximum size of GB for RAM that model A1297 MBP 17" Early 2009 can support? can it support 16GB. TIA.

aramis - Jan 4, 2017

Reply

Late 2011 Macbook Pro 17" A1297 2.5GHz i7-2860QM supports 1600MHz DDR3 RAM according to Intel’s Ark (http://ark.intel.com/products/53476/Inte...), faster than what Apple suggests. I tried 2x8GB 1600MHz SODIMMs (opposite 2x16GB maximum as supported by Intel, yet cannot find the modules anywhere) and it works. The machine is a lot faster compared to the default 1333MHz RAM.