Macbook Unibody Model A1278 Keyboard Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

                          45 minutes - 3 hours

Sections

Keyboard
38 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Initial Preparations

Let’s Start:
Shut down the Mac and lay it upside-down.
Press the little lever to raise the access door.

Let’s Start:

Shut down the Mac and lay it upside-down.

Press the little lever to raise the access door.

1024

Step 2

              Access Door

Lift the access door off the MacBook.

Lift the access door off the MacBook.

Step 3

              Battery

Pull the battery straight out of the MacBook using the plastic tab connected to the battery.

Pull the battery straight out of the MacBook using the plastic tab connected to the battery.

Step 4

              Lower Case

Remove the eight screws located on the bottom of the MacBook.
One 3 mm Phillips screw
Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws
Four 3.5 mm Phillips screws
The four 3.5 mm Phillips screws strip extremely easily. Use caution.

Remove the eight screws located on the bottom of the MacBook.

One 3 mm Phillips screw

Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws

Four 3.5 mm Phillips screws

The four 3.5 mm Phillips screws strip extremely easily. Use caution.

Step 5

Lift the lower case straight from the MacBook.

Lift the lower case straight from the MacBook.

Step 6

              Mid Wall

Remove the four 10.3 mm Phillips screws that hold the mid wall.

Remove the four 10.3 mm Phillips screws that hold the mid wall.

Step 7

Remove the mid wall.

Remove the mid wall.

Step 8

Fan

Use the spudger to pry the fan connector straight from the logic board.
It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.
The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. This might look slightly different on your MacBook.

Use the spudger to pry the fan connector straight from the logic board.

It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.

The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. This might look slightly different on your MacBook.

Step 9

Remove the three screws holding the fan in place.
Two 5 mm Phillips screws
One 7 mm Phillips screw

Remove the three screws holding the fan in place.

Two 5 mm Phillips screws

One 7 mm Phillips screw

Step 10

Lift the fan straight out from the logic board.

Lift the fan straight out from the logic board.

Step 11

              Battery Cable Cover

Remove the Phillips screw securing the battery cable cover.
Lift the cover straight from the upper-case.

Remove the Phillips screw securing the battery cable cover.

Lift the cover straight from the upper-case.

Step 12

              Battery Level Indicator

Use the spudger to pry the battery level indicator straight from the logic board.

Use the spudger to pry the battery level indicator straight from the logic board.

Step 13

              Battery Cable

Pull the battery cable away from the logic board.
This is a little tricky. If you cannot disconnect it, you can use tweezers and the spudger to help.

Pull the battery cable away from the logic board.

This is a little tricky. If you cannot disconnect it, you can use tweezers and the spudger to help.

Step 14

              Keyboard

Use the tip of the spudger to lift the keyboard cable retaining flap.
Pull the cable away from its socket to disconnect it. Make sure you lift the retaining flap before pulling the cable or you could damage it.
Disconnect the cable on the right if your Mac has this. This cable is the backlight on the keyboard. Remove it in a similar way as above.

Use the tip of the spudger to lift the keyboard cable retaining flap.

Pull the cable away from its socket to disconnect it. Make sure you lift the retaining flap before pulling the cable or you could damage it.

Disconnect the cable on the right if your Mac has this. This cable is the backlight on the keyboard. Remove it in a similar way as above.

Step 15

Use the flat end of the spudger to pry the trackpad cable straight from the logic board.

Use the flat end of the spudger to pry the trackpad cable straight from the logic board.

Step 16

Remove the two 5mm Phillips screws securing the keyboard flex bracket to the upper case.
Lift it straight from the upper-case.

Remove the two 5mm Phillips screws securing the keyboard flex bracket to the upper case.

Lift it straight from the upper-case.

Step 17

Use the tip of the spudger to lift the IR and sleep sensor retaining flap.
Pull the ribbon cable away from the logic board.
The retaining flap and the ribbon cable are both extremely sensitive, use caution when disconnecting.

Use the tip of the spudger to lift the IR and sleep sensor retaining flap.

Pull the ribbon cable away from the logic board.

The retaining flap and the ribbon cable are both extremely sensitive, use caution when disconnecting.

Step 18

Use the flat end of the spudger to pry the hard drive cable straight from the logic board.

Use the flat end of the spudger to pry the hard drive cable straight from the logic board.

Step 19

Now, pry the optical drive cable straight from the logic board using the spudger.

Now, pry the optical drive cable straight from the logic board using the spudger.

Step 20

Disconnect the display data cable by pulling it away from the logic board.
You can use tweezers if you need.

Disconnect the display data cable by pulling it away from the logic board.

You can use tweezers if you need.

Step 21

Use the flat end of the spudger to pry the subwoofer cable straight from the logic board.

Use the flat end of the spudger to pry the subwoofer cable straight from the logic board.

Step 22

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the subwoofer.

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the subwoofer.

Step 23

De-route the Display Data Cable from the subwoofer.

De-route the Display Data Cable from the subwoofer.

Step 24

Pull the subwoofer out of the upper-case. The right speaker is still connected, so do not pull it out completely.

Pull the subwoofer out of the upper-case. The right speaker is still connected, so do not pull it out completely.

Step 25

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the optical drive bracket.
Be careful with the screw on the left, it is connected to the display data cable itself.

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the optical drive bracket.

Be careful with the screw on the left, it is connected to the display data cable itself.

Step 26

              Optical Drive

Remove the three screws securing the optical drive.
Pull the Optical Drive out of the upper-case.

Remove the three screws securing the optical drive.

Pull the Optical Drive out of the upper-case.

Step 27

Your MacBook may not have this.
Remove the two 4 mm Phillips screws securing this bracket.
Lift it out of the upper-case.

Your MacBook may not have this.

Remove the two 4 mm Phillips screws securing this bracket.

Lift it out of the upper-case.

Step 28

Use the plastic tab on the the display cable and rotate it towards the DC-in part of the Mac.
Pull it away from the logic board.
If this cable is not pulled straight from the logic board, it might brake. Use caution.

Use the plastic tab on the the display cable and rotate it towards the DC-in part of the Mac.

Pull it away from the logic board.

If this cable is not pulled straight from the logic board, it might brake. Use caution.

Step 29

Remove the four Phillips screws as located in the picture.
One 7mm Phillips screw
One 5mm Phillips screw
Two 7 mm Phillips screws
These screws secure the DC-in board.
Remove the bracket securing the display cable.

Remove the four Phillips screws as located in the picture.

One 7mm Phillips screw

One 5mm Phillips screw

Two 7 mm Phillips screws

These screws secure the DC-in board.

Remove the bracket securing the display cable.

Step 30

Use the tip of the spudger to lift the microphone from the upper-case.

Use the tip of the spudger to lift the microphone from the upper-case.

Step 31

Remove the screws securing the logic board.
Four 3mm Phillips screws
One 3.5mm Phillips screw
The DC-in board screws should already be removed at this point.
Lift the logic board out of the case as show in the picture.

Remove the screws securing the logic board.

Four 3mm Phillips screws

One 3.5mm Phillips screw

The DC-in board screws should already be removed at this point.

Lift the logic board out of the case as show in the picture.

Step 32

Alright guys, we are almost done. Your MacBook will probably look something like this.
If it does look slightly different, do not worry, you should have all of the necessary parts removed now.

Alright guys, we are almost done. Your MacBook will probably look something like this.

If it does look slightly different, do not worry, you should have all of the necessary parts removed now.

Step 33

Remove the two screws holding the keyboard bracket.
Lift the bracket out of the upper-case.

Remove the two screws holding the keyboard bracket.

Lift the bracket out of the upper-case.

Step 34

Before you do this, BE EXTRA CAREFUL!
There is a very thin piece of plastic glued to the keyboard. Start at the edge and slowly lift it from the upper-case as shown in the image.
If it tares a little, you will not damage anything too major. But try your best not to let it tare.

Before you do this, BE EXTRA CAREFUL!

There is a very thin piece of plastic glued to the keyboard. Start at the edge and slowly lift it from the upper-case as shown in the image.

If it tares a little, you will not damage anything too major. But try your best not to let it tare.

Step 35

There is a hard, transparent piece of plastic on the keyboard; lift that straight out of the upper-case.

There is a hard, transparent piece of plastic on the keyboard; lift that straight out of the upper-case.

Step 36

Remove the two tiny screws securing the power button.
Lift it from of the upper-case.
The power button is still connected to the keyboard, don’t pull it out completely.

Remove the two tiny screws securing the power button.

Lift it from of the upper-case.

The power button is still connected to the keyboard, don’t pull it out completely.

Step 37

Now the very long and slightly annoying part. There are about 65 Phillips screws securing the keyboard. Yes, you have to remove all of them. Good luck!
There might be more than 65 screws on your MacBook. Do not worry if this number is different.
I recommend you counting all of your screws while unscrewing them. You’ll keep better track of them like that.

Now the very long and slightly annoying part. There are about 65 Phillips screws securing the keyboard. Yes, you have to remove all of them. Good luck!

There might be more than 65 screws on your MacBook. Do not worry if this number is different.

I recommend you counting all of your screws while unscrewing them. You’ll keep better track of them like that.

Step 38

After you have removed the screws, lift the keyboard out of the upper-case. The power button will come with the keyboard.
The keys will not fall out, they are all connected to the metal base of the keyboard.
Do not bend the keyboard, bad things will happen like that!

After you have removed the screws, lift the keyboard out of the upper-case. The power button will come with the keyboard.

The keys will not fall out, they are all connected to the metal base of the keyboard.

Do not bend the keyboard, bad things will happen like that!

Almost done! Insert the new keyboard in your MacBook and follow these steps in reverse order to put your MacBook back together.

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                    lyonmissions

Member since: 03/29/2013

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