MacBook Core Duo Upper Case Replacement

The guide is fantastic and the Airport Extreme Card upgrade took me less than an hour to complete. It wasn't very difficult. Some pointers: read the entire guide before undertaking the project; keep the screws from each step separated in labeled containers; buy a spludger if you don't already have one; keep a tweezer handy for the tiny screws; and take your time separating the keyboard from the computer so as to not crack/break the plastic bezel.

Quote from jonathan55:

This is a difficult project. It is imperative that you read the entire guide before you proceed. Have a system in place to keep track of the screws so you know what goes where. Budget several hours for this.

Nonsense! Even a non-technical person could follow this guide and do the job in 15 minutes. Anyone who's done any work on any kind of computer will be able to do this in 5-10 minutes.

Quote from eflyguy:

Nonsense! Even a non-technical person could follow this guide and do the job in 15 minutes. Anyone who's done any work on any kind of computer will be able to do this in 5-10 minutes.

i agree, me and my friend (both) 14, took this underway to clean out the inside of my computer for recreational purposes, piece of cake!

This nontechnical person took about two hours to get the optical drive out and stripped down enough to take it apart and look for fragments of a CD. and then reassemble it. I'm sure other people are faster than me, they usually are, but newbees should set aside the time just in case. Also, jonathan55 is right about those screws, keep track of them and the other in which they come out as there are several different lengths.

Umm, that's the ORDER in which they came out. Sheesh.

Great guide. Very easy to follow. I put in a replacement hard drive in less than 30 minutes.

Extremely useful guide. Just replaced the topcase/trackpad/keyboard assembly in ~15 minutes. I've had a moderate amount of previous experience with computer repairs, but even so, anyone should be able to do this project successfully.

The replacement takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. The longest part is the OS Backup/Restore...

BTW, you might want to know before you begin: if you have a similar size backup hard drive that you originally have in your computer, you should "Restore" the contents of the original hard drive onto it before starting this manual, using the Disk Utility. (Yes it's called Restore. You restore the original to the backup. lol.)

Your other alternative is to get an external enclosure for your SATA Laptop hard drive that has a Firewire port on it.

After the swap, you connect either the backup drive or the original drive in the external enclosure using Firewire, then boot while pressing the Option key. The backup drive will show up (possibly as the only boot option.) (In fact, now that I think about it, you might not even have to press the Option key, since the external drive should be the only boot option unless there is something in your DVD drive...)

Boot to the backup drive, then "Restore" its contents to the new internal hard drive using the Disk Utility. You should be set with your original OS, settings, etc.

Overall I'd say this was easy if you've taken apart any computer-like device before. Total time was a little less than hour for me, and the most difficult part was getting all of the tiny screws back in; fan installation was a breeze.

There is a simpler way of installing the operating system than described in the notes. First do a time machine backup to a new external drive. This will force a total back-up and prevent problems of restoring everything as it was. Follow steps 1-8. Instead of quitting disk utility as described in step 9, go back into disk utility menu and on the very last line you will see the option to restore the operating system and all its files via the time machine option. It was a breeze, and I did not have to deal with steps 10-28

Quote from jonathan55:

This is a difficult project. It is imperative that you read the entire guide before you proceed. Have a system in place to keep track of the screws so you know what goes where. Budget several hours for this.

I am so grateful for this website! This is the first time I have opened a computer and the instillation is now done, 45 minutes later.

The key, as many others have written is the organization of the screws. It was very helpful for me to print out the individual pictures of the steps to follow. I then laid the screws, as I took them out, on the printed pictures that I placed on a table.

The key is a little mindfulness...relax... and it is fun! Enjoy!

This is a terrific guide. Thank you very much for providing it.

Some of the screws may be different sizes in different 'books. Keeping them separated, or measuring as you remove them, helps. Also, a few of the rubber spacers, etc are not the same in mine as in the photos, and some connectors also differ. I found it helpful to take notes at each Step when they differed from the picture. A guitar pick helps when trying to get the top case free.

Quote from jonathan55:

This is a difficult project. It is imperative that you read the entire guide before you proceed. Have a system in place to keep track of the screws so you know what goes where. Budget several hours for this.

Not quite sure what this guy is smoking, but he didn't share with the class. The hard drive replacement takes less than 5 minutes and is absolutely within the ability of anyone over the age of 7.

I'm not a super techy guy, but this as much easier than I expected it to be. Just make sure you've got the Torx and mini-screw drivers handy.

The instructions were excellent and the job of removing & replacing the hard-drive went like clockwork. A novice could handle this task easily with modest mechanical skills. Someone previously suggested putting aside several hours to do this..... I disagree as I replaced the HD & both RAM chips in approx. 10 minutes & I was pacing myself. As far as hardware is concerned, I found a total of 7 screws to deal with! You don't have to be too anal to keep track of 7 screws especially when 3 of them are captive in the memory cover. Unless you are mechanically inept, go ahead and do this simple job!

Quote from jonathan55:

This is a difficult project. It is imperative that you read the entire guide before you proceed. Have a system in place to keep track of the screws so you know what goes where. Budget several hours for this.

Several HOURS?!? It took me 10 minutes.

I just finished this installation, and it went very smoothly. Your instructions were excellent, as were your step-by-step pictures. I couldn't be happier....I saved alot of money because of IFixit, and really appreciate it!

Muchas Grazias, i did the steps to replug the isight cable. And its working again. Maybe doing all the steps was a bit overdressed for my problem. My only tool was a knife. Now only two parts aren´t reassemled: a little screw and a magnet. Thanks a lot again, the camera is working again!

This was an easy installation. I am NOT a tech type, just a mom who wants a better hard drive.

I installed the new hard drive into the MacBook and moved the old hard drive into the new housing in less time than it took my husband to put the baby to bed. Yeah, his bedtime routine with her takes longer than mine, but it's still less than half an hour.

I just cleared off part of the dining room table, put down a towel to keep all the parts from rolling around and followed the step-by-step directions provided here. Sooo easy. Almost too easy.

I look forward to my next MacBook repair, and I will absolutely come back to ifixit.com to get the parts and learn how to do it. I'll be here for support on my iPhone and iPods, too.

Just did an LCD replacement on a white old model MacBook. Followed this guide to a the letter. IT WORKS! I'm commenting on my fixed mac now. Excellent guide. Things I would suggest are to read through everything first and keep a note of screws labeling etc. you'll be grateful on the return trip. Also watch the routing of the cables when working on the lcd housing and right hand side of the lower laptop. Not only have I fixed my problem. I've realized that customizing macs and doing your own repairs is relatively straight forward if you follow instructions.

This website really empowers the apple product user. Shop around for parts, ebay is a good place to start. I got my screen for £65 (UK).

Final word take your time and if you are replacing LCD screens expect it to take up to 6 hours.

Also if you are replacing Samsung LCD screen it has a test port (on left back) which most replacements do not. Don't worry about it, it is nothing to do with a Mac.

thanks again ifixit.com!

Quote from jonathan55:

This is a difficult project. It is imperative that you read the entire guide before you proceed. Have a system in place to keep track of the screws so you know what goes where. Budget several hours for this.

Best way I've found to keep track of the screws is to use an ice cube tray. Just make sure you don't knock it over by mistake ;P

thursday: made the order on ifixit.com for ldc, spudger, size 0 screwdriver.

monday: items delivered to my place in NY.

monday night: new LCD installed.

thank you ifixit. parts ordered were perfect LCD crisper than the original one. spudger came in handy. this manual was spot on.

thanks again.

-j

NY, NY.

The instructions were more than helpful. Very well written. I just need to be better about following them. It was a easy process, it took me about 20 minutes all together. The only thing I ran across it was putting the keyboard back in place. Make sure it's all line up before you start putting screws back in place.

Thanks a lot for this guide. It would have been much more difficult without knowing what to do.

When I was done, the LCD backlight flickered somewhat occasionally. The owner said that had not happened before. I cleaned the LCD plug by blowing with a straw into it but the flickering still happened. Dunno if this was related to my work.

Doe's anybody know if its possible to install a second generation logic board with the core 2 duo in the first generation MacBook?

off course I'm looking to upgrade my first gen MacBook 1,1 using the newer generation MacBook logic board, so may be one of you know whether this process is possible...

Thank you :-)

One note on the fan replacement, or really any MacBook repairs. If you fire your MacBook up and nothing happens but the sleep light is blinking then make sure your memory is seated correctly. I freaked out after installing my new fan but it turns out that all I needed to do was reseat the memory.

THANK YOU for that great guideline! I did it step by step with my iPhone next to the workbench and it went well. One hour to open, one hour to close for me as a complete beginner.

Jonathon55 was referring to the whole pram replacement. I tore apart an ibook years ago and it had less steps then this and I am quite technically adept. Going to pay for apple store to replace, not going to waste half a day doing.

Thank you for this guide. I appreciate the time you took to photograph this and document it.

Don't take notice of the I did it in 10 minutes brigade, replacing the HDd might take 10 minutes but the other jobs will take longer.

Also those that are dissing the author re screws etc. The screws are different lengths. Take the commentators hint and use an ice cube tray, label it 1, 2, 3, .... and put the screws in there. THe difference if 1-2 mm is enough to have a slightly long screw go through a component and kill it.

Again thanks.

The second time i replace the heat sink glue with new stuff.

Today, my over 10 year old mac is still running like a young rabbit. Maybe this glue replacement was helpful to keep it young.

Keep on running for some more years my friend and big thanx to IFIXIT for all these well-made tutorials!

Most of these comments DO NOT refer to the PRAM Battery Replacement — a process which does take two full hours and requires skill and patience to dismantle the MacBook to get to the point of flipping the logicboard to access (and swap out) the bizarre, old-fashioned battery.

The real question has to be: What is this battery? Specifically, does anyone have a part number/voltage specification for it?

If you know, please post the answer here.

Thank you so much!

on my version the longer screw was in the middle

On my version the 3 mm screw (smaller of the three screws) was in the middle, which differs from the image.

How do you get these screws out? I can't get the screwdriver to be level enough with the screws to twist them at all.

i use iPhone screw driver

You could also use a small ratcheting bit driver and bit, or an angled ratcheting bit driver. Good bits and a ratchet can sometimes allow you to apply more torque than you could with a screwdriver. Useful if like me you might have “accidentally” overtightened something the last time.

Found it necessary to remove the corner one.

My upper case also came off with a little difficulty. There are some plastic tabs that hold the case down (4 of them). They sorta "pinch" onto 4 little bars that are part of the upper case (note, the bars appear to be metal). I worked my upper case to the left a little and it came out easier. One of the these tabs was really tight. Note: if you do this, one or more of the tabs may stay on the upper case, you'll need to move them back in place before putting the upper case back on (pry it off the upper case with a spudger, or very carefully with a flat screwdriver as to not damage it). It will slide back into a slot on the body.

Quote from dougyfresh:

Regarding the right side, there is a series of 3-4 plastic snap in locks on that side along the optical drive, holding the case down in lieu of screws. It takes serious pressure to remove the snapped in pieces (just lift straight up). You should also make sure to line them up when you put the casing back on. Another picture might help show that portion better

Regarding the right side, I found that the 4 clips slide to the left more easily that pull out. However, the front right has a bar which drops into a slots preventing pulling to the left! So ... gently lift the front right (furthest from the screen), pressing just at the front end of the optical slot to bend the faceplate at that point, then gently rock the face plate back and forwards while pulling left, so the that the four clips slide out of their retainers - presto! Remember to bend the faceplate to reassemble.

Step 11 really needs a better description. I started undoing the tape that holds the case above the optical drive slot to the metal before I read the comments and realized what I needed to do. Once you start to pull the top case up from the front, you'll reveal enough of an opening to get a spudger all the way under the metal portion of the top case next to the first snap. Once you have the spudger in, it's easy to release the snap without worrying about bending the whole topcase. Just repeat for the remaining three snaps. Once I got this technique down, it really didn't feel like I was doing anything that might damage the case.

By the way... don't worry if you undo the tape. It will go right back together with a little pressure. I didn't even need to go out and buy some adhesive to fix it.

I recently replaced the inverter cable. Now the power button doesn't work anymore.. but the keyboard and trackpad still do work. I already replaced the uppercase cable with no success. Does somebody have an answer to this problem?

There are 4 plastic locks on the right side which prevent the keyboard from lifting up. They slide out easily if the keyboard is moved to the left. To move the keyboard to the left you first have to release the left and front side. On the left and front side there are metal strips that are snapped in. They should release when you push the metal strips with a spudger towards the center of the computer. We had much trouble releasing one metal snap as we didn't know how to do it.

When you reinstall the keyboard put the plastic bars in the frame at the right side of the case, then snap in the keyboard on the left and front side and finally snap the keyboard into the plastic snaps to the right. Be careful so they don't fall out before you snap them in.

A metal piece fell out of the computer. It was a shielding of a connector on the left side.

A tiny plastic disc (4 mm diameter) with a hole in the middle also fell out. I had little hope to find out where it belonged and it didn't seem too important, so I left it, but kept it in a minigrip bag. Does anyone know what it's for?

Pull straight up on the section above the optical drive. If you slide this section out, you'll have to slide it back in for reassembly, which is harder than pushing vertically.

There are four plastic clips above the CD slot that may come off or stay attached to the uppercase. On reassembly remove them from the upper case and locate the clips into the slots in the frame inside the lower case before lowering the upper case down into position.

Be really careful! I broke the connector easily and had to replace it.

It is out of stock on iFixit. I found it there: https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B01MSH3...

A lot of top case replacements are due to the front edge being broken by the bumpers on the lid of the MacBook. I stick a couple of felt dots on either side of these bumpers to absorb some of the shock when the lid is slapped shut, to prevent damage to the new top case.

I think that one extra picture should be added here. That is to say, the purpose of using the spudger (which I do suggest you should buy so that you don't risk ruining the orange cable), is to unplug a little connection. Basically your are "popping" it open. Had I known this it would have made th4e process feel a little less risky. In any case the mission was successful... Job completed in 45 minutes and my computer has wireless internet once again!!

Be really careful. The cable comes up really easily.

Do NOT use a spudge!!! Just pull in the tab. Spudge Ruins the cable!

The image is misleading. Don't pry it up from the front, but from the sides. Personally I used a small flathead screwdriver, but sadly - only after ripping apart the soldering on the wire/plug.

Also, be careful to lift the white plastic plug, not the circuitboard/wire attached to it

I'm repairing the Black version which appears to be slightly different from the picture. There is a flexible black tab on top of the connector. All I had to do was lift up the tab with my finger and pull the connector straight up.

After reading everyone's comments, I used the narrow spudger and slid it around from the front to the right then the front to the left and it lifted up easily..

It is not clear from the repair description nor the comments if the brown cable connected keyboard is compatible with the silver cable connected keyboard. Can someone indicate clearly please what this difference means to us wishing to replace the keyboard? Does it mean there are two distinctly different keyboards, one with a brown cable and one with a silver cable?

Once you have the keyboard removed, check your inverter cable plug. Mine wasn’t seated properly (hardly at all), so I reconnected the display cable and keyboard, then I turned on the power. My display was back up! I didn’t actually need the new cable after all.

Before you move on to the next steps, just check that inverter cable plug. It’s in Step 31. It may save you some time and a big headache.