MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Microphone Replacement

Written By: Andrew Bookholt
  • Comments: 65
MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Microphone Replacement

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

26

Time Required

No estimate

Introduction

Use this guide to replace a non-functional microphone.

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

    • Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

    • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

    important to reassemble the "lower case" successfully: the threads of the seven 3mm phillips screws are drilled at an angle :-/

    mysterioes -

    Same issue with me. After reassembling my 13-inch and my 17-inch, one of the screws are sticking out ever so slightly. Very annoying, especially since I scratch whatever surface I'm on now.

    Kyle Spadaro -

    Very important note; this guide is NOT correct for the Macbook Pro 17" A1297 late '11.

    The A1297 has an assembly adjacent to the optical drive, identifiable by 4 antenna connectors, 1 usb cable (with very small connector) and one PCI-e flat cable running across the optical drive.

    I did not take pictures, but found one on the web. I'm very new to iFixit and have no idea yet on how to create a guide, but here's the picture showing the assembly on top (this pic only has 3 antenna wires, the A1297 has 4, but at least you'll know what to look for.

    - carefully undo all connections and 2 screws

    - remove the assembly and flip it over

    - again carefully remove the shielding tape

    - undo 3 tiny screws

    - gently pry the airport card from the assembly (the flat cable will be a bit of a pain)

    - reverse process with replacement card.

    image can be found here:

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2446...

    Remon -

    It helps if you mark the holes where the long screws go so you can easily find them when the time comes to button things up. Also, a little dish or custard cup to hold those tiny screws is essential.

    Human -

    3 x 13.5 mm screws are actually TWO different types! Return to EXACT SAME HOLES.

    -I discovered this on my mid-2010, but from comments, sounds like it may affect other models as well

    2 x 13.5 mm screws are pointed ends

    1 x 13.5 mm screw is a FLAT end <- CORNER HOLE

    These areTWO slightly different lengths, and must return to correct holes. If you put the flat end screw in the wrong hole, it will stick out slightly. If you put either of the pointed screws in the wrong hole, they will go in all the way, but will not catch threads, and will simply fall out when laptop is flipped back over.

    scottbernardis -

    I printed out the image above and taped each screw to the photo as I removed each one, just to make sure I put them in the right location.

    Grace Morris -

    This is a brilliant suggestion! I did this for all the steps that involved removing screws, numbered the sheets, and that made it very easy to put it all back together in reverse. Thanks!

    Steve Adamczyk -

    Be sure to use Loctite on the screws when re-attaching the bottom of the computer. The screws can and will fall out once they have been removed for repairs if you do not put Loctite on them when you reuse them. Otherwise, purchase new screws before repairing the computer as the new screws come with Loctite material on them. (I have personal experience with this problem.)

    johnpartridge -

    Be sure NOT to Buy this Battery from iFixit. I bought it from eustore.ifixit.com and the Condition of Battery is : Service Battery ,

    from the &&^&^$^ first day.

    Till today my battery Cycle Count is: 80.

    I’ve tried everything as: Battery Calibration, resetting the SMC, PRAM, reinstalling the battery,

    and Service Battery warning still there.

    Just DO NOT BUY crappy, trash from here.

    I have very bad experience.

    Doruntin Koci -

    Hi Doruntin,

    we’re more than sorry to hear about your bad experience.

    I’ll inform our customer service team who’ll reach out to you and offer either a replacement or reimbursement.

    If ever you’d need assistance again, please feel free to directly write to eustore@ifixit.com, as comments are not regularly checked for service issues.

    I’m confident that we’ll find the solution that suits you best!

    Sandra Hiller -

    PLEASE OBSERVE: The image of the left speaker used is NOT for a 2011 model. A 17inch MacBook Pro A1297 - LEFT SPEAKER + MICROPHONE - 2011 has IDENTIFYING NUMBER: Apple Part #:922-9821, 922-9822. And its COMPATIBILITY: 17 inch MacBook Pro Unibody A1297 - Early 2011 MC725LL/A 2.2 i7 - Early 2011 MC725LL/A 2.3 i7 - Late 2011 MD311LL/A 2.4 i7 - Late 2011 MD311LL/A 2.5 i7

    kenneth krabat -

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    • 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.

    I recommend using anti-static protection, i.e., wearing a ground strap, or at least touch metal chassis inside the computer before unplugging cables. Otherwise, you might create an ESD discharge into your RAM and have to replace it like I did!

    d68ef792 -

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    • 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.

    This step is a little difficult in reverse, that is, when re-attaching the battery. It helps to tilt the laptop up so you can see the edge of the board that accepts the plug. It may look like there are two slots for it, it goes in the bigger slot that is further away from the board.

    yary hluchan -

    Is this step really necessary? It is not part of the instructions how to replace the HDD in Apple's User Manual of the 2011 17" MBP.

    Tobias Hahn -

    As it says in the step: "Whenever working near the logic board, it is always wise to first disconnect the battery to avoid short circuits." It is not required, but it is simple insurance to avoid a $1000+ repair should you accidentally short components on the board with something metal.

    Andrew Bookholt -

    There was no tab on my model. Battery is affixed to board and screws must be removed.

    bhodges2 -

    Mine also, and looks as if removing connector could damage motherboard.

    Stephen -

    The battery on my 17” mid-2010 (MC024LL/A -A1297 ) is held by 3 specialty screws CR-V1 (3-wings similar to Mercedes-Benz tri-star)

    It has a tab which I pulled straight up

    The connector to the motherboard came away easily by pulling toward the front edge.

    Peter Grierson -

    * There is no tab on the A1297 (late 2011) model's battery connector. Be careful with the connector, it chips off the edges easily! Otherwise the same as bhodges2 & Stephen's notes.

    ** (Pleas also include the exact Model and Part numbers like P/N: MD311D/A; Mod.: A1297 in the comments and notes for your MBP)

    Pingumann -

    Why are there no guides for the Late 2011 17" MacBook Pro A1297 (2.4GHz i7 quad core, MD311LL/A)??? I just replaced the RAM in mine and discovered that not only is there no tab on the battery connector, but the connector pulls straight up, perpendicular to the logic board, rather than parallel. I almost ripped the wires out of the connector by trying to pull it out parallel to the logic board like this guide instructed! After finally getting it out, my advice to those with the Late 2011 model is to use a spudger to loosen the edges of the connector then lift the connector straight up to get it out safely.

    Dave -

    I replaced the display on my late 2011 model and noticed that it was quite different than the tutorial given here so I detailed all the differences to help others with late-2011 models on my blog: http://johnfixesstuff.blogspot.com/2014/...

    jmueller -

    I just put an SSD in a model #A1297 - MC226LL/A and the battery connector had to be removed by pulling it parallel to and away from the logic board — in other words, not up. I was definitely a bit confused when I tried to pull it up.

    Doug Hogg -

    With some dexterity and carefulness, the MagSafe could be removed from its place without the need to remove the whole logic board!

    Phil Boy -

    Same here, I used a head-band light to see it and got it done without removing anything but the battery connection, the charging port and the display data cable. Then I had to do it again because amazone sent me the wrong charging port, the board has different width between screw holes, and on closer look, different components soldered on, also. AND, one is labeled 2008, the other 2009… make sure you get the correct one, the other ( “wrong”? ) might work, but I’m not risking it! So why does the 2008 fit in my 17” macbook pro(5,2) mid-2009 and the one labeled 2009 does not fit ? It is what it is…

    Tom Seaman -

    The battery on my 17” mid-2010 (MC024LL/A -A1297 ) is held by 3 specialty screws CR-V1 (3-wings similar to  Mercedes-Benz tri-star)

    It has a tab which I pulled straight up

    The connector to the motherboard came away easily by pulling toward the front edge.

    Peter Grierson -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the right fan connector out of its socket on 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. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.

    Needs a better photo to show how the plug is able to come off the socket vertically. In particular, the underside of the plug should be shown.

    Alexander Atkins -

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    • Remove the three 3.1 mm Phillips screws securing the right fan to the logic board.

    • In the Late 2011 MacBook Pro 17" Unibody these screws will be T6 Torx.

    The fan fixing screws on my 17-inch, Mid 2010 MacBook Pro were Torx 6, not Philips 00.

    Michael -

    ... And the fan fixing screws on my 2009 MBP were *smaller* that the size implied by the tool requirements for this project. I initially tried a Phillips 00 screwdriver but it nearly stripped the screw head. It was necessary to switch to a Phillips 000 bit to actually get two of the screws to move.

    RichardL -

    my mid 2010 mbp had Torx 7

    nielsdolieslager -

    Mine stripped and now I can't get it out, Phillips #00 is too large

    Fernando Tejeda -

    Not a big deal maybe but I have an Early 2011 and it doesn’t have the plastic tab on the battery connector (as if it were a Late 2011) AND it uses torx screws. So if you’re planning to tear into a 2011, get a torx screwdriver—there’s a chance you might need it even if you don’t have a Late 2011

    Segue -

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    • Remove the right fan from the upper case, minding its cable that may get caught.

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the left fan connector out of its socket on the logic board.

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

    On my 2011 MBP, the wiring is twisted a half turn. Its not possible to insert the connector the wrong way around, but it just seems sloppy that it was designed to require stressing the wire this way.

    anon -

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    • Remove the three 3.1 mm Phillips screws securing the left fan to the logic board.

    • Remove the left fan from the upper case, minding its cable that may get caught.

    on my early-2011, these screws were Torx

    Segue -

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    • Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard backlight ribbon cable.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Pull the keyboard backlight ribbon cable out of its socket.

    “Pull” ??? Don’t you mean to say “slide horizontally towards the gap where the fan was?”

    anon -

    On my early 2011 Macbook Pro unibody 17” - there is another small cable to disconnect between this, the keyboard backlight ribbon cable and the optical drive cable. Not sure what it’s for, but thought to mention is. It is small metal plug and socket and says “AC” on it.

    Cyrus Buckley -

    I managed to pull the tiny retaining flap off of the socket entirely, then lost it… Not to worry, the ribbon cable sits securely in the socket even without the flap, and the keyboard backlight functions perfectly after reassembling the laptop

    D K -

    slide/wiggle gently parallel to the board - mine was sticky

    Andrew A -

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    • Before disconnecting the camera cable, a small plastic retainer stuck to the logic board must first be moved out of the way.

    • Use the tip of a spudger to push the small plastic cable retainer away from the camera cable socket for enough clearance to remove the camera cable.

    exactly HOW do you remove it? pull up? slide horizontally?

    anon -

    On my late (?) 2011 MBP, this connector is very tiny, and the cable covers the screw holding the optical drive.

    The connector has two tiny metal tabs. Use your fingernails to slide it backwards horizontally towards the optical drive.

    anon -

    Bit of a levering horizontally. Remove the carbon fibre patterned tape off the top of the connector to expose the connector then slide (break the adhesive bond) on the small oblong black plastic passed, towards the optical drive module. The connector can then be disengaged. It's quite difficult to unlatch the connector! Take extreme care

    Paul Buckingham -

    not on my 17” late 2011

    kenneth krabat -

    On my late 2011 MBP there are two connectors at this place: One big connector like the silver one shown on the fotos (but in my case it is black), and the tiny one as discribed in the comment from anon 10/14/2017). In contrast to the fotos, this tiny connector is on the opposite side of the big one, on the edge close to the right fan. To disconnect this connector, follow the instructions from anon 10/14/2017.

    The cable going to the big connector is in my case a wide black ribbon cable running diagonically over the optical drive. To remove the connector of this cable from the socket, pry it upwards carefully with your fingernails or a spudger.

    Sebastian Plickert -

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    • Pull the camera cable toward the optical drive opening to disconnect it from the logic board.

    • The camera cable socket is very fragile. Do not apply any upward force to this socket, as it may break off the logic board. Pull the camera cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

    This step and the previous one (plastic retainer) were very different on my logic board. It's an early 2011, 17" that I bought second hand. I'm wondering if the logic board was previously replaced.

    Leo Magellan -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the subwoofer & right speaker connector out of its socket on the logic board.

    • Pry up from beneath the wires.

    how do you reconnect this?

    jcatron3 -

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    • Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the IR sensor ribbon cable socket.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Pull the IR sensor ribbon cable out of its socket.

    The IR sensor cable also connects the Hall Effect switch that detects whether the lid is closed or open (and thus shuts off the display, puts the computer to sleep, wakes it up, etc.) to the logic board.

    How do I know? I re-pasted my late 2011 17" MBP and forgot to reconnect it. The machine would not sleep automatically when the lid was closed anymore. Re-connecting the cable fixed it.

    Kevin -

    thanks for the info !!!! i got the same problem with sleep because the cable was not properly connected

    Chin Soon Cheong -

    I can heartily recommend having a good magnifying glass at hand, it becomes much more obvious how all these tiny pieces fit together! At least for those of us without perfect vision...

    Lami -

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    • Remove the following four screws:

    • Two 3.5 mm Phillips screws

    • These may be T5 Torx screws in the Early 2011 model

    • Two 1.6 mm Phillips screws

    • Remove both connector shields from the logic board.

    On my early 2011 laptop, the screws on the left hand shield were T6 screws. The others were Phillips head.

    Mark Morgan -

    The same applies to the late 2011 model.

    Sebastian Plickert -

    on my early 2011 model it seems that on the left hand shield (with the Torx screws) the track pad connector is stuck to the underside of the connector. It lifted off the logic board when I tried to remove the shield and I am leaving it like that until I can manage to access it better - maybe when the logic board is out.

    Lami -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the trackpad connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

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    • Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard ribbon cable socket.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Pull the keyboard ribbon cable out of its socket.

    • For reassembly, it can be helpful to put a small piece of tape on the keyboard ribbon cable (being careful not to stick any to the contacts), to create a small handle. Align the cable with the socket and gently pull with the tape to fully seat it.

    Thanks for the great guide!

    Tip for re-seating the keyboard cable: put a piece of sticky tape on, fold over at the top end, re-seat the connector (carefully!) with a spudger and (gently!) pull the tape 'over' the connector on the logic board until you feel it nudges in fully. Notice the emphasis on "carefully" and "gently"... :)

    LeonSteyns -

    Thanks for this manual! I used it to replace the keyboard. I would not recommend it as an easy job and it is not described on Ifixit for unknown reasons. But I did it and everytinhg worked fine. 2 remarks about the conncetion for the keyboard. In my Macbook 17 Pro (mid 2009) there is a litlle lever that clamps the keyboard 'cable'. You can get it out easily (I did that too because I did not see it then), but to reassemble it it is better to uplift the little lever and then move the 'cable' in with sticky tape (thanks for that tip!)

    I had to redo it 3 times to get it working. With the lever up and then clamping the 'cable' by pushing it down it worked AND it solved the power button problem. Please be carefull as said in the manual, it is all very delicate!

    And for replacing the keyboard; prepare yourself for a lot of tiny screws! (some of them are stuck and had to be removed with force, be warned!)

    Another tip

    Edlef Heeling -

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    • Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the express card cage ribbon cable socket.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Pull the express card cage ribbon cable out of its socket.

    It might be easier to remove the ExpressCard ribbon cable in Step 18 by removing the Hard Drive cable first...use your judgment.

    David DeAnda -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the hard drive cable connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

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    • Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the battery indicator cable socket.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Pull the battery indicator ribbon cable out of its socket.

    When reassembling, slide the ribbon cable underneath the connector then lock it into place.

    Phil Melendez -

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    • Lift the black plastic flap attached to the display data cable retainer and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the MacBook.

    • Pull the display data cable out of its socket.

    • The display data cable socket is very fragile. Do not lift the connector upward as you disconnect it, as the socket may break off the logic board. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

    Be SUPER EXTRA CAREFUL when connecting this cable back!!! Use a magnifying glass or headset to see what you are doing.

    When I plugged it in the first time (finished the rest of the process and restarted the mac) I got green lines all over my screen…

    I replugged it a total of 4 times to get it right even cleaned it with alcohol. Now everything is working, but I freaked out a bit :)

    Tom -

    I would describe the removal as “sliding back towards the corner". “Pulling out", to me, implies pulling up away from the board.

    MaFt Morley -

    When reassembling, slide the cable underneath the connector. It doesn’t snap on.

    Phil Melendez -

    This is the trickiest step in this whole process, both detaching and reattaching. I’ve been through this logic board repair scenario with my Early 2011 about 4x now, and if, when you reassemble, you’re still having problems with your display of any sort, this is your number 1 achilles heel is this connector getting dirty (use high purity over 90% isopropyl alcohol often found at drug stores next to the regular 70% stuff for cleaning) or not seating properly. I have broken off the connector bracket mount that goes over the top but was able to use pure silicone to safely reattach it. Don’t break that top bracket off sliding this puppy out; it’s a very dicey situation!

    Segue -

    I had no idea what "toward the DC-in side" meant. "DC-in" refers to the Magsafe connector/port in the corner of the machine (upper right when the machine is facedown with lower case removed).

    The plastic flap and its little metal bracket broke off from the cable when I tried to rotate it out of the socket. Will this cause problems? I'm assuming it was just a handle. I was successfully able to slide the cable out, and then back into the socket on reassembly, even after the bracket/tab broke off.

    Leo Magellan -

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    • Remove the following eight screws securing the logic board and DC-In board to the upper case:

    • Six 3.2 mm Phillips screws

    • These may be T6 Torx screws on the Early 2011 model.

    • Two 7.6 mm Phillips screws

    The Six 3.2mm screws can in some cases be torx instead of phillips

    Finntastic -

    I've got a great idea for keeping the tiny screws safe and also labelled up e.g. these 6+2 screws belong to the logic board - simply use 'Post-It' sticky note upside down on your desk and use the sticky bit to keep the screws from rolling around getting themselves lost :-)

    Paul Reddington -

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    • Handle the logic board assembly by its edges only.

    • Lift the logic board assembly from the side nearest the optical drive and lift it away from the upper case.

    • Note that you'll be removing the logic board and DC-in board together.

    • Carefully pull the ports and DC-In board away from the side of the upper case and remove the logic board assembly, minding any cables that may get caught.

    When lifting the logic board be careful! The rubber foam around the microphone may have adhered the microphone to the uppercases grill work so as you lift you could rip the connector from the ribbon cable.

    * Take a small spatula and thought the fan opening carefully dislodge the microphone from the grill as you lift the logic board.

    * To locate the microphone note on the next slide the small unit between the fingers of the hands.

    Dan -

    You need to remove the Phillips screws near the optical drive. I don’t see that in the instructions anywhere.

    David -

    Attach the DC connector with screws first when reassembling.

    Phil Melendez -

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    • Remove the two 7.9 mm Phillips screws securing the left speaker assembly to the logic board.

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    • Slightly lift the left speaker assembly off the logic board.

    • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the microphone and left speaker connectors out of their sockets on the logic board.

    • Pry up from beneath the wires.

    • Remove the left speaker assembly from the logic board.

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    • De-route the microphone cable from the channel molded into the left speaker enclosure.

    • Use the tip of a spudger to lift the microphone out of the left speaker enclosure.

    • Microphone remains.

Conclusion

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

Author

Andrew Bookholt

585795 Reputation

One comment

We’re going to have to make some changes here. In Step 10 for Late 2011 models, the camera cable looks different, is located in a different place on the logic board, and detaches differently. Yes, there are 5 comments there, but no pictures.

Stephen Hoag -