MacBook Unibody Model A1342 Trackpad Replacement

Written By: Walter Galan
  • Comments: 50
MacBook Unibody Model A1342 Trackpad Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

10

Time Required

20 - 40 minutes

Introduction

Replace the Trackpad in your MacBook Unibody Model A1342.

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    • Remove the eight 4 mm Phillips screws securing the lower case to the MacBook.

    According to this page http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1651?viewl..., the 8 screws are not identical.

    Can anybody tell me where each kind of screw is supposed to go?

    Gregoire -

    They are all 100% Identical. You were probably looking at a different model, or Apple has entered the wrong information... Hey, It happens...

    Owen Davies -

    The screws on the Late 2009 are identical. The blue lock compound might make tightening some require a little more effort.

    svenaustx -

    Can I replace it with a SATA 3 cable?

    nm -

    A1342 macbook does not have the right controller to support sata III

    Owen Davies -

    hi, i just got back from the apple store and they are really keen for me to upgrade to a new laptop since my battery is old and the screen is cracked, so glad i found ifixit i would love to upgrade this puppy! gonna make it a real sleeper! styler hall wrote about sticking 16 gb of ram in his a 1342 ? is this a simply mather of ordering 3 4gb sticks ?aslo i currently have 4 gb and would like to upgrade to 8 ( or indeed 16) does that mean i need to buy all new sticks or can i continue to use the old one and stick a new one next to it ?

    thanks again mick van aar, perth western aus.

    michelvanaar -

    The A1342 will take up to 16 GB of RAM, however, there are only two RAM slots, so use two 8-GB RAM modules. Other World Computing (OWC) is a great reference source for info on exactly which RAM to use with which model; prices are usually much better on EBay though. Add an SSD from OWC and your machine will really scream!

    I hope that helps!

    gdesbrisay -

    Gregoire is right. The 8 screws are absolutely NOT identical, I’m looking at them right now, weeowey weeowey.

    John Guzman -

    I just wanted to say that, in 2020, i used these instructions to replace the magsafe socket on my A1286, mid-2012, pre-Retina MacBook Pro. The internal layout is not quite the same but close enough for me to do the job. I skipped the steps of fully disconnecting the fans and speakers because of what others had said about breaking the sockets. it just meant I had to be extremely careful when lifting up the main board so that I did not tear and break the connections. I was able to disconnect the old magsafe socket with the board flat and in situ, but there was no where near enough room to be able to aline and press home the new par home. Reluctantly i had to lever up the board. This was difficult as there is a tapped post that holds a screw in the way close to where the USB sockets are, that prevented the board lifting up and out. I had to be quite forceful to manouevre the sockets out from the edge of the case.

    Paul Burridge -

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    • The lower case is constructed of rubber-coated aluminum. Do not excessively bend the aluminum during removal, as any permanent deformation will cause tolerance issues after reassembly.

    • Slightly lift the lower case near the vent opening.

    • Continue running your fingers between the lower and upper cases until the upper case pops off its retaining clips.

    • The location of these three clips is shown in the third picture.

    Do the retaining clips have to be re-engaged when replacing the lower case?

    John Morley -

    Answering my own question, the clips re-engage when the lower case is correctly positioned. You can help them by gently pressing the lower case with your thumbs midway along the two short sides. When everything is correctly aligned the eight screw holes line up.

    John Morley -

    Rather than running your fingernail down the sides to free up the retaining clips, I found that using an old credit card, inserted about 1/4”, to run along the left and right side popped those end retaining clips right off with no problem. You may need to twist the card slightly when in the middle area to help pop those off.

    bdahl385 -

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

    • It may be easier to use your fingernails to lift up on both sides of the connector.

    Hi,

    for error I did step 3 as last one. The battery now is no more recognized by my macbook.

    Did I make such a tremendous mistake that cause the battery to fail ??

    Enrico D -

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    • Remove two 5 mm Tri-point screws securing the battery to the upper case.

    "Tri-Wing Screws"? I don't see a "Tri-Wing Screwdriver" listed in the "Tools" section.

    barryjaylevine -

    See here: Tri-point Y1 Screwdriver

    All tools required are included here: [linked product missing or disabled: IF145-022]

    Just did it myself ;)

    Hannes -

    5mm tri-wing screw??

    Its hardly that big. It certainly requires a tri-wing screwdriver much smaller than a 5mm tri-wing screwdriver - "Y1" is probably 1mm. The smallest I had was a 2mm tri-wing screwdriver and it just worked ok.

    I think this and step 5 should be edited with better information.

    yy yy -

    The original iFixit guide described the step 4 screws as "tri-wing" but that is incorrect, it should say "tri-point" or "Y", and the required screwdriver diameter is 2 mm, not 5 mm. See this image:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scr...

    The top row is tri-wing, the bottom row is tri-point, as found in this MacBook.

    irvbromberg -

    My tri-wing screws were black, 2mm and totally seized up. I had to break the plastic around the screw holes in the battery, remove it and then un screw them with long nose pliers. Needless to say they are now replaced with Philips screws.

    Al Livesey -

    A Y1 screwdriver emphatically did not fit mine - so in case it saves others buying a useless set of security bits like I did, you need a Y0, like this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/tri-wing-y0-tri...

    Jo Wilson -

    A small ~2mm flat-head screwdriver will fit across two of the points and have enough leverage to do the trick as well.

    Edward Price -

    In my case a Y1 Tri-point driver loosened the silvery screws of 5 mm length.

    channy8 -

    Here’s a trick you can use if your black tri-wing screws would rather than strip than come out: the reason they’re stuck is that Apple put adhesive on the threads, and if you apply heat you can defeat the adhesive. Once I stripped the first one I realized what was going on, and I put the tip of a soldering iron on the remaining screws for two minutes. Presto, they came out easily. If you strip one like I did you can either break the plastic like Al did above, or you can use a Dremel tool with a cutting disk to cut a slot in the head of the screw, converting it into a slotted screw head. You have to judge it carefully: deep enough to get a bite on it, not so deep that you destroy the integrity of the screw. Also, you have to mask off the surgery site: I put down paper everywhere except where the screw was, then covered the paper with aluminum foil. The foil protects against the sparks created by the cutting wheel, the paper insulates the circuit board against shorting by the foil. Not for faint of heart.

    Klieb -

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

    • Remove the 5 mm Tri-point screw securing the battery to the upper case.

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    • Remove three 3.1 mm Phillips screws securing the battery near the edge of the upper case.

    • When reinstalling the battery, be sure to install these three screws before proceeding to fasten the Tri-point screws.

    When I re-installed the battery, I inadvertently ripped the ribbon between the Trackad ribbon and the battery ribbon. Be Careful!

    Joel Gilbert -

    "Remove three 3.1 mm Phillips screws securing the battery near the edge of the upper case".

    Using the tools I bought from iFixit, I have got this far, no worries :)

    The channels underneath/around these screws appear damaged and will not allow the screw to unwind and come out, therefore, the screws are "stuck". (This is by no means an indictment of the mini screwdrivers.) Any suggestions to help, because the replacement battery will not fit with these screws in place. Thanks.

    jane -

    These last 3 screws were a bit** to get off. One of them actually would not come out but I managed to slip the battery out anyways. Maybe it nudged just enough. Getting it back in was okay, just slid it under. Fit was snug, had to be careful not to break or crimp the ribbon in front of the battery connector, as Joel stated. Simply snipped a piece of the plastic tab from the old battery and stood it up in this spot and slid the battery down, this kept the ribbon from crimping. Only one of these last 3 screws that I did get out, did I put back in. Not sure why they are there as the tabs that hold them are enough to hold the battery. All other screws and battery connector worked like a charm. Replaced the cover, turn it on and Whala!!! Only got a message that said I needed to reset the Date & Time. Got it on the charger now, as new battery only had 75% charge, so fingers crossed it will recharge at a 100% and last longer than the old battery before it's next charge. Good luck everyone!!

    Terri C -

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    • Use the battery's plastic pull tab to lift and remove the battery from the upper case.

    • 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.

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the trackpad ribbon cable connector up off the logic board.

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    • Remove the four 1.3 mm Phillips screws securing the upper edge of the trackpad to the upper case.

    I did this a while ago and I just wanted to add that my trackpad wouldn't click. As soon as I had the battery out I was stuck by how loose the set screw was (big flat torx head screw at the bottom center of the track pad). I had to play with the tension a little bit to get it an acceptable level of play but now my track pad works like new. Thanks iFixit and everyone who contributes to these guides!

    John Tipton -

    My 00 Phillips head is doing nothing to remove the 1.3 mm screws that hold the trackpad in. Any suggestions? I also tried a 0 and a 000. Don't want to keep playing around in case it strips the screws, but they are really stuck in there...

    Amity Higgins -

    Use a longer, sturdier screw driver. Either that or the screws have been thread locked in too tight at the factory. Apply more pressure. I mean, way more like, medium-hard pressure. if you don't care that much, apply hard pressure (If you're desperate apply even harder, just not so much it cracks the glass). Pressure is what holds the screwdriver in the screw, prevents it from slipping and stripping the screw! This is probably bad advice... I know.

    Owen Davies -

    Can Absolutely confirm weeowey weeowey's comment. Put your hand under the trackpad and really give the screwdriver some pressure. You might end up damaging a screw, but every replacement trackpad I've ever bought has come with replacement screws.

    jbartlet -

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    • Carefully tilt the trackpad away from the keyboard side of the upper case.

    • Pull the trackpad away from its opening in the upper case to clear the two mounting tabs on its lower edge.

    When remounting the trackpad, ensure you support it from the keyboard side when tightening the screws to ensure it's not crooked.

    Stephanie Donley -

    Highly recommend adjusting the T6 torx screw to ensure correct operation of the trackpad. Have the battery connected but not installed (so as to have access to the screw). Start up the computer. Test the click function at any time. Using very minor adjustments, turn the screw until you can see that the computer responds to clicks. When you are satisfied that it is working correctly, go ahead and shut down the computer and proceed with reassembly. It doesn’t hurt to give the unit a good clean while you are in there as this will avoid problems later, eg overheating due to dust blocking airflow etc. use an artists paintbrush and a vacuum cleaner or (gently) blow it away with (clean) compressed air. Some compressors have oil spray or water from condensation in the air, so use a filter in the line to avoid contamination.

    Stephen Keyte -

Author

Walter Galan

694047 Reputation

19 comments

Guide is very helpful...makes the replacement of this part easy. Thanks.

nih4ever7 -

My track pad was working intermittently and having a mind of it's own. Instead of going to a repair shop for a pricey fix, I followed this guide and removed the track pad, cleaned it up and hey presto it's fine now! Thanks for the guide, very easy to follow!!

Andrew von Moeller -

How did you clean the track pad? Did you just clean the connector. I'm also having similar issues, my tack pad starts having a mind of its on randomly after few minutes/hours.

Sapeksh Madan -

dirt can get trapped around or under the trackpad, causing touch malfunctions. removing this dirt usually fixes touch issues and maybe sometimes a click issue if dirt is under the trackpad

Owen Davies -

Does anyone have anymore information on the adjustment screw mentioned by John Tipton on Nov 6? I have made some adjustments to it and found tightening it actually locks out the ability of a USB external mouse from operating, and does not correct the problem of the internal track pad click function failing to operate. I suspect adjusting it properly may fix some of our track pad issues, but I have not discovered the proper way of making this adjustment.

paulhjacobs -

Some models (2009) don’t have inertial scrolling. What model do you have?

cris burns -

My trackpad has stopped working, took the machine apart using above and there was some sticky mess that had been stopping the click from resetting.

Brilliant and much cheaper than the genius bar by using my 99p tri wing screwdriver!

James Pearce -

Thank you. This guide is helpful, thank you for posting. Also thanks for selling the tools that let me do the replacement, I was able to replace the part with no hassle and the laptop is working fine again.

Raymond Santos -

These instructions worked perfectly - took less than an hour to replace the trackpad on our MacBook.

alleno -

This guide is about the 5th or 6th guide I have used and every one of them is very well constructed and documented, I haven't been disappointed with any of them.

Up until this one I had made do with my own miscellaneous tool assortment, making do when I didn't have the exact driver bit or tool. The tri-wing screws in this one encouraged me to get the Pro Tech ToolKit [linked product missing or disabled: IF145-072-1] and now I kick myself for not getting the proper tools sooner. All through my career as a Remodeling Contractor I maintained the attitude of using the 'right tool for the job'. Well, same holds true here.

Looking forward to my next iFixit job. Thank you iFixit.

buz -

Worked perfectly! Thanks much.

marshmcjunkin -

Great Step by Step easy to Follow Guide I am truly impressed.

I believe I might need special iTools for some of the screws ??

Unitel Design -

So I get a replacement trackpad, it was easy to replace however now I have to push really hard to get an active click (for some reason the right side works better than the left). I have taken the battery out to see if that was the issue (it was not, still didn't register a click with the battery out). What is the easiest way to remove the "setter screw", the T6 screw that adjusts the depth of the click. I need to replace it but I cannot for the life of me get it out of the casing.

Joshua Dodge -

It works great!!! i clean the trackpad!!!

xbox360vs720 -

my track pad was acting ups I pulled it to clean it. works great now.

pjschmitt -

How did you clean..? just clean the connectors..?

wunna -

Had an erratic pad on a users machine - looked like liquid ingress (coffee stains in bottom of case) Used 99% isopropyl alcohol, in a ziplock bag to soak the trackpad (without the cable) Worked the alcohol into the pad for a minute or two, removed, air dried for 15/20 mins followed by a quick blow with a hot air gun. Cleaned around the top of the case where the trackpad recess is too. Refitted trackpad, connector and battery and tested - trackpad is as good as new. Please follow precautions when using isopropyl alcohol, it is very flammable.

Jim Clews -

Really clear guidance, thank you.

Paul Traynor -

Great instructions….new track pad works like a charm. Thanks!

Glenn -