How to replace the keyboard of Macbook – Apple MacBook Pro 17
Apple MacBook
Pro 17
Use
your fingers to push both battery release tabs away from the battery and lift
the battery out of the computer.
Remove
the four identical Phillips 3.4 mm screws from the memory door. These screws
have 4 mm diameter heads rather than the 3 mm heads on the body screws.
Lift
the memory door up enough to get a grip on it, and slide it toward you, pulling
it away from the casing. Remove the three Phillips screws in the battery
compartment near the latch. Apple was nice enough to tilt these screws at a
slight angle to make them easier to remove. On the A1261 these screws have 4 mm
diameter heads rather than the 3 mm heads on the body screws.
Remove
the following six screws: Two 14.5 mm T6 Torx screws on either side of the RAM
slot.
Four
3.4 mm Phillips screws along the hinge.
Remove the four 3.4 mm Phillips screws on the port side of the computer.
Remove the four 3.4 mm Phillips screws on the port side of the computer.
Rotate
the computer 90 degrees and remove the two Phillips screws from the rear of the
computer. Rotate the computer 90 degrees again and remove the four Phillips
screws from the side of the computer.
Do
not yank the upper case off quickly. The case is attached to the logic board
via a ribbon cable. Lift up the back of the case and work your fingers along
the sides, freeing the case as you go. Once you have freed the sides, you may
need to rock the case up and down to free the front of the upper case.
Disconnect the trackpad and keyboard ribbon cable from the logic board. Remove
the upper case.
Use
a spudger to pry up the translucent plastic sheath covering the keyboard
connector. Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the black plastic flaps locking
down the keyboard and keyboard backlight ribbon cables.
Slide
the orange keyboard backlight ribbon out of its connector. Peel up the orange
tape covering the keyboard backlight connector.
Use
the tip of a spudger to flip up the brown plastic flap locking down the
keyboard backlight ribbon cable. Use a spudger or your finger to slide the
keyboard backlight ribbon out of its connector.
Carefully
peel up the orange ribbon cable which carries the power and sleep signals. Peel
up the two black protective sheaths on the bottom of the keyboard. It is not
necessary to fully remove these, but only to peel them back enough to access
the screws beneath.
Remove
the ten identical Phillips screws attaching the keyboard to the casing. The
keyboard on A1261 models is secured with twelve screws. Their locations are
shown in the second picture.
There
are four locking tabs along the back edge of the keyboard holding it in place.
These tabs must be straightened before you can remove the keyboard. The
keyboard on A1261 models has five locking tabs. Their locations are shown in
the second picture.
The
first frame shows a tab in the "locked" position and the second frame
shows the same tab in the "unlocked" position. Use needlenose pliers
or a spudger to bend each of the four tabs so that they are all in the
"unlocked" position.
Slide
the keyboard ribbon out of its connector. If the keyboard ribbon won't slide
out, make sure that the black plastic flap holding the ribbon in place is
vertical.
Place
the upper casing on its edge and use a spudger to push the keyboard away from
the casing, poking the spudger through the central keyboard screw hole. Grasp
the keyboard as it separates from the casing. Maintaining your hold on the
keyboard, lay the casing flat and gently bow the keyboard until the two tabs on
either side of the keyboard come free. Slide the keyboard away from the
trackpad and out of the upper case.
