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MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement

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  1. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement, Lower Case: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the following ten screws:

    • Three 14.4 mm Phillips #00 screws

    • Three 3.5 mm Phillips #00 screws

    • Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws

    • When replacing the small screws, align them perpendicular to the slight curvature of the case (they don't go straight down).

    How much weight can I save by removing the optical drive?

    gunes314 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You can save a lot of weight if lets say your installing a solid state drive or putting in a second hard drive but if you know that you use the CD/DVD disc drive a lot then you might just want to leave the drive alone.

    Marshall WahlstromHelgren -

    Tip: Use one of those weekday pill holders to have a cheep way to store screws you remove and each day of the week can be for different sizes or parts. It has been handy to have (much less expensive than the magnetic mat.

    Robert Wacker - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Hello, where can I buy the screws I need in case I lose one of them?

    taylornya - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I have one stripped screw... How opening without drill it?! Any suggestions please?

    rodrigosady - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I also stripped a couple screws. I wasn’t able to open it up without drilling. After drilling the heads and removing the cover it was easy to hacksaw the tip and unscrew with a standard driver.

    Michael Wilkens -

    My top tip - make sure you buy good quality Phillips screwdrivers and a magnetic holder. Cheap screwdrivers won’t get the screws undone safely. Without a magnetic holder you have no chance of getting the tiny crews in and out safely.

    jeremyyoung - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    A good Phillips 00 is your friend here. Also, when reinserting the screws, gently start anticlockwise and you wil feel a click at the start of the thread. This tells you you’re in the right place and less likely to cross-thread through force in the wrong place.

    Iain Boyd - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I feel like these are 000 screws. Amazon sales describe them as such and my 000 screwdriver fits better

    cam2000deluxe -

    Before ordering a new Trackpad remove the existing battery and try clicking the Trackpad. If it clicks OK with the battery out the source of problem is likely a swollen battery, which should to be replaced even if it still works to some degree. From the side of the battery you will likely see the soft part of the battery bulging beyond the hard case.

    Patrick Langvardt - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    That’s absolutely correct as I can testify. With the battery removed I also adjusted the T6 set screw that adjusts the sensitivity of the trackpad click, evidently someone had cranked mine down tighter than the factory setting.

    Gary Register -

    Le quatrième paragraphe dans les instructions en français n’est pas correct : ce ne sont pas les 2 petites vis, mais les 7 petites vis qui sont inclinées. Et les 3 grandes sont bien verticales.

    Degeorges - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Bonjour ! Merci de votre observation. J’ai corrigé la traduction. iFixit étant un wiki, n’hésitez pas à modifiez si vous remarquez une erreur :) Encore merci de votre attention et à bientôt !

    Claire Miesch -

    Tip: if you have a magnetic screw mat or similar, lay the macbook over the mat to make sure it catches any screws that may decide to fall of and hide under your table

    Moritz - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Funny, it's not her hands that are doing the close ups. :)

    Cinemated Man - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    What's the difference between the shouldered and non shouldered screws? They look exactly the same to me.

    MLNLRD - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  2. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use your fingers to pry the lower case away from the body of the MacBook near the vent.

    • Remove the lower case.

  3. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement, Battery Connection: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement, Battery Connection: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.

    • It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to "walk" it out of its socket. Be careful with the corners of the connectors, they can be easily broken off.

    Is this step of removing the battery connector required?

    manodh - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    yes - as with disassembly of any electronic component you have to remove any power source. You don't want to accidentally turn the Mac on

    khull -

    Prying the battery connector off does not take much force. I did exactly what the guide suggested (walked it off back and forth) with the spudger without any problems. Just be very gentle, much like with anything inside laptops, they are very fragile and need to be worked with carefully. A+ instructions, battery replacement was a success.

    aekinaka - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Be patient on disconnecting this one. It worked for me step by step, little by little.

    Phil Wagner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I used the nails of thumb and pointer finger simultaneously - worked pretty fine

    Reinhard Kaune - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I whittled down ends of two wooden strips to use, along with my fingernails to start with. I used halves of a wooden clothespin, but popsicle sticks should work too.

    Mike Baker - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  4. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

    I put some tape between the connector and socket while working on the drive.

    Stephen Smith - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    That's a good tip

    Anrothan -

    Great tip, I did that too

    Ahmed Mahran -

    One other note: The screw heads fit flush with the curvature of the case -- which means that they aren't exactly horizontal. In other words, they aren't perpendicular to the table that the computer is resting on. Don't try to force them straight in vertically, because you'll risk cross-threading them. (nearly ruined one screw hole myself!)

    lelandjordon - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    On my MacBook Pro, the connector seems to be an integral part of the battery.

    Jerry South - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I suspect it’s just like the special screwdriver required for seatbelts on cars – to discourage regular consumers from attempting repairs. Of course, this only encourages consumers to use the wrong tool to attempt to repairs

    colleenthompson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Dissambling my MacBookPro Premium Mid 2012 (i5-3210M 2.5Ghz) was easily, Careful with the screws, use screwdriver fitting exactly with the screws, you damage them very fast. Work very exactly, relaxed with time, consentration, good Tools and with feelings in your hands. Disconnect the Akku was easy if you take care, remove it to be safe, Two screws more, more space to work & haven`t to think about damaging someting. Apple use diffrent screws, you should have many difffrent scewdrivers. It is also good to clean everything inside, With time everything gets very dusty & dirty, don`t forget the sides and little fittings at the case. Use a pinsel, alcohol, soft peace stuff, it will look like new. If you have knowledge & experience, you can paint it in any colour or airbrushing for individualizing. You can also just polish it with a soft Politure (Sonax car Polish No1, NOT with wax or take an other light Politure you familiar & can do the job, A Laptop should serviced once a year, keeping it good working over years

    Stefan Lindner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    First thing i do is open & cleanig everything inside,specially the cooling & fan, renew the thermal paste with an high quality product. Install the Nain System, clean up Bloatware and other unnecessary things, install standard software for daily use, additional change system components against better one (Edge to Firefox, Windows Media Player to VLC , an Office Suite and configuring everything for Data Protection, Privacy- & Indentety Protection, install Drivers from the component Manufactur (incedible effect, disable limitations, more functions, work better & faster, increasing performance, additional change the WiFi & Bluetooth Card to a better one a UMTS WWAN to an LTE Card, increase RAM with two Dual-Channel working SODIMMs, Use M2 or 2,5" SSD if no M2 Slot aviable) as System- and Software iDrive, a FAT32 formatted 32GB Partition to be safe of metaviruses comes with harmless downloads, and a big 2,5 HDD to store the user data. What does you guys think about this? Old Computer become a new life,

    Stefan Lindner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I livein Austria, near Vienna, if someone needs help or anything else, i would be glad to help. I always searching old or broken devices to bring them to new live. I also searching for spare parts, specilly a Bottom & Side Case and a 256GB or higher NGFF Storage Card for a Sony Vaio Tab 11 SVT1144HE (2014), some 14,1" Displays for a HP Probook 440G5 (2016), Elitebook MT 43 Mobile Thin Client, (2011), Dell Vostro 3460 (2012) Lenovo Thinkpad T440s (2014), and a Logic Board for an Lenovo Ideapad 330-15ARR (2017, damaged by Water i think) and a Logic Bord for an Alienware 17R4 with i7-6870HX & Nvidia 1080 (2018, CPU dead, maybe there is a repair Guide or workaround to bring it back to Life). I need always 8GB or 16GB DDR3 and DDR4 RAM Storage (perfectly two ident one for Dual-Channel use for Laptops, M2 SATA 6GB/s and NVMe PCIe SSDs 500GB or more and 2,5"SSD or HDD with 1TB or more and 3,5" HDD with 4GB or above. If you have some of this or other useful parts and doesn`t need them, please make me an offer, maybe

    2

    Stefan Lindner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    an change something you need. This is not a Business what i do, it`s more a Hobby with challenging new Excercices.. Thats the best Point. Plase forgive me as a Newbie this very long Post in the wrong Section, but if you are start writing you cannot stop.... But now i have to come to an end and would be happy if someone wants to get in contact. My E-Mail is: udontknowme@gmx.at (the adress name is just a notice against Big Data and for Privacy Protection!

    Stefan Lindner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  5. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement, Optical Drive: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable connector up from its socket on the logic board.

    N.B! Thank you very much all you here on iFixit! Some IMPORTANT notes. Be very careful BEFORE prying the connectors up and down. They are very fragile and the picture could actually be seen as showing a bending loading in their weakest direction, AROUND its slender axis. The connector is slender and inserted on the logic board, so the gentle "walking" up and down should be done ALONG their slender direction and WITHOUT touching the adjacent connectors. If bending is done around its axis the soldering comes apart and the cable is done and gone. Just happened. These flat cables are one of the weakest design spots in my experience. They are a major time, money and geist consuming reason for malfunction like Wi-Fi connection problems, HDD, SSD not found internally but externally from USB issues et al being found on different forums. Thanks again and again.

    Greg - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  6. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:06crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Carefully pull the camera cable out of its socket on the logic board.

    • Though not recommended by iFixit staff, some users opt to omit this step completely. For information on this, see the step comments.

    • Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board. Pulling it upward may damage the logic board or the cable itself.

    I'd to disassemble my MBP two times because my SSD did not work properly in optibay. While doing it a second time, I omitted steps 6 and 8. It is really not necessary, but step 6 is really scary.

    nicholas - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Do you even need to do this?? I've seen guides where they just leave those on and slide the superdrive out from underneath that module..??

    Philip - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Yes, this is really no need. I left it there, and still can proceed.

    maiyawmh -

    I've replaced 4 dvd's with hdd's already, in different macbooks, so wasn't too fussed about #5. However; this time I broke the camera connector cable :(

    The connector is stil in it's socket, and I can't get it out no matter what I try. My guess is that some of the glue that connects the socket to the logic board, got into the socket as well. Prying with a small screwdriver, pulling with a pair of tweezers... nothing works. And this mbp belongs to a friend who uses his camera a lot for skyping...

    I hope we're still friends after I tell him.

    The thing is; I think it might be possible to do the whole operation with that cable still in its sockets; if you pull the rest of the cable free of the fingers, you can probably fold it out of the way when you lift the dvd out.

    puchelaar - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    This is Sooo Unnecessary!! don't do it!

    grant reynolds - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I actually found it necessary to do this step. If not done you can rip chord, if you read the wording carefully and do as it says it should not break.

    Robert Wacker - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    After having initially skipped this step, I finally followed it. I couldn't find a way to move the airport / bluetooth assembly away otherwise, and in the end it's a pain to put the small screws back in. Didn't have any trouble unplugging the camera cable, but it is indeed scary because it looks pretty fragile.

    I only skipped step 8, as it didn't seem necessary.

    JoGersen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I also broke my camera cable!!! And I just realized that removing that lovely cable was not necessary for the following steps!!! Thank you!

    I dont know how to fix this problem and I asked it in this question: How can I fix broken camera cable

    Please, help...

    Yusuf - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I successfully skipped this step when removing the hard drive enclosure (I had already the dual drive running, but I needed to replace the drive in the optical enclosure. I also skipped steps 7, 8, and 11.

    pauloau - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I have a blog post on my experience of performing the upgrade with a simple diagram showing how to skip step 6, 7, 8 and 11. (http://www.ocyedwin.com/?p=190)

    Aderic Adsisco - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I tried to pull the cable, but it did not come off even with moderate force. So it stayed as it was, and I had no problems taking out the drive and putting in the new one.

    Probably its best to skip this step.

    cearnach - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I can't remove this so I skip it. I also skip 7,8,11 with no problem, just do it slow and carefully remove any parts.

    Pat Ach - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Just did this. I elected to actually do this step and I’m glad I did. It was no big deal. Just pull straight back from the socket (not up or angled!) and although it was a little tight, it came out. I think it’s worth it not to possibly mess that cable up when you extract the drive. The drive itself does not lift up straight out- you have to work it out as there a few minor obstructions. At that point, it would be very easy to damage the camera cable. I took all the antenna cables off even those this guide only recommended taking off the long cable. This was due to an Apple repair video I had seen. This proved to be unnecessary and I should just have stuck with this guide’s recommendation. I did skip taking the woofer cable off towards the end of this guide as that seemed to be, and subsequently proved to be, utterly unnecessary. All in all, just moving slowly and carefully I managed this in 30 mins though next time will be faster, no doubt.

    dave - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I did not perform step 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11. Once I performed step 9, I was able move the speaker housing to the right enough to get a long screwdriver to get to the ‘hidden’ screw underneath the housing and just removed the other two main screws holding in the drive in step 14. I did remove the HDD and holding backet prior to starting so I could slip the superdrive out and place the caddy back in the opposite direction. You just have to careful not to snag the wires when trying to remove the superdrive and and when slipping in the caddy. My Macbook is a MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) and I only needed a Philips 00 screwdriver, and did not need to use a Torx screwdriver during any part of the upgrade.

    Balvinder Gill - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Did not have to do steps 6, 7, or 11 and I was pretty clumsy (highly recommend a magnetic screwdriver or you'll struggle like me using a Dollar Tree kit). For reference was replacing a superdrive in a Late 2011 13 inch MacBook Pro after also upgrading my RAM. Used a third party replacement from Amazon and I'm listening to a CD with the replacement right now :)

    Kyle Hoang - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  7. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Carefully move the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable out of the way as you peel the camera cable off the adhesive securing it to the subwoofer and the AirPort/Bluetooth bracket.

    • De-route the camera cable out from under the retaining finger molded into the AirPort/Bluetooth bracket.

    This step is unnecessary, as is step 8. You can get the SuperDrive out and put the caddy in without pulling the cable out.

    Steve - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I successfully skipped this step when removing the hard drive enclosure (I had already the dual drive running, but I needed to replace the drive in the optical enclosure. I also skipped steps 6, 8, and 11.

    pauloau - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Confirmed for a second time: Steps 6, 7, 11 NOT NEEDED.

    Alvaro Paiva Bimbo - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  8. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the tip of a spudger to pry the antenna connector closest to the logic board up from its socket on the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

    • De-route the antenna cable from under the finger molded into the AirPort/Bluetooth bracket.

    I successfully skipped this step when removing the hard drive enclosure (I had already the dual drive running, but I needed to replace the drive in the optical enclosure. I also skipped steps 6, 7, and 11.

    pauloau - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Based on the advice above, I tried to skip this step. Unfortunately, the way the wire wraps around the plastic caused it to break underneath when I lifted the optical drive out, and now I have another broken part.

    lisaquatmann - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Yu can easily skip the step, just make sure you take care when removing/put away the AirPort/BT assembly in the next step, be gentle.

    Lucian Onea - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I skipped this step and disconnected (the end that was not mentioned) accidentally from the machine, what can I do to repair it?

    Ely - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Ce connecteur est très fermement fixéà la carte. Lorsque j'ai procédé comme expliqué ici, il s'est brisé !!!!

    J'ai tenté de le recoller. Pour l'instant il semblerait que j'ai toujours du wifi. Ouf.

    Je pense donc qu'il faut éviter cette étape si possible.

    Pat Microbiom - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  9. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove the following five screws:

    • Two 10.3 mm screws

    • Two 3.1 mm screws

    • One 5 mm screw

    Note the position of the little grounding rings when removing the red (10mm) screws. You'll have to make sure to re-seat them when reassembling!

    James - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You are so right about making sure to put back the two metal rings when you screw back the two (red) 10.3mm screws. I missed putting back one of the rings and read your comment after I had installed the drive and closed the macbook. Everything was working fine, but I went back to open it an leave it just as it was, with both metal (one with a plastic/cloth material around it) plates/rings attached properly. So it is very important to make sure you put those two 10.3 mm screws back with the plates/rings that they hold, exactly as they were before you put it apart.

    pachis2 -

    I think you should remark when re-assembling the machine, you should pay attention to the metal clip in Step 9, the upper left screw position, it's easy to miss when assembling, because there are so many wires, and it may be very easy forgetting putting the metal clip back in place.

    Fisher - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    As far as the grounding ring goes, it slips back over the screw hole, be patient and gentle. You may have to finagle the airport board under it first and then lay the board flat and reattach the subwoofer. I will see if I can add a pic in the near future. But that the best way to describe it.

    Robert Wacker - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    FYI: These are #00 Phillips screws!

    Rossi Macri - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Help! I think i stripped the screw head of the one encircled in yellow. What to do?

    BJC - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Be weary of the cable when screwing in the Orange screw closest to the clutch cover. I pinched that cable and had to replace it.

    Duck - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I have removed the screws circled in red but when I try to remove the board, it seems there is something else that's holding down the piece. It seems to pivot around the spot in between the 2 screws circled in red. I'm hesitant to use too much force to pull it out and therefore stuck. Can anyone help me out?

    Edit: For clarity, I have removed the screw circled in yellow, but not those circled in orange as I understand you can remove the the board in 1 whole piece.

    lambing_drape - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  10. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly and the Subwoofer upward near the center of the side of the optical drive until they clear each other.

    • Move the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly and the subwoofer away from the top of the optical drive.

    The left part in the picture (the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly) is held down under a plastic tab that sticks out a tiny amount. Thus, it needs to be pulled very slightly towards the camera module in order to be able to lift out.

    Darren - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  11. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable out from under the retaining finger near the side of the optical drive.

    • Pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable upward to disconnect it from the logic board.

    I will confirm for a third time, having just done this replacement yesterday morning: Steps 6, 7, 11 NOT NEEDED.

    cjdow - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    When I attempted to lift this cable out of the connector, the connector broke and separated from the board. I suggest not to do this step.

    car rider - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Agreed. I skipped this step. No need to risk breaking a cable or connector if you don't have to disconnect it to get the optical drive out.

    Alan Grassia - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Three things:

    1. Thanks for this guide!

    2. I don't understand the comments that this step (#11, disconnect the speaker cable from the logic board) can be skipped, given this guide is all about replacing a failed right speaker/subwoofer. Maybe this step was re-titled from its original post?

    3. My (used) replacement part from iFixit (part IF163-029-1) for my mid-2012 Macbook Pro 13" was different than the OEM part in that the replacement part's cable exited the subwoofer enclosure from the "northeast" corner of the package, rather than the "southeast" corner of the package. This required a rerouting of the cable to a route *on top" of the subwoofer rather than below it, as a nearby boss prevented the original route. Also, I needed to completely remove the heat shrink that joined the subwoofer and right speaker cables together near the connector, as it prevented the radius necessary to route that portion of the wire. I have pics but I don't see how one can provide them in the comments.

    ROBERT ANTHONY PASSARO - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I agree, I found the instructions to not be clear about the care necessary in removing the cable from the logic board, and I also pulled the receptacle off of the logic board. And now I do not have right/woofer speaker sound, and no way to correct it. I can see that there are two small thumbnail size photos above the main photo, and these give a bit more instructional information. These photos should be bigger so that you will notice them, and the extreme care needed to remove the cable should be prominently noted. At this point in time, my 2012 computer is eleven years old, so extreme care is needed in removing this cable.

    bobboross - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Adding on to my previous comment, if you check the replacement guide for the logic board, you will see that it is recommended that you remove the cable by using the spudger to gently pry up the cable. Whereas here, in this guide, it tells you to just "pull up" the cable using your fingers. Using the spudger would help in not pulling the receptacle off of the logic board. See here - https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/...

    bobboross - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  12. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:012crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector up from its socket on the logic board.

    • Bend the hard drive cable away from the optical drive.

    N.B! Thank you very much all you here on iFixit! Some IMPORTANT notes. Be very careful BEFORE prying the connectors up and down. They are very fragile and the picture could actually be seen as showing a bending loading in their weakest direction, AROUND its slender axis. The connector is slender and inserted on the logic board, so the gentle "walking" up and down should be done ALONG their slender direction and WITHOUT touching the adjacent connectors. If bending is done around its axis the soldering comes apart and the cable is done and gone. Just happened. These flat cables are one of the weakest design spots in my experience. They are a major time, money and geist consuming reason for malfunction like Wi-Fi connection problems, HDD, SSD not found internally but externally from USB issues et al being found on different forums. Thanks again and again.

    Greg - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  13. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive connector up from its socket on the logic board.

  14. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the three 2.7 mm Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case.

    can i reuse this optical drive again

    justcause3 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Sure you can. Use it in anything. Stick it in a USB enclosure and carry it.

    scottmilliken -

    iFixit has a guide on How to Remove a Stripped Screw: How to Remove a Stripped Screw

    Stripped Screw - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I stripped the top left screw and lost a few others, where can I buy replacements?

    Ely - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I got the same problem, did you ever find any source for replacement screws?

    Nikki -

    top left screw is a nightmare

    Fabian Cadiz - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  15. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull the optical drive upward from its edge closest to the display and remove it from the upper case.

    Because I skipped steps 6, 7, 8, and 11. when removing the hard drive enclosure (I had already the dual drive running, but I needed to replace the drive in the optical enclosure, I found it easier to remove the enclosure by lift the side close to the battery and main HD and pulling it towards myself (towards main HD and battery).

    pauloau - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Did the same, also because i skipped those steps. It worked, you just have to remove it gently.

    Lucian Onea -

  16. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement, Optical Drive: crwdns2935265:016crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Optical Drive Replacement, Optical Drive: crwdns2935265:016crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull the optical drive cable away from the optical drive.

    • Be sure to pull on the connector, not the cable itself.

    • Remove the two black Phillips #0 screws securing the small metal mounting bracket. Transfer this bracket to your new optical drive or hard drive enclosure.

    If you wanna keep the optical for an external do you then need a new hard drive enclosure for the old optical bay?

    Customer Service - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Nope! You just need one of these: SATA Optical Drive USB Cable

    Sam Omiotek -

    Pro Tip: Do NOT use a #0 Phillips on these screws. They slip easily because the screw bit is too large. This can lead to slipping, stripping, and rounding of the screw.

    #00 or even #000 Phillips screw bits are recommended. I used both and they fit much better in the actual screws.

    Rossi Macri - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Use the largest bit that fits snugly and fills the screw head. In general, these guides are written for iFixit tool users, so if you’re using some other brand/kit, you’ll have to be a bit more careful about driver selection. The sizes are not very well standardized.

    Jeff Suovanen -

crwdns2915888:0crwdne2915888:0

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

crwdns2935229:046crwdne2935229:0

Phillip Takahashi

crwdns2935283:008/22/11crwdne2935283:0

86.632 crwdns2915208:0crwdne2915208:0

crwdns2935297:087crwdne2935297:0

crwdns2944067:02crwdne2944067:0

Wow thanks.

I finally successfully installed caddy for extra hdd. Thanks ALLAH. and thank you guys.

I actually swapped my internal hdd with an ssd. And put hdd into caddy. And replaced caddy with this dvd drive.

After installing I realized I shouldn’t move my internal hdd to caddy. I could just put ssd into caddy. And make that my startup disk.

Anyways. It was a great experience with removing HDD and DVD Drive.

Muhammad Farooqi - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I would NOT use the SSD in the caddy and have that be your startup disk. The optical drive uses PATA instead of SATA and is older transfer speed.

Joe - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

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