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This guide contains instructions for using the old-style iFixit adhesive remover with separate bottle and syringe, which is no longer sold. For the updated version, click here.
Use this guide to safely remove the glued-in battery from your MacBook Pro with the help of an iFixit battery replacement kit. The adhesive remover in your kit will dissolve the adhesive securing the battery, allowing you to remove it with ease.
iFixit adhesive remover is highly flammable. Perform this procedure in a well-ventilated area. Do not smoke or work near an open flame during this procedure.
For your safety, drain your MacBook Pro's battery before you begin this procedure. A charged lithium-ion battery can create a dangerous and uncontrollable fire if accidentally punctured.
Note: The solvent used to dissolve the battery adhesive will damage your speakers if it comes in contact with the plastic speaker enclosures. This guide instructs you to remove the speakers before proceeding to the battery.
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Remove the following P5 pentalobe screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Pro:
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Eight 3.1 mm
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Two 2.3 mm
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Lifting from the edge nearest the clutch cover, lift the lower case off the MacBook Pro.
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Peel back the sticker covering the battery connector.
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Gently lift each side of the battery connector to pry the connector out of its socket on the logic board.
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Bend the connector back toward the battery, ensuring that the battery connector doesn't accidentally make contact with the logic board.
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crwdns2935267:0crwdne2935267:0Tweezers$4.99
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Use a spudger or tweezers to pry the three AirPort antenna cables straight up off of their sockets on the AirPort board, and bend them up and out of the way.
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Peel the right rubber cover up off the fan and fold it out of the way.
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Use the tip of a spudger to push the camera cable connector out of its socket on the logic board.
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Use your fingers to pull the AirPort/Camera cables up off the fan.
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Carefully de-route the cables from the plastic cable guide.
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Remove the four 2.2 mm T5 Torx screws securing the I/O board cable connector covers.
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Remove the left connector cover.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left end of the I/O board cable up from its socket on the logic board.
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Remove the right connector cover.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the right end of the I/O board cable up from its socket on the logic board.
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Peel the I/O board cable up from the adhesive securing it to the fan.
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Remove the cable.
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Use a T5 Torx driver to remove the following three screws securing the right fan to the logic board:
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One 5.0 mm screw with a 2.0 mm long shoulder
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One 4.0 mm screw with a wide head
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One 4.4 mm screw
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Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the right fan ribbon cable ZIF socket.
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Lift the fan and push it gently towards the back edge of the MacBook to free the fan cable from its socket.
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Remove the fan.
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Peel the left rubber cover up off the fan and fold it out of the way.
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Remove the following three screws securing the left fan to the logic board:
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One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw with a wide head
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One 5.0 mm T5 Torx screw with a 2.0 mm long shoulder
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One 4.4 mm T5 Torx screw
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Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the left fan ribbon cable ZIF socket.
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Lift the fan and push it gently towards the back edge of the MacBook to free the fan cable from its socket.
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Remove the fan.
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Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.
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Lift the end of the SSD up enough to pass over the speaker directly behind it.
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Pull the SSD straight out of its socket on the logic board.
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Use the point of a spudger to flip up the locking mechanism on the I/O board connector.
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Flip the spudger around and use the flat end to slide the I/O cable out of the connector.
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Remove the two 3.1 mm T5 Torx screws from the I/O board.
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Slightly lift the interior edge of the I/O board and pull it toward the center of the MacBook, away from the side of the case.
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Remove the I/O board.
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Remove the two 2.2 mm Torx T5 screws securing the touchpad cable connector cover to the logic board.
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Remove the cover.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the touchpad cable connector from its socket in the logic board.
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Remove a small rubber cap off the screw at the end of the heat sink.
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Remove the following six screws securing the logic board assembly to the upper case.
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One 3.8 mm T5 Torx screw
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Two 5.7 mm T5 Torx screws
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One 5.6 mm T5 Torx screw (this one is silver and has a taller head than the others)
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One 2.6 mm T5 Torx screw
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One 3.2 mm T5 Torx screw
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The following steps will detail disconnecting these six connectors. Be sure to read each step, as these connectors come in different styles that disconnect differently.
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Microphone cable
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Left speaker cable
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Keyboard data cable
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Right speaker cable
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Keyboard backlight cable
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Display data cable
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Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the microphone ribbon cable ZIF socket.
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Pull the microphone ribbon cable out of its socket, parallel to the logic board.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.
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Gently fold the cable up and out of the way of the logic board.
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Peel back the tape covering the top of the keyboard data cable connector.
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Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard data cable ZIF socket.
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Pull the keyboard data cable out of its ZIF socket. Be sure to pull parallel to the logic board, and not straight up.
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Use the tip of a spudger to pry the right speaker connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.
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Gently fold the cable up and out of the way of the logic board.
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Use the point of a spudger to pry the keyboard backlight connector up from its socket on the logic board.
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Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the MagSafe 2 power port side of the computer.
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Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.
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Gently bend the display data cable toward the display hinge, to expose the screws on the MagSafe 2 board.
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Remove the two 4.0 mm T5 Torx screws from the MagSafe 2 board.
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Lift and pull the entire logic board assembly away from the wall of the upper case.
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Remove the following screws securing the left speaker to the upper case:
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2.7 mm T5 Torx screw
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6.9 mm T5 Torx screw (with 4.5 mm shoulder)
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5.6 mm T5 Torx screw
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Remove the left speaker by pulling it slightly away from the side of the upper case, and out from under the aluminum tab blocking it in.
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Remove the following screws securing the right speaker to the upper case:
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2.7 mm T5 Torx screw
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6.9 mm T5 Torx screw (with 4.5 mm shoulder)
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5.6 mm T5 Torx screw
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Peel the right speaker cable up to free it from the upper case.
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Remove the right speaker by pulling it slightly away from the side of the upper case, and out from under the aluminum tab blocking it in.
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Peel back the tape covering the trackpad connector ribbon cable, near the front edge of the MacBook Pro.
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Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the black locking tab on the trackpad ribbon cable ZIF connector.
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Insert an opening pick between the trackpad ribbon cable and the battery.
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Carefully slide your pick underneath the length of the ribbon cable to separate the adhesive securing it to the battery.
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Remove the two 3.2 mm T5 Torx screws securing the battery board.
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To protect your display, place a sheet of aluminum foil between the display and keyboard and leave it there while you work.
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With the front edge of the MacBook Pro facing you, lift the right side and prop it up at a slight angle, using a sturdy foam block or book.
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Now that your MacBook Pro is fully prepped, it's time to prep yourself.
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Wear eye protection when handling and applying the adhesive remover. (Eye protection is included in your kit.)
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Do not wear contact lenses without eye protection.
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Protective gloves are also included in your kit. If you are concerned about skin irritation, put your gloves on now.
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Open your container of adhesive remover.
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Fill the syringe included in your kit with a small amount (approximately 1-2 milliliters) of adhesive remover.
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Apply a small amount of adhesive remover (approximately 1 ml) evenly along the elevated edge of the outer right battery cell.
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Wait 2-3 minutes for the liquid adhesive remover to penetrate underneath the battery cell before you proceed to the next step.
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crwdns2935267:0crwdne2935267:0Plastic Cards$2.99
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Slide one corner of a plastic card under the outer edge of the battery cell.
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Slide the card farther underneath the battery cell to separate it from the adhesive securing it to the MacBook Pro's upper case.
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Lift the battery cell to separate it from the MacBook Pro's upper case, but don't try to remove it.
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Leave the plastic card underneath the battery cell to prevent it from re-adhering as you proceed to the next step.
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Apply a small amount of adhesive remover (approximately 1 ml) evenly along the elevated edge of the next battery cell.
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Wait 2-3 minutes for the liquid adhesive remover to penetrate underneath the battery cell before you proceed to the next step.
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Slide one corner of your plastic card underneath the second battery cell.
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Push the card underneath the second battery cell, and slide it side to side to separate the adhesive underneath.
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Leave the plastic card underneath both battery cells (or flip them over) to prevent them from re-adhering as you proceed to the next step.
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It's time to switch sides. Remove your book or foam block and place it under the opposite side of your MacBook Pro.
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Repeat the procedure from the prior steps to separate the two battery cells on this side:
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Apply your adhesive remover to the elevated edge of the outer left battery cell, and wait 2-3 minutes for it to penetrate.
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Work one corner of a plastic card underneath the battery cell, and slide the card fully underneath the battery cell to separate it.
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Do the same for the adjacent cell.
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Leave your plastic card in place or flip the battery cells over to prevent them from re-adhering during the following steps.
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With the left edge of your MacBook Pro still propped up, apply a small amount (about 1 ml) of adhesive remover down the center line between the two middle battery cells.
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Wait 2-3 minutes for the adhesive remover to penetrate before you continue.
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Slide one corner of a plastic card between the middle two cells, and under the elevated edge of the center-right battery cell.
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Slide the card farther underneath the battery cell to slice through the adhesive securing it in place.
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Don't try to fully separate this battery cell yet. Leave your plastic card in place to prevent it from re-adhering.
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Flip the two de-adhered right-hand battery cells over the front edge of the MacBook Pro, if you haven’t already. This will allow access to the outside edge of the center cell.
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Push one corner of a plastic card below the plastic battery frame and underneath the remaining adhered edge of the lower center cell.
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Slide your card all the way under the battery cell, and leave it to prevent the battery cell from re-adhering.
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Remove the first plastic card that you inserted under the center-right battery cell.
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Push the other card in a little further and leave it in place to prevent the battery cell from re-adhering as you continue.
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Remove your book or foam block.
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With the front edge of the MacBook Pro facing you, lift the right side and prop it up once again.
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Apply a small amount (about 1 ml) of adhesive remover between the two center battery cells, so that it flows underneath the remaining battery cell.
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Wait 2-3 minutes for the adhesive remover to penetrate before you continue.
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Slide one corner of a plastic card under the elevated edge of the final battery cell.
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Push the card farther underneath the battery cell to slice through the adhesive securing it in place.
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Don't try to fully separate this battery cell yet. Leave your plastic card in place to prevent it from re-adhering.
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If you haven't already done so, lift and flip the two outer left battery cells to clear access to the outside edge of the final battery cell.
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Repeat the process you used on the center-right battery cell to finish separating the adhesive on the center-left cell:
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Push one corner of a plastic card below the plastic battery frame and underneath the remaining adhered edge of the final battery cell.
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Slide your card all the way underneath the battery cell, and leave it to prevent the battery cell from re-adhering.
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Remove the first card that you inserted under the final battery cell.
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With one plastic card underneath each of the two center battery cells, twist and lift both cards to fully separate the battery cells, together with the plastic frame and battery board, from the MacBook Pro.
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Lift and remove the battery.
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With a little luck, you can slowly pull out each strip of adhesive with your fingers.
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Otherwise, soak each strip of adhesive with a bit of adhesive remover for 2-3 minutes, and then scrape it out with a plastic tool. This can take quite a bit of work, so be patient.
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Mop up any remaining adhesive remover and give your MacBook Pro a few minutes to air dry.
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Calibrate your battery before using it: allow it to drain overnight, then charge it to 100% and drain it again until your MacBook Pro shuts down automatically. Charge it again and use it normally.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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