PowerBook G4 Titanium Onyx Hard Drive Replacement

ID: 77

Description: You can install hard drives up to 12.5mm thick.

Steps:

  1. Turn the G4 over.
  2. Remove the eight T8 Torx screws from the lower case.
  3. Using your thumbs, slide the lower case away from you.
  4. The lower case may stick in the front on a tab just above the center of the DVD drive. Be careful as you work the case off, or you may break the thin strip of plastic just above the drive.
  5. Lift the lower case off.
    6. Step image
  6. Your laptop should look approximately like this.
    7. Step image
  7. Skip this step if your computer does not have an Airport card.
  8. Firmly grasp the plastic tab attached to the Airport card and pull up and to the left.
  9. Disconnect the antenna cable from the left side of the Airport card.
    10. Step image
  10. Disconnect the hard drive ribbon from the logic board using a spudger or the tip of your finger, removing tape as necessary.
    11. Step image
  11. To free the hard drive, remove the two T8 Torx screws from the right wall of the battery housing.
    12. Step image
  12. Remove the hard drive by gently grasping the orange ribbon cable and lifting the left edge up and out of the computer.
  13. There are four rubber bumpers that fit over the hard drive screws. Ensure that these bumpers come out when you remove the hard drive.
    14. Step image
  14. Your laptop should look approximately like this.
    15. Step image
  15. Remove the two black plastic bumpers and two T8 Torx screws from the side of the hard drive.
    16. Step image
  16. Grasp the orange ribbon cable and disconnect it from the hard drive. If the connector is tight, gently rock it from side to side.
  17. Be sure to pull evenly on both sides as uneven force may damage the hard drive pins and render your data inaccessible.
  18. If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.
    19. Step image
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