PowerBook G4 Titanium Onyx DVD Drive Replacement

ID: 78

Description: Your machine may have come stock with a CD-RW...

Steps:

  1. Remove the battery.
  2. Turn the keyboard locking screw so that it is parallel to the space bar.
  3. Pull the keyboard release tabs toward you and lift up on the keyboard until it pops free.
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  5. Rest the keyboard face down on the trackpad area.
  6. Disconnect the keyboard connector from the logic board.
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  8. Your laptop should look approximately like this.
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  10. Release the tabs on each side of the RAM chip at the same time. These tabs lock the chip in place and releasing them will cause the chip to ÒpopÓ up.
  11. Pull the RAM chip out.
  12. Repeat this process if a second RAM chip is installed.
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  14. Turn the G4 over.
  15. Remove the eight T8 Torx screws from the lower case.
  16. Using your thumbs, slide the lower case away from you.
  17. 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.
  18. Lift the lower case off.
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  20. Your laptop should look approximately like this.
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  22. Skip this step if your computer does not have an Airport card.
  23. Firmly grasp the plastic tab attached to the Airport card and pull up and to the left.
  24. Disconnect the antenna cable from the left side of the Airport card.
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  26. Disconnect the hard drive ribbon from the logic board using a spudger or the tip of your finger, removing tape as necessary.
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  28. To free the hard drive, remove the two T8 Torx screws from the right wall of the battery housing.
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  30. Remove the hard drive by gently grasping the orange ribbon cable and lifting the left edge up and out of the computer.
  31. There are four rubber bumpers that fit over the hard drive screws. Ensure that these bumpers come out when you remove the hard drive.
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  33. Your laptop should look approximately like this.
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  35. If your G4 has a CD-RW or Combo drive, the pictures in the following steps will not exactly match your computer.
  36. Before continuing, place a soft cloth on your work surface to rest the computer on. Turn the G4 over, making sure the DVD drive doesn't fall out. Place the computer on the cloth.
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  38. Bend the silver metal EMI clip so that it is vertical. This part may fall out after removing the DVD drive.
  39. The EMI clip is not essential for reassembling the computer. If the clip falls out, don't worry about putting it back in.
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  41. Turn the G4 over.
  42. Disconnect the orange DVD ribbon cable from the logic board using a spudger or the tip of your finger
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  44. Remove the DVD drive by lifting the right edge up and out of the computer.
  45. If you have a CD or any other object jammed in your optical drive, we have an optical drive repair guide.
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