🛠️ Introduction

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to replace the optical (CD/DVD) drive in your MacBook Pro. Agar optical drive fail ho gaya hai, ya DVD/CD read nahi ho rahi, toh yeh steps help karenge.

🔧 What You Need

  • Phillips #00 screwdriver

  • Spudger (plastic pry tool)

  • Replacement optical drive (SuperDrive)

1. Remove the Lower Case

  • Flip your MacBook over (so bottom side up).

  • Remove 10 screws:
      • 3 × 14.4 mm Phillips #00
      • 3 × 3.5 mm Phillips #00
      • 4 × 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00

  • Jab small screws wapas lagao, unhe slightly angled daalo — case ki curvature ke hisaab se (na ki straight down).

2. Take Off the Lower Case

  • Use your fingers to pry up the lower case near the vent area.

  • Then lift off the lower case and set it aside.

3. Disconnect the Battery Connector

  • Use the edge of a spudger to gently pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.

  • It helps to pry from both short sides (“walk” it), so it comes out evenly without damaging corners.

4. Bend the Battery Cable

  • Gently bend the battery cable out of the way so that it doesn’t accidentally touch or reconnect while you work.

5. Disconnect AirPort/Bluetooth Cable

  • Use the flat end of your spudger to pry up the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable connector from the logic board socket.

6. Disconnect the Camera Cable

  • Carefully pull the camera cable straight out of its socket (parallel to the board).

  • Don’t lift it — pulling upward can damage the socket or cable.

  • Some users skip this step, but doing it gives you more working room.

7. Free the AirPort/Bluetooth Cable

  • As you peel the camera cable off adhesive, move the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable slightly so it doesn’t get stuck.

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

8. Disconnect the Antenna Cable

  • Use spudger tip to pry up the antenna connector (closest to logic board) from its socket on the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

  • Also route the antenna cable out from under the molded retaining finger in the bracket.

9. Remove Optical Drive Screws

  • Using a Phillips #00, remove these screws securing the optical drive:
      • Two 10.3 mm screws
      • Two 3.1 mm screws
      • One 5 mm screw

10. Lift AirPort/Bluetooth & Subwoofer

  • Pull upward near the center side of the optical drive to clear the AirPort/Bluetooth assembly and subwoofer.

  • Then shift them aside so they don’t block removal of the drive.

11. Disconnect the Right Speaker / Subwoofer Cable

  • Pull that cable out from under its retaining finger near the optical drive’s side.

  • Then lift it upward to disconnect it from the logic board.

12. Disconnect the Hard Drive Cable

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up the hard drive cable connector from the logic board socket.

  • Bend the cable away from the optical drive to keep it out of your way.

13. Disconnect the Optical Drive Connector

  • Pry up the optical drive connector from its socket on the logic board.

14. Remove Screws Attaching Optical Drive to Upper Case

  • Remove three 2.7 mm Phillips screws that secure the drive to the upper case.

15. Lift the Optical Drive Out

  • Pull the optical drive upward from the edge closest to the display.

  • Remove it from the upper case carefully.

16. Disconnect the Optical Drive Cable & Transfer Bracket

  • Pull the optical drive cable away from the drive (always pull on the connector, not the cable itself).

  • Remove the two small black Phillips #0 screws that hold a small metal mounting bracket.

  • Transfer that bracket to your new optical drive (or to a hard-drive enclosure).

✅ Reassembly

To put everything back, follow these same steps in reverse order:

  • Attach mounting bracket to new drive

  • Connect optical drive cable

  • Insert the drive into the case

  • Screw it down with 2.7 mm screws

  • Reconnect all cables: optical, hard drive, speaker, antenna, camera, AirPort/Bluetooth

  • Reconnect battery (last step)

  • Replace lower case and screw it back in with proper orientation

💡 Tips & Precautions

  • Label or keep track of which screw goes where — many screws are tiny and similar.

  • When reconnecting everything, make sure cables are not pinched or bent sharply.

  • Always pull connectors on their plastic heads, not the wires.

  • After reassembly, test the new optical drive by inserting a disc and seeing if it spins.

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