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iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement

Introduction

You can install hard drives up to 9.5mm thick.

What you need

  1. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement, Battery: step 1, image 1 of 1

    • Use a coin to rotate the battery locking screw 90 degrees clockwise.

    • Lift the battery out of the computer.

    Edit

  2. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement, Keyboard: step 2, image 1 of 1

    • Pull the keyboard release tabs toward you and lift up on the keyboard until it pops free.

    • If the keyboard does not come free, use a small flathead screwdriver to turn the keyboard locking screw 180 degrees in either direction and try again.

    • Flip the keyboard over, away from the screen, and rest it face-down on the trackpad area.

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  3. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 3, image 1 of 1

    • If the computer does not have an Airport card installed, skip the next two steps.

    • Push the wire clasp toward the Airport card and pull it up to free it from the RAM shield.

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  4. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 4, image 1 of 1

    • Grasp the clear plastic tab on the Airport card and pull toward the right.

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  5. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 1

    • Hold the Airport card in one hand and use your other hand to remove the antenna cable.

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  6. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the two 2.5 mm Phillips screws that secure the RAM shield.

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  7. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 1

    • Grasp the metal bracket on top of the RAM shield and pull upward to remove the shield.

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  8. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 1

    • Pull the keyboard cable up from the logic board, holding the cable as close to the connector as possible.

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  9. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement, Lower Case: step 9, image 1 of 1

    • Your laptop should look approximately like this.

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  10. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 1

    • Use a pin (or anything you like) to remove the three rubber feet from the lower case.

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  11. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the three 5.2 mm newly-revealed Phillips screws.

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  12. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 12, image 1 of 1

    • Use a spudger or small flathead screwdriver to pry up the three metal rings that housed the rubber bumpers.

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  13. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 13, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the one 10 mm and two 20 mm hex screws using a 2mm hex. Alternatively, a T8 Torx screwdriver key will do.

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  14. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 14, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the two 4.2 mm Phillips screws on either side of the battery contacts.

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  15. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 15, image 1 of 1

    • Breathe deeply. Trying times are ahead, but we promise the lower case does come off.

    • Push the thin rims of the lower case surrounding the battery compartment in, bending them past the tabs, and then lift up to free that corner of the lower case.

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  17. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 16, image 1 of 1

    • There is a slot on the wall of the battery compartment that locks the lower case in place. Use a small flathead screwdriver to pry out the slot's lower rim and pull up on the lower case to free the slot from the tabs holding it.

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  18. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 17, image 1 of 1

    • Run a spudger along the seam between the lower case and upper case on the front of the computer to free the tabs locking the lower case. Pull up on the lower case and continue to use the spudger as necessary until you hear three distinct clicks.

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  19. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 18, image 1 of 1

    • Continue to run the spudger around the front, right corner. There are two tabs on the port side of the computer, one near the front corner and one near the sound out port.

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  20. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 19, image 1 of 1

    • Once the front and sides of the lower case are free, turn the computer so that the back is facing you and pull the lower case up and toward you until the back tabs pop free (it may be helpful to jiggle the case up and down).

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  21. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 20, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the small greasy springs with white plastic caps from either side of the battery contacts.

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  22. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement, Upper Case: step 21, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the following 4 screws on the bottom of the computer:

    • Two 3 mm Phillips from the left side of the computer.

    • One 4.5 mm Phillips near the latch mechanism (this screw may be missing in 800 MHz iBooks)

    • One 14.2 mm Phillips near the front, right corner.

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  23. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 22, image 1 of 1

    • Use a straightened paperclip to open the optical drive tray.

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  24. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 23, image 1 of 1

    • Pull the optical drive out just enough so that you can access and remove a Phillips screw near the battery compartment.

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  25. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 24, image 1 of 1

    • Pull the optical drive a bit more so that you can access and remove a second Phillips screw near the power receptacle.

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  26. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 25, image 1 of 1
    Tool used on this step:
    Tweezers
    $4.99
    Buy

    • Turn over the computer and open it.

    • Use tweezers (or a refrigerator magnet) to remove the magnet covering a Phillips screw near the middle of the computer.

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  27. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 26, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the following 4 screws on the edges of the keyboard area.

    • One 4.5 mm Phillips underneath where the magnet was.

    • Three 6 mm Phillips in plastic depressions.

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  28. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 27, image 1 of 1

    • Peel up the foil tape covering the speaker cable near the ports.

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  29. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 28, image 1 of 1

    • This is a diagram of the trackpad ribbon clamp connector you will disconnect in the next step.

    • 1) With your fingernails, grasp the locking bar on either side and pull up a small amount (about 1/16" or 2 mm).

    • 2) After disengaging the locking bar, slide the cable out of the connector.

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  30. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 29, image 1 of 1

    • Loosen the trackpad connector by pulling the top piece up slightly, freeing the trackpad ribbon.

    • Slide the orange trackpad ribbon out of the connector.

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  31. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 30, image 1 of 1

    • Before you can jerk the upper case off with joy, you must disconnect both the blue and white power cable and red and black speaker cable as described in the next steps.

    • Lift the upper case from the left side and use your other hand to pull out the right side in order to clear the power receptacle.

    • There may be a thin metal bar fastened to the upper case by the two screws on either side of the optical drive. This bar provides rigidity around the optical drive; don't forget it when reassembling.

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  32. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 31, image 1 of 1

    • The connectors at the ends of the cables are attached very firmly to the sockets on the logic board. Pulling directly on the cable will either separate the cable from its connector or the socket from the logic board.

    • Lift the upper case enough to disconnect the blue and white power cable from the logic board. Using your fingernails or a dental pick, carefully pry the connector from its socket. Make sure you're pulling only on the connector and not on the socket.

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  33. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 32, image 1 of 1

    • Lift the upper case off completely and disconnect the red and black speaker cable from the logic board. As before, make sure you're pulling only on the connector and not on the socket.

    Edit

  34. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 33, image 1 of 1

    • There is a magnet that allows the computer to detect when the laptop is closed. If this magnet is not present your computer will not automatically go to sleep. Be sure the magnet is in the position indicated.

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  35. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement, Top Shield: step 34, image 1 of 1

    • Your laptop should look approximately like this.

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  36. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 35, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the following 14 screws (some models may be missing a couple of screws):

    • One 2.5 mm Phillips.

    • Six 3.5 mm Phillips.

    • One 4.5 mm Phillips near the sleep light with a small shaft.

    • Two 4.5 mm Phillips with larger shafts.

    • Four 5 mm Phillips

    • If a screw is inserted in the left hole, the 14.2 mm screw in step 24 can not be inserted to hold the top case down.

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  37. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 36, image 1 of 1

    • Peel back three strips of yellow tape in the bottom left corner.

    • Peel back one strip of foil tape in the upper left corner and another near where the trackpad connects to the logic board.

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  38. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 37, image 1 of 1

    • Lift the top shield up from the right side, minding the upper left corner, which may catch on the metal framework.

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  39. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 38, image 1 of 1

    • Your laptop should look approximately like this.

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  40. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 39, image 1 of 1

    • Use the transparent orange loop to disconnect the large orange ribbon cable from the logic board.

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  41. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 40, image 1 of 1

    • Lift up the front edge of the hard drive.

    • Peel back the black tape to free the microphone cable from the hard drive.

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  42. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 41, image 1 of 1

    • Use the transparent orange loop to disconnect the hard drive ribbon cable from the hard drive.

    • This is a bit tricky. Try rocking the cable gently from side to side while applying even pressure. If you bend the pins, do your best to straighten them, using the hard drive cable as a guide.

    Edit

  43. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 42, image 1 of 1

    • Your laptop should look approximately like this.

    Edit

  44. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 43, image 1 of 1

    • Your hard drive should look approximately like this.

    Edit

  45. iBook G3 12" Hard Drive Replacement: step 44, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the metal brackets from either side of the hard drive (if they're still there).

    • With the pins facing away from you, and the label facing up, the bracket with a tab in the middle and a metal slot on it goes on the left side of the drive; the other bracket, of course, goes on the right.

    • Remove two T8 Torx screws from either side of the hard drive (four screws total).

    Edit
Conclusion

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

128 other people completed this guide.

Attached Documents

Author

with 8 other contributors

iRobot

Member since: 09/24/09

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9 Comments

Thanks for the clear guide ! Being an Amateur your 44 steps have shown me that I won't even go there !!

My hard drive in the iBook g3 is not functioning as it should. Are there any external drive startup options for an iBook of this age ?

Martin Harding - Reply

I got as far as step 13, but two of the hex screws would not come out of the case. They appear to be loosened, but I can't remove them from the case. I then looked through the remaining steps and decided it was not worth my time to continue. I guess I will need to take this old iBook to someone who can do it for me.

Carol Anton - Reply

The proccess is long but is real needed .

All still alive in the end, me and my Ibook g3.

tnks for this help.

Diogenes Tavares - Reply

Thank you!!!! Just pulling old hard drives and recycling, I cannot believe how tough these old g3’s were to get the hard drive out! Thanks again!!! Mike

mikefryehenderson - Reply

These steps are all out of order, man!

panakabear - Reply

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