screwdrivers to open an mbp 2011

What screwdrivers do you use to open an MBP 2011? Do you use a machine?

I attempted to replace my hdd but I haven't been able to unscrew all the screws on the bottom with what I had. I could not apply enough torque and I was afraid to force it.

Thanks

 

Well to replace the HD its the 10 screws on the bottom and then you should only need to take out 2 more to get the Hard Drive out of the machine

Check ifixit's site for the teardowns and you'll see how to do it.

 

Thanks for the link

 

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not but it isn't hard to find on their site so no problem

 

#00 Philips Screwdriver.

Not all are created equal though and the softer ones seem to promote rounding of the slots in the head.

You get what you pay for usually with tools.

 

I actually think he was just thanking you for the link/help (not everyone knows where best to look for that kind of info)


D.

 

I wasn't being sarcastic! I didn't know about this website. And I found the instructions and the screwdriver model I need. I am going to get one this morning.

 

Just to close this I bought this set from Canadian Tire:

Mastercraft Heavy-Duty Precision Screwdriver Set, 35-piece | Canadian Tire

I used the #00 for the outside screws and #T7 for the hdd screws.

 

Amazon.com: Wiha 75093 Micro Bit Set with ESD Safe Handles, Slotted, Phillips and Torx, 16 Piece: Home Improvement
ESD Safe Tool

And I would recommend
Amazon.com: Wiha 40010 Magnetizer or Demagnetizer: Home Improvement

The WiHa tool seems a bit flimsy but I have never had a problem with it breaking or anything.

 

will this work? im not wnating to blow $30 on a kit and this is $3.

What size torx is needed for the screws on 2011 MBP?

Mastercraft 1-in Torx Screwdriver Bit, 2-Pk | Canadian Tire

 

most torx in Apples are usually T6s and T8s...

 

Torx T6 or T8

you can purchase a small multi-head screwdriver kit for like $20 at a hardware store. Look for one with a Torx head in it. Mine is useful.

 

I actually bought these as well! So far so good, sticks right into the screw heads without slippage. And I was able to use the magnetizer to magnetize my Torx6 driver. And yeah the HDD uses Torx 6 and also the new 2011 have T6 screws for the three that hold in the optibay.

 

DUDE IM SO PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW.

My MBP doesnt use either. I went and bought a complete new torx set and none fit! can you believe that? I give up. I tried even the 00 and 000 sizes and none would fit. All my screws are a + shape. Looks nothing like the end on the torx T6. Im not gonna bother putting the SSD drive in my MBP. Ill try to sell it instead.

 

... is that serious?

theres very few torx.. you will probably only see 1 total if your just swapping a hard drive. The standard screws are a normal philips... yes the +... no one ever said that everything was torx.

If your going to sell the machine because you couldn't unscrew a screw, that seems strange... don't try to take apart a different brand of laptop, since they use screws as well.

 

I would sell the SSD not the MBP.

I tried all my + shape mini drivers and none fit without stripping them.

 

That's because you don't have the correct tool. Don't get mad at the product or accessories imply because you didn't use the right tool when trying to install them. All you need is a Phillip's Head 00 screwdriver. A quick 2 second Google search would have told you this.

 

As I mentioned i have a 00 and it doesnt fit. Its too big.

 

PLEASE step away from the toolkit and your Macbook Pro before something gets ruined.

It sounds like maybe it would be best for you to bring the computer to a shop that will be able to swap out the harddrive for you.

 

I found another 00 from home depot that fits. The one i bought yesterday had crappy ridges, they didnt go down far enough and yes it was a 00. So I returned it.

 

Yeah, I had trouble with a "00" screwdriver that didn't fit. Ironically, I bought a $6 set from ebay that worked perfectly. You do need the Torx, however, to add the 4 "wheels" on your HDD or SSD.

 

do you know if i can put the same type screws that are on the back of the MBP on the sides of the hard drive casing? I accidentally threw mine out so where can i buy them?

So basically i have a small gap between the HD and MBP frame, when i flip it over, you can hear it moving a bit.

Any other alternatives than having the 4 torx screws on the HD? Maybe i can slip a piece of thin rubber to close the gap? Im sure that wont be a problem to use that instead of having to chase down a set of 4 torx screws.

 

And that pretty much sums up why you shouldn't have opened your computer. Why in the world would you throw out anything that you took out of a laptop?

 

Cause they were worn out from using the cheap T6 screw driver. Im not gonna bother with finding a set of T6 screws, ill just stick some thin rubber to close the gap.

 

This thread is almost comical!

Helpmyfriend, since you are installing a SSD, you just need to put something on the SSD to keep it from sliding around...say some double-sided tape or a thin piece of foam or anything like that. Since the drive has no moving parts, it does not need those 4 "wheels" to be secure.

Having the right tool certainly helps (as I'm sure you found out).

What I have been using in my computer business for years (and have about 6 sets of them scattered in various areas of my shop, car, tech bag, and house), are these and these, which you can get at Home Depot for about $6 each.

Also, maybe you didn't notice, but the screws on the bottom of the MPB 2011 are at a slight angle. As such, you need to angle your screwdriver, else you risk stripping the head of the screw.

 

Okay, let's just calm down for a second.
I can help you if you tell me exactly what happened first.
Did you swap the drives? If you have the old HDD, then the torx "wheels" will be on the old HDD. You unscrew those with a T6 sized torx screwdriver. Any $5 set from ebay will be fine.

If you've lost the torx screws, I don't know if those are easily replaceable. All Apple parts are sold online, but are usually very expensive, even for stupid things like screws. The T6 sized screws for the HDD are not used anywhere else in the MacBook AFAIK. You can buy them for $30.

I don't think you threw away the screws at all. They are stuck on your old HDD. Look at your HDD and look at your T6.
You'll see it at 1:55.

And how old are you, BTW? High school or younger?

 

Im 30.

Long story but ill make it short. WHen i replaced the stock MBP HD with a 500GB I took out the stock drive and put it in my Asus. But i noticed the screws were different and thought it would just snap into the metal piece on my asus. It did. But when it came to getting out the screws, i was using a garbage T6 screwdriver at my local cdn tire and it got them out half way but the screws were stripped completely. So I had to use a thin wrench to get them out and by the time all 4 came out, there was nothing left of them. Nothing so i tossed them.

My guess is i shouldnt bother paying for another set. As recommended by others, im probably better off going to home depot and getting thin tape where its sticky on one side and the other is a soft foamy material. NOt sure the exact name of it but this was used in my asus hard drive so it works. It cushions the HD and sound.

 

Hilarious.

 

Why was he banned?

 

My guess is that it had something to do with their hilarious posts on here (not too long ago) bashing the iPad 2 for being about 2/3rd the size of their 13" MBP, buying a BlackBerry Playbook, and then returning the Playbook for an iPad 2. Not only was their math completely off but so was their ability to accurately determine proper dimensional space. Then they went on the defensive about their actions even though they were being a huge hypocrite.

Either that or they already had an account here and the mods/admins caught on. Their hilarity will be missed though. Give a read through of the thread I linked and look through their history to find their other posts crapping all over the iPad 2 (they even made a thread about it). All of them are pretty funny reads.