Replacing the Keyboard on Macbook Pro

[dgiles79]

Does anyone know if the keyboard on a 15" Macbook Pro Mid 2010 can be replaced separately, or does it require the whole top assembly be replaced?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Ktex]

I do very little Mac repairs, but I always start here:
http://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook_Pro_15"

 

[trevm999]

Top case replacement.

 

[vr6rafal]

Mid 2010 is unibody so yes you can replace the keyboard separately but its a big job, it requires removal of almost everything: logic board, optical drive, battery... then removal of about 50 tiny screws holding the keyboard to the top case.

If you've done logic board replacements on macbooks then you'll have no problem!

its definitely doable, we do it all the time but you neck starts hurting after a while from bending down so long, those damn screws are tiny and there is a lot of them

 

[dgiles79]

Thanks for the advice. I think I found some instructions on how to replace it, and there were something like 30 screws just holding the keyboard on lol.

I have stripped down a couple of MacBooks before, so I'm confident I can do the replacement if I take my time.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

To me, it's a top case replacement as that's how i get the part from Apple. But even if I weren't getting the part from Apple I'd still do it as a top case (unless it's just replacing a few keycaps). Can't see the point in charging less for a part but more for labor when just replacing the keyboard you practically have to hack the top case into pieces (along with reusing a bunch of tiny screws that aren't meant to be reused). Just don't seem like a professional quality repair.

 

[Ccomp5950]

And all this time this was the steps I told people they need to take to fix their mac...

1.) Throw away mac
2.) Purchase new mac
3.) Cry inconsolably as you stare at your bank account.

Learn something new everyday.

 

[vr6rafal]

To me, it's a top case replacement as that's how i get the part from Apple. But even if I weren't getting the part from Apple I'd still do it as a top case (unless it's just replacing a few keycaps). Can't see the point in charging less for a part but more for labor when just replacing the keyboard you practically have to hack the top case into pieces (along with reusing a bunch of tiny screws that aren't meant to be reused). Just don't seem like a professional quality repair.

This is a 2010 unibody macbook pro which means there is no "top case" , this being unibody its the entire casing you would need to replace, the casing is like $200+ and replacing it means even more teardown, I think you're confused with the older Macbook Pro where the top assembly comes off, then yes I agree just replace the topcase with keyboard, touchpad and everything, but on these unibody macbooks the keyboard is $30-$40 and replaceable.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

This is a 2010 unibody macbook pro which means there is no "top case" , this being unibody its the entire casing you would need to replace, the casing is like $200+ and replacing it means even more teardown, I think you're confused with the older Macbook Pro where the top assembly comes off, then yes I agree just replace the topcase with keyboard, touchpad and everything, but on these unibody macbooks the keyboard is $30-$40 and replaceable.

Yeah...I know what a top case is. I specialize in Macs and have for several years. Yes, there is a top case on every macbook pro. All it means is that the machine is disassembled bottom up and top case is all that is left after disassembling the entire laptop (unibody MBP). The keyboard is supposed to be non-removable but the trackpad is removable. The non unibody machines where disassembled top down and you were left with the bottom case after disassembling the entire machine. Also, the non unibody machines had a removable keyboard, but not a removable trackpad.

Furthermore, if you want to talk about teardown. How do you suppose you are going to get to those tiny NON-REUSABLE screws to separate the keyboard from the top case? Everything else is going to have to come out first (minus the display so save six T6 screws), then you can remove the keyboard (after pretty much destroying the NON REUSABLE black covering which covers the screws by peeling it off). So there is actually more tear down involved. Also, chances are reusing the NON-REUSABLE screws and not being able to reuse the NON REUSABLE cover is going to cause problems once one of those NON REUSABLE screws works its way out and gets loose in the machine. That's just one example of problems that more than likely will occur if not done right by replacing the top case as a whole.

Apple does not distribute the keyboards separate from the top case for unibody pros. Its likely what you are buying is a pull where someone is parting out a top case. Yes, it is more expensive to get the unit as a whole. But considering it's a 15" macbook pro which the initial low end machine started at $1799.00, paying $200-$300 for a keyboard replacement done correctly is worth it.

 

[Scales]

It is not too bad of a job. You could do it in an hour or less if you took your time. The worst part is the hundred small screws that hold the keyboard. The non reusable screws looked like and went back in like real screws and are not coming out.

 

[Scales]

A little time, patience, and thought can overcome Apple repair propaganda any day and for a fraction of the cost.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

It is not too bad of a job. You could do it in an hour or less if you took your time. The worst part is the hundred small screws that hold the keyboard. The non reusable screws looked like and went back in like real screws and are not coming out.

Yeah, at first they don't. But its a laptop which they get transported quit a bit and bumped around. The locktite (or whatever adhesive coating is used) is worn off the screws from resue and over time (depending on how much machine is moved around) they do come out. I found them falling out when dissembling machines. I believe one of those screws rolling around caused a fatal short that blew the logic board on one machine I looked at.

But to each their own..

 

[gikstar]

I replaced the keyboard on a 2009 last month, went online (eBay) and purchased the whole top case which included the keyboard, touchpad and backlight.

I counted the number of small screws that hold the keyboard in place... EXACTLY 50.

Because of other problems with the computer, the client has already purchased a new Mac and we ended up trading our service for it. They didn't want to pay the $300 for the keyboard and we were not about to put in a used part for a client but we did when the laptop would be used on our tech bench.

 

[trevm999]

Expensive parts is how you need to punish your clients for buying macs.

Seriously though, I can do a top case pretty fast, so a client would have to pay a lot for in labour for me to think it worth it to mess around with 50 small screws. And I agree with anonymous, it was not meant to be replaced and it would not be a quality repair unless you can replace the screws and locktight and the cover. I would only do this type of repair if the computer was not worth it done properly and the alternative is it going for recycling.