PowerBook G4 Titanium DVI Hard Drive Replacement

Written By: iRobot

Comments: 8

PowerBook G4 Titanium DVI Hard Drive Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

20 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

You can install hard drives up to 12.5mm thick.

Tools

TR8 Torx Security Screwdriver

Parts

Step 1

Locate the battery release tab on the underside of the G4.
Slide the battery release tab to the left and lift the battery out of the computer.

Step 2

Remove the seven T8 Torx screws from the lower case.
Using your thumbs, slide the lower case toward the front of the computer.
The lower case may stick in the front on a tab just above the center of the optical drive. Be careful as you work the case off, or you may break the thin strip of plastic just above the drive.
Lift the lower case off.

Step 3

Disconnect the hard drive ribbon from the logic board using a spudger or the tip of your finger.

Step 4

To free the hard drive, remove the two T8 Torx screws from the right wall of the battery housing.

I suspect you are meant to remove the two T8 Torx screws holding down the drive retaining bar on the other side of the hard drive. Once the bar is removed, the drive will pivot out without having to touch the screws on the battery housing wall side.

John Hagan - 10/11/17

I agree with John Hagen. The correct way to remove the hard drive is to remove the two T8 Torx screws and drive retaining bar, then lifting the hard drive up on the side by the optical drive . This will prevent a lot of frustration, and potential damage to the plastic shield underneath the hard drive and the rubber bumpers over the hard drive screws.

John Nakai - 01/08/19

Yes, this is totally better than removing the hard drive screw on the left side of the hard drive as instructed.

Anthony - 17/04/20

Step 5

Remove the hard drive by lifting the left edge up and out of the computer.
There are four rubber bumpers that fit over the hard drive screws. Ensure that these bumpers come out when you remove the hard drive.

The hard drive can be removed with its bumpers intact, by just taking off the black plastic clamp to its right. Reinserting the drive is also vastly easier when done this way.

ratiocination -

Step 6

Your laptop should look approximately like this.

Step 7

Remove the two black plastic bumpers and two T8 Torx screws from the side of the hard drive.

Step 8

Grasp the orange ribbon cable and disconnect it from the hard drive. If the connector is tight, gently rock it from side to side.
Be sure to pull evenly on both sides as uneven force may damage the hard drive pins and render your data inaccessible.
If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.

OK, so reassembly isn't quite as easy as that sounds (below). The hard drive doesn't rest on the bottom of the cavity, but hangs from the rubber bumpers which insert into recesses in the wall of the cavity. Getting this lined up is a pain. So, I attached a tape tab to the right hand side of the HD cover (not mentioned in these notes, but you should find the HD is wrapped on the underside in something like a stiff translucent wrapper, presumably to protect the exposed undersurface). I used about 1.25in of insulation tape attached to the undersurface of the wrapper and round the side of the HD, leaving about a .75in tab which I folded back on itself (to hide the sticky). Then I used this to help level the HD so I could insert the rubber bumpers on the right side. I left the tab attached (for next time :-).

The other things is that it is hard to get the left hand screws in (which are in the side wall of the battery cavity. A good tip is to tip the whole computer up on its right edge so you can see the holes into which the screws fit and the screws stay there when you put them in!!

Rufleyboy -

Conclusion

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

Author

iRobot

Member since: 25/09/09

0 Reputation

3 comments

Easy to do; I have upgraded my Titanium 15 several times and it last ran from a 320gB HDD very successfully. Then it fell off my sofa just once too often... :-(

Oh well, after nine solid years of totally fault-free service (eat ya heart out Mr. Pee Cee!) it will be good for parts and may live on yet.

Shane -

Excellent instructions and illustrations

I’m an amateur, and this was easy. Proceeding very deliberately, it took me 30 minutes. If I had to do it again, probably 10 to 15.

Thank you

lgof - 19/06/18

Beware, Step 4 is missing a crucial piece of information!

There's a little black plastic piece on the right side, secured with two hex screws, that needs to be taken out before lifting the drive.

Pedro Passamani -