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simplymuzik3

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 29, 2009
590
1
So, I just got an SSD (vertex 2) and I decided to put it in the optical bay. The videos and instructions looked simple enough. You pull the enclosure straight out. However, I had to pull SO hard. The videos make it seem like it easily slides out, but I literally had to pull as hard as I could. I finally got it out and installed the SSD etc, but has anyone else had a problem with a really "stuck" optical drive enclosure?

Should I take it in for AppleCare?
 
mine is super tight. in fact it is so tight I did not try to pull it out I left it on my to do list.

I know from my mac mini mods the case is very hard to open but after two or three openings it gets easier. I am thinking that is the case with the pro and the optical drive bay.
 
Make sure when you lift the lever on the back of the mac to open the side panel you don't push it down again as it locks the optical bay cover in place.
 
Make sure when you lift the lever on the back of the mac to open the side panel you don't push it down again as it locks the optical bay cover in place.

Yeah, I checked that, and I also made sure that there was nothing blocking the way.
 
I took mine out to install a hard drive in the lower base. It's a pretty crude, metal against metal thing. Once you get it out far enough to unplug the optical drive there's not much that can be damaged by wiggling and pulling on it hard.
 
+1

Slightly wiggling the optical drive carrier did the trick when I installed a SSD in a 2010 Westmere.

+2, same with a '08

That cage is a PITA to get back in properly too, I really wish apple had used some plastic rails in their sleds and such like the old Sun towers, would make things go smoother when working on the machine (don't get me wrong, still a dream to work on, just my little pet peeve)
 
Since I had a 2007 MP until recently, I was glad to see they made it easier to pull out the drive bay. There are much more place for the hands on the Westmere's which made it a breeze to pull it out. I used to hurt my fingers on the old one.
 
Ditto

Instead of using brute force I suggest to wiggle the entire ODD bay a little while pulling it out.

+1 It was definately a pain in the as* to pull out... the wiggle and forceful pull worked for me, but I was a bit nervous and I've spent a lot of time inside a lot of servers yanking on things, and this was about as scary as anything I've done because I had no idea if something was just going to snap and fly out of there.
 
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