ByteRot :: Opening the PowerBook Duo power supply

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Opening the PowerBook Duo power supply

Device	PowerBook Duo Series
Difficulty	Moderate
Time	20 minutes
Steps	3

This guide is by Thomas Bucher on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>

The PowerBook Duo's power adapter (M7783) is prone to failing; after years of use, a capacitor inside it tends to explode when plugged in. To replace it, the power adapter must be opened. Unfortunately, these adapters are glued shut and have no way to be opened. With these instructions, however, it can still be opened.

Please note: Because some parts are glued together, it is not possible to take the device apart without leaving any visible marks. However, following these instructions should allow you to do so with minimal damage.

Step 1

• To open the housing, you need to pry open the adhesive joint. This can be done using a flat, thin tool, such as a chisel and a screw clamp, as shown here.
• Gently tighten the screw clamp until you hear a soft click from the housing. Do not tighten it too much, or you may damage the electronics inside.
• This is now repeated on all sides, twice on each long side.

Step 2

• Next, use a flat tool (in this case, a chisel) to apply a gentle twisting motion in the joint, which will pry the two links apart.
• Pay attention to the side clips used to secure the cable. These will come loose as soon as the housing is pulled further apart.

Step 3

• Once the housing has been pried open enough on all sides, the top panel can be removed. The electronics are now exposed and can be taken out.

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