Correction to Apple’s instructions on how to replace an optical drive (Combo drive or SuperDrive) in an iMac G5 PowerPC (the white iMac)

I love Apple, but sometimes they make mistakes. Here is the manual for how to replace an optical drive (Combo drive or SuperDrive) in an iMac G5 PowerPC (the older iMac that is white; it’s still the kind where the computer is inside the flat screen monitor):

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/imacg5_17inch_OpticalDrive.pdf

In the manual, they forget to tell you a vital step. The optical drive is actually inside a bracket. First of all, there is a fourth screw that you have to unscrew that fastens the bracket to the logic board. You’ll also need to unplug this part of the bracket from the logic board (after you unscrew it, you just have to wiggle it a little and lift it out of the slot).

Secondly, after you are successful in taking out the optical drive with the bracket, you will need to unscrew four screws that fasten the bracket to the optical drive. And these aren’t just your everyday phillips head or flat head. These screws need a special tool to unscrew them. To save yourself the trouble that I had to go through, get this product from Radio Shack, or something similar, before you attempt this repair:

Kronus™ 20-Piece Electronics Bit-Driver Set

You’ll know which one to use. It’s one of the three bits that have a star design. There are four screws that fasten the metal bracket to the optical drive. And then there are two additional screws that attach the piece that plugs into the motherboard (this is separate from the metal bracket) to the metal bracket. These also have the star design for the head. You’ll need to unscrew these as well.

After you unscrew all six screws, then you will need to pull the bracket off of the optical drive. It may seemed fastened, but it’s just a sticky substance that is making the bracket and drive still cling to each other, even though all of the screws have been unscrewed.

Another thing to note. You can not purchase this drive directly from Apple, even though they give you the instructions on how to change it yourself online. I know. It doesn’t make much sense to me either. They will charge you between $400 and $600 to do the repair. At least that was the price that I was quoted over the phone from a local Apple Store (she asked the Genius Bar). I was able to purchase a SuperDrive for the iMac G5 PowerPC (the intel one is different (thinner)) for $129.99 from a local Mac repair shop.

Yet another thing to be aware of is the optical drive that you get may not have the needed holes in the faceplate of the drive that allows the plastic stems in the tower/monitor to go through (the plastic stems keep the drive in place). So, I had to take the faceplate off of the old drive, remove the new faceplate from the new drive, and then attach the faceplate from the old drive to the new drive. It did not fit exactly, but I was able to make it fit.

Once I took care of these issues, the rest was cake and she was up and running in minutes. If I had known all of this beforehand, it would have been a very quick repair.

In any case, hope this helps!