Laptop with exploded battery

Opening and repairing the machine

Sep. 14, 2017 - Willem L. Middelkoop

Last night I had a nasty surprise: my original MacBook Air was swollen due to an exploded battery. I immediately had to take action, for reasons of safety and to preserve this piece of modern computer history. Don’t try this at home, but if you do... read along for some practical tips.

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Make sure to remember what screw went where...

Swollen and cracked. I carefully looked for any leaks.

The keyboard and casing is deformed

This laptop is not supposed to have a bobble...

I disconnected the battery from the logic board using a plastic tool (that does not conduct electricity).

Opening the MacBook Air is possible by removing the bottom lid.

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