Can I remove the screen on a macbook and still use it?

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Level 2

200 points

Can I remove the screen on a macbook and still use it?

I know this is a goofy sounding question, but here me out.

Our school bought us a Macbook a few years back and the screen has broken. As to be expected, they do not have the money to buy a replacement screen. It still runs well and if I connect it to a monitor, it is like new. However, the lid (screen) is in the way of the external monitor, if I plan to use the built in keyboard.

I would like to be able to use this computer still, so here is my question, is it possible to safely remove the upper lid part of the Macbook 13 Model A1181, and after doing so, once I secure the opening to avoid electrocution, can I still run it using an external monitor?

Or does it actually need the upper part of the case to operate?

Thx

Posted on Jul 25, 2012 10:18 AM

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Answer 1

halfapie

Level 2

211 points

Jul 26, 2012 2:51 PM in response to Randy Traylor

All wires from the lid terminate inside the case in neat connectors, so you will not leave a mess when you remove the lid. Just two holes.

It could work, but you will lose a few things:

You lose your built in camera.
You lose the sleep magnet, so you lose the ability to make the laptop sleep when you close the lid
Your wifi will be horrible, because you lose your wifi antenna. (Your bluetooth will be fine because that antenna is on your optical drive.)

Possible problems:

OSX replies on the sleep magnet to "know" whether or not to turn off the internal monitor. So you OSX may keep your internal screen "on" even after you physically remove it, causing you to run in dual-screen mode even though you only have a single screen.

OSX might keep looking for a monitor and camera, so you could get software issues and possibly kernal panics...

If you do it, your lid has a tube that needs to be recycled properly.

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