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Question

MacBook Pro 17" 2nd Gen - Is DVD drive IDE or SATA?

by Feb 2, 2012 1:41AM PST

I need to replace the original factory Matshita/Panasonic DVD-RW 'cause the original one has finally failed after about 5 years. The computer is still going strong and I plan to keep it for awhile. The drive is a Matshita/Panasonic <span id="INSERTION_MARKER"> UJ-85J-C. I figured that it would be an easy purchase on eBay and then I would just slap that puppy in there. I've upgraded the HD twice so I'm comfortable opening up the box.
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<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Unfortunately, somebody just warned me to make sure whether I need an IDE or SATA drive for the laptop. Does anybody know whether this drive comes in both flavors and if so, which does my laptop require?
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<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">It is a 2nd generation 17" MacBook Pro, Core 2 Duo.
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<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Any enlightenment will be appreciated.
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<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Thanks,
<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">JAY

Discussion is locked

3 Posts
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Answer
It may not be such an "easy purchase" on ebay
by Forum moderator Feb 2, 2012 2:22AM PST
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Answer
It's SATA
by Feb 2, 2012 11:59AM PST

It's SATA, but as said, you can't just pop any old ODD in there.

I would also avoid ebay. Anything you get from there will probably be on its last legs if not already failed, and that's assuming the person actually labeled it correctly. You pay a little more with a place like Mac Sales, but you also eliminate all the risk that isn't self-inflicted if you botch the repair somehow.

Also, while the unit is OOW at this point, keep in mind that if you have a "foreign" ODD in the thing, it will exclude it from Apple's flat rate repair program. So keep the old one around in case the display ever starts to fail or something that would cost more than about $300 to replace. Otherwise you'll get a nasty quote of like $1200 to fix it.

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Good Info...Thanks.
by jaysound Feb 3, 2012 8:09AM PST

Actually, I was looking on eBay at a couple of supposedly "tested working" units pulled from either an iMac or MacBook Pro with the same exact model number. The photos show the yellow sticker that says something to the effect of "Made for Apple" with the Apple logo on them so I presume that they're the correct units. <span id="INSERTION_MARKER"> I've seen several in the $30 price range including shipping that are returnable if they don't work. I certainly get the reasons behind buying a new one from a place like Mac Sales, but they want around $90 + shipping for one and since I don't use the DVD very often on this 5 year old machine, it really doesn't make sense to spend triple the money at this point.

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