# MacBook Pro wont power up after removing then putting back battery to clean drag pad



## Petrichor (Jul 22, 2014)

One week ago I spilled two drops (literally) of water on the drag pad of my MacBook Pro (model A1278). Some of this water went down the top edge of the drag pad. Since this happened, the cursor as either not been been responding at all to my drag pad, or it has been behaving very eratically, as well as this, over the last couple of months since buying this MacBook, there has been an abnormal amount of dust in the air in the house due to some building work going on here. This being so, I decided to follow a video tutorial in you tube on how to remove and clean the drag pad. This involved getting access to the laptop by unscrewing the back, unscrewing and disconnecting the battery, then unscrewing and disconnecting the drag pad, so this it could be handled and cleaned. I followed the video to the letter, taking great care. I cleaned the drag pad as instructed, and replaced it. I did the same thing with the battery. All screws and the two simple 'plug in' connections for both the drag pad and battery have been replaced smoothly and exactly as I found them. but after putting the back panel on the MacBook, it will not turn on. It will not power up, either by the battery alone, or by using the mains power lead. There is a green light showing on the power lead input, but it is nowhere near as bright as it usually is. So I have gone from having a poorly functioning drag pad, to now having a MacBook Pro which won't even turn on! I have no idea what has happened. Please can anyone help? Thanks.


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

Did you use a ground strap while you did all of this?

I would take the panel off and double check your connections... in particular the battery cable connections.


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## Petrichor (Jul 22, 2014)

Thanks for the reply. Sorry, but I don't even know what a ground strap is. I just followed how the guy did it in the video, having everything carefully laid out on a clean work surface, with the MacBook resting on a soft cloth. I have checked all the connections, of both the battery and the drag pad, everything is as I found it. There isn't really anything else you can do with the connections other than have them plugged in or unplugged, they can only be plugged in one way, and I have done this, as far as I can see, exactly as I found them. the whole procedure went smoothly, which makes me even more puzzled as to why the MacBook won't now turn on.


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

A ground strap is something you wear on your wrist while working on a computer to prevent you from shorting out the motherboard while you touch it. It is especially important when disconnecting and working with the battery.

Even a simple static charge from walking on carpet in socks and then touching the computer can short it out. I am surprised the video you watched didn't show the guy wearing one.

If all of your connections are on properly and it is still not working... I fear you have shorted your computer out. You may want to take it to an Apple store and have them check it out....


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## Petrichor (Jul 22, 2014)

I was stood on a wooden floor while doing the work, and cannot recall any sights or sounds that could point to me shorting it. But maybe it would be too subtle for me to tell anyway as I'm no expert. I actually took it to the Apple Mac outlet here in Wellington for the initial drag pad problem but, now I'm thinking rather foolishly, I was too honest in mentioning the drops of water, and as soon as they heard this they said the one year warranty was breached. So I thought I would try and sort the drag pad out myself. Seems I'm finding out a few things the hard way, such as perhaps not being so honest in future, and what a ground strap is!


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## Petrichor (Jul 22, 2014)

Hmm...realise I have being saying 'drag pad' instead of 'track pad'. whoops.


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