How I changed the SSD in a MacBook Pro to an inexpensive, but capacious and fast one. Replacing the SSD in a MacBook Air: instructions Is it possible to change the hard drive on a MacBook?

If you have already changed the HDD, that is, a regular hard drive, of your MacBook to an SSD, that is, a solid-state drive (and you succeeded), then it will be superfluous to tell you how much faster the laptop becomes after such an upgrade.

However, as it turned out, even in such a not at all complicated upgrade, you can do things wrong if you don’t have the proper experience. In this regard, about one mistake that the author of this post first managed to make, and then had to fix it when he decided to change the HHD to an SSD in his work MacBook. By the way, regarding Apple repair issues in Kyiv, this link will tell you and help you.

In general, the essence of the fable is that the Mac OS operating system, unlike Windows, does not automatically enable the TRIM command for newly installed solid-state drives. However, if your MacBook was originally equipped with an SSD, then when you replace it (for example, with a larger drive), TRIM will already be enabled by default.

What is TRIM? In short, TRIM is a special command that, when deleting any file, is sent by the file system drivers to the SSD disk controller. Having received this command, the controller “understands” which data stored on the SSD is no longer needed and clears it in the background, freeing up memory blocks for new data. This is one of the specific features of flash memory. And in this way, data is rewritten to SSD memory blocks at approximately the same speed as on HDDs, in which data rewriting is performed according to a different principle (new ones are written “on top” of old ones without preliminary cleaning).

Another thing is that not all operating systems support the TRIM command. And, as in my case, the user finds out about this after the disk replacement has begun and after an “unclear problem” has arisen.

Therefore, if you are planning a similar event, I recommend that you first check whether this same TRIM team works there.

You can do this as follows:

Click the Apple icon (in the upper left corner of the screen) and in the menu click “ About this Mac «;
In the next window, click the button “ System report «;
in the left part of the window that opens, find and click “ Hardware " and then in the list - " SATA/SATA Express «;
Now scroll to the right side to the line “ TRIM support «;
if we see nearby " Yes", it means the command is enabled if it says " No“, then TRIM must be enabled separately.

How to enable TRIM on MacBook:

First, let’s double-check that you are logged into your laptop with administrator rights. After that:

launch Terminal (you can simply find it through Spotlight);
recruiting a team sudo trimforce enable and click Enter ;
enter password the account that is currently in use and click Enter ;
the system will ask you to confirm your actions, read the request, write y and press again Enter ;
now the system will ask for permission to reboot - write again y and click Enter .

After this, all that remains is to wait until the laptop reboots, and you can consider the job done. But for the sake of order, it’s better to go to “ System report" and check if TRIM is working. And then you can change the disk. Read more about the features of replacing components and repairing Apple equipment, in particular Macbooks, iPads and iPhones of any model and year of manufacture here - http://wefixit.com.ua/remont-iphone.

So there will be no excess disk space. There will always be something to fill it with.

Apple offers custom configuration options for its laptops and desktops with increased RAM/HDD/SSD capacity, but charges twice as much for the components as they cost if you buy them yourself. In addition, in Russian and Ukrainian realities, ordering a custom configuration costs a pretty penny, in addition to the increased cost of “branded” hardware. Although, it is the same branded one as purchased from any well-known company that sells computer components. Is it better tested and contains the latest version of Firmare, which is important in the case of an SSD, but more on that later.

In any case, if in the USA a HDD upgrade costs $100, then in Russia or Ukraine it will cost all of $150, or even $200, as part of ordering an individual PC configuration. The conclusion is simple - in the case of a MacBook or MacBook Pro, it is much cheaper to change the equipment yourself. Unfortunately, this does not apply to the MacBook Air. In it, the RAM is soldered into the motherboard, and an SSD of this format is difficult to find on sale for reasonable money, plus a special and rare screwdriver is required for disassembly - Pentalobe (5-petal flower). Today I would like to talk about replacing the drive in a MacBook Pro, I’ll talk a little about upgrading RAM and ways to quickly transfer personal data from an old HDD/SSD to a new one.

A clone is better than a backup

The test subject is a 15-inch MacBook Pro from 2011. “Lion”, aka OS X, has already settled on it, but I have not yet switched to using it, Snow Leopard is enough, plus this is a temporary laptop for me, provided by a good friend until the latest generation one I ordered arrives. That is, it is not advisable to somehow change the composition of the software on its HDD, so that if necessary, everything can be quickly returned to its original form. Thus, we will start upgrading the drive, one might say, from the end - with the transfer of personal data. This will save significant time.

On the Windows platform, there are third-party utilities for complete cloning of the system and other partitions, although in Windows 7 such a function was already built into the system. In Mac OS X, the standard Disk Utility was able to do this from the very first releases. Moreover, everything is implemented very simply, even a beginner will understand. The only problem may arise when connecting a built-in 2.5-inch drive to the laptop via USB. There are several options for solving it. I used the external HDD pocket shown in the photo above, and a proprietary hard drive inherited from the old MacBok Pro, and decided to work with it instead of the temporary laptop drive. An external pocket is a relatively inexpensive thing and is useful in households for storing media content on capacious hard drives, instead of optical disks. In terms of price per gigabyte, HDDs are already approaching DVDs. You can also tear up an old USB drive and use its contents. On the other hand, some devices of this kind can be easily disassembled, and you won’t have to break anything. The last method is not very convenient, but it is possible and, in principle, it will still be simpler than the standard procedure for transferring data when changing the internal drive, which we will talk about later.

A standard external USB drive of sufficient capacity is used - a clone of the system partition is made on it, then the HDD in the laptop is changed, the device is assembled and turned on with the Alt (Option) button held down, after which the choice of volume to boot will appear. Naturally, an external drive is indicated. After the system boots from it, the reverse cloning operation is performed using Disk Utility. In addition, all this can be done if you have a Mac OS X boot disk. If you boot from it, you will also be able to launch “Disk Utility” (located in the utilities section, in the top menu) and carry out all the same operations as in the environment OS X

Pay attention to the screenshot above. It clearly shows what needs to be done to completely clone the system partition. In particular, you should launch “Disk Utility”, select any drive and go to the “Recover” section. In the “Source” field, using the Drag-and-drop method, the current system partition is dragged - a clone will be made from it; in the “Destination” field, a new drive is dragged if it was connected via USB, or any external HDD, but it should be remembered that all data on it will be deleted. That is, it is worth taking care of their preservation in advance. It is imperative to check the “Clear destination” option, which involves not simply deleting data (if any), but also formatting the partition in the desired format (Mac OS Extended (Journaled)). After everything is selected, click the “Restore” button. In my case, about 100 GB of data was copied in just over an hour, although the system initially indicated that it would take all of three hours.

Naturally, all these operations are carried out similarly with an SSD, if the user decides to install this type of drive instead of an HDD. By the way, the right decision - the increase in performance is huge and much more noticeable than increasing RAM from 4 to 8 GB. The only caveat is that you may have to update the SSD firmware to implement support for the TRIM command. It was originally present in Windows 7, and appeared in Mac OS X starting with the release 10.6.8. A very useful command for solid-state drives, which allows you to avoid a significant decrease in device performance when it is full and used for a long time. In general, before installing an SSD, I would like to advise you to first read thematic forums and decide on the model. Intel offers some of the best options on the market.

RAM is easy to expand

Well, the drive is ready, it's time to disassemble the laptop. I recommend placing it upside down on something soft - a microfiber cloth or a neoprene case, as in my case. To remove the cover, you will need a Philips 0 screwdriver. The bolts take some effort to unscrew, as they contain a sealant (blue blots on the thread). As you remove them, it is advisable to arrange them on the table in the same pattern as they are located in the laptop, since there are several parts that differ in length.

The bottom cover may not give in the first time - it fits very tightly and precisely. You should not use brute force; just gently pull it up from the side of the display hinge. As a result, the following picture will appear:

In the 13-inch model everything is very similar, except that there is only one fan. There is access to the HDD and RAM too. Before getting into the inside of a computer, it is necessary to remove static charge from the body so as not to damage delicate electronic components. You can touch a metal part inside the laptop, such as the optical drive housing, or touch a metal faucet in the bathroom or kitchen. If you want to change the memory, just move the antennae along the edges of the slot, the RAM strips will rise on their own and will be easy to remove. Install the new ones carefully and tightly: insert the bar at an angle into the connector (the angle is the same as when removing the part), slightly press forward so that it fits into it, then lower the RAM down until it clicks. Make sure that the latches end up directly opposite the corresponding cutouts in the memory strips. I personally came across a situation where a person simply did not insert the RAM into the slot, but was able to lower it to a horizontal position. Actually put the slats on top. The result was expected, the PC did not start without RAM. Although this was in the Mac mini, the design of the connectors and fasteners for RAM there is identical to that in a laptop.

I will add that Apple previously recommended disconnecting the battery when replacing components, although this was at a time when laptops were equipped with a removable battery (models produced before 2008 inclusive). You can disconnect the power connector now, as I did when I changed the HDD and RAM in 2009 in my new 13-inch Proshka at that time, but, as practice has shown, this is unnecessary. And there are no instructions in this regard in the official instructions. A good friend is a technician at an official reseller of Apple equipment, and without disconnecting the battery, he replaced dozens of memory sticks and drives, no problems arose, the main thing is to remember to completely turn off the laptop before doing this, and not put it into sleep mode, and also remove the static charge.

There is a little more hassle with the storage device

Now let's move on to the HDD. It is not screwed tightly to the laptop, but lies in a special seat. To remove the drive, unscrew the plastic strip at the edge of the drive (on the optical drive side). A Philips 0 screwdriver is also used.

After this, you need to pull the strap and carefully remove the drive, disconnect the connector - it can be removed easily.

There are four bolts with a Torx 6 head screwed into the sides of the HDD. You should take care in advance to look for such a screwdriver or attachment, since you won’t be able to pick them out with a small flat or Phillips head, the bolts are tightly seated. We unscrew them from the old drive, screw them to the new one, everything is simple.

The plastic strap can be re-glued onto a new HDD or SSD - it can easily withstand a dozen such operations without losing its adhesive properties.

After that, we connect the connector in place, place the HDD in its mounting bed and screw on the plastic strip. Well, here you go, everything is ready:

As they say, it’s better to see it live once than to read it 100 times, so I suggest watching a video of the entire process filmed by a foreign colleague with the nickname JaymarkTech:

Pay attention to the bottom cover; dust may collect on it and should be removed.

If the system partition was cloned to the new drive in advance, then you can turn on the laptop and enjoy the update. Otherwise, you'll have to use a Mac OS X boot disk and a Time Machine backup (or the USB drive option described above). The procedure is simple, but takes longer than cloning a system partition through Disk Utility.

You should boot from the installation system disk, run Disk Utility, split the drive into partitions if you wish, or use one partition and format it in Mac OS Extended (journaled) format. After this, you can begin installing Mac OS X. Then it is advisable to install all system updates through the “Software Update” function and you can roll up a Time Machine backup. In the case of OS X Lion, loading (similarly, via holding down the Alt button) is performed from a hidden partition previously created on any flash drive. For this purpose there is a proprietary free program Lion Recovery Disk Assistant. Next, the system is installed from the Mac App Store, that is, an Internet connection is required to download about 3.5 GB of data. As a result, a planned restoration from a backup follows, as described above. But, it’s still easier to clone the disk first than to mess around with manually installing the OS and transferring data from a Time Machine backup.

That's all, actually. There is nothing complicated about this - try it, and you, dear readers, will definitely succeed.

We all know that a computer or laptop consists of many parts and one of the most important is the hard drive, or as it is also called HDD. Of course, in a MacBook, all the details are important, but if the speaker or microphone breaks, then you can still survive it, but the loss of the hard drive is unlikely. The Mac simply won't boot or will run very slowly. In addition, HDDs are subject to wear and aging, so one of the most popular reasons for calling services is replacing hard drive on macbook.
Macbook Air and Pro Retina use solid-state drives, I will write a separate article about them - replacing ssd macbooks.

The second reason to consider replacing an HDD is an upgrade. In this case, clients either do not have enough memory or require a faster disk – ssd. In this article we will look at both reasons and talk about some of the nuances of replacing the hard drive on a MacBook.

Replacing a faulty hard drive on a MacBook pro 13 or 15.

People contact us every day whose MacBooks fail for various reasons, and often this is due to the hard drive. The HDD in any MacBook Pro or Air model is one of the most vulnerable and fragile parts. There are many factors that negatively affect the performance of a MacBook HDD, and we will highlight the main ones:

Power surges and, as a result, incorrect shutdown of the disk;
Operating MacBook pro in extreme conditions (vibration, falls, etc.);
Wear or, more simply, normal aging;
Factory defect (this problem is rare).

Advice: To extend the life of the HDD, turn off your MacBook before transporting it. In this case, no power is supplied and the mechanical parts of the disk will remain at rest.

Symptoms of a malfunction are usually as follows:

Macbook does not boot or takes a very long time to boot;
The system freezes and runs slowly, the Mac slows down;
Some files and folders cannot be opened, file system errors.

What to do if at least one symptom is familiar to you? If the computer still boots and works, then first of all try to copy all important data to external media or a flash drive as quickly as possible. When the data is safe, you can try to check the HDD using the SMART Utility. If it shows errors in the “bad sector” section, then you can prepare to replace the hard drive on your MacBook. If there are no errors, then try reinstalling the system, it should help.

Replacing hdd with ssd in macbook.

Quite often, ssds are changed to increase the speed of a laptop. If your Mac slows down and works slowly, then an upgrade can be a salvation. Judge for yourself - the read and write speed of a regular hard drive in various tests reaches from 50 to 150 MB/s. For ssds, the values of these parameters reach up to 500 MB/s. Thus, an SSD drive works from 3 to 10 times faster than a hard drive.

In practice, if you install an ssd instead of an HDD in a Macbook Pro 13 or 15 (a1278 and a1286), then booting the system from a switched off state will take about 23 seconds. Agree, the result is very good. Loading programs will also occur many times faster. If before you managed to read all the names of the creators of Photoshop, now you are unlikely to be able to do this;)

Also, in addition to installing an SSD instead of a HDD in a MacBook, you can install an additional disk instead of a CD drive. This is done using an adapter called Optibay. The best option from the point of view of finance and space is to install a 120-240Gb SSD as the main disk, and install a 500 Gb-1 Tb HDD in place of the CD drive, while you can use the old disk if it is in good condition. Replacing the hdd with an ssd in a macbook pro will give your old Mac a second life.

Replacing a disk in iMac (Aimak)

Despite the fact that Aimak 21”, 24” or 27” (models a1311, a1312 2009-2011 and a1418, a1419 2012-2015) stands still, disc wear is also not alien to it, but there is one important nuance. If any 2.5” laptop disks are suitable for a Macbook, then replacing an iMac disk is only possible with a special “native” disk. It's all about the temperature sensor. If you install a regular hard drive, then after replacing the HDD the fans will start working at maximum and make unpleasant noise. Upgrading an iMac by installing an SSD is also possible, only the procedure is slightly different. Due to the temperature sensor, the ssd in the iMac is installed instead of the CD drive (or in the mini-PCIe slot for models from 2012) and not vice versa, as is the case with the MacBook. Otherwise the technology and speed are similar.

Replacing a disk in Mac mini (Mac mini)

Replacing a Mac mini drive is the same as on a Macbook. Any 2.5" drive will work fine. Installing an SSD is similar to a CD drive via Optibay.

How to replace hdd or ssd on Macbook

As a rule, the main condition when replacing a hard drive on a MacBook is to save data, because information is often valued more than the laptop itself, or at least on par with it. There are 2 options here - you can dump the data in folders onto an external drive or flash drive, or make a copy of the system using TimeMachine. In the second case, all system settings along with programs will also be copied. When all the data is securely stored, you can begin the repair.

We reassemble in reverse order. There should be no extra bolts left;) When the Mac HDD replacement is complete, all you have to do is install the operating system and you can use the Mac and enjoy life.

If you are lazy, don’t have time or just don’t want to bother, then we can do it all for you, from saving data (if possible) to installing or upgrading a hard drive or SSD. In terms of time, all procedures usually take from several hours to one working day. You can see the cost in the table below. If you have any questions, please call or email us, we will try to help you;)

Let's figure out whether it is possible to upgrade the MacBook Air at home by increasing its memory.

It is not difficult. But there are several very important points that you need to know. Otherwise you will lose money.

Which MacBook Air models can replace the SSD drive?

IN MacBook Air before 2010 you can replace the drive with a 1.8-inch SSD with a SATA interface. We won’t talk about them today, since the computers are outdated, and the SSD drives themselves of this form factor are publicly available and do not differ in any features critical for the Mac. Just bought it and installed it.

IN MacBook Air models from 2010 year, you can also replace the SSD drive. But there is a rare form of it, hence the need for this article.

Apple in its repertoire. SSD drives in all modern MacBook Airs have a rather specific connector 28pin. Thank you for at least not unsoldering the drive on the motherboard.

Posted by site (@site) Dec 6, 2017 at 11:53 PST

Because of this, replacing an SSD becomes very difficult, leaving the following options:

1. Buy an original SSD drive for your MacBook. You will have to look for such components, and the price for them is frankly not encouraging.

2. Find a similar third-party SSD. Again, it all comes down to price, as they say, the game is not worth the candle.

3. Use a special adapter. A small adapter for $13 on Amazon or $9.5 from AliExpress allows you to install almost any modern M.2 drive instead of a standard one.

A suitable 256 GB SSD will cost 7-10 thousand rubles. For 15-17 thousand rubles. (the difference between MacBook Air models) you can find a 512 GB model.

After the upgrade, you will still have a 128 GB stock drive that can be sold.

Important: it’s not enough to just buy a “flat” SSD

Not every SSD drive is suitable for use with an adapter.

Firstly, The SSD must support the Serial ATA interface and the AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) mechanism. This is usually indicated in the device specifications.

Secondly, the drive must have a connection key M or universal B&M, but not key B.

Third, the length of the SSD board should not exceed 80mm, otherwise it will not fit. If the drive is too short or an adapter board is used, you will most likely not be able to fit into the mounting hole and will have to use double-sided tape to secure the drive.

How to replace SSD on MacBook Air

Attention! Replacing computer components yourself will void the warranty. You carry out all actions at your own peril and risk.

To replace you will need a pair of screwdrivers: T5 Torx And P5 Pentalobe.

1. Using P5 Pentalobe, unscrew the 10 screws on the back cover of the laptop.

2. Carefully lift the cover near the display hinge.

3. To disconnect the laptop and prevent accidental startup, it is recommended to disconnect the battery. To do this, you need to find the power connector and pull the plastic tab.

4. Using a T9 Torx screwdriver, remove the screw securing the SSD drive.

5. Install a new drive and repeat the operations in reverse order.

That's not all, you need to configure macOS

After replacing the disk, you can perform a clean installation of macOS or roll a backup copy. In any case, after starting the system, you will need to perform another operation.

When using a third-party SSD with macOS, you must enable the TRIM command. Otherwise, over time, the drive's performance will decrease and write operations will be slower.

Since version OS X 10.11 El Capitan You can activate TRIM on all SSDs using the terminal command:

After confirming with an administrator password and rebooting your Mac, TRIM will be activated.

This page provides step-by-step instructions that detail how to replace your MacBook Pro's old hard drive with a new one.

First you need to prepare the necessary tools: a small Phillips screwdriver and a size 6 star screwdriver. When choosing a hard drive in a showroom, check that it has a sata interface and a 2.5 form factor.

Step-by-step instructions “Replacing the hard drive in a MacBook Pro”

Preparatory stage

The first step is to turn off the laptop, unplug MagSafe and remove the battery. The battery needs to be removed not only because you need to turn off the power to the laptop, but also because you need to remove the screws in the battery compartment.

At stage 1, you need to unscrew the 3 screws that hold the compartment cover with the MacBook RAM strips using a Phillips screwdriver. The bar is easy to remove - set it aside.

At stage 3, the most entertaining procedure awaits - unscrewing the screws in the outer part of the case. There are 18 of them in total: 4 - on the bottom, 4 - at the end on the right, 4 - at the end on the left and 2 - near the display hinge.

Now things have reached the most difficult stage. After you have unscrewed all the screws and screws, the keyboard cover can be detached. But problems may arise. On the opposite side of the display, the cover is held in place by several latches. Try moving the cover, if it doesn’t work, pry it off with a thin flat-head screwdriver.

Be extremely careful at this stage, as there is a high risk of breaking the latches, bending the aluminum bottom or warping the plastic of the lid.

As soon as the cover comes off, do not rush to remove it from the almost disassembled MacBook. The fact is that the cover is connected to the motherboard by a thin ribbon wire that needs to be disconnected. This is very simple to do: you need to lift the keyboard cover up as far as the cable length allows. You will immediately see it and understand how to disconnect the wire.

At stage 6 you will need to disconnect the old hard drive. It is located at the bottom left. First, carefully unscrew and remove the thin bar securing the hard drive, pressing the screw by the silicone “ears” against the computer case. After the strip is removed, you can remove the screw by disconnecting from the sata on top. The silicone “ears” need to be unscrewed from the old disk and screwed to the new one. The screw seems to hang on them, and during a fall or impact, the rubber suspension softens the mechanical force.

Finally, you need to install the new drive by doing everything in reverse order.

As you can see, the procedure for replacing a hard drive in a MacBook Pro can be done at home! If you can’t do it or don’t have the skills and time, contact our service center; you can see the price list.