UpgradeMacBookProHardDrive

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* Paper copy of iFixIt instructions closest matching your make and model. * Paper copy of iFixIt instructions closest matching your make and model.
** Pen or pencil to mark up your copy if/when you encounter differences. Watch for things like different screw counts, types of screws used, etc. ** Pen or pencil to mark up your copy if/when you encounter differences. Watch for things like different screw counts, types of screws used, etc.
 +
 +==Hack Procedure==
 +
 +# Clear your space.
 +# Set out your tools
 +# Set out your screw management system
 +# Get your digital camera ready
 +# Disassembly
 +## Remove the battery [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/1470086355/in/set-72157602227299614/]
 +## Remove the RAM [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/1470946632/in/set-72157602227299614/]
 +## Remove Bottom Screws
 +### Remove the Torx screws in the RAM compartment and the Phillips screws on the bottom [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/1470092341/in/set-72157602227299614/]
 +### Remove the angled Phillips screws from the battery compartment [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/1470101125/in/set-72157602227299614/]
 +## Remove Edge Screws
 +### Remove the Phillips screws from both sides [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/1470105573/in/set-72157602227299614/ DVI Side] and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/1470110529/in/set-72157602227299614/ Power Socket Side]
 +### From the rear, remove the Phillips screws at each side of the LCD hinge. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/1470971536/in/set-72157602227299614/ One Side] and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/1470972360/in/set-72157602227299614/ Other Side]
 +## Flip the machine right-side up, open the LCD and '''carefully''' pry off the top keyboard module from around the edges.
 +##* Should look something like [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/1470115383/in/set-72157602227299614/ this]. Note the
 +
=Scratch Pad= =Scratch Pad=

Revision as of 01:59, 1 January 2008

Contents

Upgrading a MacBook Pro's Hard Drive

Outline for Upgrading a MacBook Pro Hard Drive.

Rough Draft

  1. Why this hack is needed (story, build desire)
  2. Describe the relevant features
  3. Hack prerequisites
  4. Hack code/procedure
  5. Example of the Hack in action
  6. Brief summary (why the reader rocks!)
  7. If possible, Hack alternatives

Why this hack is needed

When you bought your current MacBook Pro, you maxed out the capacity and/or speed of the hard drive based on what was available at the time. A year later, you've just purchased the latest release of Apple Logic Pro and a full install barely fit. Bigger, faster hard drives are on the market now, but the current generations of laptops' internal storage weren't designed to be user-serviceable. You've replaced them dozens of times in desktop machines. A laptop can't be that difficult, can it?

The Relevant Features

Organization is key. Laptops are by definition, very compact and efficiently designed machines.

  • Don't lose any parts.
    • Every screw counts.
  • Use the right part in the right place.
    • If a screw was flush with a surface before you removed it, it should be flush when it goes back in.
  • Order and alignment matters.
    • Cables folded a certain way should go back folded the same way. Pinch nothing.
  • Tolerances are tight so parts don't fall out or apart during regular wear.
    • Some pressure is necessary during disassembly and reassembly.
  • Circuit boards and connectors are proportionally smaller than in a desktop.
    • Don't use too much pressure or you could crack a board and brick your machine.

Hack Prerequisites

Tools

  • A clean and static-electricity free work surface.
  • Screw drivers
    • Phillips 00 and/or 000 size
    • Torx T6 size
  • Digital Camera
    • Take lots of pictures, every step of the way.
  • Tray to receive screws
    • You don't want to loose any! Group them in the order you remove them. This will make it a lot easier to re-install them in reverse order.
  • A steady hand.
  • Patience.
  • No fear.

Parts

  • A new 2.5" SATA hard drive matching or exceeding your current drive's specifications
    • Match the physical dimensions or find a thinner drive. A thicker drive may or may not fit.
  • (optional) Temporary SATA bridge interface to mount the new drive on the system to make a bootable image of your current system.
    • If you want to start from scratch, all you need are you Mac OS X install DVDs.
    • Copy of SuperDuper! software to create the new image.
  • Paper copy of iFixIt instructions closest matching your make and model.
    • Pen or pencil to mark up your copy if/when you encounter differences. Watch for things like different screw counts, types of screws used, etc.

Hack Procedure

  1. Clear your space.
  2. Set out your tools
  3. Set out your screw management system
  4. Get your digital camera ready
  5. Disassembly
    1. Remove the battery [1]
    2. Remove the RAM [2]
    3. Remove Bottom Screws
      1. Remove the Torx screws in the RAM compartment and the Phillips screws on the bottom [3]
      2. Remove the angled Phillips screws from the battery compartment [4]
    4. Remove Edge Screws
      1. Remove the Phillips screws from both sides DVI Side and Power Socket Side
      2. From the rear, remove the Phillips screws at each side of the LCD hinge. One Side and Other Side
    5. Flip the machine right-side up, open the LCD and carefully pry off the top keyboard module from around the edges.
      • Should look something like this. Note the


Scratch Pad

Preparation

Measure twice; cut once.

Get Current System Specifications

  • Which make/model of hard-drive is currently in your system?
    • Apple - About This Mac - More Info
    • Hardware - Serial ATA
      • Look up the model at the manufacturers web site.
        • What are the physical dimensions? Don't want a replacement drive that's too thick.
        • What are the interface specs?
  • Depending on your performance and capacity needs, choose a new drive of the same interface type - Serial ATA.

Tools You Will Need

  • Screw drivers
    • Phillips 00 and/or 000 size
    • Torx T6 size
  • Digital Camera
    • Take lots of pictures, every step of the way.
  • Tray to receive screws
    • You don't want to loose any! Group them in the order you remove them. This will make it a lot easier to re-install them in reverse order.

Create the New Drive Image

Make the Image

  • Make an identical, bootable copy of your current system on the new drive

Verify Image Bootable (optional)

  • (optional) Verify that the new drive is bootable using a FireWire-to-SATA interface.
    • Power off your computer
    • Plug in the FireWire drive
    • Hold down the option key and press the Power button. When presented with the option to boot from the internal or external drives, select the external.
  • Note 1: Don't be tempted to play too much with the imaged drive yet. As the final step, you'll need to rename the new transplanted drive or some applications won't work properly.

Perform the Transplant

It's not brain surgery, but given the size and compactness of parts (relative to a more familiar desktop system), resist the temptation to force anything.

  • If a screw doesn't slide in easily, back it out and try again and/or make sure you have picked the correct screw.
  • Don't be sloppy with your screw extraction technique. If the screw driver seems to have too much wiggle room in a screw's head, try a size larger or smaller tip size. Press down firmly enough that the driver doesn't pop out but not so much that boards bend; it's the twist that moves the screw, not the press.
  • Keep track of all your parts and disassembly order
    • I took pictures for each new row of screws, and kept them in order on a piece of paper.
  • Use a clean surface - grit will scratch your MBPro very easily.
  • Static electricity is your enemy. If you don't have a ready anti-static surface to work on, gather together all the anti-static bags and pieces of anti-static foam you have (hard drives and memory cards often ship in them) and use those.

Re-assemble Your System

  • Put everything back together in the reverse order.
    • When in doubt, look at the photos you took along the way. They are automagically in forward order, so note where you are in assembling, find the same location in your pictures and zoom in.
  • Unless you really need it for something, put your original drive aside in a safe place. If something is wrong with your new drive the problem will usual manifest in the first while of use.

Troubleshooting

  • Help! My system won't boot!
    • Make sure you put the memory DIMMs all the way in no gold pins showing. This one got me.
    • If the new SATA drive is 3.0Gb/s capable but the old was a 1.5Gb/s, you may have to explicitly set the new drive jumper to 1.5Gb/s mode. Mine was set to this be default, but I've run into this issue using 3.5" SATA drives through my eSATA interface. The drives are fine via USB 2.0 interface, but eSATA is more direct and chip-set dependent.

References

--Started: AndrewPlumb 14:52, 4 December 2007 (PST)

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