Installing ssd in macbook pro 13. Installing SSD and second HDD. Note to the hostess

The cost of the original 256Gb SSD for Macbook Air and Pro Retina 2012 is 17,000 rubles, for Macbook Air and Pro Retina 2013-2015 and even more expensive - 26,000 rubles. The M.2 (NGFF) SATA SSD converter, which costs about 2,000 rubles, comes to the rescue. This thing will allow you to use M2 SATA SSD drives, for example Samsung 256Gb, but for 7,000 rubles. Saving 2 times - not acidic! You can install the converter in Macbook Air 11 "and 13" 2010-2015, as well as Macbook Pro Retina 13 "and 15" 2012-2015.

Unfortunately, since 2016, the Macbook Pro Retina 13 "and 15" are equipped with non-removable SSDs, soldered on the motherboard, as in the younger brother - Macbook Retina 12 ". The only option to upgrade or replace is to replace the entire motherboard.

Can I grow an integrated SSD in a MacBook?

If the flash memory is soldered, then the motherboard must be replaced. Apple has been producing such models since 2015, starting with the MacBook Retina 12 "and the Pro line. A couple of" workarounds ":

• Use a high-speed external storage device such as USB 3.0
• Using the SDXC card slot is neat, budget-friendly, but the speed of 60 MB / s is disappointing
• Buy a 128 or 256 gigabyte TarDisk Pear memory card 2 times more expensive than your fellow tribesmen. Fits in the same SDXC slot. Pear's key advantage is to automatically pair with the built-in hard drive to create a Fusion Drive counterpart.

Information recovery

In 70% of cases, the data will be copied even if the HDD is damaged. It is more difficult if the disk controller (board) is faulty, although we also solve such problems. With an SSD, in 80% of cases, pulling files will fail, or the operation will be prohibitively expensive.

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

The second reason for dealing with a replacement HDD is an upgrade. In this case, clients either do not have enough memory, or they need a faster disk - ssd. In this article, we will look at both reasons and talk about some of the nuances of replacing a hard drive on a MacBook.

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

Every day we are contacted by people whose MacBook breaks down for various reasons, and not infrequently 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 consequence, incorrect disconnection of the disk;
• Operating your MacBook pro in extreme conditions (vibration, falls, etc.);
• Wear or, more simply, ordinary 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, power is not supplied and the mechanical parts of the disc will remain at rest.

Symptoms of a malfunction are usually:

• Macbook won't boot or boot up for a very long time;
• System freezes and runs slowly, Mac slows down;
• Some files and folders do not open, file system errors.

What to do if at least one symptom is familiar to you? If the computer is still booting up and working, then the first step is to copy all important data to an external media or flash drive as soon 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 with a MacBook. If there are no errors, then try reinstalling the system, it should help.

Replacing hdd with ssd in macbook.

The ssd is changed quite often to increase the speed of the laptop. If the Mac is slow and slow, then an upgrade can be a lifesaver. Judge for yourself - the speed of reading and writing of an ordinary hard disk in different tests reaches from 50 to 150 MB / s. For ssd, the values ​​of these parameters reach up to 500 mb / s. Thus, an SSD drive works 3 to 10 times faster than a hard drive.

In practice, if you put ssd instead of the hdd disk in Macbook Pro 13 or 15 (a1278 and a1286), then it will take about 23 seconds to boot the system from the off state. Agree, the result is very good. Loading programs will also be 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 it;)

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

Replacing a disk in an iMac (Aimac)

Despite the fact that Aimak 21 ", 24" or 27 "(models a1311, a1312 2009-2011 and a1418, a1419 2012-2015) is in place, disc wear is also not alien to him, but there is one important nuance. If any 2.5 ”laptop disks are suitable for Macbook, then replacing the iMac disk is possible only with a special“ native ”disk. And 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 noise unpleasantly. Upgrading your iMac by installing an SSD is also possible, only the order 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. The rest of the technology and speed are similar.

Replacing a disk in a Mac mini (Mac mini)

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

How to replace hdd or ssd on a Macbook

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

We assemble in the reverse order. No extra bolts should remain;) When the Mac HDD replacement is completed, you just have to install the operating system and you can use the Mac and enjoy life.

If you are too lazy, have no time or just don’t want to bother, then we can do all this for you, starting with saving data (if possible) and ending with 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, then call or write to us by mail, we will try to help you;)

So it will not be superfluous disk space. There is always something to fill it with.

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

In any case, if in the USA the HDD upgrade costs $ 100, then in Russia or Ukraine it will cost all $ 150, or even $ 200 as part of an order for an individual PC configuration. The conclusion is simple - in the case of a MacBook or MacBook Pro, it is much cheaper to change the hardware yourself. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the MacBook Air. In it, the RAM is soldered into the motherboard, and it is difficult to find an SSD of this format on sale for reasonable money, plus a special and rare screwdriver for parsing requires a special and rare - Pentalobe (5-petal flower). Today I would like to talk about replacing a drive in a MacBook Pro, go through a little RAM upgrade 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 2011 15-inch MacBook Pro. "Lion" has already settled on it, aka OS X, 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 last generation ordered arrives. That is, it is undesirable to somehow change the composition of the software on its HDD, so that, if necessary, you can quickly return everything to its original form. Thus, we will start modernizing the drive, one might say, from the end - with the transfer of personal data. This will save you a lot of time.

On the Windows platform, there are third-party utilities for full cloning of the system and other partitions, although in Windows 7 this function was already built into the system. In Mac OS X, the standard "Disk Utility" has been able to do this from the very first releases. And everything is implemented very simply, even a beginner will understand. The only problem may arise when connecting a 2.5-inch embedded drive to the laptop via USB. There are several options for its solution. I used the external HDD pocket, shown in the photo above, and the branded 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 the household for storing media content on capacious hard drives, instead of optical disks. At a price per gigabyte, HDDs are already approaching DVDs. You can also junk out an old USB stick and use its stuffing. On the other hand, some devices of this kind are easily disassembled, and nothing will have to be broken. The latter method is not very convenient, but it is possible and, in principle, it will still be easier than the standard data transfer procedure 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 is changed in the laptop, the device is assembled and turned on with the Alt (Option) button held down, after which a choice of volume for loading will appear. Naturally, an external drive is indicated. After the system boots from it, the reverse cloning operation is performed using the 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.

Take a look at the screenshot above. It clearly indicates 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. The current system partition is dragged into the Source field using the Drag-and-drop method - a clone will be made from it, a new drive is dragged into the Destination field if it was connected via USB, or any external HDD, but remember 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 item "Clear destination", which involves not just deleting data (if any), but also formatting the partition in the desired format (Mac OS Extended (Journaled)). After everything is selected, the "Restore" button is pressed. In my case, about 100 GB of data was rewritten in a little over an hour, although initially the system indicated that it would take all three hours.

Naturally, all these operations are similarly performed with SSD, if the user decided to install just this type of drive instead of HDD. By the way, the right decision - the increase in performance is huge and much more noticeable than the increase in RAM from 4 to 8 GB. The only caveat is that you may need to update the SSD firmware to support the TRIM command. It was originally present in Windows 7, and in Mac OS X it appeared starting with the release of 10.6.8. A very useful command for solid-state drives 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 advise you to first read the thematic forums and decide on the model. Intel offers some of the best options on the market.

It's easy to build up RAM

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 on a neoprene cover, as in my case. To remove the cover, you need a Philips 0 screwdriver. The bolts are unscrewed with some effort, since they contain a seal (blue blots on the thread). As they are removed, it is advisable to place them on the table in the same way as they are located in a laptop, since there are several parts that differ in length.

The bottom cover may not budge the first time - it sits very tightly and precisely. Do not use brute force, just pull it gently up from the display hinge. As a result, the following picture will open to the eye:

In the 13-inch model, everything is very similar, except that there is only one fan. There is access to the HDD and to the RAM too. Before crawling into the insides of a computer, it is necessary to discharge a static charge from the body so as not to damage the delicate electronic components. You can touch a metal part inside your laptop, such as an optical drive enclosure, or touch a metal faucet in your bathroom or kitchen. If you want to change the memory, just spread the antennae along the edges of the slot, the RAM strips will rise by themselves and it will be easy to remove them. Install the new ones neatly and tightly: insert the strip at an angle into the slot (the slope is the same as when you removed the part), slightly push forward so that it goes into it, then lower the RAM down until it clicks. Pay attention that the latches end up directly opposite the corresponding notches in the memory strips. I personally came across a situation where a person simply did not insert RAM into the connector, but was able to lower it to a horizontal position. I actually put the planks on top. The result is expected, the PC did not start without RAM. Although it was in Mac mini, the design of connectors and fasteners for RAM is identical to that of 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 up to 2008 inclusive). You can still 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 superfluous. And in the official instructions there are no instructions on this matter. A good friend is a technical specialist at an official reseller of Apple technology, and without disconnecting the battery, he changed dozens of memory sticks and drives, there were no problems, the main thing is not to forget to completely turn off the laptop before that, and not put it into sleep mode, and also remove the static charge.

With a drive a little more trouble

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

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

Four bolts with a Torx 6 head are screwed in on the sides of the HDD. You should take care of finding such a screwdriver or a nozzle in advance, since it will not work to dig them out with a small flat or cross-type, the bolts sit tightly. We unscrew them from the old drive, fasten them to the new one, everything is simple.

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

After that, we plug the connector into place, place the HDD in its seat and screw on the plastic strap. Well, now, everything is ready:

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

Pay attention to the bottom cover, dust can collect on it and should be removed.

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

Boot from the system installation disk, run Disk Utility, partition the drive if you wish, or use a single partition and format it in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. After that, you can start 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, through the held down Alt button) is performed from a hidden partition created in advance on any flash drive. For this there is a proprietary free program Lion Recovery Disk Assistant. Next, the system is installed from the Mac App Store, that is, you need an Internet connection to download about 3.5 GB of data. As a result, a planned restore from a backup follows, as described above. But, nevertheless, it's easier to pre-clone a disk than to tinker with manually installing the OS and transferring data from a Time Machine backup.

That, in fact, is all. There is nothing difficult in this - try it, and you, dear readers, will definitely succeed.

Let's figure out if you can upgrade your MacBook Air at home by increasing its memory.

This is not difficult. But there are some very important points to be aware of. Otherwise, you will lose money.

Which MacBook Air models can replace the SSD?

V MacBook Air before 2010 you can replace the drive with a 1.8-inch SSD with SATA interface. We will not talk about them today, since computers are outdated, and the SSDs themselves of this form factor are generally available and do not differ in some features critical for Mac. Just bought and delivered.

V MacBook Air models from 2010 years, you can also replace the SSD. But there is its rare form, hence the need for this article.

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

Post from site (@ site) Dec 6 2017 at 11:53 PST

Because of this, replacing the SSD becomes much more difficult, and the following options remain:

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

2. Find a similar third-party SSD drive. Again, everything depends on the 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 on AliExpress allows you to install almost any modern M.2 drive instead of the standard one.

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

After the upgrade, you will still have a 128 GB stock disk in your hands, which can be sold.

Important: just buying a "flat" SSD is not enough

Not every SSD is suitable for use with an adapter.

At first, SSD must overexpose Serial ATA interface and AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) mechanism. This is usually indicated in the specifications of the device.

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

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

How to replace an SSD on a MacBook Air

Attention! Replacing computer components yourself will void your warranty. All actions you carry out at your own peril and risk.

To replace, you need a pair of screwdrivers: T5 Torx and P5 pentalobe.

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

2. Gently pry off the cover near the display hinge.

3. It is recommended to disconnect the battery to power off the laptop and prevent it from being switched on accidentally. To do this, you need to find the power connector and pull on the plastic tab.

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

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 install of macOS or roll a backup. In any case, after starting the system, you will need to perform one more operation.

When using a third-party SSD with macOS, you need to enable the TRIM command. Otherwise, over time, drive performance will degrade and write operations will be slower.

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

After confirming with the administrator password and restarting the Mac, TRIM will be activated.

Replacing the hard disk became relevant after the release of the HDD with a large amount of memory. Users can independently change the hard drive to Macbook Pro using our instructions. Similarly, you can replace the HDD and SSD disk.

Preparing to replace the hard drive on your MacBook Pro

Before proceeding with changing the hard drive, you need to copy all the information that is contained on the laptop. To do this, you should select any external drive with the required volume. It is recommended to clone the system partition to it. You can make a clone using the "Disk Utility", which is located in the "body" of the operating system.

How to image an existing disk:

1. Restart your PC and hold down the Command and R keys at the same time while booting until the Apple symbol appears.
2. Click on "Continue" and in the "View" section select "Show all devices".
3. Mark the disk partition (or disk) that macOS is on.
4. Click on "Create Backup".
5. Next, you need to use the prompts of the program.

Algorithm for replacing a disk on a MacBook Pro

After the user has copied all the necessary information, you need to start replacing the disk. To do this, you need to do a few simple steps:

• Disconnect the device from the power supply and remove the battery.
• The Mac should be placed upside down. It is best to place it on a soft material to avoid damaging the lid.
• Use a Philips 0 screwdriver to remove the case. The bolts will be reluctant to loosen. When taking out the bolts, it is advised to place them on a flat surface similar to the location on a Mac.

• The body should be lifted gently and lightly. It will be difficult to film.

• The hard drive will be located to the right of the center of the laptop. It is located in a special niche and is secured with a plastic bar. It must be unscrewed with a Philips screwdriver 0.

• After these steps, you need to gently pull on the strap and pull out the HDD.

• There are 4 bolts on the side faces of the HDD, which can be unscrewed using a Torx 6 screwdriver (it will be extremely problematic to do this with a simple screwdriver). Then, you need to screw these bolts onto the new disc.