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MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement

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  1. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Lower Case: paso 1, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove the following ten screws:

    • Three 14.4 mm Phillips #00 screws

    • Three 3.5 mm Phillips #00 screws

    • Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws

    • When replacing the small screws, align them perpendicular to the slight curvature of the case (they don't go straight down).

    How much weight can I save by removing the optical drive?

    gunes314 - Contestar

    You can save a lot of weight if lets say your installing a solid state drive or putting in a second hard drive but if you know that you use the CD/DVD disc drive a lot then you might just want to leave the drive alone.

    Marshall WahlstromHelgren -

    Tip: Use one of those weekday pill holders to have a cheep way to store screws you remove and each day of the week can be for different sizes or parts. It has been handy to have (much less expensive than the magnetic mat.

    Robert Wacker - Contestar

    Hello, where can I buy the screws I need in case I lose one of them?

    taylornya - Contestar

    I have one stripped screw... How opening without drill it?! Any suggestions please?

    rodrigosady - Contestar

    I also stripped a couple screws. I wasn’t able to open it up without drilling. After drilling the heads and removing the cover it was easy to hacksaw the tip and unscrew with a standard driver.

    Michael Wilkens -

    My top tip - make sure you buy good quality Phillips screwdrivers and a magnetic holder. Cheap screwdrivers won’t get the screws undone safely. Without a magnetic holder you have no chance of getting the tiny crews in and out safely.

    jeremyyoung - Contestar

    A good Phillips 00 is your friend here. Also, when reinserting the screws, gently start anticlockwise and you wil feel a click at the start of the thread. This tells you you’re in the right place and less likely to cross-thread through force in the wrong place.

    Iain Boyd - Contestar

    I feel like these are 000 screws. Amazon sales describe them as such and my 000 screwdriver fits better

    cam2000deluxe -

    Before ordering a new Trackpad remove the existing battery and try clicking the Trackpad. If it clicks OK with the battery out the source of problem is likely a swollen battery, which should to be replaced even if it still works to some degree. From the side of the battery you will likely see the soft part of the battery bulging beyond the hard case.

    Patrick Langvardt - Contestar

    That’s absolutely correct as I can testify. With the battery removed I also adjusted the T6 set screw that adjusts the sensitivity of the trackpad click, evidently someone had cranked mine down tighter than the factory setting.

    Gary Register -

    Le quatrième paragraphe dans les instructions en français n’est pas correct : ce ne sont pas les 2 petites vis, mais les 7 petites vis qui sont inclinées. Et les 3 grandes sont bien verticales.

    Degeorges - Contestar

    Bonjour ! Merci de votre observation. J’ai corrigé la traduction. iFixit étant un wiki, n’hésitez pas à modifiez si vous remarquez une erreur :) Encore merci de votre attention et à bientôt !

    Claire Miesch -

    Tip: if you have a magnetic screw mat or similar, lay the macbook over the mat to make sure it catches any screws that may decide to fall of and hide under your table

    Moritz - Contestar

    Funny, it's not her hands that are doing the close ups. :)

    Cinemated Man - Contestar

    What's the difference between the shouldered and non shouldered screws? They look exactly the same to me.

    MLNLRD - Contestar

  2. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: paso 2, imagen 1 de 2 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: paso 2, imagen 2 de 2
    • Use your fingers to pry the lower case away from the body of the MacBook near the vent.

    • Remove the lower case.

  3. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Battery Connection: paso 3, imagen 1 de 2 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Battery Connection: paso 3, imagen 2 de 2
    • Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.

    • It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to "walk" it out of its socket. Be careful with the corners of the connectors, they can be easily broken off.

    Is this step of removing the battery connector required?

    manodh - Contestar

    yes - as with disassembly of any electronic component you have to remove any power source. You don't want to accidentally turn the Mac on

    khull -

    Prying the battery connector off does not take much force. I did exactly what the guide suggested (walked it off back and forth) with the spudger without any problems. Just be very gentle, much like with anything inside laptops, they are very fragile and need to be worked with carefully. A+ instructions, battery replacement was a success.

    aekinaka - Contestar

    Be patient on disconnecting this one. It worked for me step by step, little by little.

    Phil Wagner - Contestar

    I used the nails of thumb and pointer finger simultaneously - worked pretty fine

    Reinhard Kaune - Contestar

    I whittled down ends of two wooden strips to use, along with my fingernails to start with. I used halves of a wooden clothespin, but popsicle sticks should work too.

    Mike Baker - Contestar

  4. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: paso 4, imagen 1 de 1
    • Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

    I put some tape between the connector and socket while working on the drive.

    Stephen Smith - Contestar

    That's a good tip

    Anrothan -

    Great tip, I did that too

    Ahmed Mahran -

    One other note: The screw heads fit flush with the curvature of the case -- which means that they aren't exactly horizontal. In other words, they aren't perpendicular to the table that the computer is resting on. Don't try to force them straight in vertically, because you'll risk cross-threading them. (nearly ruined one screw hole myself!)

    lelandjordon - Contestar

    On my MacBook Pro, the connector seems to be an integral part of the battery.

    Jerry South - Contestar

    I suspect it’s just like the special screwdriver required for seatbelts on cars – to discourage regular consumers from attempting repairs. Of course, this only encourages consumers to use the wrong tool to attempt to repairs

    colleenthompson - Contestar

    Dissambling my MacBookPro Premium Mid 2012 (i5-3210M 2.5Ghz) was easily, Careful with the screws, use screwdriver fitting exactly with the screws, you damage them very fast. Work very exactly, relaxed with time, consentration, good Tools and with feelings in your hands. Disconnect the Akku was easy if you take care, remove it to be safe, Two screws more, more space to work & haven`t to think about damaging someting. Apple use diffrent screws, you should have many difffrent scewdrivers. It is also good to clean everything inside, With time everything gets very dusty & dirty, don`t forget the sides and little fittings at the case. Use a pinsel, alcohol, soft peace stuff, it will look like new. If you have knowledge & experience, you can paint it in any colour or airbrushing for individualizing. You can also just polish it with a soft Politure (Sonax car Polish No1, NOT with wax or take an other light Politure you familiar & can do the job, A Laptop should serviced once a year, keeping it good working over years

    Stefan Lindner - Contestar

    First thing i do is open & cleanig everything inside,specially the cooling & fan, renew the thermal paste with an high quality product. Install the Nain System, clean up Bloatware and other unnecessary things, install standard software for daily use, additional change system components against better one (Edge to Firefox, Windows Media Player to VLC , an Office Suite and configuring everything for Data Protection, Privacy- & Indentety Protection, install Drivers from the component Manufactur (incedible effect, disable limitations, more functions, work better & faster, increasing performance, additional change the WiFi & Bluetooth Card to a better one a UMTS WWAN to an LTE Card, increase RAM with two Dual-Channel working SODIMMs, Use M2 or 2,5" SSD if no M2 Slot aviable) as System- and Software iDrive, a FAT32 formatted 32GB Partition to be safe of metaviruses comes with harmless downloads, and a big 2,5 HDD to store the user data. What does you guys think about this? Old Computer become a new life,

    Stefan Lindner - Contestar

    I livein Austria, near Vienna, if someone needs help or anything else, i would be glad to help. I always searching old or broken devices to bring them to new live. I also searching for spare parts, specilly a Bottom & Side Case and a 256GB or higher NGFF Storage Card for a Sony Vaio Tab 11 SVT1144HE (2014), some 14,1" Displays for a HP Probook 440G5 (2016), Elitebook MT 43 Mobile Thin Client, (2011), Dell Vostro 3460 (2012) Lenovo Thinkpad T440s (2014), and a Logic Board for an Lenovo Ideapad 330-15ARR (2017, damaged by Water i think) and a Logic Bord for an Alienware 17R4 with i7-6870HX & Nvidia 1080 (2018, CPU dead, maybe there is a repair Guide or workaround to bring it back to Life). I need always 8GB or 16GB DDR3 and DDR4 RAM Storage (perfectly two ident one for Dual-Channel use for Laptops, M2 SATA 6GB/s and NVMe PCIe SSDs 500GB or more and 2,5"SSD or HDD with 1TB or more and 3,5" HDD with 4GB or above. If you have some of this or other useful parts and doesn`t need them, please make me an offer, maybe

    2

    Stefan Lindner - Contestar

    an change something you need. This is not a Business what i do, it`s more a Hobby with challenging new Excercices.. Thats the best Point. Plase forgive me as a Newbie this very long Post in the wrong Section, but if you are start writing you cannot stop.... But now i have to come to an end and would be happy if someone wants to get in contact. My E-Mail is: udontknowme@gmx.at (the adress name is just a notice against Big Data and for Privacy Protection!

    Stefan Lindner - Contestar

  5. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: paso 5, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove the two Phillips screws securing the hard drive bracket to the upper case.

    • These screws will remain attached to the hard drive bracket.

    These were Philips #0 screws in my computer.

    Church Tucker - Contestar

    FYI my used Mac didn’t have the bracket or screws. 3D printed the bracket someone did (it’s on Thingiverse), M2x10mm screws were short but worked.

    sbierly - Contestar

  6. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: paso 6, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove the hard drive bracket.

    • The hard drive bracket may be firmly seated against the upper case.

    Don't miss this step: I almost did and of course couldn't get the disk out until I looked at the video !

    francistasset - Contestar

  7. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: paso 7, imagen 1 de 1
    • Use the attached pull tab to lift the hard drive out of the upper case.

    • Don't try to completely remove the hard drive just yet. It is still attached to the hard drive cable.

  8. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: paso 8, imagen 1 de 2 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: paso 8, imagen 2 de 2
    • Pull the hard drive cable away from the body of the hard drive.

    • Remove the hard drive.

    The hard drive cable is a recalled part on these machines. You may need to replace it before your drive will be read correctly. The Apple Store will replace your cable for free if it's problematic.

    Eric March - Contestar

    @emarch wrote "The hard drive cable is a recalled part on these machines. You may need to replace it before your drive will be read correctly. The Apple Store will replace your cable for free if it's problematic."

    Thank you, Eric. This is excellent information. I'm reading this guide because my Mac booted with the flashing 'folder with question mark' icon. It turns out that my drive is no longer recognized internally, but thankfully it works okay through a USB hard drive adapter cable--phew. I read somewhere (on iFixit?) that some have had success by putting two layers of masking tape on the plastic around the data side of the SATA connector on the hard drive; supposedly this improves the fit and contact. I might try this or otherwise replace the cable (c/o Apple or DIY). Thanks again!

    Sean Stewart -

    dont forget to save the torx T6 screws froom your old hard drive and install in your new one if you are replaceing the HDD at the same time

    Charlie - Contestar

  9. MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: paso 9, imagen 1 de 2 MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Late 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: paso 9, imagen 2 de 2
    • Remove the four 6.0 mm T6 Torx hard drive retaining posts from the sides of the hard drive.

    • Transfer the hard drive retaining posts to your new hard drive.

    • If desired, transfer the pull tab over to your new drive.

    • If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.

    • If you upgraded your EFI Firmware ROM you can also perform an internet recovery.

    T5, not T6 on mine.

    pilzn - Contestar

    Reinserting the tiny screws was a pain, until I discovered this: initially turn them counterclockwise, till the threads 'agree' and the screw drops down into it's threded slot. Then go clockwise and they seat properly.

    Dave - Contestar

    The paint on the screw threads makes it a little finicky to get them to 'find' the threading in their matching holes.

    Bad words were said, but job complete.

    Dave - Contestar

    T6 were just too small to fit the screws of the retaining post, and T8 was just too big. I suspect a T7 will fit. I will get a T7 screwdriver and report back.

    Beware other users: T6 as the guide suggests may not be the correct choice for all.

    fludiumvatn - Contestar

    If replacing the hard drive with a 7mm SSD, is a spacer required? This guide from Crucial suggests it is, but there's no mention of it here.

    http://guides.crucial.com/Guide/MacBook+...

    Just wondering if people are managing without the spacer.

    Jeff Smith - Contestar

    I had the spacer and used it, and all seems fine. I put in a Crucial MX500.

    Steve Jones -

    I just replaced the original hard drive on my mid 2012 MBP with a Crucial SSD from iFixit and am amazed at the new zip this has giving it! I first upgraded the RAM from 8 to 16 GB and that helped the speed but nothing like this new SSD, I found everything in this guide to be accurate for my computer. I did take the course of first cloning my original drive onto the SSD using the recommended SuperDuper! software, following the guide for that, and highly recommend taking that route.

    Patrick Langvardt - Contestar

    Great instructions as usual. Once I removed the old drive I found a round black rubber part (like a nipple) that had a rim on one end. I looked and googled to no avail! So there is a oblong hole (looks like a female lightning port) through the side of the MacBook right where the HDD is. And on the inside of the Mac there is a black frame near that oblong hole with a perfect circle shaped hole that this black rubber part fits into. All done and back together. Then I recalled person that I bought it from worked at auto dealer and took it into the shop where a co-worker used a blow gun to clean it up before selling. I guess 90 PSI blew the rubber part out!! So if any one finds one, you will know where to put it back

    CAM SEC - Contestar

    The instructions are admirably clear and I successfully installed a 1TB Crucial SSD. However, it might be helpful to remark that the new drive MUST be formatted in APFS. Not knowing this, I formatted in HFS+ and loaded a Time Machine backup onto it. The new disk at first booted and then hung after the initial process had completed (the progress bar stayed on the screen). I only discovered the formatting problem when I wanted to clean install Mojave on the new HD. A day lost and a splitting headache later, everything is now up and running and LOTS faster!

    Christopher Clarke - Contestar

    Great instructions. The only and VERY important thing I would add is to copy your hard drive FIRST before you remove it. If someone above hadn’t mentioned this, I would’ve been screwed. (seems obvious now, but I’m a newbie with computer repair). I installed a Samsung V-nand SSD 860 EVO 500GB using the Sabrient 2.5 SATA hard drive USB 3.0 Enclosure with the Super Duper software. Took almost 6 hours to copy the HD. Then I just swapped it out with the old one. Voila! my 2011 MBP booted up perfectly! Thanks again for your help!

    FYI: I tried to order the Crucial SSD as recommended on this site; however, it never shipped from Amazon after over 2 weeks. The Amazon listing never said it was out of stock. So, I researched Crucial and discovered it’s been sold to China and the customer service/product isn’t what it used to be. I cancelled my order and just went to Best Buy. Do your own research.

    Christi Ruby - Contestar

    To confirm (uk) T7 for the retaining post screws.

    To confirm - no need for a spacer for a 7mm drive the retaining post keep it in place, then there is just a bit extra 2mm “space” above (or below , depending on your perspective) the drive :-)

    With no SATA connector to clone straight to the new drive before removing, which would be simplest way IMO.

    I cloned to an external usb drive > fitted new drive > started up while holding alt key, choose the external usb clone as the startup OS > cloned that usb drive to the new internal drive> shut dow> unplug usb > startup > bingo!

    Used trail version of “Carbon Copy Cloner” to do this.

    nijafe - Contestar

    The posts can also be removed gently with a pair of pliers, if you don’t have the torx T6, as was the situation with me.

    Speach Lobes - Contestar

    Did these exact steps and yes very simple and easy! Took longer to clone the SSD with the HDD for hours but the hardware swap took only 15mins!

    Manee - Contestar

    FWIW, having replaced dozens of hard drives for clients, I’ve found it very helpful to stick a label or a piece of tape on the new drive with the purchase and/or install date, vendor, and warranty period. This is especially useful because typically the label of the new drive ends up facing down, so you have to remove it to see that information.

    colleenthompson - Contestar

    Thanks and quite helpful.

    Gary Renick - Contestar

    Thanks, was an easy upgrade!

    r2rzen - Contestar

    I have a 9,2 1278 13" macbook pro that has no time machine backup. I do, however, have another of the the same machines that I can make a carbon copy clone from. Will that boot the notworking computer? And can I use the new ssd in the notworking computer after I do that?

    Dan Sirks - Contestar

Conclusión

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

271 personas más completaron esta guía.

Phillip Takahashi

Miembro Desde 08/22/11

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12 comentarios

Is there any specific order that's best for putting back the screws?

wtfjackiass - Contestar

Start with the corners but after that it dose not matter

William Stadler -

How do you install the Operating system once this has been done?

xdragoons - Contestar

If the retaining screws in the HD are stuck, use a rubber band between the T6 bit and the screw for better grip. Works like a charm.

jonathan - Contestar

I used the ifixit instructions to replace the hard drive and battery using the tools that were specified and everything worked like a charm. When initially replacing the short screws it was easier to use an unmagnetized screwdriver to get them started straight. Making sure that the short screws started straight in the holes was the only tricky part. The 00 Phillips and No. 6 Torx fit perfectly.

John Blasco - Contestar

I want to thank the author of the guide. I found it to be quite accurate. I was able to replace the hard drive on a Late 2011 MacBook Pro with a Samsung Evo 850 SSD, with no problems whatsoever. This guide is excellent.

Bob Cochran - Contestar

Thank you for the great tutorial. Everything worked fine. I only want to add that I had to adjust the system date via terminal (because of the disconnection of the battery). Without this setting, OS X El Capitan Installer cancelled the install and reported that the installation file was corrupt. After having set the date to the current date, the installation succeeded.

Marc - Contestar

My hard drive on MAcBook Pro late 2-11 8,1 has worn out. Looking to replace with SSD. IS there a list anywhere that reports which SSDs are compatible?

Jake Jacoby - Contestar

any 2.5 inch hard drive or ssd

William Stadler -

Pretty straight-forward instructions. Was able to complete the project in about 12 minutes.

Joaquin Rodriguez - Contestar

iFixit is a lifesaver again. I consider the physical swapping of the hard drive to have been very easy actually. The only thing I had to do different was to use Carbon Copy Cloner instead of SuperDuper! to clone my old hard drive. I had been getting warnings about my hard drive from Tech Tool Pro so I decided to replace it before it failed altogether. I tried twice to clone the drive with SuperDuper! only to have the process fail in the end after running 6 hours. Because my hard drive had some bad sectors and one bad file, SuperDuper would not complete the cloning. Carbon Copy Cloner however easily identified the bad file, showed where it was located, allowed me to delete it and completed making a bootable hard drive. The deleted file could be restored later from a Time Machine backup.

Raymond Rinaldi - Contestar

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