Matt Cone June 2, 2012 TutorialsMacHardware
- Best Hard Drive For Macbook Pro
- Macbook Pro New Hard Drive Setup Download
- Macbook Pro Hard Drive Replacement
- Macbook Pro New Hard Drive Setup Windows 7
This video shows how to restore Macbook Pro via online recovery tool on a newly replaced hard drive. I believe if you fully wipe off you hard drive, you shou. MacBook Pro - Hard Drive Replacement FULL VIDEO! This is the full video on how to replace your MacBook Pro existing internal hard drive with a n new Seagate. Sep 06, 2019 How do I use Disk Utility to reformat my hard drive? Open Disk Utility. Select your new hard drive from the sidebar. Ultra key typing software, free download. If you don’t see it, go to View Show All Devices. Click the Erase button at the top of the window. Choose a new name for your Mac’s hard drive. Change the format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). On my MacBook Pro with OSX 10.13I had a 240gb Solid state hard drive, but I needed bigger! So I got a new Kensington 480gb SSD. During formatting and installation, OSX 10.7.5 is automatically installed can’t do anything about it! I wanted to install High Sierra it wouldn’t allow me until I installed OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion! Set up Apple Pay: You can set up Apple Pay for one user account on your MacBook Pro during setup. Other users can still pay with Apple Pay, but they must complete the purchase using their iPhone or Apple Watch that’s been set up for Apple Pay (see Use Apple Pay on your Mac). Follow the onscreen prompts to add and verify your card.
Upgrading the hard drive is a cost-effective way to increase your storage space and speed up your MacBook Pro, especially if you purchase a solid-state drive. Hard drives are like processors and other electronic components - their capacity doubles approximately every two years. If you plan on keeping your MacBook Pro for longer than two years, you’ll want to consider upgrading your hard drive at least once.
Finding a New Hard Drive
Best Hard Drive For Macbook Pro
There are two different types of drives available: Hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD). Solid-state drives are more expensive than conventional hard disk drives, but they have numerous advantages.
Solid-state drives have no moving parts, so they can access data virtually instantaneously - providing a significant performance increase when compared to hard disk drives. Buy a solid-state drive if you can afford it. We recommend the Crucial 256 GB drive (currently $199.99) shown below.
Hard disk drives have physical disks that need to spin up before information can be retrieved. If you’re looking to purchase one of these drives, be sure to purchase the fastest drive you can afford - higher speeds are better. We recommend the Western Digital 750 GB drive (currently $99.24) shown below.
Of course, there are many other hard drives available for your MacBook Pro. Use Amazon’s website to find the best deals. They have a wide selection of low-cost, high-capacity drives perfect for the average MacBook Pro user.
Backing Up Your Old Hard Drive
Since you’ll be removing your current hard drive from your Mac, you’ll first need to backup or clone that hard drive to an external hard drive. After you install the new hard drive, you’ll restore the exact copy of your old hard drive to the new one. For instructions, see Back Up (Clone) Your Mac’s Hard Drive with SuperDuper!.
Be sure to test the backup before you remove the current hard drive. For instructions, see How to Test Your SuperDuper! Backup.
Upgrading Your MacBook Pro’s Hard Drive
![Hard Hard](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/j4fTMfhEppo/maxresdefault.jpg)
If you’ve ever upgraded your Mac’s RAM (for instructions, see How to Upgrade Your MacBook Pro’s RAM), you’re already somewhat familiar with the procedure for installing the hard drive. All of the precautions we mentioned in that tutorial also apply here. Make sure you’re working in a clean environment free of static electricity, and plan to spend about half an hour performing the replacement. Assemble your tools once you’re ready!
Tip: You need a Phillips #00 Screwdriver and a T6 Torx Screwdriver to complete this project.
Here’s how to replace the hard drive:
- Disconnect the power cord and turn your Mac over.
- Remove the ten screws on the back of the case. There are seven 3 mm screws, and three 13.5 mm screws, as shown below. The screws are very small—don’t loose them!
- Gently lift the case backing and tilt it towards the rear of the computer, as shown below.
- Touch a metal surface inside the computer to discharge any static electricity from your body.
- Remove the two Phillips screws from the hard drive bracket, as shown below.
- After you have removed the screws, lift the hard drive bracket out of the case, as shown below.
- Gently lift the hard drive out of its case by its plastic tab, as shown below. Be careful not to pull the drive too much - it’s still connected to your Mac.
- Remove the connector cable from the hard drive by pulling it straight out, as shown below.
- Remove four T6 Trox screws from the hard drive, as shown in Figure 50-7. There are two screws on either side of the hard drive.
- Replace and tighten the T6 Trox screws in to the new hard drive.
- Insert the connector cable in to the new hard drive.
- Gently place the new hard drive in to the case.
- Place the hard drive bracket onto the case.
- Replace and tighten the Phillips screws in to the hard drive bracket to attach it to the case.
- Gently place the case backing onto the top of the case.
- Replace and tighten the screws.
Congratulations! Your new hard drive is now installed in your MacBook Pro.
Restoring Your Hard Drive
Now you have a brand new hard drive in your MacBook Pro, but it doesn’t have an operating system installed. You’ll need to boot from your backup drive and then restore the backup to your new hard drive. For instructions, see How to Restore from a SuperDuper! Backup.
Reusing the Old Hard Drive
What should you do with your old hard drive? Consider purchasing a hard drive enclosure to use it as an external USB hard drive. We recommend the Vantec NexStar hard drive enclosure (currently $7.99) shown below.
After you receive the enclosure, follow the instructions to install your old hard drive. The resulting product will look a lot like an external hard drive. Just connect the USB cable to your Mac and you’ll be able to access your old hard drive! It’s a great way to keep it out of the recycling bin.
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Unibody MacBook Pro Q&A
Update Published May 9, 2017
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How do you upgrade the hard drive in the 'Mid-2009' through 'Mid-2012' Unibody MacBook Pro models? What type of hard drive do these models support? How do you replace the hard drive with an SSD?
Please note that this Q&A is up-to-date and covers pre-Retina 'Unibody' MacBook Pro models. EveryMac.com also provides instructions for upgrading the storage in the subsequently introduced 13-Inch and 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models.
Upgrading the hard drive in the 'Mid-2009,' 'Mid-2010,' 'Early 2011,' 'Late 2011' and non-Retina Display 'Mid-2012' MacBook Pro models requires a screwdriver, but it still is a simple and straightforward procedure. If a hard drive was installed by default, it is quite possible to replace the stock hard drive with an SSD, too.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. ('Unibody' MacBook Pro Models)
Identification Help
If you're not sure which 'Unibody' MacBook Pro model you have, many of these systems share Model Numbers, unfortunately. EMC Numbers are not externally listed, either.
As a result, they only can be externally differentiated by the Serial Number courtesy of EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature as well as the EveryMac app.
However, in software, it also is possible to get 'close enough' to an exact match to determine hard drive compatibility and SATA connection type by Model Identifier. In turn, each model can be uniquely identified via model identifier and one or more secondary identifiers (like processor speed and/or processor type).
To locate the model identifier in software, select 'About This Mac' under the Apple Menu on your computer and click the 'More Info..' button. If the MacBook Pro is running OS X 10.7 'Lion' or later, you will need to click the 'System Report' button after clicking 'More Info..' as well.
For example, the 13-Inch 'Mid-2010' MacBook Pro models -- which support 3.0 Gb/s SATA 2.0 -- can be identified by the model identifier MacBookPro7,1. Likewise, the non-Retina Display 15-Inch 'Mid-2012' MacBook Pro models -- which support 6.0 Gb/s SATA 3.0 -- can be identified by the MacBookPro9,1 model identifier. A full chart is provided below.
More details about specific identifiers are provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.
Hard Drive Types & SSD Replacement Options
All of these MacBook Pro models support a 2.5' notebook hard drive or SSD that is up to 9.5 mm tall (0.37 inches) and use a SATA interface, but the maximum SATA interface speed of different models varies.
When the 'Mid-2009' MacBook Pro models first were released, systems configured with a hard drive only had 1.5 Gb/s SATA enabled, whereas systems configured with an SSD had faster 3.0 Gb/s SATA 2.0 enabled. This caused a great deal of discontent among those across the blogosphere interested in performing their own SSD upgrades, but thankfully Apple quickly corrected this issue with a software update.
The 'Mid-2010' MacBook Pro models were properly enabled with 3.0 Gb/s SATA 2.0 by default, and subsequent models are equipped with faster 6.0 Gb/s SATA 3.0.
The Serial ATA (SATA) standard for each of these specific models along with its precise corresponding Model Identifier may be helpful:
MacBook Pro | Subfamily | Model Identifier | Serial ATA |
Mid-2009 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0)* | ||
Mid-2009 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0)* | ||
Mid-2009 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0)* | ||
Mid-2009 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0)* | ||
Mid-2009 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0)* | ||
Mid-2009 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0)* | ||
Mid-2009 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0)* | ||
Mid-2009 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Software rar gratis. Mid-2010 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Mid-2010 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Mid-2010 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Mid-2010 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Mid-2010 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Mid-2010 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Mid-2010 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Mid-2010 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Mid-2010 | 3.0 Gb/s (2.0) | ||
Early 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Early 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Early 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Early 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Early 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Early 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Early 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Late 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Late 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Late 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Late 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Late 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Apple design tools. Late 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Late 2011 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Mid-2012 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Mid-2012 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Mid-2012 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Mid-2012 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) | ||
Mid-2012 | 6.0 Gb/s (3.0) |
* These models support 3.0 Gb/s (SATA 2.0) if the software has been updated from the default installation.
For storage compatibility details for each Mac, including all MacBook Pro models, refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Storage Upgrade Compatibility Guide.
Hard Drive Upgrade Instructions
Apple explains how to replace the hard drive starting on page 35 of the 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch 'Mid-2009', 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch 'Mid-2010,' and 13-Inch, 15-Inch and 17-Inch 'Early 2011' MacBook Pro User Guides, respectively, and this provides most of what you need to know to upgrade the default storage.
The 'Late 2011' MacBook Pro models are so similar to the 'Early 2011' models that Apple didn't bother to release an updated instruction manual. For the 'Mid-2012' MacBook Pro line, Apple's 'Quickstart' Guide does not cover hard drive installation, but it is the same process as it is for earlier models.
The Apple manuals provide installation instructions complete with drawings, and definitely should be reviewed prior to upgrading the hard drive, but even better, site sponsor Other World Computing provides convenient step-by-step videos of the process for the 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch models alike.
13' MacBook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade Video
Mid-2009, Mid-2010, Early 2011, Late 2011 & Non-Retina Mid-2012
Mid-2009, Mid-2010, Early 2011, Late 2011 & Non-Retina Mid-2012
15' MacBook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade Video
Mid-2009, Mid-2010, Early 2011, Late 2011 & Non-Retina Mid-2012
Mid-2009, Mid-2010, Early 2011, Late 2011 & Non-Retina Mid-2012
17' MacBook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade Video
Mid-2009, Mid-2010, Early 2011 & Late 2011
Mid-2009, Mid-2010, Early 2011 & Late 2011
After watching these videos, it should be clear that upgrading the hard drive in these models is straightforward.
Hard Drive Cable Replacement Instructions
When you are upgrading or replacing the hard drive, you may notice that the original hard drive cable has become brittle or damaged and needs to be replaced. Site sponsor Other World Computing provides convenient step-by-step videos of the process to replace the hard drive cable in many of these models, too.
13' MacBook Pro Hard Drive Cable Replacement Video
Early 2011 & Late 2011
Early 2011 & Late 2011
15' MacBook Pro Hard Drive Cable Replacement Video
Mid-2010, Early 2011, & Late 2011
Mid-2010, Early 2011, & Late 2011
13' MacBook Pro Hard Drive Cable Replacement Video
Mid-2012
Mid-2012
15' MacBook Pro Hard Drive Cable Replacement Video
Mid-2012
Mid-2012
If you can handle the process to upgrade the hard drive, replacing the hard drive cable should be fine, as well. However, if you do not feel comfortable -- or have the time -- to perform these upgrades yourself, hiring a professional always is a good option.
MacBook Pro Storage Purchase Options
In theory, just about any hard drive or SSD that meets the minimum requirements should work in the MacBook Pro. However, it always is best to buy from a trusted company with Mac knowledge for the most trouble-free experience.
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades in addition to memory for the MacBook Pro models (and all other Macs as well).
In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells MacBook Pro compatible hard drives and SSDs with free shipping. The company provides flat rate shipping to France, Germany, and Switzerland and inexpensive shipping for all of Europe, too.
Macbook Pro New Hard Drive Setup Download
In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells hard drives and SSDs for all MacBook Pro models with guaranteed compatibility, fast shipping, and no customs.
In Australia, site sponsors Macfixit and Upgradeable sell MacBook Pro compatible hard drives and SSDs with fast shipping, a money-back guarantee and more.
In New Zealand, site sponsor Upgradeable New Zealand sells MacBook Pro hard drives and SSDs with fast delivery to all corners of the country, precise compatibility, a lifetime warranty, and a money-back guarantee.
Also see:
- How do you upgrade the RAM in the 'Mid-2009' through 'Mid-2012' MacBook Pro models? What type of RAM do they use? How much RAM does each model actually support?
- How do you replace the optical drive in the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro models with a hard drive or SSD? Is it possible?
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