Carefully wiggle the connector - not the ribbon itself - to disconnect it. You'll see that a SATA ribbon is attached to one end. To remove the hard drive, use the regular screwdriver to unscrew the two black screws belonging to the bracket securing the hard drive. Use a soft brush or gentle bursts of compressed air to release the dust and grime.
How to replace macbook pro 2011 hard drive full#
I found that after years without cleaning, mine was full of dust. At this point, you might want to clean the inside of your Mac. When the cover comes off, touch a metal part to release the static electricity. Put them in a small container as you remove them they are easy to misplace. Remove your MacBook's back cover by unscrewing the tiny screws. In case you missed it in the previous step, shut down your computer. When the process is complete, eject the SSD and shut down your computer. This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on how much you have stored on your hard drive. Then choose Backup All Files, and click Copy Now. If you gave it a new name in Disk Utility, it'll show up as such. Next, launch SuperDuper, and set it to clone your Mac's hard drive to the SSD. This will format the drive and prep it for the next step. No need to change any settings, unless you'd like to give it a new name. Then, click the Erase button at the top of the window and then click Erase. Once it's connected, launch Disk Utility (searchable through Spotlight), and select the SSD from the left sidebar. Start by connecting the SSD to your computer with a dock or cable.
NOTE: your computer may be slightly different. And that's it! Everything unscrewed and removed! Now let's put it back together again. Remove the four posts on the side of the hard drive with the T6 screwdriver. Remove those and you'll be able to lift up the hard drive and unplug it. It's being held in place by 4 more screws. With the panel removed you can see the hard drive. Be sure to place them somewhere safe so they don't roll away into oblivion. Use the #00 screwdriver to remove all the screws on the back. So shut down your laptop and flip it over.
But since you've already gotten this far you're probably both inclined to get it done AND have a machine past warranty anyway. Opening up your MacBook Pro opens you to the possibility of messing something up and voiding your warranty so if that bothers you you can just sit tight with what you have.