I decided to upgrade my new Macbook Pro by installing a new 360 GB Solid State Drive. The whole process is relatively simple and takes up to 10 minutes to install the new hard drive. You will need a small phillips screwdriver and a T6 Torx screwdriver.
In summary, you will need to shut down your laptop, disconnect all the cables, unscrew the back panel, discharge static electricity, unscrew the bar keeping the hdd in place, disconnect the SATA cable, remove the screws on hdd, install the new hdd, and reassemble the laptop!
I bought a 360 GB OCZ Agility 3 2.5” SATA III Solid State Disk (SSD)
You will need some way to install a Mac OS after you install the new Hard Drive. I put Mountain Lion OSX into a bootable USB flash drive. You can find instructions on how to do that here.
Step 1: Flip it over and unscrew the 10 screws in back panel. Keep note of every screw and its position on the back panel. The top 3 screws are longer than the rest and the remaining screws are slightly different.
Step 2: Remove the back panel and set it aside.
Step 3: The hdd will be on the bottom left corner. Locate the black brackett holding the hard drive. Unscrew both screws and remove the bracket.
Step 4: Disconnect the SATA cable from the hard drive.
Step 5: Remove the adhesive tape from the hard drive and set it aside (you will be re-using this).
Step 6: Remove the 4 screws on the hard drive and set it aside (you will be re-using this).
Step 7: Put the adhesive tape and 4 screws on the new hard drive
Step 8: Connect the SATA cable to the new hard drive.
Step 9: Place the bracket back in place and screw it in.
Step 10: Put the Back panel back in place and screw it in.
Step 11: Flip it over and start it up!
Now you have to format the hard drive and install the OS. Instructions for that can be found here.
There are a couple places where you say “instructions for that can be found here”… – where? should there be a link somewhere that I can’t find? I want to install os into bootable usb flash drive, and format the hard drive and install os. Thanks for your help
http://www.s0hel.com/blog/476/install-mac-osx-10-8-mountain-lion-on-a-usb-flash-drive/
John, here it is:
http://www.s0hel.com/blog/476/install-mac-osx-10-8-mountain-lion-on-a-usb-flash-drive/
Enjoy!
An extra question on this topics :
When you start from a brand new Macbook pro 15 2,3ghz mid 2012.
What is the best way to proceed? Do you need to start the Mac with the existing HDD and create a bootable USB or can you directly install the new SSD and use the Command + R option to reload the OSX trought the internet?
Another question is it a good idea to upgrade teh memory to 2x8go at the same time or first install OSX on the new SSD and them add the memory?
Thanks for your precious advice on this
Olivier
If you’re starting from a new laptop, then you will need to create a bootable USB first. Then replace the hard drive with your new SSD, boot with the USB, and install the Mac OSX
The memory upgrade can be done at any time, doesn’t matter if it’s before or after the OSX upgrade.
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