The MacBook Air was not intended to be expanded or updated, but it turns out that with little effort, you can replace the SSD yourself. This will significantly increase the size of laptop storage and often its performance. Another common reason requiring the installation of a new solid-state drive is its failure. In any case, replacing the SSD on the MacBook Air is easy, and the procedure remains the same.
Training
Installing a new SSD will require a few things:
- new removable solid state drive compatible with your existing laptop model;
- special screwdrivers (Torkh 5T and Pentalobe);
- 2-3 small containers for temporary storage of screws.
The process of replacing SSDs on the MacBook Air is fairly straightforward, although it involves disassembling and reassembling the Mac. It should be borne in mind that this method applies only to laptops, the warranty period of which has already expired. Replacing the hardware can void the warranty, so if it is still valid, you need to contact support or the Apple store, where everything necessary will be done by professionals.
Step 1: compatibility check
First of all, make sure that the solid state drive is compatible with your specific MacBook Air model. Usually it depends on the year of manufacture of the device, so it is important to know it. This information can be found in the "About This Mac" menu item. Something like “MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2012)” or a similar message will appear on the screen.
After determining the exact name of the model and the year of its release, a solid-state drive compatible with it can be found on online store sites such as Amazon.
Step 2: choosing an SSD
The choice of brands and types of SSDs is large, and the user can follow their preferences. An example is the Transcend 240 GB upgrade kit. Users like it for several reasons: favorable price, high speed, excellent reviews, a good guarantee and the availability of a full upgrade kit, which includes a case for the old SSD and screwdrivers needed to complete the job. Other brands also offer similar package solutions.
Of course, you can absolutely freely buy another compatible SSD, which is not part of the kit. You just need to get the appropriate screwdrivers and ensure compatibility between the drive and Mac.
Other drives can be connected using the SSD adapter. At the same time, the MacBook Air should be released no later than 2012, since Apple has since introduced encryption of data flows between the solid state drive and the motherboard.
Step 3: backup
Before replacing the SSD on your Macbook Air, you must create a copy of the drive. Experts recommend at least setting up Time Machine backups, and some more sophisticated users combine this with DirectDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner direct cloning tools. The only exception is when the disk is completely out of order or missing - it is obvious that there is nothing to copy here.
Having connected an external drive, you need to go to the system settings menu, select the Time Mashine option and specify the backup recording location.
Do not skip this step. If the backup is not created, there will be nothing to restore, and the new disk will not contain the necessary data. This is not the case that I would like to experience on myself. Using Time Machine also has the advantage that you can perform a clean installation of the operating system on the new SSD and then restore the Mac from backup.
Step 4: replacing the drive
Now comes the fun part - opening the case and replacing the MacBook Air SSD with a new one. To do this, you will need boxes for screws, since you have to deal with fasteners of different sizes and types. Mounts are best sorted by size and installation location.
This part of the process requires some skill. Users with experience in the field of electronics are likely to feel at ease, but others will want to read the manual, which describes in detail the procedure. Instead of reinventing the wheel, experts recommend that you read the detailed instructions on the iFixIt website, as they are accompanied by good explanations, detailed and comprehensive.
The main thing to do is disconnect the laptop from the power source, unscrew the bottom panel and remove it, disconnect the internal battery, and then change the solid state drive. According to iFixIt, the complexity of replacing a 13 ”MacBook Air SSD is rated average, but according to experts, anyone with the patience and the ability to follow instructions can easily do the job, even if he is a beginner.
SSD Replacement Instructions
To replace a solid state drive, you must:
- Remove the screws on the bottom of the MacBook Air 13 and put them in separate boxes according to their size, type, and installation location.
- Remove the bottom panel. Before you touch the internal elements, you must discharge static electricity.
- Disconnect the internal battery. To do this, take the plastic holder attached to the battery connectors and pull it towards the front edge of the laptop. Do not forget about this, as well as the fact that it will need to be connected again after installation.
- Remove the SSD by first unscrewing the retaining screw. The device is located in the center, directly above the battery.
- Install a new solid state drive, fasten it with a screw, and then connect the internal battery.
- Put on the bottom cover and fasten it.
Once everything is back in place, you can proceed with the installation of the software.
Step 5: reinstall Mac OS X and restore data
The procedure described here is slightly different from the sequence of operations indicated in some other technical manuals. In this case, an empty solid state drive is installed, which then requires the installation of the OS and data recovery. Others advise you to copy the contents of the disc before replacing the SSD in your MacBook Air. Advance cloning is often the best approach, but in the event of a drive failure, this is not possible because it becomes completely inoperative, as evidenced by a question mark when loading and testing Apple hardware.
Fortunately, having a Time Machine backup allows you to install and restore in a different way. If you prefer the cloning method, Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper are applications that will do their job well.
Data Recovery Procedure
The first option includes two steps: performing a clean installation of the operating system using a bootable flash drive, and then restoring the backup from Time Machine during installation. It works great. Keep in mind that restoring a backup of your MacBook Air SSD can begin right after a clean installation of Mac OS X.
To do this, connect the data backup disk and turn on the laptop while holding down the Command + R buttons. On the utilities screen, select "Restore backup" and click "Continue". Having specified a disk with a copy, you need to select its date and time. When the copying process is complete, the laptop will reboot.
You can also try using Time Machine directly. But this means that you must manually re-create the recovery partition, and you may encounter EFI partition errors. These problems can be avoided by first performing a clean install of Mac OS X.
After the operating system and data are restored, the laptop is ready for normal work with the new SSD.