My Problem

The hard drive was going bad showing a gray screen with a line at startup

My Fix

Very well with the instructions that came with the hard drive for installation. Even Apple was unaware how correct the initial problem when asked.

My Advice

Make your own repairs and read , read , read in "help" on the Apple to fix things before calling Apple. If you do not have a repair plan with them its a $19 per incident fee.

My Problem

Maxed out my hard drive. Changing amount of memory.

My Fix

The repair went great.

My Advice

Use Carbon Copy Cloner to move files to drive

My Problem

Not much of a story, just had to upgrade my hard drive.

My Fix

The repair went was pretty good. The transfer took about three hours.

My Advice

Make sure you get the transfer kit. less time.

My Problem

running out of HDD space

My Fix

Very smooth

My Advice

all good

My Problem

My 250 Gb hard drive was 225 Gb full and I was getting I/O errors. Although I had two external backup devices, each with a time machine and bootable SuperDuper backups, I was feeling insecure.

My Fix

As a newbie, I initially plugged the USB connection between the HD enclosure in backwards with the result that my computer (and another I tested) couldn't 'see' the new drive at all. Once informed of my error, this was easily remedied. Then I had a challenge getting my old internal hard drive to stay connected while backing up with SuperDuper - it kept hanging up. It probably took 10 goes over 10 hours to get it all done (it might have been quicker to use one of my backups). Then I checked that the new bootable version was working before installing. The install process was relatively easy using the great ifixit guide (I used an ice cube tray cavity to hold each set of screws as I removed them, which made reassembly very straightforward). The only glitch was that my Microsoft Office required the product key before it would work - I had to buy a new one. Otherwise all is good.

My Advice

1. If you can, install your new drive in an enclosure so you can plug it in externally and create a bootable backup using software such as SuperDuper (assuming your old drive is still functional). Then test that it is working and all there before installing it.

2. Use a clean, dry ice cube tray to hold the screws - a new cavity for each batch of screws you remove.

3. Beware that some licensed software may require re-registration to work (e.g. MS Office).

4. Be equipped to clean out the inevitable dust while you are inside your computer.

5. I also viewed some YouTube videos of others performing the same HD replacement which gave me additional confidence.

My Problem

Mac mini harddrive died after about one year. Had it running everyday with a minecraft server.

My Fix

The guides at ifixit helped tremendously. The hardest part for me was reconnecting the antenna cable.

My Advice

Be patient with the antenna connector, it is very small and difficult to align..

My Problem

My wife's macbook and my macbook pro (17") were both full to the point that we couldn't download anything. If my wife forgot to empty the trash on her computer she could only open a couple emails. We hadn't been able to download photos from cameras or iphones for about 6 months

My Fix

I was scared....but figured I didn't have much to loose. Without new hard drives I was going to have to get two new laptops. I did all the work during down time while working in the Emergency Department. I watched the video on cloning a couple of times and read the pdf instructions before and then followed it step by step. My wife's MacBook took awhile; because I was scared.....but then seemed so easy and quick. Just a couple screws and it was done. She was very impressed. We are back to downloading photos....and even able to add some really big programs, such as Rosetta Stone, to her computer.

Armed with success on one computer, the next night at work I jumped into fixing my own. The MacBook Pro was clearly MUCH more involved. I was glad that I had already successfully done one....do 3/4ths of the procedure seemed old hat. Plus most of the rest of the procedure just seemed like a lot more screws. However, getting the cover back on was a bit tricky. It took patience and a very gentle touch,,,and then pop, it just slipped right back into place. I've been very happy with the results on each of them.

My Advice

1.) When cloning; disc utility opens automatically. I should have guessed that. Mac's are always pretty user friendly...but I spent a while looking for it.

2.) The bits in the tool set are labeled....but only with a tiny etching. You will need good eyes to read the labels. I also found it easier to use the tweezers to get each bit out; they are pretty snug at first. (That's a good thing. They don't fall out.)

3.) For both computers I put out a few blank sheets of paper first. As I did each step i would put the screws or parts on the paper, circle them, and write the number of the step in the circle. I was glad I did....since the screws all look kind of the same when it comes time to put it back together. All I had to do was go back down the steps and all the parts were labeled for each step. Crucial for the MacBook Pro.

4.) On the MacBook Pro I was scared to disconnect the trackpad and keyboard ribbon cable from the logic board. (Step 10) It didn't pop off easily and I wasn't sure what I would be pushing on to try to leverage it out. Once I had the upper case loose I couldn't really set it down to do anything else..like reach the tool kit on the far side of the desk. So I propped the upper case (keyboard piece) against the screen of the computer at work and could then move to reach my tools. Then I realized, why disconnect it at all? I finished the remaining steps with the upper case propped up; and then I didn't have to worry about reconnecting the trackpad and keyboard ribbon cable to the logic board while working through the steps in reverse. It was still connected. :)

My Problem

I tried to purchase a new external hard drive to help me with add more storage to my old 2008 macbook pro. I couldn't find a solution until I came upon the ifixit site.

My Fix

As soon as the package arrived, I started to transfer my existing files on my old 200 gig drive to my new 750 gig drive. It took about 4 hours. When all was ready, I installed my new 750 drive and then installed another 750 drive where my old cd rom was. Now my computer has 1.5 tb. It's working like a champ......

My Advice

Very satisfied with the outcome and will be using this site as much as needed.

My Problem

Needed to upgrade my 320GB drive on my laptop.

My Fix

No problems! Online directions where very clear. Couldn't have done it without them.

My Advice

Follow the directions!

My Problem

The HD on my laptop was getting full and I needed an upgrade. Found a few options along with key details and considerations on iFixit. Picked the best option and I got my drive exactly when I expected to. I swapped my data from the old drive over the weekend and hit the ground running on Monday.

My Fix

Cake walk—while this was (somewhat) routine maintenance, it had been a while so it was great to have the guide here on your site. Thanks!

My Advice

Loved using SuperDuper! to image one disk to another.