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MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement

What you need

  1. MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement, Lower Case: step 1, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:

    • Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

    • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

  2. MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 2 MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement: step 2, image 2 of 2
    • Wedge your fingers between the lower case and the vent, and lift upward to release the two clips holding the lower case to the upper case.

    • During reassembly, carefully align the lower case and then press it firmly until both clips engage.

    • Remove the lower case.

  3. MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement, Battery: step 3, image 1 of 3 MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement, Battery: step 3, image 2 of 3 MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement, Battery: step 3, image 3 of 3
    • Whenever working near the logic board, it is always wise to first disconnect the battery to avoid short circuits.

    • If present, grab the plastic tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the device. For Late-2011 models the battery connector will not have a tab and is simply a plug that inserts straight down into the motherboard--to remove pry the plug straight up.

    • If the plastic tab is missing, use a spudger to pry the connector up from its socket.

    • Pull the tab parallel to the face of the logic board.

  4. MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 4, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the two Phillips screws securing the hard drive bracket to the upper case.

    • These screws are captive to the hard drive bracket.

  5. MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the hard drive bracket from the upper case.

  6. MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 1
    • Use the hard drive's pull tab to lift it out of the upper case.

    • Don't try to completely remove the hard drive just yet! Its cable is still connected.

  7. MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 2 MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement: step 7, image 2 of 2
    • Pull the hard drive connector away from the body of the hard drive.

    • Remove the hard drive from your MacBook Pro.

  8. MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 8, image 1 of 2 MacBook Pro 17" Unibody Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: step 8, image 2 of 2
    • Remove the four T6 Torx screws around the outer edge of the hard drive.

    • If desired, peel off the plastic pull tab and transfer it to your new hard drive.

    • If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

240 other people completed this guide.

11 Comments

Very easy to follow. Replacing the HDD on these unibodies is super easy. Thanks for the guide.

tech4eleven - Reply

Very easy, excepted for finding the right screw for Step 8. I replaced original HDD with a Samsung 840 EVO 500GB. Fine!

yello73 - Reply

Exceptional instructions. If you're struggling to restore from a backup... connect your backup drive via cable, start your macbook, choose disk utilities, choose the new hard drive from the list on the left, if first aide options (repair/verify) are not available, erase and name the new drive, and then you should be able to restore from backup. :)

Deanna Ashby - Reply

Thank goodness you posted this. I thought I messed up installation because there was no new HD when I turned on the laptop. I couldn't figure out how to restore. Then I saw this and tried it and it's restoring now. Thank you!!

catchpaco -

Very easy, Thank you for this tremendous guide. Works perfectly and I directly connected my old HDD to USB and restore all my information using the Migration Assistant app. Fine!

Abdullah Alqassar - Reply

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