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MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2012 SSD Replacement

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Written By: Jake Devincenzi (and 9 other contributors)
  • Comments: 73
  • Favorites: 86
  • Completions: 97

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

6

Time Required

5 minutes

Sections

3

Flags

1

Featured Guide

Featured Guide

This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

Introduction

Use this guide to upgrade or replace the solid-state drive in a MacBook Pro 15” Mid 2012. This MacBook Pro uses a proprietary storage drive connector, and is therefore not compatible with common M.2 drives without the use of an adapter.

Before you perform this repair, if at all possible, back up your existing SSD. Then, either familiarize yourself with internet recovery or create a bootable external drive so you’ll be ready to install macOS onto your new drive and migrate your data to the new SSD.

Finally, we strongly recommend installing macOS 10.13 High Sierra (or a later macOS) before replacing the original SSD from your MacBook Pro. Most new SSDs require updated storage drivers not found in versions of macOS prior to High Sierra.

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Parts

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  1. Remove the following P5 pentalobe screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Pro:

    • Remove the following P5 pentalobe screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Pro:

    • Eight 3.0 mm

    • Two 2.3 mm

    Edit

  2. Lifting from the edge nearest the clutch cover, lift the lower case off the MacBook Pro.

    • Lifting from the edge nearest the clutch cover, lift the lower case off the MacBook Pro.

    • Set the lower case aside.

    Edit

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  4. Peel back the warning label covering the battery connector.

    • Peel back the warning label covering the battery connector.

    Edit

  5. Using the flat end of a spudger, gently pry the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board. Bend the battery cables back and out of the way, ensuring that the battery connector doesn't accidentally make contact with the logic board.

    • Using the flat end of a spudger, gently pry the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.

    • Bend the battery cables back and out of the way, ensuring that the battery connector doesn't accidentally make contact with the logic board.

    Edit

  6. Remove the single 3.1 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

    • Remove the single 3.1 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

    Edit

  7. Slightly lift the leftmost side of the SSD and firmly slide it straight away out of its socket on the logic board.

    • Slightly lift the leftmost side of the SSD and firmly slide it straight away out of its socket on the logic board.

    Edit
Conclusion

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

97 other people completed this guide.

Author

with 9 other contributors

Jake Devincenzi

Member since: 04/18/2011

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57 Guides authored

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12 Comments

Add a comment

Apple m'a informé que le SSD est soudé dans le rétina. Ce n'est pas notifié dans ce tutoriel...

J'ai un MACBOOK PRO rétina de mi-2012, pouvez-vous m'en dire plus ?

GWENC2964 - Reply

Le SSD n'est pas soudé dans le Macbook Pro 2012 Retina.

urault -

Hello,

Thank you for this tutorial.

But can you tell me more information for the SSD?

What's the connexion? It's a M2 SSD or a SSD Sata 3?

Thank for your help.

Daniel Pierard - Reply

Hi Daniel, I have the same question. Did you get an answer yet, M.2 SSD or SSD SATA?

I have an SSD from MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2012, and now, I'm using a newer model of MacBook Pro.

I'm trying to recover my data o that SSD and have been trying to find the SSD to USB adapter/converter online but haven't found a fit.

I also posted my question here: https://discussions.apple.com/message/31...

Can you help?

Thanks,

Da Cheng Liu -

Hi, I followed your guide and changed the ssd to 1Tb.

But when I turn on the laptop, i get the folder with question mark. If I hold Option key while turning on, I get internet renewal option but once trying to run it, the disk is not found. Please help me with this issue fixing. Thanks. Andrej

Andrej - Reply

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