My Problem
The age of my 2011 MacBookPro put me at a crossroads: newer laptop + same storage space (w/spinning HDD) + pay more + waste unnecessary resources? Or same laptop + triple storage space (& SSD) + pay less + save environment? MacBookPros are resilient machines that last a long time if you take good care of them. I needed a faster working machine, same form factor, and keep my MacBookPro going for more years.
My Fix
The repair went well. Unfortunately the spudger was the only useful tool. The iFixIt Phillips screwdriver set was not working and I resorted to using my older toolkit to get the job done. The dual drive SuperDrive-shaped bay was difficult to install because the screw mounts were placed a little too close to the case that the screws could not fit in without forcing them through and the mounts were slightly bigger than the SuperDrive mounts. It was a very tight squeeze after many minute adjustments sneaking in the dual drive SuperDrive-shaped bay into the spot where the original SuperDrive went.
My Advice
When replacing a perfectly usable hard drive with an SSD, look at all options to clone the old drive to the new drive and back up the old drive using Time Machine. When cloning a drive without a SATA to USB connector, the dual drive SuperDrive-shaped bay will work connecting the new drive in the bay and connecting it with the optical bay SATA to USB cable. Always have an extra set of tools in case the purchased tools don't work. Find an external enclosure for both the spare SuperDrive and original HDD. At least then you have accessories whenever you need them!
0 Comments