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    Can you replace the hardrive in MacBook?

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by YMW, Apr 26, 2007.

  1. YMW

    YMW Notebook Consultant

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    Is it possible? Could it be cheaper then paying on the Apple store for a larger HDD? Thanks for the help! :)
     
  2. vespoli

    vespoli 402 NBR Reviewer

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    Yes yes you can. Of course there will be a few snags.
     
  3. YMW

    YMW Notebook Consultant

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    Few snags?
     
  4. sp00n

    sp00n Notebook Deity

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    You can easily replace it yourself.
     
  5. YMW

    YMW Notebook Consultant

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    Would it be cheaper to start with the 60GB HDD, and then upgrade later, or get a larger drive from Apple to start with?
     
  6. Paul

    Paul Mom! Hot Pockets! NBR Reviewer

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    It depends on what you mean by easy. Keep in mind that replacing the hard drive doesn't mean end of story. You're going to have to reinstall OS X and any applications that you might want. Not to mention, unless you do it right away, you're going to have to back up all your information somehow to transfer it over to the new hard drive.
     
  7. YMW

    YMW Notebook Consultant

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    Yeah, hmmmm....
    Of course I could always get a external HDD.
     
  8. junknstuff

    junknstuff Notebook Consultant

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    hitachi has an external HD that also comes with external hd case and software so that you can just directly copy everything over from one HD to another w/o having to reinstall anything. then you'll have an external with your prior HD!
     
  9. jimboutilier

    jimboutilier Notebook Evangelist NBR Reviewer

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    OWC offers SATA notebook drives at excellent prices as well as external USB or FireWire enclosures.

    Get a hard drive and enclosure and install the hard drive in the enclosure. Download SuperDuper! and copy your internal hard drive to the external.

    Take out the internal drive, remove the shielding (the only tricky part as you need a special screwdriver bit usually only found in large computer tool kits). Put the shielding on the new drive and install. Done - just did it last weekend myself.

    Hard drive installation instructions are on the Apple web site and its easy. Then of course you can put your old drive in the enclosure and you have a nifty portable hard drive too.