Upgrading the Hard Drive in a 13" MacBook Pro (Mid-2009)

[gimmedap]

Awesome, thanks! I can do this. Now I need to find a hard drive!

[Ndizzyinthehizzy]

how much did the hard drive cost, and do you have to use a specific hard drive

[vgdd4]

I want to upgrade my hd but I do not have Lion installation cd, what should I do?

[OWCmacsales]

@vgdd4 Link added to comments on "Data transfer under OS X Lion".

[tronjhiem79]

What specific screwdrivers should I use?

Thanks!

[OWCmacsales]

@tronjhiem79 0:24

[tronjhiem79]

@tronjhiem79 Ok. I asked the question before I even watched the entire video, sorry for being so impatient.

[earlcamblelover]

Great video ! 

[sosotabbo]

helped me thanks !

+ The intro music sounds like a Porn background music ROFL

[sam071093]

Does this void warranty

[OWCmacsales]

@sam071093 Installing the upgrades in and of themselves does not void Apple's warranty. HOWEVER, the warranty does not cover any damages that may result from doing so and physically damaging the computer will void the warranty

[dufrhd5]

after replacing the hard drive, would I have to reinstall Mac OS?

[OWCmacsales]

@dufrhd5 see 0:48 of the instruction video. We do recommend that you transfer data prior to installation, in which case formatting and installing an opearting system is done before hand. Although if you do install a bare, unformatted hard drive, then yes, you will need to install Mac OS.

[iMagic820]

What ways would you recommend to discharge static electricity?

What work surfaces that are static free would you recommend working on?

Could you post a video on how to transfer your data to the new hard drive?

Thanks for all of your helpful videos!

[OWCmacsales]

@iMagic820 See the link in the more info section of this video for the answers to all your discharging static electricity questions.

[Thinker4038]

Very very very helpful! Cant thank you guys enough!!! :)

[arelius536]

can you do the same on the mid 2010 version?

[OWCmacsales]

@arelius536 Of course. There is a video for that on our channel too.

[arelius536]

@OWCmacsales wow thanks for the fast response! i'll go check it out right now!

[TheNewYorkSwag]

this guy sounds like the guy from sponegbob XD

[stubbz25]

if i replace the hard drive will i haft to replace the operating system?

[Armaangandevia1]

@stubbz25 ya every thing

[TickleMeSillyXx]

@stubbz25 Yes you will have to replace the OS, when you replace the HDD on computer. But you can reinstall the OS on the new HDD with the backup OS disc that you would get with your mac.

[acogscopepwn]

does it fit a 2.5 inch ssd?

[OWCmacsales]

@acogscopepwn Yes, the instructions are exactly the same for any 2.5" drive, whether traditional (as shown) or SSD.

[alexh123drum]

great video. very thorough and steady

[bomotsot]

a quick question...if i install a 750gb hard drive to my 13'mbp mid 2009 ver.transferring first all data on it,i have two partitions on the current hard drive which is 500gb,250gb on each partition...will it still show as two partitions on the new 750gb hd or will it be 1 whole partition...please i need some answers:(

[Tiberiu1Laticevschi]

Mac mini and Macbook Air are way harder to fix... MBA (1. coz it's hard to get it off, 2. coz it's harder to find those small HDDs)

[benjambrooks]

Does this video apply to the 13" Macbook Pro for Spring 2010? I just picked up an SSD and I am trying to figure out how to install correctly

[OWCmacsales]

@benjambrooks The installation process is very similar. Our videos for Upgrading the Hard Drive in a 13" MacBook Pro (Mid 2010) is currently in post-production and should be posted on our channel soon.

[benjambrooks]

@OWCmacsales Can you guys have the video up by tonight? I just recieved my OWC 5-Piece mini toolkit and I don't think I can wait any longer to install!!! Thanks!

[FiSTFigHT09]

@OWCmacsales How would you be able to transfer the information from the old hard drive to the new upgraded one?

[OWCmacsales]

@FiSTFigHT09 see 0:48 for the instructions.

[kylepilot747]

@FiSTFigHT09 use time machine. then install snow leopard. then restore from time machine. (you need a external hard drive for time machine)

[meerak87]

@OWCmacsales I bought my unibody late 2009. Can u tell me what type of hard drive should I be looking for..wt size 2.5? or what is it? thanks

[OWCmacsales]

@meerak87 The MacBook Pro late 2009 models can accept any 2.5" SATA hard drive or SSD up to 12.5mm in height.

[benjambrooks]

@benjambrooks Will it be up by tommorow afternoon you think?

[guynamedrew]

you guys saved me a fortune!

[guynamedrew]

Hahaha i'm 13 and I did this!

[Gratrum]

What video editing software are you using :)

[OWCmacsales]

@Gratrum Post production on our videos is done mainly in Final Cut Express

[faultiermaennchen]

Thank you very much. Great guide.

[theworldofapple]

Ha Ha, when I first saw the warning at 0:44, I thought that it said: Use proper anit-septic precautions..."!

[benjambrooks]

How can you safely discharge static electricity before beginning?

[OWCmacsales]

@benjambrooks See the "more info" section - We've added a link to our tips on Discharging Static Electricity

[juggerknot9]

Just got a 500GB Hard Drive @ 7200 RPM and 8GB ram for $350 from these guys! Saved me so much money and great online customer support! Was able to answer every question I had when making my choice. Thank you sooo much!

[MattShea369]

I have a problem. My hard drive spins really fast all the time and it's noisy. What do I do?

[MattShea369]

Thank you very much for the video, just received my 500gb WD sorpio blue hard drive from OWC and now I'm going to install it. :D

[xdeadstarpsyclonx]

...err not to be anal but, you forgot to tell the viewer to disconnect the internal battery first, otherwise you could possibly cause electrical damages to the machine.

[MattShea369]

@xdeadstarpsyclonx the internal battery should never be removed on the new macbooks.

[xdeadstarpsyclonx]

@MattShea369 i dont mean remove it, just disconnect the ribbon cable connecting it to the logic board so as not to cause any electrical damage.

[monkeysquirle]

owc has the best videos, thanks

[luckyjinxer]

...someones showing off the fact that they are ambidextrous...

[esoberanis1]

question..my macbook has 2gb ram ddr3 ...do i need to buy another 2gb ram to make it four or do i have to buy a 4gb ddr3 and take out the 2gb ram it came with? Thanks

[itzrandz]

does this void the warranty?

[OWCmacsales]

@itzrandz Installing the upgrades in and of themselves does not void Apple's warranty. HOWEVER, the warranty does not cover any damages that may result from doing so and physically damaging the computer will void the warranty

[zeth006]

Awesome guide.

[jograd08]

i have a question.. does the 1.0tb WD HDD fit on the MBP 13"? if so, does it affect the temperature and air circulation of the laptop since it is 12mm dimension instead of 9.5mm standard?

[OWCmacsales]

@jograd08 Yes, any 12.5mm drive can be installed in the machine. At the time this video was created, the 12.5mm 750GB and 1.0TB drives were not available, but we have installed those thicker drives internally and they have no issues being used. There is no difference in installation instructions between the 9mm and 12.5mm drives.

[Jodare]

Thanks very much for adding this. Made what appeared to be a daunting task (for novices) very simple. Phillips screwdriver didn't work for my screws but found an alternative. Which you did all my DIY vids :-)

[oskarins100]

losers

[Armaangandevia1]

lol the 1 drive was made by hitachi

[OzyOly]

Thank you very much for this. I thought it was going to be difficult to get into like an apple peripheral. I'm glad to know there is no glue/clips to free first. :)

[shadowheart43]

hi can i just use pliers instead of a torx screw because i don't have to buy it?

[OWCmacsales]

@shadowheart43 the proper tool to use is the torx screwdriver - see more info for where to get a toolkit that contains the tools you need. That said, in this particular case, a pair of pliers could be used for the hard drive mounting screws, but you would a. most likely scratch the screws and b. its very awkward to use a pair of pliers to turn a screw.

[benjambrooks]

Is the procedure the same for a Mid-2009 15" MBP?

[OWCmacsales]

The procedure is very close. Check out our YouTube channel for the installation video for your specific machine.

[braddudeguy]

What if there isn't enough adhesive on the tap? Will a piece of tape work as a replacement?

[OWCmacsales]

@braddudeguy Actually the only reason to have the clear plastic tab on the hard drive is to make drive removal easier. It can be left off, and for future upgrades simply use a nylon pry tool (or guitar pick) to lift the drive free of its resting place.

[AmadeusAslee]

Quick question.

How come when I opened my macbook pro, there is a sticky beside the battery that said something about not removing the battery?

So does this mean that when I cannot replace the battery by my own?

[MrAndrewDuong]

you can't replace the battery because it's built in. only apple can replace it.

[coinman723]

does doing this void apple care? i was thinking of doing this

[OWCmacsales]

Installing the upgrades in and of themselves does not void Apple's warranty. HOWEVER, the warranty does not cover any damages that may result from doing so and physically damaging the computer will void the warranty.

[coinman723]

thanks alot. ill do this then. is it possible to buy the skrew driver from a hardware store tho?

[Xithon]

Thanks for clearing this up, was interested to know myself.

[rcoffie]

Perfect!! this is the best hard drive upgrade tutorial on youtube. best quality and great camera positioning 5 stars!

[techcrazyguy]

Is there a limit to the size of the hard drive i can put in my 13" macbook pro?

(Data wise of course)

[OWCmacsales]

@techcrazyguy You can install any capacity of 2.5" hard drive up to 12.5mm in physical height.

[techcrazyguy]

yes but how much memory can i go up to

[rcoffie]

@techcrazyguy they only have up to 500gb hard driives availble anywhere. 1 terabyte hard drives only come in 3.5 inch (for desktops)

[OWCmacsales]

@techcrazyguy the 13" MacBook Pro can accept up to 8GB of memory (Two 4GB memory modules)

[techcrazyguy]

and how much am i limited to for the hard drive?

[aimeeish]

Thanks, great tutorial. I have a question, though. I don't plan on buying an external hard drive to transfer my stuff. Can I just insert the install DVD's into the new hard drive to get the OSX back? Do you understand what I'm saying? Because I know that buying a new hard drive - it won't auto come with OSX installed.

[OWCmacsales]

@aimeeish Yes, if you can certainly install a fresh drive and install the operating system from your OS X disks. You will need to format the drive before you can perform the install, but once you boot the machine from your OS X disk, you can use disk utility to do so.

[aimeeish]

Sweet. Also, I can format the hard drive from the laptop, right?

[DavidKneiber]

wow, could there be a less practical laptop?

[aznboi1214]

Have you ever opened any other laptops? RETARD this is hella easy compared to freaking HP where you have a hard drive caddy.

[DavidKneiber]

@aznboi1214 hard drive caddy?

dude, u unscrew 4 screws and the caddy comes off

you're flat out ignorant.

[aznboi1214]

as apposed to this unpractical laptop that doesn't have a caddy with fewer screws to unscrew...

[billball69]

Thanks for this video....it was a great help

[benjambrooks]

I am going to upgrade to 4GB of RAM and SSD HD in my Macbook Pro unibody. Do you suggest doing these installations seperately or at the same time?

[OWCmacsales]

With any upgrade, it is always best to do each installation one at a time - If only for the fact that if there is an issue with one or the other (manufacturer defect, incompatible product purchased, etc) it is easiest to determine which upgrade caused the issue.

[benjambrooks]

Should this process be the same in a 15" Macbook Pro unibody?

[TedPark1025]

Very useful... But which format should I choose for installing mac os x? There are several choices in disk utility.

[OWCmacsales]

If OS X will be the only operating system installed, then "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" would be the way to go.

[macnerd93]

does anyone know if upgrading the hard drive voids the warranty on the 13'' MacBook Pro. I know it voids it on the old 2008 MacBook Pro, the ones which looks like the Powerbook, because you have to take keyboard out and everything. i was told in the Apple store by a Mac specialist it won't be void as long as i follow Apple's guide on there support page, but then In a forums I saw it will void the warranty so I'm confused can anyone enlighten me which it correct.

[lovacoustic]

i'd go back to the Apple Store and have the specialist print out Apple's intstructions and the policy that says it doesn't void the warranty before doing anything. That is if you're concerned about the warranty being voided.

[saveskii]

Hi, I have a mbp with a pretty small 160 gig hard drive with windows in the boot camp partition but I plan two separate my usage of windows and osx.. Is that possible? if so how do I install windows on my new drive and skip osx?

[Resistance41]

Can you install a 1TB 7200 rpm hard drive on it?

[OWCmacsales]

Yes, this laptop will accept both the 9.5mm and 12.5mm 2.5" hard drives regardless of capacity.

[MacAlexxxxx]

Do you know if there is such thing as a 1 terabyte hard drive for a 13 inch macbook?

[OWCmacsales]

@MacAlexxxxx Western Digital does have a 1TB drive on the way. OWC (macsales) Part number WDGWD10TEVT. It is not available as of yet, but watch our website for ETA information.

[YinHoNg]

Found the answer: need to partition it first, using the disk utility menu option in the menu bar. Hope this helps somebody.

[YinHoNg]

Hi. I followed this guide but now I'm trying to install Snow Leopard on it using the bundled installation disks, and when it comes to "Select the disk where you want to install Mac OS X" it isn't appearing.... what to do?!

[IndivisiblePrinciple]

Can anyone say whether the new 2.5in 1tb drive from Western Digital fits in this 13in MacbookPro. I have read that it does, but I would like to hear from someone who has actually done it or seen it still, to know what it is like to install and how it works.

[OWCmacsales]

Yes, a 12.5mm drive can be installed in the machine. At the time this video was created, the 12.5mm 750GB and 1.0TB drives were not available, but we have installed those thicker drives internally and they have no issues being used. There is no difference in installation instructions between the 9mm and 12.5mm drives.

[electriczap4]

You sir, are a genius.

[hazzzy1000]

wll the ma act as normal if i upgrade the hdd before i turn it on 4 the first time, like will there still be the starter vid and stuff?

[OWCmacsales]

Check 1:01 in the video. If you've transferred your data from the old drive to the new, then it will boot normally with all your information already on the disk. If you're looking for a fresh install of the operating system, then you would need to boot from your OS X disks.

[macnerd93]

of course not LOL, you have to installed Mac OS X on it the drive will be formatted meaning nothing will be on it

[perosiphone]

hi i have a macbook pro 13 insh for 3 weeks now when i move the pc when its on form the table to my hands and i walk with it its sounds one sound form the hard disk like klick is it problem or is for safetly?

[ISLAMICxS0LDIER]

its normal its so some thing dnt mess up the head from the hard drive or something..dont worry

[perosiphone]

so yuo mean that my hard drive is ok i dont need to go to the apple store?to replace it or i dont need to do back up because maybe tomroow or one day will not work?

[ISLAMICxS0LDIER]

im pretty sure cause so many people have complained about that same problem and it seems to do nothing..mine also makes that noise when i pick it up..

[perosiphone]

oo ok man thanks u nderstand yeah if yours do the same then its not mean that mine is broken then its safetly think do that hehehe........so good i dont need to go in apple store to replace it or look my mac because i dint have time too!!thanks man!

[ISLAMICxS0LDIER]

no problem...pce

[MBPCAG]

has to be 9.5

[Wankumanu]

Is it possible to install a Harddrive with 12.5 mm height?

[freeskier93]

I bought a new battery for my iBook G4 from OWC and its amazing. It last a very long time. When I get my new Macbook Pro and upgrade the HD and RAM I will be buying from you guys. Top notch quality, thanks.

[boonie12121]

Are the mounting screws on the new harddrive really necessary? I have gotten this far and forgot the other screwdriver needed, however the new HD sits nicely in place without movement without the mounting screws anyway...?

[OWCmacsales]

While the drive may sit "in place" without the mounting screws while the rear cover is off, once you close it up and flip it over, it will be free to rattle around inside the case.

It may only move "a little bit," but it could be enough to cause damage to the platters - a bump at the wrong time could get nasty.

[jd03ctd]

google

apple 1.7 firmware issue

click the apple discussions link

[jd03ctd]

has anyone had probles with the new 1.7 firmware?  there is a long thread over at apple about all kinds of scary issues..

[dscuber9000]

Very high quality video! I am now considering upgrading the hard-drive on my MacBook eventually to 500GB. This should be a lot easier than putting a new case on my Wii. :P

[Guarkolo]

Is it the same procedure if I want to install a solid state drive? Tanks

[OWCmacsales]

Yes, 2.5" SATA solid state drives would work as well.

[MarioTico1]

That computer was serviced by the useless BB Geeksquad... I recognize the sticker on the bottom right upper corner... LOL

[OWCmacsales]

Actually that's a "Property of Other World Computing" asset tag sticker indicating the machine comes from our extensive in house state-of-the-art Apple lab containing nearly every Apple/Mac model from the last two decades. OWC owns and maintains our own lab so you can count on OWC to consistently deliver the top quality upgrades you need that are correct for your system.

[xluckyhoia]

Is there a certain brand of hard drive that macs use? or can we buy any of the ones listed from the search?

[OWCmacsales]

Any bare 2.5" SATA hard drive should work.

[getezra]

Thank you. I used another one of your videos to do an HD upgrade on a 17" MBP Unibody about 3 months ago, and today I used this one to do an HD upgrade on a 13" MBP. Great job, really appreciate it and will buy from OWC when the price is right! (as it usually is)

[eanddlewis]

Thanks for the very simple and easy to understand video!