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Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement

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  1. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Bottom Cover: 1 단계, 이미지 1/2 Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Bottom Cover: 1 단계, 이미지 2/2
    • Place your thumbs in the depressions cut into the bottom cover.

    • Rotate the bottom cover counter-clockwise until the white dot painted on the bottom cover is aligned with the ring inscribed on the outer case.

    • You do not need to apply much downward pressure while turning.

    This took a lot of force on my Mac mini. A lot.

    nh3 - 답글

    I agree. It took a crap ton of force from my thumbs to twist the bottom off.

    sleeve -

    I accidentally broke the little things that hold the cover to the case. Is there a cheap replacement to the cover? Those clips are held onto it very weakly.

    Jacob Halton - 답글

    Don't just use your thumbs... Use your whole palm to twist it, with maybe a thumb in one of the recesses, applying slight downward pressure.

    markbart - 답글

    Wish I would have read this comment before I did it!

    I found that what markbart said works best. one palm one thumb (and my knees) My thumbs would do it. It was a bit at a time.

    Same difficulty getting it back on.

    Would be handy if this (difficulty) was mentioned in the guide

    Also would be nice to mention the safe practice of pressing the power button for a few seconds after disconnected to rid the system of any residual power, working in a clean static free environment & they say on the crucial website to touch a metal surface of the machine before touching the RAM

    Nancy -

    I think it depends, I have seen some that are very difficult to open and some super easy. But I see them everyday. I wish there was a tool that fit in the holes.

    Justin Weathersbee - 답글

    When seating the bottom RAM chip you may have to apply a little extra side force to get it to seat properly. I put in the new RAM and just got a beeping sound upon starting. I then put the old RAM back in and got the same result.

    Here is the solution I found on the Apple discussion board.

    "Take a small flat head screwdriver and after you put the memory in slot 0, put the screwdriver between the top of the mac mini and the memory then turn the screwdriver a little to exert pressure on the memory into the slot. Do it on both sides of the memory."

    This worked for me.

    littlemas2 - 답글

    I remember this when I was changing my memory ... I realized (after opening) that more you push, more force it take to open the cover. As you push down you force the cover "to rub" the casing and possibly other things inside. If you "lightly" hold the cover it comes right off ... Remember: less is more! :-)

    Have fun!

    Radek - 답글

    We found it hard to use the thumbs but if you put the casing on a carpet and one person is holding the case while the other is using his palm of one hand to turn the cover it comes off quite smoothly and without much downward pressure.

    Alexander - 답글

    If you're upgrading to an SSD, before you even take this first step, I'd recommend putting the SSD into an external drive case, using USB and format the SSD first before trying to swap your existing hard drive or implementing a fusion drive. The external drive case will come in handy later so you can use the old drive as extra storage anyhow.

    Once that SSD is internal, the Mac errors out during the formatting process. Once it was formatted externally, then installed inside the Mac again, there was no problem.

    Orange Girl - 답글

    The first time I did this it hurt! The second time my mac mini 2012 had been running so was warm. VERY EASY WHEN WARM. No fun when cool!

    Nancy - 답글

    Forget about those 2 circle indents. if you consider the 2 marked dots (open and close) as position 12 o’clock, place your thumbs at 11 and 1 o’clock on the outer rim of the cover and rotate from that position.

    juicer52 - 답글

    No way was I getting the back off. So I made a tool. Took a large wrench longer than the Mac mini. Superglued 2 rubber feet on the wrench at the same location as the thumb indents. Put the Mac on the ground, between my knees and used my body weight to turn the cover. Worked like a charm.

    Mark - 답글

    Hey dos anyone know if that can lead to the 3 beep RAM problem? I just got a Mac mini witch has the 3 Beeps when started. its not the RAMs them self because thy work in other Macs so if this could lead to thee 3 Beep problem it would make it more Ez because I don't have to Re solder the RAM Port. (This Mac mini was Running over 10 years and after it got turned of for the first Tim it started to have this problem) I think because of Over heading.

    Arvid000 - 답글

  2. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 2 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Tilt the mini enough to allow the bottom cover to fall away from the outer case.

    • Remove the bottom cover and set it aside.

    I have a late 2012 Mac mini, but it must be an earlier version than this late 2012 Mac mini in this description, because removing the hard drive is much more complicated than described here. Please see this YouTube video if you have trouble removing your hard drive with these directions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP... There is a longer process you've got to go through. It can be done, it just takes much longer. (3-4 hours for me)

    sandyfacebook - 답글

    This applied to me as well. The iFixit article was good and lots of helpful information in the comments but my mini was different and required more dismantling. The video sandyfacebook posted was very helpful in taking me the rest of the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP...

    Erik Heerlein -

    My HDD replacement procedure took 2 jours of research, one night sleeping on it and 30 minutes to perform…

    Rene Girardin - 답글

    Step 1: Always wear ESD protection.

    skjell - 답글

  3. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Fan: 3 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Remove the two 11.3 mm T6 Torx screws securing the fan to the logic board near the antenna plate.

    On my mini, the fan has a 3rd screw on the bottom right of its housing just out of sight on the step 3 photo. I believe it was in the hole later referred to as the 26 mm T6 Torx standoff in step 14.

    benjamin - 답글

    Remove a third screw at the opposite end of the fan near the DRAM

    Craig Foster - 답글

    Not necessary to remove that screw at that point to get the fan out. It is only a post at that point.

    Remove it in step 14.

    Craig Reilly -

    I needed a T7 for this, and had to remove all three screws before I could take the fan out.

    mackrell - 답글

    The fan has in fact, 3 screws that need to be removed before you can lift it out.

    FinnCrisp888 - 답글

    That screw is a post at that point. I removed it at step 14.

    Craig Reilly -

    The 3rd screw needed a T5, for me.

    Martin Cleaver - 답글

    All of mine have 3-T6 screws.

    Kadah Coba - 답글

    I can't, for the life of me, get the left screw out of the cowling. Had to pull both out together. Now having a very hard time getting the cowling back in to replace the fan.

    Elvin Lucic - 답글

    I can’t remove the left screw to separate the fan to the cooler. Impossible to put back the fan and the cooler.

    Jérôme Rosat - 답글

    One of my fan screws don't come out, even though I keep trying to unscrew the screw. I tried a lot of things ranging from pulling the fan up to just trying to shake it out, please help me out with this

    cooldude20128 - 답글

    Only two screws as stated above need to be removed but as people have found out, the one in the cowling can bind into the post below it and it’s the post below that unscrews instead. So you end up with the screw+the post+the fan all together as one. That assembly can be worked out, and then with two pairs of pliers the post and screw can be separated.

    The lower right T6 fan screw is a standoff (that also secures the logic board). This can be loosened and kept with the fan, or (since it is friction captured in a grommet on the fan), the fan can be lifted off, being careful not to dislodge the grommet.

    John - 답글

    IMPORTANT: there’s a spring under the post which could go anywhere when the post comes out with the screw.

    John - 답글

    Hi… Hi… Good. I have a query, I want to change my internal hard drive from my Mac Mini (mid) 2011, and my query is whether to remove the fan screws and other parts, which from what I was informed is the Torx T6 screwdriver. And my question is: to remove it I need a Torx T6 screwdriver with a hollow point or the Torx T6 with a flat tip will work for me. From what I have read, that the hollow point Torx are called Precision Torx or are identified with an "H" after the number in this case: "T6H". The same query is to remove the cover where the WiFi is, should I use a Torx T8 hollow point or does the flat point work for me? From now on I thank you get me out of this doubt, before doing something wrong. Thank you very much and greetings. Image (Augusto)

    Augusto - 답글

    After having a look on YouTube at various methods I found it was not necessary to disconnect the fan or the antenna plate. I rotated the antenna plate out of the way and secured it with a piece of masking tape. I also found that I didn't have to move the logic board either. I lifted the HDD connector (gently) with a spludger . The original HDD came out easily once I managed to grip the plastic PCB cover (which isn't needed on the SSD) . Fitting the new SSD was easy using a masking tape 'handle' in the shape of an upside down 'T' . funnily enough the hardest part was getting the little plastic shroud on the left to sit nicely but even that was easy once I had used the masking tape 'handle' I'd used on the SSD. I always think the less you have to mess with the less chance of anything going wrong. Oh, and buy a antistatic wriststrap !

    Andy Dacosta - 답글

    When reassembling, take care to not over-tighten the screw on the left of the photo, which goes into the cowling. If this is screwed-in tight, then it may cause problems the next time you disassemble the Mini. (This screw is screwed into a second screw - and when you remove it, you only want the topmost screw to come out)

    Matthew F - 답글

  4. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 4 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Lift the ear of the fan nearest the RAM up off the standoff secured to the outer case.

    • Removing the standoff screw is not necessary to remove the fan. You need only raise the fan enough to lift it off the standoff screw.

    Contrary to the instructions, I had to remove the fan screw

    radonr - 답글

    Same for me, couldn't get it to move without feeling it was going to break so I just removed the screw.

    warrencox -

    Ditto re: standoff screw

    turkeyneck -

    Better to remove the 3rd bolt here, making it easier to remove the fan. It needs to be removed anyway in step 14.

    Bas Meijer -

    Mid 2011. I too had to remove the standoff screw. It seems to be a T5.

    lsbf - 답글

    You will have to remove this screw in step 14, so why not now ;)

    mpalma - 답글

    For me it was no prob to remove the fan just pulling carefully upwards.

    Timpetou - 답글

    Mid 2011 Server, I had to remove the fan screw

    garzov - 답글

    Mid 2011. The "yellow screw" from step 14 is captive in the fan and has to be removed in step 4.

    eric - 답글

    Also it is much easier getting the fan correctly aligned on the stand of rubbery bit if you have the screw removed.

    aron - 답글

    It’s no need to remove the screw

    fatych - 답글

    I ended up removing the complete stand off post.

    Peter Stockwell - 답글

    My whole fan connector just broke when reconnecting

    Vince lolol - 답글

  5. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 5 단계, 이미지 1/3 Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 5 단계, 이미지 2/3 Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 5 단계, 이미지 3/3
    • Lift the fan out of the mini for enough clearance to access its connector.

    • Grab all the wires at once and gently pull straight up to disconnect the fan from the logic board.

    • Do not pry at the socket, or you may rip it from the logic board.

    • Remove the fan.

    You actually don't need to disconnect the fan. You can just let it hang on the side while working. I accidentally killed my connector trying to pry it loose. It's being held together now by some tape, after spending hours trying to reconnect it and figuring out pin outs.

    Nick Michielsen - 답글

    Did it just as Nick suggested, hang the assembly to the side.

    David Chan -

    Agreed. It is much better to leave the fan connected. The only thing you actually need to disconnect is the hard drive.

    ablack3 -

    Absolutely. just dangle it.

    Chuck Lin -

    110% agreed: you don’t have to remove the fan. Those wires are delicate, as is the connector. Just move it off to the side. Do the same for the antenna plate. The fewer connectors you touch, the fewer things you break!

    Chris Belanger -

    These instructions are used as a prerequisite for many other repairs where the fan simply has to be removed in order to continue. (For example, fan replacement.) I would not recommend leaving the fan dangling from the board during a repair, as that’s a hazard all by itself. If you insist on leaving the fan connected, secure it to the chassis with some masking tape to make it a little less dangerous.

    Jeff Suovanen -

    The fan has some slack cable on it. Once you have unscrewed the fan, you should see that the connecting cable is wrapped around two hooks. CAREFULLY move the cable around the hooks to free it. You can then move the fan to one side out of the way while you access the hard drive bay. On reassembly, thread the cable back around the hooks before screwing it back in.

    Ritchie Swann -

    Be careful to LIFT UP on the fan connector cable. Using a spudger tool helps here. I mistakenly thought that the connector would slide off the logic board and tried to remove the connector this way. I ended up lifting the connector off of the logic board, thus ruining my logic board and requiring a $350 logic board replacement at the genius bar. The second time I did a HD/SSD replacement, everything worked fine.

    Matthew Wagner - 답글

    Yeah, I did the same thing by following someone elses "shortcut". Now I am going to shell out 289 for quad core i5 board, and a new fan BTW. . . . . . Oh well never a dull moment :) and it gets an upgrade as well!

    rob Stewart -

    That's probably the must tricky part of the replacement. I did the same thing, i just pull on my cables and the connector stays on the board. Tried many times to switch cables into but any order i try is not the good one.

    The avoid this, now, when i want to pull out my fan, i just use a plate screwdriver and lift up the connector. That's work perfectly.

    ayottepl - 답글

    I've just pulled out the connector that's soldered to the logic board because I used a pry tool. Be careful at this point to just pull gently on the four cables that go to the fan.

    No Name - 답글

    The CAUTION in step 13, "Make sure to pry up from beneath the wires and not underneath the socket," applies to this step as well, for removal of the fan wires.

    lsbf - 답글

    I screwed it too... Not reading carefully enough, I accidentally removed the whole socket from the board. This happened with the IR connector too. When re-assembling the parts, the socket wouldn't stick to the board, now I know why. I don't want to buy a new logic board, because I can't afford one, so I'm trying to find someone to solder it. Seems hard to find someone able to repair logic boards these days. Hope I'll be successful, otherwise this is an expensive upgrade to my mac...

    Floffrob - 답글

    Don't remove it with your fingers, use a tool for that. And underneath the wires!

    sebcthiebaud - 답글

    Followed all the instructions, everything went well, but now my mini fan won't turn off. It starts as soon as I boot up. I've tried every fan control software out there, and nothing works; the fan just constantly runs. I was very careful when I disconnected/reconnected the fan cable, and it looks fine. What else can I do?

    Ben Dunkle - 답글

    The problem is most likely a disconnected or damaged temperature sensor, I had this problem when reassembling a 2007 Mac mini. It can't read the temperature, so assumes the worst and sets the fan to maximum.

    patronics -

    I broke the fan wires from the connector plug. Impossible to repair. I have ordered a new fan. Is there a correct orientation to plugging in the new connector?

    ronhixson - 답글

    For heavens sake please DON'T remove the fan. It's really really hard to reconnect it properly. And besides that you don't have to remove the Logic Board for just changing the HDD.

    Greg Kollmann - 답글

    It’s very easy to reconnect if you know how. Position the connector over the socket as shown in the photo, and press it down. As long as it’s not upside-down or anything, you’re done in 5 seconds.

    Jeff Suovanen -

    Does anyone know how to solve the full RPM fan issue? My computer guy couldn't solve with fan control software

    J beneventi - 답글

    I removed the fan and everything worked fine, but it’s good to know that it’s a “push-down“ connector, took me some time to relize that, all I needed to do was to press down the connector over the pins, see the picture for more details.

    Jan Igerud - 답글

    SO glad I read these comments first.

    I changed the directions to read:

    “Use a Spudger to carefully pry the fan cable connector UP out of its socket on the logic board.“

    You guys DO know you can edit these, right?

    Brian - 답글

    The direction you “ gently pull” to remove the connector is all important. You have to pull upwards, vertically away from the board. If you pull more downwards parallel to the board, you may end up wrecking the connector by pulling the wires out of it as I did. Fortunately the socket was okay so it was just a case of buying a $10 replacement fan (complete with new connector).

    David - 답글

    DAGNABBIT! Broke it! Now I have a fan blowing on the open case while it’s operating. What can I use as a shield for dust but still allow for airflow?

    william8248 - 답글

    OMG, please change this instruction to NOT remove the fan. What a nightmare trying to reseat it.

    Donald Braman - 답글

    You need to position it over the socket as shown and press straight down. If it takes you more than 5-10 seconds, something’s wrong.

    Jeff Suovanen -

    really wish i would have seen these comments before I ripped out the fan from the logic board.

    frankie messinja - 답글

    I missed the word UP and instead pulled the wires straight out, which ended up with me holding the wires but leaving the plug behind in the socket. I just ordered a replacement fan from ebay, since ifixit is out of the one in the correct amperage for this unit.

    I then edited the guide to capitalize and bold the word “UP” and hopefully that saves somebody else a bit of hassle.

    Any step with a lot of comments is one people have trouble with. It might be useful if ifixit were to make it more obvious we should read the comments, at least for those that have a lot of them. It would save a lot of people a lot of hassle.

    James Vasile - 답글

    Just for emphasis on this point, I did exactly that - I ripped the fan connector right off of a perfectly good logic board. I used a plastic pry tool and was attempting to follow OWC video for replacing the drive. So beware! Trust me, it is not that hard to rip this thing off the board.

    Neal Sosdian - 답글

    DO NOT REMOVE THE FAN.

    Put it to one side.

    Curtin Architecture - 답글

    Here’s a video showing how this is done: https://youtu.be/KlR-RWtqzis

    glennbecker - 답글

  6. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Cowling: 6 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Remove the single 3.5 mm T6 Torx screw securing the cowling to the heat sink.

    in Step 6 — Cowling ; " Remove the single 3.5 mm T6 Torx screw securing the cowling to the heat sink", does it mean that it is the same T6 Torx screw for the cowling and the heat sink ?

    In fact at the end, I mess this T6 Torx screw !

    cegondaireun - 답글

    Uhh I can't get this to go back in? Not sure what is going on...

    David Inman - 답글

    Note that when you are replacing this cowling you are putting the screw back into what looks like another screw that holds the heat sink to the logic board. Disconcerting but correct.

    thrint - 답글

    Thank you!

    I kept looking at that screw and wondering why I was trying to screw that screw into another screw.

    I've done removal and reinstalling a couple of days apart and I don't remember everything about what happened and where things came from. You're not wrong that it's disconcerting!

    Andrew K -

    Note That the arc of the cowling does not butt to the edge of the chassis. But slides in below it. Once the two screws on the heat sink are aligned with the cowling holes, it's good to go.

    imtimrob - 답글

    used a T7 head to get this one out.

    patjmccarthy - 답글

    Does this screw have a spring attached to it?

    martinknowsbest - 답글

  7. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 7 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Lift the cowling from the end nearest the antenna plate.

    • Rotate the cowling away from the outer case and remove it from the mini.

    Look very closely at how this is set. Take a photo. Because when I put mine back together it took 45 minutes just to get the fan and this cowling to fit in place next to each other.

    sandyfacebook - 답글

    The cowling has a notch close to the midpoint of the flange that goes under the outer case, which slides onto a standoff screw attached to the logic board. I used a Sharpie marker to put one "alignment mark" on the inner edge of the outer case. I put another alignment mark from the midpoint of the cowling notch out onto the visible part of the cowling. This made it much easer to reassemble, especially since my standoff post provided a tight fit, which, when I did this the first time, felt like "it doesn't fit . . . again?" It also helped to insert the end of the cowling closest to the heat sink first, which acted as a "fulcrum" for the cowling to "click" onto the standoff post.

    Carrick - 답글

    On reassembly, if you're having trouble lining up the cowling with the screw holes, you can try pulling the logic board out a tad and set the cowling in place. Just try not to damage the cowling or the inside of the outer case when sliding it back in!

    Drew - 답글

    This is one of the few problems I had when reassembling because I didn’t realise at first that the cowling goes just under the lip of the outer case rather than just butting up against it; once done, it’s easy to line up the screw holes.

    eggs - 답글

    Thank you Carrick!

    geoff.dunkak - 답글

    I am working on a late 2012 Mac Mini (A1347) and there are two T6 screws on the cowling. On towards the WIFI as indicated, and another towards the back by the SD card slot.

    Roman Sturgis - 답글

    this is for the mac mini 2011. for mac mini 2012, see here: Mac mini Late 2012

    Gray Greensheim -

  8. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Antenna Plate: 8 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Remove the following screws securing the antenna plate to the mini:

    • Two 6.6 mm T8 Torx screws

    • Two 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screws (either screwdriver will work)

    • When putting back together:

    • It can be difficult to get the hard drive seated correctly such that the antenna plate fits in place correctly. If the screw holes don't line up with those on the hard drive, make sure that the two pins that are in the back of the hard drive are properly seated in the holes at the back of the case, above the housing for the second hard drive.

    • The antenna attaches directly to the hard drive (red markers), therefore attaching the antenna can move the hard drive around and loosen the connection of the hard drive cable to the logic board.

    When reassembling this aerial plate, it may take a very strong force to align the side lips with the screw bays. The circular edge on the body is meant to slot into the plate by less than 1mm. I followed the rule of thumb, which is, if it takes an unusual force, stop and think it out to avoid a disaster! Then, I hit on using a paper clip to get around this problem. Make a paper clip L-shaped to loop through a hole close to the edge of the plate, where the slotting is not deep enough. Gently lifting the paper clip, slide and push the aerial plate in place. This worked like a charm without using a strong force.

    al dente - 답글

    Worked like a charm, saved my day!!!

    David -

    @Al Dente’s approach worked for me, but at first I didn’t understand what he meant. Basically the antenna mesh has a tongue and grove relationship with the mac mini shell; it is hard to see, but along the curved edge has a concave grove which needs to be widened. You can widen this concave grove with a paper clip and then it will fit perfectly.

    Ife Nkechukwu -

    Wow! I struggled with this for at least 1 1/2 hours. Then I tried this suggestion and it worked with ease and immediately. Genius suggestion. Thanks!!!

    Kbwood -

    My only real problem in the whole process was putting back the antenna plate. Couldn't get both side screws to align. Ended up leaving one out but might try the paper clip trick now

    andrewarwas - 답글

    I had a similar experience, but when I realized the two 5.0mm T8 Torx screws were 2 of a set of 3 that also served to hold the cover on, I wasn't comfortable with only securing the cover with 2.

    UNSC Jon 117 -

    DO NOT BRUTE FORCE the reinstallation of the plate. In my case, the top lip of the antenna plate has a notch which aligns with the edge of the opening was preventing the perfect fit. All I did in my case was use the spudger to pry open the notch a little more to give me a little bit extra space so that edge of the aluminum enclosure fits into that notch on the top of the antenna plate. Hope that helps. :)

    chicosy - 답글

    I did this too. Worked like a charm.

    ablack3 -

    Thanks for the tip: I did the same thing and it worked like a charm

    Zitoune7 -

    I was installing an SSD in my mini and when I got to this step, an issue came up. The two 6.6mm screws on the antenna plate screw into one side of, and secure, the hard drive. The problem was the SSD was thinner than the original hard drive, so when I tried to reassemble, the hard drive sat too low for the screws to reach it.

    Here's how I got around the problem. I loosely attached the antenna plate to the hard drive, leaving plenty of wiggle room between the plate and the drive. I also left the two stand off screws on the logic board off to give me more wiggle room there.

    With the SSD attached to the antenna plate, I carefully connected and stowed the Bluetooth cable. Using the antenna plate as a handle, I was able to guide the SSD into the hard drive mount. Once in place, I tightened the 6.6mm screws more, which raised the SSD to the proper level.

    After insuring that the screws all lined up, I installed and tightened the logic board, then the other antenna plate screws.

    yourgenius - 답글

    I was able to achieve the same result with an slim SSD disk by simply turning the computer around with the access hole down so that gravity would pull the SSD towards the antenna plate.

    Mikael -

    I attached the SSD to the antenna plate FIRST. Then I connected the RF and the HD connectors during the antenna plate installation.

    Robert Reid -

    After trying these suggestions with a thinner SSD and couldn't get anywhere I used a bent paper clip, L-shaped, to act as a hook. One end I was able to simply hook under the drive and pull it up to install that ends screw loosely. The opposite end I inserted the paper clip through the antenna grate, again pulled up on the drive, installed the screw and carefully pulled the paper clip out.

    Tony Visconti -

    I used a spudger to lift the SSD so that it reached the screws. Not the best solution as the spudger applied some force on the board but it worked.

    vlada -

    The SSD was obviously thinner than the old HDD it was replacing so the screws didn’t contact the threads.

    As “Mikael”^^ said… flipped it upside down and it worked a treat!!! Cheers dude :-)

    Also the paperclip trick came to the rescue to get the antenna plate back on, couldn’t quite get it to sit correctly otherwise!

    Thanks all :-)

    Oliver Fox -

    I found this easy by temporarily using a longer hard drive screw in the right hand hole in the antenna plate to hold the drive in position . Screw in a couple of turns and slide in the HD while the screw is loose. Then tighten to secure the thinner SSD to the plate and insert and tighten the other screw. Finally remove the temporary screw and replace with the correct one.

    Alastair Nisbet -

    The "engineering tolerances" are definitely tight for the AirPort antenna plate. I would recommend trying to replace it as soon as it's removed for the first time, in order to work out the (precise) alignment of it.

    Nothing I tried (including the suggestions here) seemed to help me during reassembly. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get the holes for the two 5.0mm T8 screws to line up. Eventually, I had to resort to CAREFULLY and SLIGHTLY re-bending the curved edge of the antenna plate.

    UNSC Jon 117 - 답글

    REATTACHING grate - al dente's trick helped me.

    The tiny perforations on the grate rest ON TOP of the lip of the case, while the remainder of the grate slides UNDER the lip. It is very hard to see - I used a magnifying glass.

    To get it into place, create a tiny hook on the end of a paperclip. Moving along the edge of the grate, lift a perforation with the hook to help it slip into place. Keep moving along the edge until entire grate is shifted into place.

    Chris 1000 - 답글

    I had several 2-terminal connectors that went to what appeared to be temperature sensors on several components including the hard disk and optical drive. I accidentally pulled the wires out of one of these connectors. Lucky for me, they came out clean and I was able to just re-insert them into the connector

    Kyle Jurick - 답글

    On a Mini bought Jan 2014, Red screws were T-9 and orange were 2mm Hex, T-8 didn't work in either one. T-9 didn't work in orange.

    michael - 답글

    As everyone else has noted during re-assembly, seating the antenna plate is tricky. For me, what ended up working was to attach the hard drive screws first. After this, with just a little wiggling of the plate, the 2 5mm screw holes lined up perfectly.

    jonathansturges - 답글

    Aligning the drive holes with the ones on the antenna grate was easy – just take the pointy end of the spudger. Also, for getting the circular part of the grate set correctly, I had to bend down the outermost part a tiny little bit and then used curved tweezers to lift the grate once it was near its final position to get it slide in the last millimeter. Frustrating at first, but it worked after a few tries.

    Julian - 답글

    Has anyone had any trouble getting the two 5.0mm screws back in place? I can't seem to get them in, as they just keep on turning. I thought the thread may have been damaged but I then removed the plate and could screw them in position okay. It seems the depth of the plate is causing the screws to not go down far enough. I've had to leave these off at the moment (obviously not great as this means the bottom cover is loose. Any ideas?

    alan - 답글

    I had the same problem but only on one of the two screws. Then I realized there's a little tiny "o-ring" underneath which is acting like a nut. I lost one of them in the process of upgrading. If I could find out where to buy a new one I would!

    lyleberman -

    @lyleberman Where are these O-rings? Under what? :)

    I figured I’d wasted the thread on the screws here, and was about to buy new ones at an absurd cost, but this is exactly what’s happening to me! I’ve currently ‘secured’ the antenna plate at the sides with duct tape. But this leaves the machine’s lid loose.

    I’d love to hear more about this, so I can get rid of my ghetto solution!

    Darren Black -

    The antenna plate seems to give most people problems. Somewhere along the line I found reference to "a wiggle here and a wiggle there" and that seemed to work. Shy away from the brute force - it's the surest way to damage something.

    Steen Rancher January 12, 2015

    Steener - 답글

    If 5.0 mm T8 holes don't line up with those on the body, you should hook the antenna up a bit.

    manwe - 답글

    Despite all the efforts, I couldn't manage to insert both side screws for the antenna plate. I ended up only using a single one (the one nearest to the HD connector), hoping it will hold the weight of the SSD.

    ngt - 답글

    Same issue with that antenna plate - take a look at it from the side and you will see the incredibly tight gap which the lip of the case needs to slot into. I assumed it simply butted up against the case, but no.

    I used a big paper clip as suggested here, putting in one screw and then lifting through the perforations while applying a little pressure to the plate. Turned out there was one point misaligned and after a few tries it popped back in.

    Andrew - 답글

    The thickness of your hard drive or SSD plays a part here, I think. With a thicker SSD (Crucial M4) in the upper slot I found the antenna plate very hard to re-install. After replacing this with a Samsung Evo 850 it was much easier, I think because the lower drive has more room to breathe. With the thinner SSD I didn't have to remove the power supply, either – a major plus.

    Charles Butcher - 답글

    For those having trouble reinstalling the Aerial Plate, it is probably a matter of alignment. The recessed edge of the plate slides all the way up under the lip edge of the case. I used my iFixit bent tweezers spread and inserted through a couple holes to lightly pull up on the grate while pushing on the flat edge. No hard force was required. It just snapped right in. You'll know when it is home because it will be a snug fit to the edge of the case inside the arc of the opening.

    imtimrob - 답글

    I would also add that during the reassembly process, make sure the drive stays firmly seated in the grommets. There's a tendency for it to come out or partially out. I kept nudging on it to make sure it was fully seated. Then the antenna screws line up nicely. Some of the problems I read about getting the screws in I suspect arise form the hard drive not being fully seated.

    Robert Meppelink - 답글

    Al Dente and Chris1000 provided the key for me. I used the logic board tool to help lift the cutout sections into place on the top part. Once I did that I slid in to place so easily I almost pulled it out of place trying to adjust it.

    jesscoker - 답글

    Hilariously, I was trying all the tricks, with the paper clip, and putting the drive screws in first, nothing working for me to get the case screw holes aligned. I ended up saying “one screw might just have to do it”, so I put the first case screw in, then I tried putting the second one in from an angle into the misaligned hole, and screwing it in, and that caused the plate to pop into place!

    lukejoz - 답글

    What finally helped me was to check things one at a time. To check the tongue-and-groove fit, I installed the antenna plate by itself, with the hard drive removed. I used a spudger to pry open the groove on the antenna plate, since I had closed it a bit by forcing things. After the antenna plate was going in by itself, I focussed on the hard drive. At first, I was pre-attaching the hard drive to the antenna plate, but this makes it hard to see if the hard drive is going in as far as it should. Getting the two protruding screws on the hard drive into their holes is tricky (I found turning the Mini upside down to use gravity helped), but for me it was some wires at the side of the hard drive space that were getting under the drive and making it sit up high that was the problem. Once I got the hard drive in, and then the antenna plate, I could get the last two screws which hold the drive to the plate to catch by turning the Mini upside down and tapping it on top to bring the hard drive close to the plate.

    Duane - 답글

    So, what they mean by the “paper clip” trick is that you need to lift away the round edge where the wire runs, to be a little further away from the plate. Then it will fit without forcing it.

    Agnes Riley - 답글

    In order to put back correctly the 2 Torx T8 6,6 mm in the hard drive through the airport grid, I used a pick (to play guitar) to lift up the hard drive in order for the 2 screws to reach the hard drive holes.

    I inserted the pick in the little space left between the mother board and the hard drive. Then, by leaning the pick against the motherboard, it lifted up the hard drive against the grid. Then it was super-easy.

    Hope it might help…

    BAN JI - 답글

    The flush screws holding the hard drive to the mesh plate are actually T9 torx. The other little screws on the left and right edges of the mesh plate are T8.

    Nathan Barnett - 답글

    No I disagree with all of this … this is plain and simple extremely difficult bordering on impossible and I now have to take the mini to professionals and pay them to see if its salvageable .. so moral of the story I wasted money and time trying to go DYI and I learned the hard way.

    Jay Kassabian - 답글

    In my case the two center screws on the antenna cage do not physically connect to the drive. They're just held in place with rubber grommets and do not screw out. All you need to do is remove the outer two screws and the antenna can be removed

    Gregory Travis - 답글

    The two outer screws which also holds the bottom plate won’t fit anymore. It seems that the wholes for these screws lost their tight fit, the screws just drops in and falls out again… bummer, now the bottom plate doesn’t stays in place

    Rene - 답글

    The screws marked in red are T9 Torx, not T8. For the screws marked in orange, use the proper tool, 2 mm Hex, and nothing else.

    skjell - 답글

  9. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 9 단계, 이미지 1/2 Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 9 단계, 이미지 2/2
    • Slightly lift the antenna plate from the end closest to the RAM.

    • Carefully pull the antenna plate away from the circular rim of the outer case.

    • Do not remove the antenna plate yet. It is still attached to the AirPort/ Bluetooth board.

    Here's where it started going south on me because the two T8 screws aren't really attached to anything because my hard drive is on the top of the case where the DVD drive used to be.

    jpmist - 답글

    The top curved part of the antenna plate has a thin lip on the bottom edge, but is very flexible. During reassembly when sliding the antenna plate back into position, if the 4 holes do not exactly line up, then try bending that lip downward a bit and the antenna plate should then line up perfectly.

    Eric Demopoulos - 답글

    Actually, curved edge of antenna has a groove into which an edge of aluminium body should slide in. In my case a vary slight lift by putting tip of tweezers into one of the antenna top holes made a good help - antenna popped into correct position.

    Jurgis R - 답글

    Thank you! Helped me in my 2012 mini.

    Edmar Herrero -

    On reassembly, I could engage either one of the two ears, but not both at the same time. _Lifting_ the antenna plate slightly with a paperclip bent into an “L” and inserted through one of the holes close the the center of the curved edge did the trick for me.

    Andrew Black - 답글

    Adding 2nd drive to Late 2012 2.6GHz i7 Mac mini

    This is as far as I had to go with disassembly.

    Disconnected & eased out original 1TB HD. Removed the two grommets on its side and switched the 1TB HDD with the new 2nd drive cable (not quite the same as the one illustrated here – mine consisted of just the cable and no cradle ). Eased that HD back in and attached it to the previously spare drive socket on the logic board (with drive at the top, right-hand looking down). Screwed 2 grommets into my new 500GB (7mm) SSD, attached old drive cable and eased the SSD in on top of the old drive. Connected that drive to the first logic board socket.

    Took a while aligning the antenna plate and the 2 inner screws didn’t seem to line up with the new SSD so in the end I left them out. Everything seems secure, though. Cowling slipped back in place with no problem and that was it.

    Currently cloning the old HDD onto my new SSD with Carbon Copy Cloner. So far, so good. Can’t believe how easy it was – just 10 steps rather than 37!

    Roger Houghton - 답글

    There is no need to remove the antenna connector if you are only replacing *most accessible* drive, which Apple calls “lower” for some reason when it is actually the “upper” drive! Just remove the four screws that hold the antenna plate and move the plate to the left and out of the way.

    skjell - 답글

    The antenna plate is precision made but of very thin metal that can easily be bent. Try to avoid bending the plate and inspect it before reassembly.

    skjell - 답글

  10. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 10 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Use the tip of a spudger to carefully pry the antenna connector up from its socket on the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

    steps 10 11 13 14 15 16 not necessary …

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 12 17 only needed to change hard drive …

    radioman - 답글

    You were right.

    kurtsaban -

    yep worked for me too

    kate henderson -

    Worked for me too.

    ablack3 -

    Absolutely correct. Thanks. The wide-head screws holding in the antenna plate may be used on the upper side of the HD (SSD in my case) to help hold the side of the HD that slips under the case -up- so the two side mounting screws in the drive may be seated properly in the case. This is easier to do than to describe. (Others have noted this, as well and I followed the advice.)

    barryjaylevine -

    This, agreed. Do as Radioman says. Far less complicated and I had everything apart and back together within 10 minutes.

    Chris Belanger -

    Step 10 is different for late mini Mac 2012

    The antennaplug is different (round)

    Josse - 답글

    That s why it is easier to leave it on the logic board at all times

    There is no need to remove it.

    Carefully let it follow the logic board assembly when you take that it out completely in the nex steps.

    Bas Meijer -

    Agreed. I just rotated the antenna plate out of the way.

    barryjaylevine -

    unless, of course, you are here to replace the logic board

    maccentric -

    I skipped steps 10 and 11 but had to do the rest to get the drive out. My system had a second drive so that may be why the logic board had to be removed to have enough room to get the drive out past the DIMM sockets.

    Craig Foster - 답글

    On the Late 2012 model the antenna connector is hidden under the case, so unlike as indicated in step 10 you can not see the connector and definitely not remove it until the Logic Board has been eased out an inch. Note how the cable makes a loop under the case as it is removed. Remember to reconnect the same way with the loop and connected before the logic board is pushed in all the way.

    Indy - 답글

    The antenna connector is underneath a black flap. I just lifted the flap slightly with a spudger and used my fingers to disconnect.

    FinnCrisp888 - 답글

    ...in the latest delivery of the mac mini they had changed something. The antenna plug is hidden under a plastic cover and some tape on it.

    You have to push up the cover and remove the tape...not really difficult, it was formed so you can put up easilly.

    Tom - 답글

    If your machine came with a 7mm drive and you are replacing with a 7mm drive you do not need to move the logic board. I installed an Intel 335 240GB drive which is a 9.5mm drive and to get that drive in I did need to bump the logic board out to clear the memory slot brackets. I did not need to remote any other wires or connections as the logic board only needs to move maybe an 1/8" to get the drive to clear the memory bracket.

    klaubscher326 - 답글

    When removing the wifi antenna make sure you use a plastic spudger and lever up underneath the wire. I used a metal screwdriver and levered up from the side opposite the wire and ripped the pico-ITX connector right off the board! Fortunately I only use my mini via Ethernet, but now I have no choice!

    Kevin Broadey - 답글

    Did you actually break it? It pops out easily and can actually be plugged back in easily too with tweezers or small needle nose pliers. I did the same thing with no permanent damage.

    Steen Rancher

    January 12, 2015

    Steener -

    I skipped this step with no problems.

    manwe - 답글

    I have a late 2012 Mac mini, but it must be an earlier version than this late 2012 Mac mini in this description, because removing the hard drive is much more complicated than described here. Please see this YouTube video if you have trouble removing your hard drive with these directions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP... There is a longer process you've got to go through. It can be done, it just takes much longer. (3-4 hours for me)

    sandyfacebook - 답글

    I think sandyfacebook is speaking about the mini server with the second drive this guide is about replacing the primary drive.

    BTW, I agree with radioman: it MUCH safer if you do not need to remove the logic board to replace the HD. Just stop after step 12 and pull the drive out. The trouble starts when you try to put it back in because gravity is working against you: the drive has to hang in its slots about 1 cm above the top casing, which is on your table. The trick is to flip the mini up onto its front edge and after a couple of tries the buttons on the HD will engage their sockets.

    rsjrsj - 답글

    Am unable to reattach the cable to its socket on the wireless board of my late 2012 (after installing SSD as second drive). Looks roughly the same as pictures here, but won’t attach. Anyone had problems attaching and figured it out?

    foosayer - 답글

    On my late 2012 Mac mini, I could not slide out the lower drive without removing the logic board; the memory cards were in the way. Radioman’s suggestion may work for some disks, but not for mine.

    Andrew Black - 답글

    Thanks sandyfacebook, I also had a 2012 Mac Mini (not the Server version) where the Primary drive was installed in the top (that is to say, lower when the Mini is upside down to be worked on) drive slot. This meant a complete disassembly was required, removing the logic board completely, along with the PSU and lastly the lower drive caddy. Unlike the drive shown in the pictures, the one underneath is secured into the caddy with screws and cannot be just lifted out.

    stuart.johns - 답글

    You are absolutely right. It would have much too easy to make the drives accessible and user-replaceable. Anyone who has worked on the iMac knows what I am talking about...

    skjell -

    In the version I am looking at 17 is shifting the main board and not needed for drive only replacement, 18 is pulling the drive out

    Rob Miller - 답글

  11. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 11 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Remove the antenna plate from the mini.

    There's no real need to disconnect the antenna. You can just lay the grill gently on its side and leave it connected.

    FinnCrisp888 - 답글

    That is true if you do not need to remove the logic board (i.e. you are only replacing the drive in the original slot position).

    anonymous 3693 -

    You can leave the antenna plate attached and remove the logic board if you're careful while removing the motherboard.

    Dan Wilson - 답글

    You might find the two silver screws (along the edge of the grill) will not attach. That's because the hard drive was installed a millimeter or two in the wrong place (or maybe the new hard drive has screw holes offset, in the wrong place). This happened to me. Rather than take it apart (again), I'll just secure the two screws that go into the tabs. No question this will keep things secure enough (just a question if I'll suffer noise or rattle). Extra screws are fun :-)

    scootz - 답글

    You can gently use the tip of a screwdriver to align the antenna plate screw holes as long as your hard drive pegs are aligned. *DO NOT FORCE* as your hard drive may just not be in the right place.

    Drew - 답글

    On my Late 2012 mini, the antenna plate connector is covered by part of the case. But, as FinnCrisp888 said, there is actually no need to remove the antenna plate at all; just carefully fold it back to expose the bottom drive.

    Andrew Black - 답글

    Has anyone figured out how to reconnect the antenna wire back to the logic board?

    Phillip Mullins - 답글

  12. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: 12 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive connector up from its socket on the logic board.

    I have a late 2012 Mac mini, but it must be an earlier version than this late 2012 Mac mini in this description, because removing the hard drive is much more complicated than described here. Please see this YouTube video if you have trouble removing your hard drive with these directions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP... There is a longer process you've got to go through. It can be done, it just takes much longer. (3-4 hours for me)

    sandyfacebook - 답글

    That link is dead. Here is the updated link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq4PGlPu...

    The original link can be recalled from here:

    https://web.archive.org/web/202107212304...

    maccentric -

    At this point I could remove the hard drive by gently pulling it. There is no need to remove the motherboard!

    Zitoune7 - 답글

    Same here. I just place two of my torx head screwdrive tips in the holes on the drive and levered it out. Really easy and, well, created my own 12 step program. ;)

    Les Manthe - 답글

    +1: Don't remove the motherboard, and don't buy the tool to do it. When it's time to slide out the logic board, just push gently on the inside of the metal air guide fins on the intake. This will "eject the motherboard out the necessary 1/2 inch. Be mindful of the length of wires going from under the RAM out to the front of the case, as you don't want to pull hard or disconnect these..

    scootz - 답글

    I decided that there was a greater risk of breaking something by not removing the logic board than by removing it. The old hard drive comes out easily enough, but the new one would just not quite go in for me. Lining the screws on the outside of the new hard drive with the rubber grommets is so much easier with the logic board out. I used masking tape with pencil marks on the case and on the drive in order to line up the screws and the grommets with the case right side up. IMHO, by the time the antenna is off, removing the logic board is relatively easy.

    Robert Meppelink - 답글

    Yes, this step is enough to remove the hard disk. No need to open the chassis.

    David - 답글

    mic is not working for me

    what i do for this problem

    https://uniqsofts.com/blogs/vidmate-for-...

    imoforpc imoforpc - 답글

    Stop at this step and gently pull off the drive.

    To align the new drive’s screws turn the Mac Mini in the air and just let the new drive lay on the case while pushing it to make the screws align with the holes.

    ernipiggy - 답글

    Yes, if you have come this far just pull the drive out because removing the bluetooth connector and the motherboard is troublesome.

    If you just pull the drive out at this point the only difficulty is when you try to put it back in because gravity is working against you: the drive has to hang in its slots about 1 cm above the top casing, which is on your table. The trick is to flip the mini up onto its front edge and after a couple of tries the buttons on the HD will engage their sockets.

    rsjrsj - 답글

    If your mini has 2 drives installed, you will not be able to slide the top drive out as it won’t clear the RAM slot due to the other drive underneath. You will need to scootch the logic board out a bit to get the drive out, and then back in. If only Apple had made these things .25” longer it would have been so much easier.

    maccentric - 답글

    Can someone write the better version of step 12? I already see that steps 10-11 and 13-16 aren’t necessary as long as step 12 is done differently…Thank you!

    gina757575 - 답글

    +1 on not removing the motherboard. I used a playing card as a ramp for the new drive, resting one short end of the card on the rim that the drive eventually will rest on and "just" pushed the drive in its place(took a few tries to get the card in the right place at first). I also didnt completely remove either the fan or the antenna plate. I just moved them to the side and taped them in place with masking tape

    Mymac4ever - 답글

    As has already been mentioned several times by other people, do not remove the logic board if you are just going to replace the most accessible drive, the one I call the top drive but Apple calls the lower drive. If you are about to replace the drive below it, the one closest to the metal top case, then you will have to remove the logic board. Some genius designed the Mac mini this way. ;)

    skjell - 답글

    The more accessible drive can be hard to position because there is more space available than one might imagine, particularly since many of the newer drives are thinner than the original ones installed there. Use a long, thin tool like a spudger or a wooden or plastic ruler and lift the end of the drive up so that the metal pins get correctly positioned in the rubber grommets.

    skjell - 답글

    In the German translation it says "den den", it should be only "den". I've also skipped the additional step and carefully lifted the HDD and pulled it over the logic board. All the best and thanks, Kajetan

    Kajetan Hinner - 답글

  13. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 13 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Use the tip of a spudger to lift the IR sensor connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

    • This connector can be very fragile—lift gently and evenly.

    You can remove the hard drive by lifting out after step 9, it's not necessary to disconnect the wireless, nor remove the system board.

    Zinger z - 답글

    I did not remove the IR sensor. I attempted to and it was very difficult, (I felt like I was going to snap or damage the logic board). I would advise skipping this part since it's not necessary to removal of the hard drive, and it seems like a number of people have damaged their logic board while trying to disconnect the IR sensor. Skip.

    FinnCrisp888 - 답글

    That third screw on the lower right hand side should be removed in the beginning when you remove the fan.

    FinnCrisp888 - 답글

    You can skip this step with no problems.

    manwe - 답글

    Agree with all the previous: this step is not necessary to remove the second drive (the one closer to the bottom of the case. The connector is VERY delicate.

    TerribleHacker - 답글

    That is true! I just used the tip of a screw driver in the screw holes on the drive to help slide the drive out. The hard part is putting the new drive back in position, due to the 2 screws at the back have to fit into the 2 holes in the rubber at the back of the bay. I finally stood the mini on end, so the drive would fall down into position. Then I stuck a suction cup on the drive to then pull the drive towards me to get the screws and the holes in the rubber to line up.

    Wayne Renshaw - 답글

    Truly great info here!!! 100 percent perfect

    MarlinsDavid -

    This was my first time taking apart my Mac mini. I wanted to upgrade my hard drive and RAM. However, when I came to this step I pulled the motherboard out a little bit to hard (after tugging on it gently a few times, but it wasn't coming out) and the wires came out. So I was wondering is this fixable? Thank you.

    Robert - 답글

    I managed to lift the IR connector and the base it connects to... I tried to put it back without breaking the pins but failed. Fortunately, the IR sensor is the least useful part of this device for me, so no loss.

    art - 답글

    I tried to reconnect this IR plug, but managed to crush all the pins on the logic board. I was gentle the entire time, but I simply could not see how the two fit together, and I still don't. I broke off all the dangling pins and removed them and will now leave the IR connector dangle. These instructions should provide a better visualization for this step. And by the way, I had to remove this connector because I was replacing both drives of a Fusion logical volume.

    Dave Kitabjian - 답글

    After fiddling with a spudger and then two spudgers and not being happy at all with the direction of the forces I feel that the only safe way to do this, in my opinion, is to slide something under the wires of the IR connector (I used a narrow cable tie, but maybe a suitably bent paper clip would do it too). Make sure this is sitting as close to the connector as possible and then pull directly upwards (away from the board). The idea being to exert a force equally on all the wires at right angles to the board.

    Frank Puranik - 답글

    straightened a paperclip, slid it under the wires, lifted, popped right out

    ebay - 답글

    I accedentally broke the IR connector. How can I fix it?

    Chatr - 답글

    If the hard disk is at the ‘normal’ position and not in the upper position, you don’t need to remove anything else to get the disk out.

    Finger-tighten two long screws that fit the two holes on the drive and use this to remove the old drive, and then screw them into the new drive and use them to properly align and insert.

    Here’s a picture of what I did and it was super-fantastically easy.

    Will Brokenbourgh - 답글

    Sorry I wasn’t clear - - You use the long screws as handles to tilt and pull the drive out or to push it in and align it with the unseen rubber grommets.

    Will Brokenbourgh -

    &&^& you ifixit, because of you I damaged that connector, I should have skip it

    Really &&^& you

    c1sco - 답글

    if the logic board is sticky to remove, you will pull too far and too quickly and the wires will pull out of the connector. Too late for me…but IMHO it makes a lot more sense to follow the directions and at least try to remove the connector as instructed.

    handemail - 답글

    FINE UNTIL STEP 9 - then SKIP STEP 10 AND 13 and 14, 15 AND 16 - NOT NESSESSARY!!!!!!!!!!

    kenneth krabat - 답글

    Confirmed here, but I’ve broke my IR connector before it. The rule of thumb, read comments before doing steps from guide…

    Mista Twista - 답글

    The IR cable has some slack on it. If you have slackened the fan cable in the same manner (see above) and are careful, you can pull the logic board a short distance without the tension snapping the cable, which will give you enough space to access the drive bay.

    Ritchie Swann - 답글

    Yep; broke mine off too :P. Definitely read the comments. Gots to get under the wires and pull up from there.

    Tim - 답글

    Unfortunately you will need to do this if you have 2 drives installed in the Mini.

    maccentric - 답글

    This step is not well explained. For some models of 2012 you need to disconnect this to be able to remove the motherboard and unscrew the hdd. However, this looks very fragile, and many people screw this sensor. If someone has been successful it would be nice if they can develop this. How to disconnect and how to re-connect it. thanks.

    daniel - 답글

  14. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 14 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Remove the following three screws:

    • One 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screw (either screwdriver will work)

    • One 16.2 mm T6 Torx screw

    • One 26 mm T6 Torx standoff

    The 26 mm T6 Torx standoff is actually part of the the third fan screw which was removed earlier in order to get the fan out.

    Craig Foster - 답글

    If you skipped step 13, skip this one as well.

    manwe - 답글

    Screws were in different spots on my model

    alex - 답글

    Note: On my model, this was not a "pull up" cable that needs a spudger, it was a regular "slide" in connector.

    alex - 답글

    Screws were in different spots on my model

    https://snaptubeforpc.com

    imoforpc imoforpc - 답글

    It would help if you gave your model. Thanks.

    Gerasimos Christoforatos - 답글

  15. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 15 단계, 이미지 1/3 Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 15 단계, 이미지 2/3 Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 15 단계, 이미지 3/3
    이 단계에 사용된 도구:
    Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool
    $4.99
    구매
    • To remove the logic board, the two cylindrical rods of the Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool must be inserted into the holes highlighted in red. Inserting instruments into any logic board holes other than the ones highlighted in red may destroy the logic board.

    • Insert the Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool into the two holes highlighted in red. Be sure it makes contact with the top side of outer case below the logic board before proceeding.

    • Carefully pull the tool toward the I/O board. The logic board and I/O board assembly should slightly slide out of the outer case.

    • Cease prying when the I/O board is visibly separated from the outer case.

    • Remove the Mac mini Logic Board Removal tool.

    You may not find it necessary to push out the logic board in order to slide in (or out) the hard drive. It helps to have the extra room to maneuver, but it can be done without.

    FinnCrisp888 - 답글

    thanks for the tip, i didnt have to move the motherboard and it made my hdd switch much easier! this guide overall was super helpful and thanks to it now my mac mini is working like a charm with an SSD running it

    Maher M -

    I had read all the comments thet said the HDD can be taken out at step 12, besides I'm in France, so I hadn't bought the special tool. when I realised I had to remove the logic board after all, I managed without the tool but I'm not doing it again. I inserted 2 screwdrivers in the holes and tried to move them both simultaneously. It worked but instead of sliding out slowly, the I/O board came out all the way with a noise! The clips from step 16 had unclipped by themselves, causing the noise. For a second I thought I had broken everything. I really don't recomment doing this without the tool.

    Elica - 답글

    Instead of the removal tool it is also possible to use two metal pins with 2,5mm diameter.

    Martin Born - 답글

    I didn't have the opportunity to get the removal tool before starting my tear-down but when I got to the Removal Tool stage I used a pair of small allen keys, just big enough to fit through the holes in the logic board. You can feel them engage into the holes below the logic board. Easy, steady pressure on both does the job well. I think the main thing through the whole disassembly process is SLOW and Gentle.

    January 11, 2015

    Steener - 답글

    If you are this far into a tear-down it's a good idea to pop the logic board and replace the battery - a 3Volt #2032. It's on the under side of the board below the antenna and HDD. May save having to come back this way again...

    Steen Rancher January 12, 2015

    Steener - 답글

    This step may require more force than expected. I was very careful and pulled the remove tool out too early. You have to put a bit of will into it and push it at least 0.5cm (= 0.2 in), less won't do the trick.

    Wenzel Massag - 답글

    If you have no such tool, just skip this step. You can pull HDD anyway.

    manwe - 답글

    For this, I discovered that no special tool was needed. I simply pushed the logic board towards the back of the case where the ports are, slid out easy peasy.

    alex - 답글

    Also, be sure to withdraw the special tool (or any substitute) before prying out the logic board more than just a bit. In my case, the tool restricted the board's movement, and it took me a while to understand why I wasn't getting anywhere.

    Gunnar Linn - 답글

    I used two 2.5 mm drill bits, turned upside down. They worked like a dream. It took me a little while to realize that they needed to be lifted slightly from the underlying case in order for the board to slide out.

    aron - 답글

    I put two small screwdrivers in these holes and pulled and had my son push on the far side of the logic board. It took two of us to get it to move.

    sandyfacebook - 답글

    With a Mac Mini 2012 model, you DO NOT need the logic-board removal tool. I wish I had read these comments before I spent the ten dollars on the tool (I'm not criticizing ifixit here, but I wasted my money).

    scootz - 답글

    You could always create your own logic-board removal by re-bending what's known as a "landscaping staple". It's just stiff steel wire.

    scootz - 답글

    Same. I cut a metal coat hanger and bent it to fit with needlenose pliers..

    Roman Sturgis -

    One can remove the hard drive without removing/moving the logic board. Once the hard drive cable is detached from the logic board, one can lift the side of the hard drive closest to the logic board just enough to clear the RAM bracket and then carefully slide it out. It may be easier to remove it with the logic board pulled out but in my opinion the logic board (and CPU) should be left alone unless it is absolutely necessary.

    CG Hughes - 답글

    Just use two iFixit screwdrivers and pull

    daniel - 답글

  16. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 16 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Simultaneously push the two plastic clips on the far left and right sides of the I/O board toward the middle of the I/O board and pull the I/O board away from the outer case.

    • Only pull the logic board assembly out of the outer case until the edge of the I/O board is about .5" away from the edge of the aluminum outer case.

    steps 10 11 13 14 15 16 not necessary …

    radioman - 답글

    Really, not necessary.

    manwe - 답글

    Confirmed not necessary at all!

    Paolo - 답글

    Except when you are adding another HDD.

    Guastavo - 답글

    In fact, not necessary, not at all! But I did it "strictly according to the instructions" at first and had some problems with the rubber sealing the power plug, which I hadn't seen when I slid the I/O board back into the aluminum case and nobody in the instructions mentions that the best way to do this is to use the spudger to press in the mounting clamps (right and left): then it's easy! But with me the insulating rubber of the 220V unit (female) got stuck between the aluminum housing and the I/O unit. It wasn't until I had already installed the antenna that I noticed that a tip of this rubber was sticking out of the housing and that the I/O unit was therefore not flush with the housing. So: disassemble everything again, antenna connector, mainboard connector, etc. Luckily I was able to fix it. After that I was smarter and asked myself why I had made all this effort and not just removed the old hard drive. Conclusion: afterwards you are always smarter and: read the comments!

    Preppers Delight - 답글

  17. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 17 단계, 이미지 1/2 Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 17 단계, 이미지 2/2
    • Pull the hard drive away from the front edge of the mini and remove it from the outer case.

    Be careful when replacing the HD/SSD in this step. If you are not careful, you can mess up the rubber shock absorbers by misaligning the posts. If that happens, you will have a hard time getting the screws to line up when putting the perforated grille back on (wifi antenna grill).

    Matthew Wagner - 답글

    Exactly ! The easy way that I found to do this properly is to turn upside down the mac mini in order to have the HD at the top of the mini and the 2 screws at the back of the HD perfectly up at the level of the 2 holes on the shock absorber.

    Rodolphe -

    I have macMini (late 2012) and buy a Samsung SSD 850 PRO 256GB to replace original 500GB Apple HDD. Your guide is OK, but in step 17 I have a big problem. HDD in my Mini was securing with two screws. So first I need to remove logic board and unplug the power connector. Then remove two screws from HDD side.

    Roman Pucko - 답글

    Can anyone confirm that those "2 screw" holding HDD to plastic frame in step 17 are "T8 torx"?

    slodkijanek -

    I can confirm as well. I pried off the large connector off the main board to get to those screws. They t8 and were screwed on very tightly in my case.

    Johannes Deml -

    Yes, for Mac mini late 2012, the HDD is fixed with all 4 screws. I had to remove the Power supply and entire HDD tray to unscrew it. :D

    It was easy though. Thanks iFixit for the guide.

    mahesh deshpande -

    My MacMini (bought late 2013), had the HDD installed in the upper bay, so a complete teardown was required in order to change the driver.

    However, if you are planning just to add a second driver, there is no need for the doubler kit (only a new lower flex drive).

    Antonis Spanakis - 답글

    If you are having a !&&* of a time trying to re-position the upper HDD - or just putting it back in - try putting the screws from the antenna grill back into the two upwards facing holes in the drive and using them as 'handles'. The drive has 2 small screws on the forward edge that need to line up with 2 holes in the outer case and as the drive flops around at first it is really hard to hold & maneuver it at the same time.

    January 14, 2015

    Steener - 답글

    Yes. I used two plastic pegs to do this as well. Watch out for the wires running along the right hand side of the drive bay (as viewed when you’re putting in the drive) when you’re trying to lift up the drive to fit in the two recesses at the back of the bay so you don’t pull or stress them.

    Chris Belanger -

    This saved my GF a lot of swearing. Tilting the SSD using the screws worked like a charm!

    Casper -

    You can pull the HDD out without sliding the board at steps 15 and 16. Quite tricky, but you can.

    manwe - 답글

    I had the same problem as Roman, I just figured I would add that those "two screws" are T8 screws and that there is a cable on the right side which you should be careful about while removing and reinserting the said screws.

    philippott - 답글

    In my model, this didn't just slide out. It was attached to a caddy that required removal of the power supply (see other guides for how to do this) which was a nightmare to get back in the same spot.

    alex - 답글

    I just did this upgrade and my HDD was secured with screws on both sides of the caddy. I actually think the caddy is really only designed to hold a single drive, kind of in the middle position, i.e., it's not the upper, or 2nd drive, position. In any case, this requires removal of the logic board, power supply, and caddy, entirely, in order to remove the existing drive. Tedious, but I didn't have any problems on reassembly.

    Keith Rogers - 답글

    I could not remove my hard drive for anything. That's because these late 2012 Mac mini directions do not cover all late 2012 Mac minis. Please see this YouTube video if you have trouble removing your hard drive with these directions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP... There is a longer process you've got to go through. It can be done, it just takes much longer. (3-4 hours for me)

    sandyfacebook - 답글

    I replaced my HDD with an SSD; the SSD is thinner, so lining up the two screws at the back was tough. In the end I found some foam and cut it in to two lengths for the SSD to sit on; I used double sided tape to stick it down. After this I was able to glide the SSD into position and because it is foam it has a little bit of play that helps with reassembly. I wish I could use a material better than foam because I guess that can cause static. Fingers crossed :)

    Ife Nkechukwu - 답글

    Because an ssd is thinner, I put the flat end of a spudger in between the ssd and the logicboard to prop it up and let the 2 bottom screws of the antenna plates ‘grip’ the holes on the ssd so everything is nice and secure.

    2Dutch - 답글

    2012 model - Had to remove (slide out) the motherboard assembly (disconnecting power cable from rear of mobo) in order to reach the two screws holding the HD in its plastic frame. Then the two rubber bumpers (when attached to the new SSD) didn’t want to go back into the mating holes in the frame. I trimmed off some rubber all around the bumpers until they fit. I expect the age of the mini plus all the heat hardened up the bumpers.

    The strange thing is that this 2012 mini is radically different (HD mounting-wise) than my old 2012 mini (that I no longer have). My old one was a snap to swap out the HD. Just glad this one (the one triggering this comment) went back together okay; I was not expecting the Spanish Inquisition. :D

    barryjaylevine - 답글

    No one ever does!

    maccentric -

    As noted by sandyfacebook above, the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP... is brilliant, and shows exactly what to do to get that second drive out. It’s impossible to do it otherwise.

    Michael Conley - 답글

    Hi there, I’ve had an issue with this step. My HDD doesn’t seem to be mounted where yours is in this demonstration. It is in the lower bay so I’m unable to remove it with my fingers. Do you have any suggestions for how I can resolve this? Cheers, Ruari

    Ruari Graham - 답글

    I think I meant the upper bay sorry.

    Ruari Graham -

    I had to completely remove the I/O board out or the case after I disconnected it from the power supply. Then I could unscrew the screws holding the hard drive in place. I dont know how anyone can get the hard drive out without doing this. I have a 2012 mac mini so there is this whole step missing in these instructions. I dont have any pictures yet.

    Janice Johnson -

    I had to completely remove the I/O board out of the case after I disconnected it from the power supply. Then I could unscrew the screws holding the hard drive in place. I dont know how anyone can get the hard drive out without doing this. I have a 2012 mac mini so there is this whole step missing in these instructions. I dont have any pictures yet. If you look at the instructions for Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit on step 16 & 17, you can see how to completely remove the I/O board, then you can look inside the case and see the hard drive screws that need to be removed so you can get the hard drive out

    Janice Johnson - 답글

    The hard drive on mine was physically screwed into the drive carrier -- I could not just pull the drive up and out

    Instead I had to remove the logic board fully -- which involved disconnecting the power cable to it and pulling it out.

    Once the logic board was out, I removed the power supply -- which involves turning the power connector (the connector that the line cord to a wall socket connects) 90 degrees -- the power connector is keyed so that it unlocks the power supply when rotated

    Once you rotate the plug, it just comes straight out

    Now you can remove the entire drive carrier assembly. Once out remove the four screws holding the drive in and remove the drive. You then can transfer the drive cable to your new drive and reassemble. It's actually fairly straight forward

    Gregory Travis - 답글

    This is the main problem with the design of this model I think. If Apple had only used a square lid with rounded edges and made of the same metal as the rest of the case, and just a tiny little bit bigger than the logic board, then everything would have been user-replaceable, including the drives and the logic board. But alas... Someone decided against it.

    skjell - 답글

  18. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: 18 단계, 이미지 1/2 Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: 18 단계, 이미지 2/2
    • Pull the hard drive away from the front edge of the mini and remove it from the outer case.

    • During reassembly, there are two pins on the inside edge of the hard drive that fit into the case. The holes have rubber grommets around them, so it may be difficult to tell when you have seated the hard drive correctly.

    • There are two pairs of holes in the case. Insert the pins into the holes closest to the bottom of the case.

    During reassembly, after putting the "lower" drive back, test fit the AirPort antenna to make sure the two holes in the antenna plate line up with the two holes in the drive. If not, check that the power harness from the power supply is routed correctly. If the power harness is next to the power supply, go back and re-route it properly.

    UNSC Jon 117 - 답글

    Before I started this ifixit I read a lot of people talking about the antenna not going on properly and problems with the hard drive. I found that the problem is the two grommets inside the front of the casing. These grommets are where the two screws on the existing or upper most (when the case is inverted) hard drive should go into.

    I was placing the hard drive flat against the second hard drive I'd added which ment the two screws weren't in the grommets and we instead pushing on the outer casing. This meant the hard drive was in the wrong position and if I had continued with the rest of the reassembly the antenna definitely couldn't have fit correctly. I spotted this and made sure the hard drive was in the grommets, leaving enough room for the power cables to sit between the two hard drives.

    With the hard drive sitting correctly you should find everything goes back together very easily. If you get to the end and nothing seems to fit this is probably the reason why!

    Martyn - 답글

    I bought my mini in late June 2013. My hard drive was not mounted as indicated, it was in the lower slot. I had to insert the grommets into the upper holes. You need to use a non metal flat edge to get them in, my fingers had no leverage when reaching into the aluminum shell. I also waited until I had removed everything from the case before inserting them to minimize the risk of harming an internal component.

    rob545 - 답글

    This is one case where having the actual reassembly instructions would be helpful. When I put my drive back in the upper position, I thought it was in the right place, even tried to move it and it seemed like it was locked into the holes, but it wasn't, so I had the issue with the antenna plate not going back on. It was so close. It seemed like it should work, but nope.

    So, after disassembling again, I played with it some and the best, most surefire way to get it to line up is to hold the unibody upside down when inserting the drive. It has to be essentially at the top to catch the holes. Thin drives make it even more of a problem.

    Once I did this, it fit in great and stayed in with no need to hold down, and there was now another 1/8" between the motherboard and the drive, which doesn't seem like much, but in this tight case, its everything. The antenna plate then went in perfectly, all 4 screws were in with no issues at all and the connectors for the two drives stayed on with no issue.

    Sherifftruman - 답글

    This makes ALL the difference in the entire world! Thank you!

    mawkee -

    Eureka! Thank you!

    John Baker -

    Yup - Just saved me an afternoon’s work I reckon - thank you very much Sir.

    Simon Finch -

    Like others, I found with my November 2013 purchased Mac Mini, Apple had installed the internal hard disk in the bottom location (bottom when working on the unit upside down as detailed in this guide).

    I found that it was best to remove that drive, and install the SSD in the bottom location, but use

    * 2 of the rubber grommets and screws (that came with the ifixit kit) on the front edge of the drive

    * that let me use 2 of the screws from the original mac mini on the back top HDD as they are larger screws than came with the kit

    That way the HDD didn't rattle in the top location.

    I also

    * Installed the SSD in the bottom location with the original apple cable

    * Installed the spinning 1TB drive into the top location (which made it easier for the top wifi screws to screw into

    * But I had to reshape the cable (that came with the ifixit kit) quite a bit to get it to line up with the connector on the logic board.

    brian - 답글

    During reassembly I had the reported problems of getting the original drive in the right spot. You should note that there is a gap on the left side. My drive slid in (twice) so it was right up against where the connectors are on the left side. Slide it right so there is a gap.

    mikeubell - 답글

    Found it easier to place the SSD in the "lower" position (closer to the bottom of the Mini, but upper while working on the disassembly/reassembly) by resting the Mini on its front side. Easier to move the pegs into the grommets installed in the case. Easier to see if they're not lined up at all.

    malcolmgin - 답글

    I'm refitting a mid 2011 mini. Reinstalling the drive easy with a few tricks:

    *Step 11.5: add registration marks to the thin plastic drive cover.

    **Use a fine point blue sharpie (or similar).

    **Add two lines a couple inches apart, extending back from the metal housing lip onto the drive shroud.

    **Add two short lines by tracing the curve of the housing across the first two lines.

    **Use the marks to line everything up when reassembling.

    *Reinstall with the mini standing on it's front end

    **The drive slots in high in the case. There is a substantial gap between it and a 9.5mm second drive. This makes it hard to line up with the mac flat on the table.

    *You can absolutely feel the drive's pegs engage into the rubber mounts.

    *When seated properly:

    **The drive slants slightly down from the front to the back of the housing.

    **There is a sizable gap (~2mm) between the visible long edge of the drive and the flange on the plastic frame that sits behind it.

    **The motherboard will seat ~1mm from the drive.

    anonymous 1829 - 답글

    Follow the advise of malcolmgin. During reassembly place the Mini on its front, and let the HDD or SSD (doesn't matter at all) slip into the two "rubber holes". This way everything is easier to see and to direct.

    Timpetou - 답글

    Putting the old drive into its proper place and fitting the antenna plate correctly are the two most difficult actions if you follow the instructions. An easier way is to remove the two tabs (bolts) at the rear end of the old drive (since they just cause trouble) and affix the drive to the antenna plate. THEN attach the antenna cable to its receptacle (very difficult) and insert the plate with drive attached into the computer. When the whole assembly is in place and bolted in place, it is easy to connect the drive cable to the motherboard. By this method, the drive has no chance of snagging.

    michi - 답글

    I agree with Doug. It worked perfectly.

    michi - 답글

    I replaced the two black rubber grommets with two white silicone ones. The white grommets were easier to see, and (whew!), they didn't catch and deform like the black ones did. I also used the "gravity technique" mentioned above, along with putting two T8 screws temporarily into the side holes of the hard drive closest to the logic board to use as "positioning handles" and guides to place into the "far end" white grommets. Being able to align much easier, along with controlling the hard drive, made for a much smoother replacement from my first adventure.

    Carrick - 답글

    This is a lot easier to disassemble and reassemble if you take out the hard drive tray altogether. The rubber grommets go in their holes easy without the screws, then you can place the new hard drive in and screw it through the grommets.

    pashdown - 답글

    When reassembling, my advice is to turn the Mini up onto its front so you can look directly down at the holes the grommets go into. This way it’s much easier to see where you need to aim, and also to adjust/wiggle into the slot it only takes a light touch. Check afterwards that screw holes in the drive line up with the antenna plate (step 8/9).

    Simon Birch - 답글

    anyone know where the 2 mounting screws or standoff can be purchased? This is for the top main hard drive.

    George Drummer - 답글

    In der Regel wird man diese Schritte hier ausführen, um eine HDD durch eine SSD zu ersetzen. SSDs sind vollständig gekappselt, so dass die schwarze Isolationsfolie nicht wieder mit eingebaut werden muss. Dann hilft es, einen kleinen Saugnapf auf der Unterseite der SSD zu befestigen, damit hat man einen Angriffspunkt, um die SSD leichter in die beiden Befestigungslöcher zu bewegen.

    Johannes von Keller - 답글

  19. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: 19 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Remove the hard drive cable.

    • There may be a sticker connecting this cable to the hard drive. If so, remove the sticker before attempting to remove the cable!

    • Remove the two 6.2 mm T8 Torx screws from the side of the hard drive.

    Be careful with this step, and note if there’s a sticker attaching the hd cable to the hd. I failed to recognize this and tore the cable apart! Peel off or slice the sticker first.

    Al Deaderick - 답글

    Good advice. “Remove the hard drive cable” sounded so easy. Not so. I pulled and pulled (fortunately not hard) - nothing moved. So I opened your comment - thank you. After lifting off the sticker, the connector almost fell off.

    Gerold Rosenbaum - 답글

  20. Mac mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement: 20 단계, 이미지 1/1
    • Carefully peel the hard drive cover off the hard drive.

    • Hard drive remains.

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

    How does one remove the apple fusion drive? The 2nd hard drive connector is in placer on the mother board

    Jerry Kornfield - 답글

    To remount the SSD drive I used a gaffa tape (that stuff musicians are using to fix cables), did cut a piece of some centimeters and folded it, so that a open piece with the glue can be sticked onto harddrive. Gaffa tapes usually are around 4 to 5 cm wide so it is easy to maneuver the SSD with the two screws easily into the holes in front of the case. After things are in place and before remounting antenna I removed that tape from the harddrive.

    Maybe this helps others.

    robsmiler - 답글

    The hard drive tape cover is there to protect the hard drive's exposed circuit board (remember this, the picture doesn't show it). You probably do not need it if your hard drive is totally shielded in a box, as many SSD devices are. That said, it's VERY easy to remove and replace the tape using the spudger (keeps your finger oil off the glue).

    scootz - 답글

    Everything worked like a charm, though i didn't have the logic board removal tool. Instead i used 2 small screwdrivers. Disk was replaced by an SSD. Thanks.

    dimitris dimitrakopoulos - 답글

    Is this cover necessary? I don’t have any tape to tape it back on.

    Vic Olivas - 답글

    Is this cover necessary? I don’t have any tape.

    Vic Olivas - 답글

    What is that black hard drive cover made of? I’d like to get one for my HDD that I’m using in my Fusion set up. Does ifixit sell it?

    scumti77 - 답글

    To remount the drive, I’ve used the suction tool from the Pro Tech Toolkit.

    Vensan - 답글

    Hi,

    i’ve done this before and replace the first(bottom, looking down from the service plate) HD with a 960gb ssd drive.

    is it possible and the same procedure to replace the hd above it? I would like to add a 2TB ssd this time is this possible?

    Anthony tomlin - 답글

    problem:

    SSDs are usually half the thickness of the original HDDs, so if you try to install one horizontally, it can sag into the leftover space making it difficult to get the heads of side screws to fit into their “sockets” against the front of the case.

    solution:

    stand the MacMini on its “nose.” Now the SSD can be installed “vertically” and it’s easier to get the side screw heads to fit into their places at the front of the case.

    P K - 답글

    I used this to install a 2GB Crucial SSD and it worked great for a while, then the drive would perform extremely slow after waking or reboots. Just wanted to let everyone know Crucial advised to turn off "put hard drives to sleep when possible" in System Prefs > Energy Saver and that fixed this: https://www.crucial.com/support/articles...

    Thorigol - 답글

    No es remover tornillos ni piezas, es quitar. En inglés “remove the screws” es en español “quitar los tornillos” y no “remover los tornillos”, por favor….

    Antonio Cano Santamaría - 답글

    When you install the second, more accessible drive, you can insert a thin wooden or plastic ruler under the drive to easily and correctly position the metal pins in the rubber grommets. I don't know, however, if the ESD protection is really needed on a modern SSD since they already seem to have adequate protection. But ALWAYS wear ESD protection yourself!

    skjell - 답글

    It can be really hard to get a secure grip on the drive. But here is a helpful tip for you. Simply use the big T9 (sic!) Torx screws that secure the antenna plate to the top of the drive (actually it’s the bottom of it since the drive is upside down…). Screw these back into the drive again about halfway, and you suddenly have two good handles! The use them to pull out the old drive and then to easily position the new drive.

    skjell - 답글

결론

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

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Just a note, the OS X Install Guide is for 10.5 Snow Leopard. Maybe also include a install guide for 10.6 Lion?

Sherman - 답글

That's right, steps 10-11 and 13-16 are not necessary.

It suffices to rotate the antenna plate out of the way without detaching its cable.

And after disconnecting the hard drive you can wiggle it out of the enclosure

without dealing with the logic board. Muc less hassle, and much less intimidating.

machobbes - 답글

This is great advice! It worked fine for me, thanks!

Ken Van Hoeylandt -

This also worked for me. Follow machobbes advice - whole process took about 10 minutes. Easy peasy.

The one difficulty I had was getting the new SSD (or HDD) to lock back into the fixings inside of the casing. Best solution if you are having this problem is to turn the Mini upside down, ensuring that the antenna cable isn't stretched too far, and aided by the wonderful powers of gravity, get the new HDD unit fixed into place properly.

Adam Bull -

Good advice. I too just moved the antenna plate to the side and the drive was easily accessible.

Ron Lockhart -

work great for me! Ty for the tips!

Li Jingyuan -

Very useful guide. Keep up the good work ! I have replaced the hard drive on my Mac Mini mid-2011 with a Vertex 3 SSD, and to my surprise I did not have to mess with the logic board (step 13 onwards) to slide-in the new drive. So it took me less than 20 minutes to do the whole thing. After that, recovering the whole system from Time Machine was a breeze.

Fabio - 답글

I should have read the comments first. I thought it should be possible to take out the drive without removing the whole board.

Bolla - 답글

If you have a Mac Mini with two hard drives, you need to add a few steps from the dual hard drive kit...

Mathieu Brassard - 답글

What would be the process to install the OS if you don't have an external DVD drive?

Is there a way to clone the current HD into the new SSD with a USB -> SATA adapter?

Uzi Kilon - 답글

The only hard part was reconnecting the antenna. It is a small connection in a fairly tight space. So, if you can avoid disconnecting it, I would recommend it.

bmangus - 답글

As others have said, it is possible to remove the HDD without moving the logic board. And the antenna board can also just be rotated out of the way.

However, I found it impossible to reseat the new drive (a Crucial m4 SSD) into the correct location without moving the logic board out a little anyway. I just couldn't get the bumper screws lined up in the top slot. This is on a mini i5 with a single HD (now SSD). In the end I got it done, but this step was much more difficult than I expected. Perhaps it is easier when there are dual drives?

I also initially caused the SSD connector to disconnect from the logic board when tightening the Antenna screws back up (step 8). So take care and do this slowly and check everything is aligned!

M4tt - 답글

I had a difficult time lining up the two holes as well due to gravity.

So I took a piece of tape, secured it to the top (bottom) of the drive near the case, and pulled on the tape to lift the drive into place and into the two drive holes.

Worked great and I had less pieces to remove and reconnect.

Jeff -

Turn the Mac Mini upside down so that the drive can be seated more easily (with the help of gravity) and it should lock into place. Worked for me after a little fiddling.

Adam Bull -

Do i need T8 with security bit or the simple T8 will work ?

Hammad Abbas - 답글

i have the same question.

Liquid Cooled -

The simple T8 works.

Fristle -

Just replaced my disk and it was much easier than this guide:

1, 2 open the cover

3 it's three screws, not 2

4 to 9 all ok, specially step 5 where the cable is to pull *up* vertically not horizontally

10, 11 unnecessary, just pull the antena to the side

12 ok take the disk connector out

13-16 not needed

17 the disc, even a 9.5mm high, fits in and out without disassembling anything else

18 unnecessary, just unglue the sides of the disk and jump to 20 to unplug the cable and cover all together

19 are the screws that balance the disk inside the cage, don't forget them (I did and had to remove the new disk again, proving myself that it fits)

davipt - 답글

Thank you, you are right! Did it the same way and it worked quite well.

Andreas -

Be very careful with that IR connector, it will tear right off the board. Hold down the outside while prying out the inner part. Also, make note of where the rubber grommets are as you remove the fan, so you can replace them. The instructions do not make note of them.

websites140 - 답글

STOP and READ the COMMENTS

section ...before proceeding further. Some good TIPS and WARNINGS in there can keep you from damaging some very sensitive parts accidentally like some of us already have. Look carefully as you go - some of the parts have been changed slightly.

But hey, what's the worst that can happen??? ; )

Steen Rancher January 12, 2015

Steener - 답글

I've managed to complete the steps successfully. I have plugged in my MacMini for the first time the the green power light is not turning on. Can anyone assist?

LeeAnn Archie - 답글

To swap the HDD, only steps 1-9, 12, 17-20 is needed. As you re-insert the HDD, leave a spudger under the edge to prop it up against the grille - much easier to screw it back to the grille. (My mac mini has no HDD bracket)

Lawrence Lau - 답글

I swapped out the disk in an i5 mini yesterday. I had previously done one in a 2011 model i7 server and it gave me such fits with aligning the screws in the grommets and getting the antenna plate back in place, I was hesitant to ever try swapping one again. This one took all of ten minutes. The drive went right into place and the antenna plate went in and its screw holes and the hard disk screw holes lined up with the plate with scarcely any effort. The most difficult part was actually getting the black plastic cover off the original disk to swap on to the new one. Boy with it working out that well I may get brave enough to try installing a second disk in the box.

Randy - 답글

Excellent guide. I am an amateur and I was 99.9% sure I am going to mess up my Mini - but nope - I succeeded. Well written. 10/10

Suit Monkey - 답글

perfect guide, thanks Walter. took about 45 minutes and skipped 10, 11 & 13 to 16

Glenn - 답글

Just replaced the disk in my 2011 MacMini and I want to recommend, like others already have, to READ THE COMMENTS before starting the job! You save a TON of time, it took me way less than expected. You don't need to unplug any cable or remove the motherboard, etc.

Also, great tip about reinserting the antenna plate using a pape clip, that was the most difficult part!

Paolo - 답글

Putting the drive back in and the aligning the holes to the antenna grill is next to impossible. Yet all the videos on this process act like it's nothing reassembling it all back together. No way !

stevechang64 - 답글

Does it accommodate 15mm high drives or only the 7 or 9.5 mm drives?

Julian Satran - 답글

I just did this to my mid-2011 Mac Mini - I'm very novice at this kind of thing, so I just wanted to say 'thanks' to original poster and the helpful comments. It's true, you do not need to remove the mother board and can skip all those steps. And you don't need to disconnect the antenna connector (step 10) - just put it off to the side. I put in a Samsung 850 EVO SSD drive and it was quite thinner than the original - so very easy to stuff in there.

Also: there's no need to worry if you have a wireless bluetooth keyboard. Even with a totally new, blank, unformatted SSD, the Mini will still recognize and work with your keyboard. I created a 'usb installer' of Sierra, held down OPTION on first boot and it worked like a charm (it will prompt you to format the drive first - but it's very easy!).

Overall, it was WAY EASIER than I thought it would be! And worth it - programs launch much quicker now.

mfjull - 답글

If you have trouble getting the hard drive in place, create a sling using a long slice of paper. This helps you lift the far end into place. Once connected you can pull the paper through. No gravity needed, no need to remove the board this way.

Ian Sprague - 답글

Excellent guide. I'd add a couple comments of my own.

If you're replacing the hard drive, you can stop after step 11. As others have noted, there is no need to disconnect the wireless antenna. Carefully move the antenna plate off to the side, cable connected. You'll have plenty of room to access the drive(s).

1. If you're replacing the OEM drive with an SSD, you can safely leave off the plastic. SSDs are in a plastic case and don't have an exposed circuit board. Omitting the plastic will not affect the wireless antenna.

2. After replacing the antenna plate, if may be a challenge to put the two 6.6 mm T8 Torx screws in if the drive isn't sitting in exactly the same position as the old one. If it's off by even a smidge, the screws will be difficult or impossible to put them back. Don't worry. If the drive isn't flopping around, you're OK.

3. Note that the fan cable is correctly oriented when reattaching it. I had it black side up. Wrong. The gold contacts face up when reattaching the cable.

Ron Lockhart - 답글

My SIM card is locked ho I can open

Saud Mafmmalajmi - 답글

These instructions worked well. They were accurate and well written. The trickiest part of this installation is getting the drive positioned correctly before reinstalling the wi-fi antenna. Overall, this took about 40 minutes, moving slowly and carefully, making sure I understood each step before proceeding. If I were to do this again, I could do it in 20 minutes or so. I built my new system disk on the SSD before installing.

lmoyers50 - 답글

Instructions were great, skipped the logic board removal, etc. and everything was fine. Most difficulty I had was getting the lugs on the fan back over the rubber bumpers on re-assembly (they’re old and kinda trashed). Replacing the spinney drive with an SSD was much easier than expected. Didn’t use the special logic board removal tool, but it was cheap enough that I was just glad to have it. 20 minutes? No, more like an hour for the first go, but I have another one that needs an SSD so I’ll get a chance to better my time. Much thanks for a well-done set of instructions, although the previous writer who mentioned reading ALL the notes first gets a +1. Another case of RTFM, right?

Steve Cunningham - 답글

Anyone had issues with their original hard drive feeling glued down?! My hard drive won’t budge at all.

Tyler Sullivan - 답글

Thomas in SBME - took 3 hrs but it worked at boot up (i had already cloned the drive from original). Biggest issue was getting the Wifi screen back in the slot (read the comments under step 9. a BIG THANK YOU. I now have a 2011 Super minimal with 16 GB ram and a 480 SSD!!!!

Thomas Killeen - 답글

I did it yesterday. But you can stop at step 12 and carefully pull the hard drive out and replace it. Connecting and reinstalling everything

Bertram Mischke - 답글

In my case only the bottom drive (1st one when opening the cover) needed work, so I did not bother moving out the motherboard at all. All it takes is a bit of patience to find the correct wiggle angle to slot the drive back in its space. My problem was due to the flex coming out, so I reshaped it and added a layer of capton tape for good measure. It is on my YT channel at LEMD49.

Etienne - 답글

He seguido los paso hasta quitar la antena y pude sacar el HDD y poner la SSD sin tener que mover la placa lógica. Espectacular! Mi MiniMac 2011 vuela! Durará unos años más sin duda.

Muchas gracias!

s.a.vazquez - 답글

do any 2.5” SSD drives work ? Or do I need to select one with the correct connectors? Any suggestions would be appreciated

Tom Cheetham - 답글

@melbourneperson It is imperative that your SSD has a SATA type connector.

gillesem - 답글

thanks I see there are SATA I, SATA III drives available - do this all work?

Tom Cheetham - 답글

@melbourneperson The SATA III (revision 3. x) interface, formally known as SATA 6Gb/s, is a third generation SATA interface clocked at 6.0Gb/s. The bandwidth rate that is supported by the interface can be up to 600MB/s. This interface is backward compatible with the SATA 3 Gb/s interface.

gillesem - 답글

The antenna plate overhangs the case by a minute amount; that’s why one cannot get the two 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screws to fit properly.

Steven Taylor - 답글

The antenna plate overhangs the case by a minute amount; that’s why one cannot get the two 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screws to fit properly.

Steven Taylor - 답글

Thanks for an excellent guide. Have now upgraded 2 MacMinis with SSDs by following this!

P K - 답글

Before inserting the drive I screwed the 2 middle screws on the antenna plate to the HD so I wouldn't have to hold up the drive while trying to screw in the screws, then pushed the main board back in and attached the HD controller cable to the logic board. I also didn't remove the antenna cable, that worked out ok. Thanks for the great instructions!

Lori - 답글

Great basics, but specifically for a mac mini server mid 2011 -

TO SWAP BOTTOM DRIVE:

- Do not remove the fan.

- Skip all the motherboard steps.

- Just be very gentle removing and re-installing the bottome drive.

- Especially lning up the two little tiny screws attached to your new drive into the little rubber holes. Think right angles.

Curtin Architecture - 답글

EXCELLENT GUIDE FOR THE REMOVAL OF HD. Even tho it may be easy to reverse the steps it would be good to see them in reverse. Parts everywhere but ok.

Rob Grundman - 답글

Complicada, poco clara, demasiados pasos inútiles. Hay guías mucho mejores !

BesosAlAire VersosAlViento - 답글

Des commentaires en français s'il-vous-plaît ! Tout-le-monde ne parle pas le grand-breton !

Ce serait plus pratique, pour connaitre les avis des internautes.

Laurent CROCE - 답글

@laurentcroce Il arrive que des francophones commentent aussi, mais il n'est pas (encore) possible de trier les commentaires par langue. Si vous souhaitez avoir une idée du contenu des commentaires en anglais, changez la langue du tutoriel vers l'anglais (dans la barre de navigation, juste à côté de votre avatar), puis faites faire une traduction automatique de la page avec l'outil mis à disposition dans votre navigateur.

Claire Miesch -

Great help, thanks !
As others pointed out, steps 10-11 and 13-16 are not really necessary.
Took me less than half hour, and by taking my time and being extra cautious.
To get the HDD (or SSD now) back in place, I used a small adhesive tape to keep the part with the side torx screw up and aim for the corresponding holes while pushing it back. And removed it afterwaeds.
I saw there is room for a second one and and a second SATA, I'll try to add onther with the proper iFixit guide :)

jacquesbressin - 답글

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