Apple shipped most MacBook Airs and all Retina MacBook Pros with solid state storage(SSD), upgrading these machines for extra capacity and speed is generally as simple as picking a new drive. Today’s post looks at the SSD upgrade of all: the MacBook Air.
There's one situation that your MacBook Air is old enough to be out of warranty, you may need a new SSD which will make the old device much faster and durable. There are many ways that you can use to upgrade your old SSD. It's typically easy in older Macs, which you often can replace yourself. Let’s look at how to find out if you can upgrade the SSD in MacBook Air in year 2019.
If you have a supported model, the easiest way to upgrade is to buy upgrade kits that include everything you need to upgrade your laptop’s storage. These include instructions and even video resources. . MacBook Pro (Retina) 15” (Mid 2012-Early 2013) — JetDrive Lite 350. MacBook Pro (Retina) 15” (Mid 2012-Mid 2015) — JetDrive Lite 360. External microSD Card Adapters. If you’re looking for a cheap solution for upgrading your MacBook storage, you might want to check out external microSD card adapters such as Nifty MiniDrive Pro. These adapters are handy if you have a microSD card with decent storage capacity (64 GB or 128 GB) at your disposal.
Common Situations You Need to Upgrade MacBook Air SSD
Summarily, the two common situations in which you’d better upgrade MacBook Air SSD including: Best free file converter software.
With time goes by, there are more files on the MacBook Air SSD. Less space will influence the performance of your MacBook.
Releasing space for new data doesn't help lot in improving things. Many users reported that their MacBook Air SSDs became full soon again as new data occupied the drive space quickly.
The proper way for MacBook Air expand storage is to upgrade MacBook Air SSD to a larger one. That is, you can replace MacBook Air SSD with a new and larger one especially when you want to save more data on your MacBook Air and experience the smooth running speed.
Why Need to Upgrade MacBook Air SSD
Some of you may choose to ask Apple Support for help to replace MacBook Air SSD. But, there is something you need to know: you need to send the device to the support center and it will take days to complete MacBook Air SSD replacement.
Besides, there should be some privacy information on the SSD. Once you send it to a stranger, you will be in the risk of privacy leakage.
Additionally, if you are using a mid-2012 model or even earlier, the machine is on “Vintage” list of Apple, which means the company has disconnected the support for the device.
Actually, it is not a difficult job to replace MacBook Air SSD by yourself. If you have a proper SSD for MacBook Air and enough tools to disassemble and assemble the laptop, you will be able to perform a MacBook Air SSD replacement in a few minutes.
In the following contents, we will show you the exact things you should do to upgrade MacBook Air SSD. You’d better follow every step strictly.
Step 1: Select SSD and Tools
Not all kinds of SSDs can be used to replace your original MacBook Air SSD. You need to select a proper one from the formal purchase channel, like Amazon, Newegg, eBay, and more.
For MacBook Air expand storage use, you need to choose an SSD that has larger capacity compared with the original MacBook Air SSD.
Usually, the alternative SSD comes with installation tools. However, if there are no such kinds of tools, you also need to purchase them together.
If the SSD of the MacBook Air is corrupted and you want to recover data from it, you need to buy a suitable MacBook Air SSD enclosure together. After MacBook Air SSD replacement, you can install the previous SSD into the enclosure, connect it to your computer, and then use a data recovery software to get your files back. In the last step, we will tell you how to rescue your data from the damaged SSD.
Step 2: Back up Data on the MacBook SSD
After buying a MacBook Air SSD from the internet, you can make full use of time to do something meaningful, such as backing up your data on the MacBook Air’s original SSD. A well-known method to back up Mac data is to use Time Machine, which is a built-in backup feature of Mac.
Time Machine can automatically back up all of your files on MacBook Air, such as apps, music files, photos, email, documents, system files, and more. Once a backup is created, you can restore your files from the backup if the original files are deleted from the machine, or the SSD of your MacBook Air is erased, replaced, or corrupted.
Winzip 5 0 3188. Before using Time Machine to back up your files, you need to prepare an external drive that is large enough to save the backup file.
Step 3: Replace MacBook Air SSD
After receiving your needed MacBook Air SSD, you can go to remove the old SSD and then install the new one in the device.
Here is a detailed guide:
1. Close the MacBook Air and unplug the power.
2. Lay it down on a soft cloth and flip the device over.
3. Remove the screws from the bottom of the case and put them into a place where you can find them easily.
4. Lift the case bottom off. In this step, you can also clean the dust and debris in the device to reduce power consumption,solve the laptop overheating issue, or fix other kinds of issues.
5. Pop off the battery connector to disconnect the battery.
6. Remove the screws that are used to secure the SSD and then gently pull the drive out of the slot.
7. Install the new SSD to the slot.
8. Tighten the screws to secure the SSD.
9. Re-connect the battery to your MacBook Air.
10. Reassemble the laptop bottom case.
See! It is so easy to replace MacBook Air SSD with a new one. Every ordinary user can operate it smoothly. Next, it’s time to make the new SSD bootable.
Step 4: Make MacBook Air Boot from the New SSD
Street fighter 2 mugen. Usually, some MacBook Air SSDs are advertised to have macOS pre-installed. In this situation, you can boot the device directly.
If there is nothing in the new SSD, you will have to do something to make the MacBook Air bootable.
Remember that you have used Time Machine to back up your original files and system in step 2. Now, you can directly restore both macOS and your files to the new SSD with Time Machine.
In case there is no available backup file, you will need to perform a clean install of the operating system on the MacBook Air. To use Windows or macOS, or both, you can have your own choice. Now, you can search for a guide on the internet on your own.
Step 5: Rescue Data from the Damaged/Corrupted MacBook Air SSD
After the above four steps, you can use the MacBook Air as normal again. In this step, we will talk about how to rescue data from your previous SSD if it is damaged.
No matter you are running Windows or Mac, you always have the chance to rescue data from a damaged SSD with a third-party file recovery tool.
Take out the MacBook Air SSD enclosure you have bought and then install the original MacBook Air SSD into it. After that, connect the enclosure to your computer
If You Are Running macOS:
MiniTool Mac Data Recovery is specially designed to restore your digital files on Mac computer. Its Demo Edition allows you to recover 1MB files. You need to enter the MiniTool download center to get this free Mac data recovery software.
Here is a guide on how to recover data from a corrupted SSD using MiniTool Mac Data Recovery.
1. Open the software to enter its main interface.
2. Select theDamaged Partition Recovery.
3. Hansa speedo manual pdf. The software will show the drives it can detect. Then, you need to select the one you want to recover data from and press the Full Scan.
4. When the scanning process finishes, you will see the scan results including deleted and existing items. Then, you can go to find the files you want to restore one by one. The Type and Find features of this software can help you locate the needed files easily.
5. If you want to use this software to recover more than 1MB data, you can update it to a full edition and then check your needed items and press the Save button to choose a proper location to store them.
While if you're running a Windows OS, you can check out the post - Rescue Data from the Damaged/Corrupt…on Windows for reference.
The Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display has one annoying flaw: Not enough storage. Many shipped with a paltry 128GB of built-in flash storage while most shipped with just 256GB. The question now is, “How can I upgrade my Retina MacBook Pro with more SSD storage?” The best storage solution is upgrading to a larger built-in SSD drive, which means you’ll need to open up your case and install the new drive. This is pretty easy these days, but if you’re worried, there are two easier options. Instead of installing a new internal flash-based SSD drive, you can use tiny flash-based drives in the shape of camera memory cards. They plug into the SDXC card slot on your MacBook Pro.
The TarDisk Pear system is a tiny drive that you can combine with your built-in drive to create a single “fused” storage system on your MacBook Air or Pro.
For all intents and purposes, the Transcend JetDrive Lite acts like a little USB thumb drive — but it fits flush into the SDXC card slot instead of a USB port. When installed, it appears on your Mac like an external drive that is always on, always available. It appears as a separate storage option to your Mac’s operating system yet remains assessable because you don’t have to worry about plugging it in since you leave it installed. It’s quite handy but you have to pay attention to where you’re storing things — on your built-in storage drive or on the JetDrive Lite. The TarDisk Pear system, on the other hand, also uses the SDXC card slot, but when you install it with an included software program, it combines with your built-in storage to form a single “fused” drive. If you want a near-permanent — but easy storage solution for your Retina MacBook Pro — the TarDisk Pear system might be your best bet. Are there any downsides to these two solutions? The SDXC card slot storage drives are not as fast as a dedicated internal drive, and they basically mean you won’t be transferring your photos using that slot anymore (if you do at all). Moving on, let’s get back to replacing your drive: If you need more storage space on your Retina MacBook Pro — up to a whopping 1TB — two companies have upgrade kits that can help you do it.
While the MacBook Pro seems to be a sealed case, you can open it up to upgrade the solid-state flash storage with a new, larger solid-state drive. Is it hard? Yes and no. If you’re moderately handy, you can do it. Here’s how to do it in 5 steps:
Not all MacBook Pro with Retina display MacBooks contain the same flash storage system, and you have to match your MacBook Pro to the kits that it is compatible with. Right now, you can get upgrade kits from Transcend or OWC if you have the “Mid 2012,” “Late 2012,” and “Early 2013” MacBook Pro 13-inch and 15-inch with Retina display models. If you have a “Late 2013,” “2014,” or “2015” model MacBook Pro, the only company that produces internal SSD upgrade kits that I’m aware of and recommend is OWC. (Apple didn’t make upgrading these new MacBook Pro models easy, but OWC figured out how to create an option for us, which we appreciate.) How do you figure out which MacBook Pro model number you have? You can go to the upper left Apple menu on your screen and select “About This Mac.” The popup window will have the basic model description and year description of release in it. If you have any trouble with this, Apple has a support page that will help you identify your MacBook Pro model number, along with the serial number, etc. The description has wording like “15-inch, Mid 2012″ or “13-inch, Early 2013.”
Basically, you have two great choices of manufacturers, OWC and Transcend. You can buy direct from OWC or get Transcend’s kits from Amazon. Transcend’s new JetDrive 720 MacBook Pro with Retina display SSD upgrade kits come with the tools you need, including a handy enclosure for your old drive. OWC’s Aura Pro + Envoy Pro is also a kit that includes the SSD storage module, the correct screwdrivers, plus a cable and case to help transfer your data to the new drive. Here’s the kit links for both options, but as I mentioned above, only OWC offers kits for older Retina MacBooks as well as the newer “Late 2013” up to “2015” MacBook Pro with Retina display models. Transcend only offers models that fit Mid 2012, Late 2012, and Early 2013 MacBook Pros with Retina displays in 13-inch or 15-inch models:
While I use Carbon Copy Cloner, which is a third-party app that lets you make complete clones of your drives or create ongoing backups, you can also use Apple’s Time Machine or boot into recovery mode and use Apple’s built-in Disk Utility to get the job done. Transcend, it turns out, recommends that you use Apple’s Disk Utility, which is a fairly simple way to go (see step 4).
Note: The MacBook Pro SSD drives are exposed modules that are more fragile than a fully enclosed hard drive. Before you crack the case and handle the modules, you might want to have a separate backup of your important data. There are a lot of ways you can back up your data, but the easiest way is to choose an external hard drive and use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your entire drive as a bootable backup to your external drive. Alternately, you can just copy your important photos, videos, and documents. (Bonus: The key benefit of an external drive is that you can store it somewhere that is not your home — for example, if there’s a fire, your important family photos will be safe.)
OWC provides excellent video guides on its website, but I also like the Transcend video walkthrough, which is fast and clear:
After you watch the guides, if all this seems too risky for your skills, find a buddy who has done it before — or have your local computer store do it for you.The data cloning process might take a couple of hours, but the actual installation should take less than half an hour. You want to do the installation in a clean place with enough free time without distractions to complete the process end-to-end. You may also want to consider buying an anti-static mat. Personally, I’ve never bothered, but I’ve been willing to take my chances. Proceed at your own risk. Finally, don’t rush through it. Pay attention and put all the tiny screws in a bowl so they don’t roll off your desk and get lost in your carpet. I’ve known some guys to set the screws on a tray in the relative position that they removed them — just to make sure they put the right screw in the right spot during reassembly.
Keep taking photos, making movies, and fill up your new drive! At the very least, you can always use the handy external portable hard drive from your kit to store content that doesn’t absolutely have to be on your MacBook Pro with Retina display. . . making it even easier to have enough storage for your Mac.
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