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KiNGME · Apr 19, 2007, 10:02 PM

I have a 17" MacBook Pro with a 100GB 7200 HD. I want the new Seagate 7200.2 that is 160GB and 7200RPM.

Is this something I can do myself or is it best left to professionals?

mduell · Apr 19, 2007, 10:21 PM

You can do it yourself with the guide from ifixit.com

Or you can pay CompUSA $30 to do it.

shifuimam · Apr 20, 2007, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by mduell

You can do it yourself with the guide from ifixit.com

Or you can pay CompUSA $30 to do it.

~~IIRC the MBs and MBPs have some really easy mechanism to remove the hard drive.~~ Save your $30, do it yourself, and you'll learn a tiny bit in the process.

<edit>
I lied. Apparently in their infinite genius, Apple only made the MacBooks with the super easy hard drive removal. The Pros still require you to dismantle the entire laptop.

wtf...

KiNGME · Apr 20, 2007, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by shifuimam;3360680Apparently in their infinite genius, Apple only made the [b

MacBooks[/b] with the super easy hard drive removal. The Pros still require you to dismantle the entire laptop. wtf...

I thought so.

I have a Compaq and a Sager (the guys who used to make the Alienware machines) and both have covers for memory and hard drives. Makes swapping out stuff a cinch.

Apple's got this ad about the magnetic power cord being able to pop off and how their machines are just well thought out. I don't get it. In the case of their hard drives it looks like it was designed by the same team who decides where to hide oil filters in old American cars.

chabig · Apr 20, 2007, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by KiNGME

Apple's got this ad about the magnetic power cord being able to pop off and how their machines are just well thought out. I don't get it. In the case of their hard drives it looks like it was designed by the same team who decides where to hide oil filters in old American cars.

Apple's machines are designed for style and ease of use, not always ease of access to internal components. Still, getting to the MBP hard drive is a whole lot easier than it was on the older Powerbooks and iBooks.

peeb · Apr 20, 2007, 10:45 AM

Yep - compUSA charges 170USD to install a drive in a Powerbook (+the costs of the drive!)

KiNGME · Apr 20, 2007, 11:01 AM

They are closing down all the CompUSA stores in SoCal. Guess it wasn't such a bright idea to buy (and close) The Good Guys. That's how Symantec ran thier business in the 90s.

shifuimam · Apr 20, 2007, 12:17 PM

The thing is, it's possible to make a laptop that looks sexy and still has easy-to-access components. In fact, the MacBook does it very well with a pull-tab to remove the hard drive and a couple of flip bars to remove the RAM - although I'd wonder how much stress/use those parts can take before they break. If the pull-tab ever broke off the hard drive caddy, you'd have one hell of a time trying to get the drive out... Why they didn't use the exact same engineering in the MBP is beyond me.

I just would have a hard time laying down my hard-earned $1200+ on a laptop that involves voiding the warranty (not that Apple's standard warranty is that useful anyhow) to upgrade the hard drive or optical drive (two crucial components to any computer). I've dismantled my clamshell iBook multiple times during my mod escapades, and it's not a fun task.

To the OP : do it yourself. It will be a good learning experience. Just get the right tools (I got my torx bits at Advance Auto Parts - couldn't seem to find them anywhere else nearby), and be calm and patient. The iFixIt guides are a lifesaver.

Good luck!

chabig · Apr 20, 2007, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

The thing is, it's possible to make a laptop that looks sexy and still has easy-to-access components. In fact, the MacBook does it very well with a pull-tab to remove the hard drive and a couple of flip bars to remove the RAM - although I'd wonder how much stress/use those parts can take before they break. If the pull-tab ever broke off the hard drive caddy, you'd have one hell of a time trying to get the drive out... Why they didn't use the exact same engineering in the MBP is beyond me.

The MacBook is a newer design than the MacBook Pros. I would not be surprised to see similar ease of access in future revisions.

majordude · Apr 28, 2007, 09:05 PM

I'm kinda in the same situation. Three questions:

1. Does opening up my MBP to replace a drive void my warantee?
2. I don't have a CompUSA nearby. Can the Geniuses at Apple Store do this for me?
3. If not, on a scale from 1 to 10... is this a 3 (easy) or 8 (only replacing a screen is harder)?

Biest · Apr 29, 2007, 08:49 PM

1. Will void warranty if they notice (one of my friends dropped her MB and she got a new LCD cause she had other problems as well)
2. Geniuses won't do it from my experience. They are like paramedics, they do the basic job of assessing the machine and sending it in if necessary. They might be able to do it in store, but not for free (taking out a disk from the Superdrive/Combo drive takes 15 bucks)
3. The MBP is less crammed then an iBook (that was fun with my large hands), but you have to keep track of the screws. And there are a lot of those... so it comes to be a 6

Personally, I have been told by Apple Support to open my PB up, which I refused to do, since I paid for apple care for a reason. What also likes to happen is that the keyboard won't work after an HDD has been replaced (happened with mine), so I dunno if you even wanna try.

Ever thought about a 2.5 inch external?

majordude · Apr 29, 2007, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by Biest

What also likes to happen is that the keyboard won't work after an HDD has been replaced (happened with mine), so I dunno if you even wanna try. Ever thought about a 2.5 inch external?

Why doesn't the keyboard work after a swap? That's scary.

And yes, I have a few external drives but would really like more on my internal.

Biest · Apr 29, 2007, 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by majordude

Why doesn't the keyboard work after a swap? That's scary.

And yes, I have a few external drives but would really like more on my internal.

Don't ask me. My friend picked it up from the apple store and i booted it up when he gave it to me. Seemed to work fine until i tried to set up accounts and had to type stuff in or move the mouse. I think they just damaged a cable or something at the store.

rach · Apr 30, 2007, 04:01 AM

You can take it to a Mac official repair/reseller (info about reseller's can be found on Apple's website) store and get them to do it. Doing it this way will not void your warranty but it will void the warranty for your HD. Keep onto the invoice that they give you as you never know Apple may quizz you who done your upgrade for you. If anything happens to your HD in the future though it will be your responsibility to provide a new part and not Apple's.

majordude · Apr 30, 2007, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by rach

You can take it to a Mac official repair/reseller (info about reseller's can be found on Apple's website) store and get them to do it. Doing it this way will not void your warranty but it will void the warranty for your HD.

I don't have an extended warantee anyway... just the standard one that came with my computer.