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Posted By: artie505 Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/02/10 08:41 AM
This Apple doc, "MacBook (13-inch) - Hard Drive Replacement Instructions" specifies:

"Tools Required
The following tools are required:
Clean, soft, lint-free cloth
Coin
Phillips #1 screwdriver (preferably with a long handle)
Stiff, plastic, nonmagnetic card (such as a library card)"

(Emphasis added)

Easy enough, until I opened up my Early 2009 MacBook and discovered that what you really need to do the job are a #0 Phillips screwdriver and a T8 Torkx driver.

(There's no link in the doc via which to report errors; does anybody know of one?)
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/02/10 09:24 AM
Mac OS X Feedback
Posted By: artie505 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/02/10 09:35 AM
Originally Posted By: jchuzi


This is not an OS X issue, Jon.
Posted By: dkmarsh Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/02/10 10:23 AM

The Apple Support doccument you linked to is dated May 10, 2007, which no doubt accounts for the apparent inaccuracy. It might be worth checking MacBook (13" Late 2009/Mid 2010) Hard Drive Replacement Instructions [pdf], which, while not referencing your model in its title, seems to be the sole more recent relevant DIY guide.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/02/10 10:41 AM
Thanks for the link, dk. (It didn't come up searching Google for "replace macbook hard drive site:apple.com")

Unfortunately, though, it's totally inapplicable, because the Late 2009 MacBook (Mine is an early 2009.) was completely redesigned, and both the procedure and required tools differ from those either specified or actually required for my deuced Mac(hina).
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/02/10 10:50 AM
Yes, I know that it's not an OS X issue but you can still choose an appropriate category and get things off your chest. You'll never get a response anyway. mad
Posted By: _Mike_ Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/02/10 12:05 PM
My first place to look for information about any kind of taking apart 'Books or Minis and the like is iFixit: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/02/10 03:15 PM
Originally Posted By: jchuzi
Yes, I know that it's not an OS X issue but you can still choose an appropriate category and get things off your chest. You'll never get a response anyway. mad
Which accomplishes exactly nothing other than taking an engineers time to re-route the feedback to the appropriate queue. A far more productive technique would be to go to the Apple Feedback site and choose the appropriate Apple hardware or software feedback site to post a genuine bug, feature request, etc. In this case I would probably choose the MacBook Feedback and for the feedback type, although none of the options really fits, I would probably choose "Design/Ease of Use". Here again the request will get routed to the proper queue for disposition.

Venting feedback accomplishes the same thing as SPAM in your inbox does. It is deleted and ignored, but it does take bandwidth, disk space, and someone's time to delete it. That time would be far better spent analyzing and fixing real problems.

Having spent many years in software development and maintenance, I can assure you, your attitude is the bane of all software developers.
Posted By: Hal Itosis Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/02/10 04:51 PM
Originally Posted By: artie505
and a T8 Torkx driver.

A number 8, you sure? It was a torx t6 for my 15" MBP.

I managed to find a cheap set at Home Depot...
oh, and this site has good info: PowerbookMedic.
Posted By: Virtual1 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/03/10 12:57 AM
This Apple doc, "MacBook (13-inch) - Hard Drive Replacement Instructions" specifies:

...

A number 8, you sure? It was a torx t6 for my 15" MBP.

mb != mbp

I suspect they stuck with T8 for the macbooks since those are user-replaceable, and T8 is a heck of a lot easer for the average user to track down than T6.

Also, the mbp is littered with T6 screws. The mb has very few T-anything. I personally prefer the torx since they provide a better grip. Those three on the mb ram door, and the OTHER three UNDER the door, are the worst idea in the world. Not only are they philips, but you have to use the screwdriver at an angle. Sooo easy to slip on.
Posted By: Hal Itosis Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/03/10 03:35 AM
Originally Posted By: Hal Itosis
and this site has good info: PowerbookMedic.

I just visited PowerbookMedic with my iPad, and it seems that the viddys there play just fine sans Flash (the few I tried did anyway). That's very thoughtful (and/or smart) of them.

/posted from my iPad.
Posted By: Virtual1 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/03/10 04:42 PM
nice and subtle...
Posted By: artie505 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/05/10 06:36 AM
> The Apple Support doccument you linked to is dated May 10, 2007, [....]

I just took another look at that doc, and I don't see that May 10 date; where did you find it?
Posted By: artie505 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/05/10 06:39 AM
Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: jchuzi
Yes, I know that it's not an OS X issue but you can still choose an appropriate category and get things off your chest. You'll never get a response anyway. mad
Which accomplishes exactly nothing other than taking an engineers time to re-route the feedback to the appropriate queue. A far more productive technique would be to go to the Apple Feedback site and choose the appropriate Apple hardware or software feedback site to post a genuine bug, feature request, etc. In this case I would probably choose the MacBook Feedback and for the feedback type, although none of the options really fits, I would probably choose "Design/Ease of Use". Here again the request will get routed to the proper queue for disposition.

Venting feedback accomplishes the same thing as SPAM in your inbox does. It is deleted and ignored, but it does take bandwidth, disk space, and someone's time to delete it. That time would be far better spent analyzing and fixing real problems.

Having spent many years in software development and maintenance, I can assure you, your attitude is the bane of all software developers.

Thanks for both the link and for reinforcing my gut feeling that Jon's suggestion was not one I wanted to follow.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/05/10 06:53 AM
Originally Posted By: Virtual1
Those three on the mb ram door, and the OTHER three UNDER the door, are the worst idea in the world. Not only are they philips, but you have to use the screwdriver at an angle. Sooo easy to slip on.

Yep... Those three screws on the RAM door are the spawn of some engineer's bad dream. (I've never run into the other three.)
Posted By: artie505 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/05/10 07:46 AM
My initial post was erroneous in that I reported that the cat was missing its tail, whereas I should have reported that it was missing its entire hindquarters...

MacBook (13-inch) - Hard Drive Replacement Instructions describes only half the procedure it purports to support, because it overlooks the fact that the sheet-metal component that both protects the exposed printed circuit board on the HD and has the HD's removal-pull-tab attached to it must be transferred from the old HD to the new one; the reason, then, that a T8 is not listed as a required tool is that the procedure for which it is required has been omitted!

And as for required tools...
  1. MacBook (13-inch) - Memory (DIMMs) Replacement Instructions (Updated 14 March 2008) specifies a #00 phillips for use on the exact same (as pictured, anyhow) assembly for which MacBook (13-inch) - Hard Drive Replacement Instructions (Dated May 10, 2007 as per dkmarsh) specifies a #1 phillips;
  2. ifixit/Installing MacBook Core 2 Duo Hard Drive Replacement specifies a #00 phillips and a T8;
  3. and the two videos I looked at both specify a T8, but one specifies a #1 phillips, while the other specifies a #0. (My experience has been that a #0 works, but a #00 is more likely the correct tool to be used in conjunction with the correctly stated T8.)
I've posted the omission to Apple using the (closest to appropriate) link provided by joemike.
Posted By: dkmarsh Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/05/10 08:02 AM

Quote:
...I don't see that May 10 date; where did you find it?

I went to Apple - Support, clicked on Manuals -> Portable Computers -> MacBook, and the document you linked to was the 10th item listed. All documents returned by a search of Apple's support database include the document date in the search results entry.

The pdf does contain the phrase © 2007 Apple Inc. on the final page, BTW.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/05/10 08:06 AM
Originally Posted By: dkmarsh

Quote:
...I don't see that May 10 date; where did you find it?

I went to Apple - Support, clicked on Manuals -> Portable Computers -> MacBook, and the document you linked to was the 10th item listed. All documents returned by a search of Apple's support database include the document date in the search results entry.

The pdf does contain the phrase © 2007 Apple Inc. on the final page, BTW.

Thanks for that; I saw the "2007," but was curious about the "May."
Posted By: Virtual1 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/05/10 09:38 PM
MacBook (13-inch) - Hard Drive Replacement Instructions describes only half the procedure it purports to support

It's worth noting when replacing it with another drive from apple it will come with the cover, so there's no need for the tool since it does not need to be removed/transferred.

and the two videos I looked at both specify a T8, but one specifies a #1 phillips, while the other specifies a #0. (My experience has been that a #0 works, but a #00 is more likely the correct tool to be used in conjunction with the correctly stated T8.)

There seems to be a disagreement of standards here. There are several dimensions in a philips head, including width of flutes and angle of cuts. Weird problems can come up. I bought a #0000 (yes really) philips from Sears, and was amazed to see that it was so poorly designed that with a very level table you may be able to get it to actually stand on end, the tip was so flat. There's no way you'd ever get that head into anything under #0. On the other hand I've had problems with #00 screws that you needed a flat tipped bit because it was flat at the bottom early and if you used a proper bit the tip would bottom out before the flutes caught.

Unless you pay a lot for your tools (Wiha etc) you are going to get dodgy standards. That doesn't mean the tools won't work for you. The craftsman #00 philips is by far the best #0 philips I have in my toolbox.

The screws on the rambay cover (and the three under it for the top case release) are technically #00 but as above you may find a #000 a better fit.

(Dated May 10, 2007 as per dkmarsh) specifies a #1 phillips;

On certain models, there's possibly one PH1 screw, one of two on the wireless card. The rest are PH00. Very consistent. The four T6 on the hard drive are something of an exception in that model, but I think they had problems obtaining post standoff screws with PH heads. (though you do see them in some models of say, macbook pro and powerbook) You're in for quite a time if you're going to try to open a macbook with just a PH1.

The Wiha bits I have are good enough that you can press fit the correct PH bit into a screw, and let go of the tool and it will stand up in it. I was able to get one to stay in a side screw in a macbook once even. But the tool is not as comfortable to use as the craftsman.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/06/10 05:27 AM
> (Artie505) MacBook (13-inch) - Hard Drive Replacement Instructions describes only half the procedure it purports to support

(V1) It's worth noting when replacing it with another drive from apple it will come with the cover, so there's no need for the tool since it does not need to be removed/transferred.


That explains the apparent lapse, but completely ignoring the possibility, likelihood, even, that a non-Apple part will be used is as much inexcusable as it is (I'll guess) characteristic.

> The screws on the rambay cover (and the three under it for the top case release) are technically #00 but as above you may find a #000 a better fit.

The first time I attacked those RAM door screws the most "appropriate" tool I had was a #000 meant to be used on eyeglasses, and while it did work, getting enough torque to unseat those screws by twirling a 2" long screwdriver between my fingertips was quite a challenge. I used a #0 for my last attack - I couldn't find a #00 in the 'hood - and it was better than the #000 but obviously not the correct tool.
Posted By: Virtual1 Re: Changing 13" "MacBook hard drive - 06/06/10 06:04 PM
Things are a great deal more difficult when working with the three UNDER the door, that hold down the top case. It's so easy to crossthread them because you have to put the screwdriver in at an angle and there's nothing to hold the screw where it belongs. (and it's having to hold two pieces together, that are already skewed in a bad direction)

I've got an extractor I've had to use on several occasions after a customer crossthreaded and jammed one of those screws. (no idea why they were taking off the top case)
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