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Removing back of MacBook Pro
#63671 03/22/23 07:17 PM
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I need advice on which is the best screwdriver to remove the back of my old early 2015 MacBook pro. The one that died. I just want to get the hard drive out before I take it to the electronics recycling center. Screwdriver


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63673 03/22/23 09:17 PM
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OWC computing has a number of how to videos for specific MacBook models including the tools needed to disassemble them. But since it is going to the recycling center I would just grab the first one that turns the screw. Note, it may take more than one type of screwdriver and/or more than one size.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
joemikeb #63674 03/22/23 09:19 PM
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Right. That's why I need to know which one to use. I don't know if I can tell by looking on eBay (free shipping so that's where I will buy it) which to buy even if someone described it on OWC.

Originally Posted by joemikeb
OWC computing has a number of how to videos for specific MacBook models including the tools needed to disassemble them. But since it is going to the recycling center I would just grab the first one that turns the screw. Note, it may take more than one type of screwdriver and/or more than one size.


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63676 03/22/23 10:38 PM
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Assuming that I've got the correct MBP, according to iFixit - <https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBoo...+Early+2015+Lower+Case+Replacement/38513> MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Lower Case Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide - you'll need a P5 Pentalobe screwdriver to unscrew the case back.

You'll also need a T5 Torx screwdriver to unscrew the SSD. <https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Retina+Display+Early+2015+SSD+Replacement/38520> MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 SSD Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide

The second guide explains how to get at the SSD.


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In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
artie505 #63677 03/22/23 10:59 PM
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Thank you, Artie!!

Originally Posted by artie505
Assuming that I've got the correct MBP, according to iFixit - <https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBoo...+Early+2015+Lower+Case+Replacement/38513> MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Lower Case Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide - you'll need a P5 Pentalobe screwdriver to unscrew the case back.

You'll also need a T5 Torx screwdriver to unscrew the SSD. <https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Retina+Display+Early+2015+SSD+Replacement/38520> MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 SSD Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide

The second guide explains how to get at the SSD.


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
artie505 #63678 03/22/23 11:23 PM
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Do you think this would do the trick? I also wonder why I have to remove the battery connector with a spudger (whatever that is). If this gets too complicated I might just have to smash it with a hammer like politicians seem fond of doing!

Originally Posted by artie505
Assuming that I've got the correct MBP, according to iFixit - <https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBoo...+Early+2015+Lower+Case+Replacement/38513> MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Lower Case Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide - you'll need a P5 Pentalobe screwdriver to unscrew the case back.

You'll also need a T5 Torx screwdriver to unscrew the SSD. <https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Retina+Display+Early+2015+SSD+Replacement/38520> MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 SSD Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide

The second guide explains how to get at the SSD.


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63679 03/22/23 11:46 PM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
Do you think this would do the trick? I also wonder why I have to remove the battery connector with a spudger (whatever that is). If this gets too complicated I might just have to smash it with a hammer like politicians seem fond of doing! Oops: Forgot the link. Ebay

Also, when I checked the different screws on the back, they all look the same on mine.

Originally Posted by artie505
Assuming that I've got the correct MBP, according to iFixit - <https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBoo...+Early+2015+Lower+Case+Replacement/38513> MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Lower Case Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide - you'll need a P5 Pentalobe screwdriver to unscrew the case back.

You'll also need a T5 Torx screwdriver to unscrew the SSD. <https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Retina+Display+Early+2015+SSD+Replacement/38520> MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 SSD Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide

The second guide explains how to get at the SSD.


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63680 03/23/23 12:04 AM
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FYI a spudger is a purpose designed plastic stick for removing the and reconnecting the almost microscopic connectors without breaking something (ask me how I know). If you are removing the HD for security purposes, you could just use a hatchet or hammer and batter the whole thing to pieces. On high security DoD projects we used to use an electric grinder and finish with a dust broom and pan. If you want to reuse the drive, HDs are so cheap these days it may not be worth the time and effort to salvage the drive.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
joemikeb #63681 03/23/23 01:42 AM
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Oh man, you made me laugh. I may take a hatchet to it if I can't find the perfect screwdriver to undo it for cheaps. Thanks, Joe.




Originally Posted by joemikeb
FYI a spudger is a purpose designed plastic stick for removing the and reconnecting the almost microscopic connectors without breaking something (ask me how I know). If you are removing the HD for security purposes, you could just use a hatchet or hammer and batter the whole thing to pieces. On high security DoD projects we used to use an electric grinder and finish with a dust broom and pan. If you want to reuse the drive, HDs are so cheap these days it may not be worth the time and effort to salvage the drive.


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63682 03/23/23 03:32 AM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
Oh man, you made me laugh. I may take a hatchet to it if I can't find the perfect screwdriver to undo it for cheaps.
I'll try to pull all the pieces together...

Aside from facilitating working with connectors, a spudger is non-conducting to prevent shorting anything out as you work. Since your MBP is dead, though, you could use a butter knife with no ill effects.

The screws all look the same, but they differ in length.

As for the SSD, it depends on whether you want to save it for possible future use in an external enclosure or just yank it and trash it. If the former, you'll need the Torx, but if the latter, you can save the money and just pry it out with a screwdriver.

Here are the two cheapest 5Ps I found on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/132149833276?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/295519126941?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
artie505 #63683 03/23/23 04:55 AM
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Thank you. Now I know what to get. I had no idea the different screws were just the difference in length. Butter knife it is. And yanking out SSD and maybe stomping on it is perfect. Thanks of making it so simple. I wonder what in the world I would ever need that funny looking screwdriver for in the future. I looked at my new Mac and it uses totally different screws on the bottom panel. Go figure.




Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by plantsower
Oh man, you made me laugh. I may take a hatchet to it if I can't find the perfect screwdriver to undo it for cheaps.
I'll try to pull all the pieces together...

Aside from facilitating working with connectors, a spudger is non-conducting to prevent shorting anything out as you work. Since your MBP is dead, though, you could use a butter knife with no ill effects.

The screws all look the same, but they differ in length.

As for the SSD, it depends on whether you want to save it for possible future use in an external enclosure or just yank it and trash it. If the former, you'll need the Torx, but if the latter, you can save the money and just pry it out with a screwdriver.

Here are the two cheapest 5Ps I found on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/132149833276?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/295519126941?


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63684 03/23/23 05:24 AM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
And yanking out SSD and maybe stomping on it is perfect. Thanks of making it so simple. I wonder what in the world I would ever need that funny looking screwdriver for in the future. I looked at my new Mac and it uses totally different screws on the bottom panel. Go figure.
Stomping won't defeat the SSD's structural integrity. You'll need to do a bunch of hammer whacking and then bury it at the bottom of your garbage so it's not visible to curious eyes. I suggest that you break off any connectors that you can reach.

I've got no idea about the screws, but I doubt that you'll ever need the P5 again, because your RAM and SSD aren't user replaceable.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
artie505 #63685 03/23/23 04:29 PM
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Right. I was just thinking down the road a few years when I have to ditch the M2! smile

I've got no idea about the screws, but I doubt that you'll ever need the P5 again, because your RAM and SSD aren't user replaceable. [/quote]


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63686 03/23/23 05:32 PM
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Given:
  • SSDs store their data electronically rather than magnetically so there is no lingering trace for a deep recovery
  • unlike HDs the data is scattered across the entire storage media and APFS intentionally distributes the data in a file all over the storage media means reassembling the data into comprehensible files would take centuries of supercomputer time
  • I don't know what the drive capacity is but a new 256 GB NVME runs a little over $40
  • an external NVME drive enclosure costs $90
  • a 1TB external SSD runs around $140


Therefore:
  • even a simple erase makes data recovery from an SSD virtually impossible so data security should be of little or no concern
  • I would question whether the VALUE of the NVME is worth the time and effort to recover it.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
joemikeb #63687 03/23/23 05:35 PM
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I thought law enforcement recovered data all the time. That's why they take computers from the bad guys.

Originally Posted by joemikeb
Given:
  • SSDs store their data electronically rather than magnetically so there is no lingering trace for a deep recovery
  • unlike HDs the data is scattered across the entire storage media and APFS intentionally distributes the data in a file all over the storage media means reassembling the data into comprehensible files would take centuries of supercomputer time
  • I don't know what the drive capacity is but a new 256 GB NVME runs a little over $40
  • an external NVME drive enclosure costs $90
  • a 1TB external SSD runs around $140


Therefore:
  • even a simple erase makes data recovery from an SSD virtually impossible so data security should be of little or no concern
  • I would question whether the VALUE of the NVME is worth the time and effort to recover it.


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63688 03/24/23 08:08 PM
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You've been watching too many old episodes of Hawaii Five O.

Data on rotating rust hard drives is stored as a MAGNETIC impression and for speed of access the data in each file is typically stored in easily identifiable sequential tracks and sectors. The mechanical read/write heads have an allowable tolerance (slop) so when the drive is overwritten a trace of the previous data may remain and can be recovered. For most DoD purposes overwriting the drive with alternating ones and zeros seven times is considered adequate protection. For deep black projects, used hard drives may be ground into fine powder as the ultimate safeguard.

SSDs store their data as on/off electrical switches and have no moving parts so there is no slop in over writing data and therfore no possibility of recovering traces of previously stored data. Additionaly as all data locations on an SSD can, for all practical purposes, be accessed equally fast and to reduce wear on the individual storage locations the data in a file is intentially scattered over the entire SSD rather than in nice neat consecutive locations. So only erasing the volume directory leaves you with literally billions if not trillions of unrelated characters, or in a 256GB SSD roughly 65,536.000,000,000,000 possible combinations. Given a multi-billion dollar quantum computer, and enough time it might be possible to recover such a drive. Do a full erase on that drive and all anyone would have to interpret would be an unbroken string of zeroes or ones and absolutely meaningless even with a quantum computer.

NOTE: add File Vault and it won't make much difference whether you erase the SSD or not and then turn on Advanced Data Protection and your data on iCloud is strongly protected as well.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
joemikeb #63689 03/24/23 08:23 PM
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OK, thanks. The only reason I was concerned is because my Credit Card information is on it.



Originally Posted by joemikeb
You've been watching too many old episodes of Hawaii Five O.

Data on rotating rust hard drives is stored as a MAGNETIC impression and for speed of access the data in each file is typically stored in easily identifiable sequential tracks and sectors. The mechanical read/write heads have an allowable tolerance (slop) so when the drive is overwritten a trace of the previous data may remain and can be recovered. For most DoD purposes overwriting the drive with alternating ones and zeros seven times is considered adequate protection. For deep black projects, used hard drives may be ground into fine powder as the ultimate safeguard.

SSDs store their data as on/off electrical switches and have no moving parts so there is no slop in over writing data and therfore no possibility of recovering traces of previously stored data. Additionaly as all data locations on an SSD can, for all practical purposes, be accessed equally fast and to reduce wear on the individual storage locations the data in a file is intentially scattered over the entire SSD rather than in nice neat consecutive locations. So only erasing the volume directory leaves you with literally billions if not trillions of unrelated characters, or in a 256GB SSD roughly 65,536.000,000,000,000 possible combinations. Given a multi-billion dollar quantum computer, and enough time it might be possible to recover such a drive. Do a full erase on that drive and all anyone would have to interpret would be an unbroken string of zeroes or ones and absolutely meaningless even with a quantum computer.

NOTE: add File Vault and it won't make much difference whether you erase the SSD or not and then turn on Advanced Data Protection and your data on iCloud is strongly protected as well.


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
artie505 #63690 03/25/23 12:00 AM
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Originally Posted by artie505
Stomping won't defeat the SSD's structural integrity. You'll need to do a bunch of hammer whacking and then bury it at the bottom of your garbage so it's not visible to curious eyes.
I wonder if there's an easier answer that wouldn't require any screwdrivers or hammer - just a good power drill. If plantsower could determine where the drive is physically located (information that should be available), wouldn't it work just to take a metal bit and drill a hole right through the computer and, hence, the drive as well?


ryck

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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63691 03/25/23 12:07 AM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
The only reason I was concerned is because my Credit Card information is on it.
I'd call the credit card company, cancel that card, and get a new one.


ryck

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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
ryck #63692 03/25/23 02:10 AM
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Wow, now that never entered my head. If I can't get to the SSD after my screwdriver arrives, that is an option. Thanks. Of course there would be umpteen companies to contact. That would be a pain. I've had to do the at least twice because of identity theft.


Originally Posted by ryck
Originally Posted by plantsower
The only reason I was concerned is because my Credit Card information is on it.
I'd call the credit card company, cancel that card, and get a new one.


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63693 03/25/23 05:17 PM
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If you have fully erased the SSD IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE OR ANY AGENCY TO RECOVER YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER FROM THE DRIVE. Even a simple erase of the volume map puts recovering your data far beyond the reach of any government agency. But if you want to protect it from the reach of scientifically advanced extraterrestrial malefactors, find some heavy construction project and ask them to run over your macBook three or four times with a tracked bulldozer then leave it so it will end up buried under the new road, building, whatever.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
joemikeb #63694 03/25/23 05:34 PM
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Joe: It was never erased. It died before I could do that. It could only be the battery. That's why the concern.

Originally Posted by joemikeb
If you have fully erased the SSD IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE OR ANY AGENCY TO RECOVER YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER FROM THE DRIVE. Even a simple erase of the volume map puts recovering your data far beyond the reach of any government agency. But if you want to protect it from the reach of scientifically advanced extraterrestrial malefactors, find some heavy construction project and ask them to run over your macBook three or four times with a tracked bulldozer then leave it so it will end up buried under the new road, building, whatever.


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63695 03/25/23 06:40 PM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
Joe: It was never erased. It died before I could do that. It could only be the battery. That's why the concern.

To reiterate laugh...

Originally Posted by joemikeb
....But if you want to protect it from the reach of scientifically advanced extraterrestrial malefactors, find some heavy construction project and ask them to run over your macBook three or four times with a tracked bulldozer then leave it so it will end up buried under the new road, building, whatever.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
joemikeb #63696 03/25/23 06:49 PM
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I got that part. Thanks.

To reiterate laugh...

Originally Posted by joemikeb
....But if you want to protect it from the reach of scientifically advanced extraterrestrial malefactors, find some heavy construction project and ask them to run over your macBook three or four times with a tracked bulldozer then leave it so it will end up buried under the new road, building, whatever.
[/quote]


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Re: Removing back of MacBook Pro
plantsower #63697 03/26/23 06:12 AM
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My best suggestion...

If you've got a drill, you don't even need to wait for the P5. Since your MBP is headed for the trash, you can/should be able to, anyhow simply drill out the screw heads to remove the case back.

The SSD will be immediately visible, and you can pry it out with a screwdriver or claw hammer. Then break off the connectors that mate with the logic board with a pair of pliers, and bury what's left in the middle of a bag of kitchen garbage.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
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