Anyone install a new hd on a mac mini?

[slackerinabox]

I have a 2011 mac mini that recently had a catastrophic hard drive failure. I ordered myself an ssd and a torx set and hoping that youtube videos will guide me through the process, but I'm still a bit anxious about getting into something so.. umm. tight.. Anyone have any horror or success stories? Should I not even attempt to do it and bring it into the shop? I've upgraded the hard drive on a 2007 imac and it was a bit of an ordeal, with hundreds of little cables holding everything together, and the built in microphone has never worked quite right after the operation.

Thanks!

 

[TheStu]

ifixit.com

 

[KeithP]

http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/mac_mini2011_hd/

http://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac_Mini_Mid_2011

Just make sure you have a nice work area cleared. Also, if you don't have a laptop or tablet to keep handy, you might consider printing screen caps for each major step as a rough outline to guide you as you progress.

-KeithP

 

[annomander]

Ha, replaced the hard drive in a powerbook g4 12", the mac mini can't be any harder.

We need several different types of screw drivers, insane.


I recall there was an issue with install the OS onto it as it wasn't a Apple harddrive, but things might have changed now.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Ha, replaced the hard drive in a powerbook g4 12", the mac mini can't be any harder.

We need several different types of screw drivers, insane.

Buy this.

http://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/54-Bit-Driver-Kit/IF145-022-1?gclid=CNmh1dzHnbwCFaZAMgodPnEArA

Keep it close to you at all times.

 

[slackerinabox]

Buy this.

http://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/54-Bit-Driver-Kit/IF145-022-1?gclid=CNmh1dzHnbwCFaZAMgodPnEArA

Keep it close to you at all times.

Wish I saw this earlier, I bought a "mac toolkit" from amazon that was missing two torx sizes I needed, and only realized that after my computer was splayed on our dining table. Was a pretty stressful install and had to improvise a bit (I was able to get a torx set from homedepot but still didn't have the screws for the mainboard). I was able to slide the hard drive in without sliding the motherboard after many knuckle scraping attempts.

The good news is that, with an SSD, my lowly mac mini is at least as fast as most iMacs out there - it's a shockingly good system once you upgrade the ram and get an ssd in there.