Apple Macbook Hard Drive Upgrade

1. Macbook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade
2. Apple Macbook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade

Apple's MacBook Air is a solid and reliable laptop for you, especially it is a device that is using the solid-state drive (SSD) as the data storage drive. Compared with the traditional hard disk drive, SSD is much faster and durable. Instructions: Upgrade the hard drive in the cheese-grater Mac Pro. Add an SSD (via hard drive bays) to a pre 2013 Mac Pro. Difficulty: Medium. What you'll need: Screwdriver, 2.5in hard drive sled. Explore the world of Mac. Check out MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and more. Visit the Apple site to learn, buy, and get support.

Summary :

To upgrade MacBook Air SSD to a new one can solve a lot of issues like MacBook Air expand storage and corrupted SSD replacement. This article shows you the detailed steps to do such a job. To rescue data from the corrupted SSD, you can use MiniTool Software.

When You Need to Upgrade MacBook Air SSD?

Two Common Situations You Need to Upgrade MacBook Air SSD

Apple's MacBook Air is a solid and reliable laptop for you, especially it is a device that is using the solid-state drive (SSD) as the data storage drive. Compared with the traditional hard disk drive, SSD is much faster and durable.

What's the difference between solid-state drive and hard drive? Which one to use for your PC? Read this post to learn more on SSD VS HDD now.

However, as time goes on, there will be more and more files on the MacBook Air SSD. That is, the free space will become less and less. This is an inevitable result that may even influence the performance of the device.

Perhaps, you have taken some measures to release space for new data. But this method is not once and for all. Many users reported that their MacBook Air SSDs became full very soon since new data occupied the drive space quickly.

Due to this, the proper answer 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.

Additionally, MacBook Air SSD may get damaged or corrupted, and become unrepairable. If you don't want to buy a new device, you will need to update your MacBook Air SSD by replacing it with a new one.

So far, we summarize these two common situations in which you'd better upgrade MacBook Air SSD:

• MacBook Air SSD is full or running into low disk space.
• MacBook Air SSD is corrupted or damaged, and unrepairable.

Why You Should Upgrade MacBook Air SSD on Your Own

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 a Proper 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 Air 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.

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.

Here, you need to pay attention to the file system of the external drive since macOS only supports a handful of common file systems, including HFS+, FAT32, and exFAT. Make sure that the file system of the external drive is supported by your MacBook Air.

When you want to format Ext4 Windows but failed to do that, don't get disappointed. This post will provide you with solutions to format disk to Ext4 Windows.

When everything is prepared, you can refer to Apple's previous backup guide to make a backup of your Mac files with Time Machine: Back up your Mac with Time Machine.

Step 3: Replace MacBook Air SSD by a New One (Assembly)

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

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:

If you are using macOS, you need to use a Mac data recovery software to rescue your data from the damaged or corrupted drive. As a free Mac data recovery tool, Stellar Data Recovery for Mac is a good choice.

This software can run on macOS and then rescue your data from different kinds of storage devices like hard drive, SSD, memory card, and more. As long as the drive is not physically damaged, this software can always work to recover data from it.

It has a trial edition and you can first use it to see whether it can find your needed data. Go to the MiniTool download center to get this free software.

Here is a guide on how to use Stellar Data Recovery for Mac to rescue data from a damaged drive.

1. Install this software on your computer and then open it.

2. On the following interface, you can choose to recover everything or customize the scanning range according to your actual requirements.

3. Click Next Great recording software for pc free. to continue.

4. Select the drive you want to scan on the following interface.

5. Click Scan.

6. When the scanning process ends, you can see the scan results. Then, you can go to check whether you can find your needed files.

If Stellar Data Recovery for Mac can find your needed files, you can upgrade this software to a full edition and then recover your needed files without limits.

If You Are Running Windows OS:

MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a special data recovery software designed for Windows OS. You can first use the trial edition of this software to check whether it can find the files you want to rescue. This software can even support HFS+ file system.

Press the following download button to download and then install this software on your computer.

Then, it's a step-by-step guide on how to restore your files from the corrupted SSD with MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

1. Open the software to enter This PC interface.

2. Select the target SSD and press the Scan button to continue.

3. Likewise, when the scanning process ends, you will see the scan results that are listed by the path. You can open each path to find the files you want to restore. Or, you can also use the Type and Find features to find your needed data easily.

Best audio editing software 2018. 4. MiniTool Power Data Recovery Trial Edition doesn't allow you to recover files. You need to enter the MiniTool official store to get a suitable edition, register the software, and then restore your files to a safe location.

These are the integrated 5 steps you should do to upgrade MacBook Air SSD.

Bottom Line

Want to upgrade MacBook Air SSD by replacing it with a new one? This article tells you all the things you need to do, including the preparations, data backup, SSD assembly, operating system installation, and data recovery.

Should you have any questions when performing MacBook Air SSD upgrade, you can contact us via [email protected], or let us know in the comment. You can also share your suggestions and solutions here.

Optimized Storage in macOS Sierra and later* can save space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand. When storage space is needed, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you seldom use are stored in iCloud automatically. Each file stays right where you last saved it, and downloads when you open it. Files that you've used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimized versions of your photos.

* If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, learn about other ways to free up storage space.

Find out how much storage is available on your Mac

Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac, then click Storage. Each segment of the bar is an estimate of the storage space used by a category of files. Move your pointer over each segment for more detail.

Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below. This button is available only in macOS Sierra or later.

Manage storage on your Mac

The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.

Store in iCloud

Click the Store in iCloud button, then choose from these options:

• Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you recently opened are kept on your Mac, so that you can easily work offline. Files stored only in iCloud show a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
  
• Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimized) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
  
• Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Learn more about Messages in iCloud.

Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Learn more about prices in your region.

Optimize Storage

Click the Optimize button, then choose from these options.

• Automatically remove watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from the iTunes Store and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.
  
• Download only recent attachments. Mail automatically downloads only the attachments that you recently received. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.
  
• Don't automatically download attachments. Mail downloads an attachment only when you open the email or attachment, or save the attachment to your Mac.

Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.

Empty Trash Automatically

Empty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

Reduce Clutter

Reduce Clutter helps you to identify large files and files you might no longer need. Click the Review Files button, then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation, or Trash.

You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.

Learn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.

Where to find the settings for each feature

Macbook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade

The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. You can also control those settings directly within each app.

• If you're using macOS Catalina, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar: Store in iCloud turns on the Optimize Mac Storage setting on the right. Then click Options next to iCloud Drive: Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders setting. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
  In macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings.
• In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage.
• In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.

• If you're using macOS Catalina, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimize Storage selects 'Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.'
  In macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimize Storage selects 'Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.'
• In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.

Empty Trash Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Trash Automatically selects 'Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.'

Other ways that macOS helps automatically save space

Camera on my macbook pro isn t working. With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac automatically takes these additional steps to save storage space:

• Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
• Reminds you to delete used app installers
• Removes old fonts, languages, and dictionaries that aren't being used
• Clears caches, logs, and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed

How to free up storage space manually

Even without using the Optimized Storage features of Sierra or later, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:

• Music, movies, and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device.
• Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you might no longer need.
• Move files to an external storage device.
• Compress files.
• Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Trash mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.

Learn more

Apple Macbook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade

• The Storage pane of About This Mac is the best way to determine the amount of storage space available on your Mac. Disk Utility and other apps might show storage categories such as Not Mounted, VM, Recovery, Other Volumes, Free, or Purgeable. Don't rely on these categories to understand how to free up storage space or how much storage space is available for your data.
• When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file doesn't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file frees up only the space required by any data you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
• If you're using a pro app and Optimize Mac Storage, learn how to make sure that your projects are always on your Mac and able to access their files.