Mac Mini Mid 2010 Hard Drive Cable Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

Bottom Cover
2 steps
Fan
3 steps
Cowling
2 steps
Antenna Plate
4 steps
Hard Drive
6 steps
Hard Drive Cable
2 steps

Flags

BackMac mini Mid 2010
Full Screen
Options
History
Save to Favorites
Download PDF
Edit
Translate
Get Shareable Link
Embed This Guide
Notify Me of Changes
Stop Notifications

Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Bottom Cover

Place your thumbs in the depressions cut into the bottom cover.
Rotate the bottom cover counter-clockwise until the white dot painted on the bottom cover is aligned with the ring inscribed on the outer case.

Place your thumbs in the depressions cut into the bottom cover.

Rotate the bottom cover counter-clockwise until the white dot painted on the bottom cover is aligned with the ring inscribed on the outer case.

1024

Step 2

Tilt the mini enough to allow the bottom cover to fall away from the outer case.
Remove the bottom cover and set it aside.

Tilt the mini enough to allow the bottom cover to fall away from the outer case.

Remove the bottom cover and set it aside.

Step 3

Fan

Remove the two 11.3 mm T6 Torx screws securing the fan to the logic board near the antenna plate.

Remove the two 11.3 mm T6 Torx screws securing the fan to the logic board near the antenna plate.

Step 4

Lift the ear of the fan nearest the RAM up off the standoff secured to the outer case.
If the fan doesn’t separate from the standoff screw with a moderate amount of force, you can use a T6 Torx driver to simply remove this screw.

Lift the ear of the fan nearest the RAM up off the standoff secured to the outer case.

If the fan doesn’t separate from the standoff screw with a moderate amount of force, you can use a T6 Torx driver to simply remove this screw.

Step 5

Lift the fan out of the mini for enough clearance to access its connector.
Carefully pull the fan cables upward to lift the fan connector up out of its socket on the logic board.
Remove the fan.

Lift the fan out of the mini for enough clearance to access its connector.

Carefully pull the fan cables upward to lift the fan connector up out of its socket on the logic board.

Remove the fan.

Step 6

              Cowling

Remove the single 3.5 mm T6 Torx screw securing the cowling to the heat sink.

Remove the single 3.5 mm T6 Torx screw securing the cowling to the heat sink.

Step 7

Lift the cowling from the end nearest the antenna plate.
Rotate the cowling away from the outer case and remove it from the mini.

Lift the cowling from the end nearest the antenna plate.

Rotate the cowling away from the outer case and remove it from the mini.

Step 8

              Antenna Plate

Remove the following screws securing the antenna plate to the mini:
Two 6.6 mm T8 or T9 Torx screws
Two 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screws (either will work)

Remove the following screws securing the antenna plate to the mini:

Two 6.6 mm T8 or T9 Torx screws

Two 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screws (either will work)

Step 9

Slightly lift the antenna plate from the end closest to the RAM.
Carefully pull the antenna plate straight away from the circular rim of the outer case.
Do not remove the antenna plate yet. It is still attached to the AirPort/ Bluetooth board.

Slightly lift the antenna plate from the end closest to the RAM.

Carefully pull the antenna plate straight away from the circular rim of the outer case.

Do not remove the antenna plate yet. It is still attached to the AirPort/ Bluetooth board.

Step 10

Use the tip of a spudger to carefully pry the antenna connector up off the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

Use the tip of a spudger to carefully pry the antenna connector up off the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

Step 11

Remove the antenna plate from the mini.

Remove the antenna plate from the mini.

Step 12

              Hard Drive

Remove the following three screws:
One 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screw (either will work)
One 16.2 mm T6 Torx screw
One 26 mm T6 Torx standoff
Note: This standoff may have been removed with the fan.

Remove the following three screws:

One 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screw (either will work)

One 16.2 mm T6 Torx screw

One 26 mm T6 Torx standoff

Note: This standoff may have been removed with the fan.

Step 13

Carefully pull the wires for both hard drive thermal sensors upward to lift their connectors up and out of their respective sockets on the logic board.

Carefully pull the wires for both hard drive thermal sensors upward to lift their connectors up and out of their respective sockets on the logic board.

Step 14

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both the hard drive and optical drive connectors up out of their sockets on the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both the hard drive and optical drive connectors up out of their sockets on the logic board.

Step 15

For enough clearance to remove the hard drive, the logic board must be slightly removed. To accomplish this, two cylindrical rods must be inserted into the holes highlighted in red.
Inserting instruments into any logic board holes other than the ones highlighted in red may severely damage the logic board.
Insert a Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool into the two holes highlighted in red. Be sure it makes contact with the outer case below the logic board before proceeding.
If you don’t have a Logic Board Removal Tool handy, you can use two tools having a maximum diameter of 2.5 mm instead. Just insert one into each of the highlighted holes.
Carefully pull the tool toward the I/O board. The logic board and I/O board assembly should slightly slide out of the outer case.
Cease prying when the I/O board is visibly separated from the outer case. Remove the Mac mini Logic Board Removal tool.

For enough clearance to remove the hard drive, the logic board must be slightly removed. To accomplish this, two cylindrical rods must be inserted into the holes highlighted in red.

Inserting instruments into any logic board holes other than the ones highlighted in red may severely damage the logic board.

Insert a Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool into the two holes highlighted in red. Be sure it makes contact with the outer case below the logic board before proceeding.

If you don’t have a Logic Board Removal Tool handy, you can use two tools having a maximum diameter of 2.5 mm instead. Just insert one into each of the highlighted holes.

Carefully pull the tool toward the I/O board. The logic board and I/O board assembly should slightly slide out of the outer case.

Cease prying when the I/O board is visibly separated from the outer case. Remove the Mac mini Logic Board Removal tool.

Step 16

Simultaneously push the two plastic clips on the far left and right sides of the I/O board toward the middle of the I/O board and pull the I/O board slightly away from the outer case.
Pull the I/O board/logic board assembly out of the outer case a maximum of 5 mm. Pulling the assembly out further may damage the IR sensor connector (highlighted in red in the third picture).

Simultaneously push the two plastic clips on the far left and right sides of the I/O board toward the middle of the I/O board and pull the I/O board slightly away from the outer case.

Pull the I/O board/logic board assembly out of the outer case a maximum of 5 mm. Pulling the assembly out further may damage the IR sensor connector (highlighted in red in the third picture).

Step 17

Lift the hard drive from the edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the mini, minding the RAM socket and any cables that may get caught.
When reinstalling the hard drive, be sure the two T8 Torx lugs on its far end are inserted into the two rubber grommets highlighted in red in the second picture before sliding the logic board back into place.

Lift the hard drive from the edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the mini, minding the RAM socket and any cables that may get caught.

When reinstalling the hard drive, be sure the two T8 Torx lugs on its far end are inserted into the two rubber grommets highlighted in red in the second picture before sliding the logic board back into place.

Step 18

              Hard Drive Cable

Remove the strip of tape connecting the hard drive cable to the hard drive.

Remove the strip of tape connecting the hard drive cable to the hard drive.

Step 19

Remove the hard drive cable by pulling its connector straight away from the hard drive.

Remove the hard drive cable by pulling its connector straight away from the hard drive.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      9 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 4 other contributors

                    Andrew Bookholt

575,478 Reputation

                                      618 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       47







                                                        +44 more badges

Introduction#

What you need#

Introduction

What you need