Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

18

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

3

  • Top Housing
  • 6 steps
  • Internal Frame
  • 7 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 5 steps

Flags

1

This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

  • BackMac mini Model A1283

  • 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

              Top Housing
  • Power down your Mac mini, disconnect all of the cables, and flip it over.
  • Insert the Jimmy into the crack between the aluminum top housing and the plastic lower housing.
  • The Jimmy should reach a stop about 3/8" down.

Power down your Mac mini, disconnect all of the cables, and flip it over.

Insert the Jimmy into the crack between the aluminum top housing and the plastic lower housing.

The Jimmy should reach a stop about 3/8" down.

1024

Step 2

  • Gently bend the Jimmy outwards to pry the crack open a little larger and lift the lower housing up a small amount.
  • There are several plastic clips on the lower housing that fit into a channel in the aluminum top housing. Your goal is to use the Jimmy to push these clips inward enough to free them from the channel, while gently pulling up on the lower housing.

Gently bend the Jimmy outwards to pry the crack open a little larger and lift the lower housing up a small amount.

There are several plastic clips on the lower housing that fit into a channel in the aluminum top housing. Your goal is to use the Jimmy to push these clips inward enough to free them from the channel, while gently pulling up on the lower housing.

Step 3

  • Once you have the first side free, rotate the Mac mini and start prying up on the front edge.
  • Use the same prying motion to both bend the clips inward and lift the lower housing up out of the top housing.

Once you have the first side free, rotate the Mac mini and start prying up on the front edge.

Use the same prying motion to both bend the clips inward and lift the lower housing up out of the top housing.

Step 4

  • You may need to move the Jimmy along the edge to pry up all of the clips. Be patient and do a little bit at a time.

You may need to move the Jimmy along the edge to pry up all of the clips. Be patient and do a little bit at a time.

Step 5

  • Keep working around the perimeter, freeing the clips along the final edge.

Keep working around the perimeter, freeing the clips along the final edge.

Step 6

  • Flip the Mac mini back over and lift the top housing off of the lower housing.

Flip the Mac mini back over and lift the top housing off of the lower housing.

Step 7

              Internal Frame
  • In the next few steps you will be removing the AirPort and Bluetooth antennas (shown in red) from the internal frame. Be very careful, as breaking the brackets will require replacing the internal frame.
  • We will first remove the AirPort antenna, located in the lower left corner of this picture.

In the next few steps you will be removing the AirPort and Bluetooth antennas (shown in red) from the internal frame. Be very careful, as breaking the brackets will require replacing the internal frame.

We will first remove the AirPort antenna, located in the lower left corner of this picture.

Step 8

  • Slightly squeeze the two retaining arms toward each other and lift the AirPort antenna off its post.
  • Squeezing the two posts excessively will surely break them off the internal frame. Work delicately.
  • During reinstallation, you will have to slightly squeeze the two posts together so they fit into the openings on the AirPort antenna board.

Slightly squeeze the two retaining arms toward each other and lift the AirPort antenna off its post.

Squeezing the two posts excessively will surely break them off the internal frame. Work delicately.

During reinstallation, you will have to slightly squeeze the two posts together so they fit into the openings on the AirPort antenna board.

Step 9

  • The two Bluetooth antenna boards simply lift off the internal frame.
  • Grab the Bluetooth antenna nearest the port side of the computer by the edges of the board and pull it straight up off the internal frame.
  • Pull carefully, as it may offer significant resistance and release suddenly.

The two Bluetooth antenna boards simply lift off the internal frame.

Grab the Bluetooth antenna nearest the port side of the computer by the edges of the board and pull it straight up off the internal frame.

Pull carefully, as it may offer significant resistance and release suddenly.

Step 10

  • Remove the antenna board near the front of the mini by pulling it straight up off the internal frame.
  • If necessary, remove the piece of tape securing the antenna leads to the internal frame.
  • Be sure to keep track of the springs under each of the three antenna boards.

Remove the antenna board near the front of the mini by pulling it straight up off the internal frame.

If necessary, remove the piece of tape securing the antenna leads to the internal frame.

Be sure to keep track of the springs under each of the three antenna boards.

Step 11

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the audio ribbon cable connector up off the audio board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the audio ribbon cable connector up off the audio board.

Step 12

  • Remove the following four screws securing the internal frame to the bottom housing:
  • Three 6.7 mm Phillips #00 screws
  • One 9.5 mm Phillips #00 screw
  • The screw in the lower right corner of this image is recessed deep in the internal frame and longer than the other three screws. A flashlight and a thin screwdriver aid in removal.

Remove the following four screws securing the internal frame to the bottom housing:

Three 6.7 mm Phillips #00 screws

One 9.5 mm Phillips #00 screw

The screw in the lower right corner of this image is recessed deep in the internal frame and longer than the other three screws. A flashlight and a thin screwdriver aid in removal.

Step 13

  • Lift the internal frame off the bottom housing, starting at the rear edge, until you feel the concealed edge connector on the motherboard disconnect. Then lift straight off, minding the bluetooth and 802.11 antenna cables.
  • When reassembling, the wifi antenna wire routes to the inside of the vent and then over the top of the vent.

Lift the internal frame off the bottom housing, starting at the rear edge, until you feel the concealed edge connector on the motherboard disconnect. Then lift straight off, minding the bluetooth and 802.11 antenna cables.

When reassembling, the wifi antenna wire routes to the inside of the vent and then over the top of the vent.

Step 14

              Hard Drive
  • Remove the two Phillips screws connecting the underside of the hard drive to the internal frame.

Remove the two Phillips screws connecting the underside of the hard drive to the internal frame.

Step 15

  • Remove the two Phillips screws securing the side of the hard drive to the internal frame.

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the side of the hard drive to the internal frame.

Step 16

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive thermal sensor board off the adhesive securing it to the side of the hard drive.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive thermal sensor board off the adhesive securing it to the side of the hard drive.

Step 17

  • Remove the strip of tape holding the thermal sensor cable to the hard drive and remove the thermal sensor from the hard drive.
  • You’ll want to transfer this thermal sensor to the same position on your new hard drive.

Remove the strip of tape holding the thermal sensor cable to the hard drive and remove the thermal sensor from the hard drive.

You’ll want to transfer this thermal sensor to the same position on your new hard drive.

Step 18

  • Slide the hard drive toward the speaker to disconnect it from the interconnect board.
  • Lift the hard drive from the edge opposite the fan and remove it from the internal frame.

Slide the hard drive toward the speaker to disconnect it from the interconnect board.

Lift the hard drive from the edge opposite the fan and remove it from the internal frame.

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

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      628 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 12 other contributors 


                    Walter Galan

682,038 Reputation

                                      1,203 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       54







                                                        +51 more badges

Symm Vafeades - Mar 25, 2011

Reply

The Phillips required on this for me was a size 0, not 00, which was too small.

Don Woollings - Jun 6, 2011

Reply

Step 13 is not needed and should not be attempted.

Padraic Hoselton - Feb 13, 2018

Ah no you need to remove it to get to the hard drive.

Chris Tyson - Sep 10, 2013

Reply

You don’t need to remove the connector of the HD temperature sensor from the interconnection board, just detach the sensor from the drive. Then you can still get the drive out. My sensor connector unfortunately broke off completly. I managed to solder the sensor wires directly to the tiny contacts on the board :))

Brian - Apr 30, 2014

Reply

Step 16: Is the thermal sensor necessary if I am replacing HDD with an SDD? If so, where should it be attached?