Macbook Air 13 Early 2015 Ssd Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

                          10 - 25 minutes

Sections

Lower Case
2 steps
Battery Connector
1 step
Solid-State Drive
2 steps

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BackMacBook Air 13" Early 2015
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Introduction

Before you perform this repair, if at all possible, back up your existing SSD. Then, either familiarize yourself with internet recovery or create a bootable external drive so you’ll be ready to install macOS onto your new drive and migrate your data to the new SSD.

Finally, we strongly recommend installing macOS 10.13 High Sierra (or a later macOS) before replacing the original SSD from your MacBook Air. Most new SSDs require updated storage drivers not found in versions of macOS prior to High Sierra.

What you need

Video Overview

Step 1

              Lower Case

Before proceeding, power down your MacBook. Close the display and lay it on a soft surface, top-side down.
Use a P5 Pentalobe driver to remove ten screws securing the lower case, of the following lengths:
Two 9 mm screws
Eight 2.6 mm screws

Before proceeding, power down your MacBook. Close the display and lay it on a soft surface, top-side down.

Use a P5 Pentalobe driver to remove ten screws securing the lower case, of the following lengths:

Two 9 mm screws

Eight 2.6 mm screws

1024

Step 2

Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.

Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Step 3

              Battery Connector

To ensure that everything is de-energized and won’t turn on while you’re working, it is recommended that you disconnect the battery.
Grab the clear plastic pull tab attached to the battery connector and pull it parallel to the board toward the front edge of the Air.
Do not lift upward on the connector as you disconnect it or you risk damage to the connector socket.

To ensure that everything is de-energized and won’t turn on while you’re working, it is recommended that you disconnect the battery.

Grab the clear plastic pull tab attached to the battery connector and pull it parallel to the board toward the front edge of the Air.

Do not lift upward on the connector as you disconnect it or you risk damage to the connector socket.

Step 4

              Solid-State Drive

Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

Step 5

Gently lift the end of the SSD about half an inch and pull it straight out of its socket on the logic board.
Don’t lift the SSD more than half an inch—doing so may damage the SSD or its socket on the logic board.
When reinstalling the SSD, be sure it is properly seated before reinstalling its retaining screw.

Gently lift the end of the SSD about half an inch and pull it straight out of its socket on the logic board.

Don’t lift the SSD more than half an inch—doing so may damage the SSD or its socket on the logic board.

When reinstalling the SSD, be sure it is properly seated before reinstalling its retaining screw.

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

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

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                                                                                      204 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 8 other contributors

                    Sam Goldheart

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Dave - May 13, 2015

Great… Now tell me where I can get an SSD for this machine.

ilyabuhov - Jan 13, 2016

yes) and prompt and appropriate model that was not inferior in speed built.

Thank!

klacorum - Feb 18, 2016

Dave, I am sure these are M.2 SSD. I am not sure what apple uses but at least you have somewhere you can start for research

Farie Indriawan - Aug 13, 2018

That’s indeed an M.2 SSD but you’ll need an adapter as the one that came with the Macbook uses a proprietary connector.

Max - Feb 27, 2016

Is there a way to upgrade it ? I cant find a bigger SSD which can be installed on this model.

Any update is welcome.

Introduction#

What you need#

Video Overview#

Team#

Introduction

What you need

Video Overview

Team