Macbook Air 13 Late 2010 Solid State Drive Replacement Repair Guide

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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

5

Time Required

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Sections

3

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

Flags

1

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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 off the device, close the lid and lay it on a soft surface top-side down.
• Remove the following ten screws:
• Two 9 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
• Eight 2.6 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
• The special screwdriver needed to remove the eight 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.

Before proceeding, power off the device, close the lid and lay it on a soft surface top-side down.

Remove the following ten screws:

Two 9 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

Eight 2.6 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

The special screwdriver needed to remove the eight 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.

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               

• For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge. This step is optional and is not required.
• Grab the clear plastic pull tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the Air to disconnect the battery from the logic board.
• Do not lift upward on the connector as you disconnect it.

For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge. This step is optional and is not required.

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

Do not lift upward on the connector as you disconnect it.

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

• Do not lift the end of the SSD excessively.
• Slightly lift up the end of the SSD and pull it straight out of its socket on the logic board.
• When reinstalling the SSD, be sure it is properly seated before reinstalling its retaining screw.

Do not lift the end of the SSD excessively.

Slightly lift up the end of the SSD and pull it straight out of 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.

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                    Andrew Bookholt                     

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enicolas - Jan 23, 2016

Reply

What’s the best external enclosure for a potential dead MacBook Air in order to grab info off of?

ghislain.bourgin - Mar 4, 2021

Reply

Hey there, same question as above, are there any adapters (to USB, for example) out there to get back data from the hard drive with that proprietary pin connector in case the Mac is not operational anymore?