Featured
Featured Guide
Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
16
Time Required
1 - 2 hours
Sections
4
- Lower Case
- 2 steps
- Battery
- 3 steps
- Hard Drive
- 6 steps
- Hard Drive
- 5 steps
Flags
1
Featured Guide
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BackMacBook Air Models A1237 and A1304
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Introduction
What you need
Video Overview
Step 1
Lower Case
- Unplug your MacBook Air and power it off before you proceed.
- Remove ten Phillips screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Air:
- Six 2.8 mm screws
- Two 3.8 mm screws
- Two 5.4 mm screws
Unplug your MacBook Air and power it off before you proceed.
Remove ten Phillips screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Air:
Six 2.8 mm screws
Two 3.8 mm screws
Two 5.4 mm screws
1024
Step 2
- Slightly lift the lower case near the vents and push it toward the rear of the computer to free the mounting tabs.
Slightly lift the lower case near the vents and push it toward the rear of the computer to free the mounting tabs.
Step 3
Battery
- Disconnect the battery connector by pulling it straight out of its socket.
Disconnect the battery connector by pulling it straight out of its socket.
Step 4
- Remove the following nine screws securing the battery to the Air:
- Four 2.9 mm Phillips.
- Four 3.8 mm Phillips.
- One 7.2 mm Phillips.
Remove the following nine screws securing the battery to the Air:
Four 2.9 mm Phillips.
Four 3.8 mm Phillips.
One 7.2 mm Phillips.
Step 5
- Lift the battery out of the Air.
- If you’re installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:
- Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Then, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.
- If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook’s SMC.
Lift the battery out of the Air.
If you’re installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:
Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Then, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.
If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook’s SMC.
Step 6
Hard Drive
- Disconnect the port hatch ribbon cable from the logic board by pulling it straight up by its black pull tab.
- Pull the audio out ribbon cable off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.
- Use a spudger to pry the audio out ribbon cable connector board off the hard drive bracket.
Disconnect the port hatch ribbon cable from the logic board by pulling it straight up by its black pull tab.
Pull the audio out ribbon cable off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.
Use a spudger to pry the audio out ribbon cable connector board off the hard drive bracket.
Step 7
- Disconnect the audio out cable from its socket on the port hatch ribbon cable.
Disconnect the audio out cable from its socket on the port hatch ribbon cable.
Step 8
- Use a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector up off the logic board.
Use a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector up off the logic board.
Step 9
- Use the sharp end of a spudger to de-route the microphone cable from the hard drive bracket.
- Remove the cosmetic screw cover from the adhesive securing it to the hard drive bracket.
Use the sharp end of a spudger to de-route the microphone cable from the hard drive bracket.
Remove the cosmetic screw cover from the adhesive securing it to the hard drive bracket.
Step 10
- Remove the four Phillips screws securing the hard drive assembly to the upper case:
- Two 4.7 mm screws.
- Two 3.9 mm screws.
Remove the four Phillips screws securing the hard drive assembly to the upper case:
Two 4.7 mm screws.
Two 3.9 mm screws.
Step 11
- Lift the hard drive assembly out of the upper case.
Lift the hard drive assembly out of the upper case.
Step 12
Hard Drive
- Use your thumbs to push the hard drive away from its bracket.
Use your thumbs to push the hard drive away from its bracket.
Step 13
- Peel the rubber shock isolator off the perimeter of the hard drive.
Peel the rubber shock isolator off the perimeter of the hard drive.
Step 14
- If present, remove the small piece of black tape covering the ribbon cable connector.
If present, remove the small piece of black tape covering the ribbon cable connector.
Step 15
- The two different versions of MacBook Air have different hard drive connectors. Failure to perform the action appropriate to your machine will damage your hard drive! Be very careful when disconnecting the hard drive cable. The ZIF connectors are fragile.
- If you have the original MacBook Air (A1237), use a spudger or your thumbs to flip up the ribbon cable retaining flap TOWARD the cable (seen in picture 1).
- If you have the A1304 version of MacBook Air, use a spudger or your thumbs to flip up the ribbon cable retaining flap AWAY from the cable (seen in picture 2).
- Pull the hard drive cable straight away from its socket.
The two different versions of MacBook Air have different hard drive connectors. Failure to perform the action appropriate to your machine will damage your hard drive! Be very careful when disconnecting the hard drive cable. The ZIF connectors are fragile.
If you have the original MacBook Air (A1237), use a spudger or your thumbs to flip up the ribbon cable retaining flap TOWARD the cable (seen in picture 1).
If you have the A1304 version of MacBook Air, use a spudger or your thumbs to flip up the ribbon cable retaining flap AWAY from the cable (seen in picture 2).
Pull the hard drive cable straight away from its socket.
Step 16
- If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.
- If you need to, transfer the foam from your current hard drive to the new one. The foam does come off by using a spudger and some patience.
- The two primary options for reading CDs and DVDs on a MacBook Air are to either purchase an external SuperDrive or to use an Apple feature called Remote Disc. Remote Disc allows the optical drive of a nearby Mac to be borrowed for use in mounting discs on the MacBook Air.
If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.
If you need to, transfer the foam from your current hard drive to the new one. The foam does come off by using a spudger and some patience.
The two primary options for reading CDs and DVDs on a MacBook Air are to either purchase an external SuperDrive or to use an Apple feature called Remote Disc. Remote Disc allows the optical drive of a nearby Mac to be borrowed for use in mounting discs on the MacBook Air.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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Remco Dijkman - Sep 7, 2010
Reply
It is not necessary to remove the battery. The hard drive can easily be reached while the battery is in place, although you have a little bit more space if you do remove the battery.
It probably is a good idea to unplug the battery before replacing the hard drive, so you do not accidentally short-circuit anything.
Charlie - Jun 30, 2011
Reply
My hard drive replacement (a Mach Xtreme Nano PATA ZIF 120GB SSD) actually went in the other way up from the stock Apple Drive. ie The ZIF connector is seen when put back together, rather than under the drive as is the case with the Apple Drive (as seen in Steps 10&11). This also meant the cable came up past the drive on the inside of the bracket then to the mother board. I had tried several times the same way as the Apple drive was, and the cable kept being pulled out of the ZIF connector when putting it back together. Luckily this did not damage my drive.
Peace Freak - Dec 6, 2012
michaeldamiano - Nov 9, 2016
SERIOUSLY. 2 hours trying to figure out WHY it wouldn’t work, THANK YOU CHARLIE. YEARS LATER.
Kyle Milnes - Jun 16, 2012
Reply
I fitted a RunCore 128GB SSD to our A1304 (Revision B) Air, it was easy enough and works exactly as we hoped! The A1304 (Revision B) model Air has a LIF connector. RunCore have different SSD products for the different Air revisions, it would be easy to order the wrong part, so be sure you you what modle/revision of Air you’re working on!
Read the guide in full for, for all the details.