Mac Mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement

Written By: Walter Galan
  • Comments: 90
Mac Mini Mid 2011 Hard Drive Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

6

Time Required

No estimate

Introduction

Prerequisite only.

  1. fIwnDE6exwHUTgMB

    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive connector up from its socket on the logic board.

    I have a late 2012 Mac mini, but it must be an earlier version than this late 2012 Mac mini in this description, because removing the hard drive is much more complicated than described here. Please see this YouTube video if you have trouble removing your hard drive with these directions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP... There is a longer process you've got to go through. It can be done, it just takes much longer. (3-4 hours for me)

    sandyfacebook -

    That link is dead. Here is the updated link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq4PGlPu...

    The original link can be recalled from here:

    https://web.archive.org/web/202107212304...

    maccentric -

    At this point I could remove the hard drive by gently pulling it. There is no need to remove the motherboard!

    Zitoune7 -

    Same here. I just place two of my torx head screwdrive tips in the holes on the drive and levered it out. Really easy and, well, created my own 12 step program. ;)

    Les Manthe -

    +1: Don't remove the motherboard, and don't buy the tool to do it. When it's time to slide out the logic board, just push gently on the inside of the metal air guide fins on the intake. This will "eject the motherboard out the necessary 1/2 inch. Be mindful of the length of wires going from under the RAM out to the front of the case, as you don't want to pull hard or disconnect these..

    scootz -

    I decided that there was a greater risk of breaking something by not removing the logic board than by removing it. The old hard drive comes out easily enough, but the new one would just not quite go in for me. Lining the screws on the outside of the new hard drive with the rubber grommets is so much easier with the logic board out. I used masking tape with pencil marks on the case and on the drive in order to line up the screws and the grommets with the case right side up. IMHO, by the time the antenna is off, removing the logic board is relatively easy.

    Robert Meppelink -

    Yes, this step is enough to remove the hard disk. No need to open the chassis.

    David -

    mic is not working for me

    what i do for this problem

    https://uniqsofts.com/blogs/vidmate-for-...

    imoforpc imoforpc -

    Stop at this step and gently pull off the drive.

    To align the new drive’s screws turn the Mac Mini in the air and just let the new drive lay on the case while pushing it to make the screws align with the holes.

    ernipiggy -

    Yes, if you have come this far just pull the drive out because removing the bluetooth connector and the motherboard is troublesome.

    If you just pull the drive out at this point the only difficulty is when you try to put it back in because gravity is working against you: the drive has to hang in its slots about 1 cm above the top casing, which is on your table. The trick is to flip the mini up onto its front edge and after a couple of tries the buttons on the HD will engage their sockets.

    rsjrsj -

    If your mini has 2 drives installed, you will not be able to slide the top drive out as it won’t clear the RAM slot due to the other drive underneath. You will need to scootch the logic board out a bit to get the drive out, and then back in. If only Apple had made these things .25” longer it would have been so much easier.

    maccentric -

    Can someone write the better version of step 12? I already see that steps 10-11 and 13-16 aren’t necessary as long as step 12 is done differently…Thank you!

    gina757575 -

    +1 on not removing the motherboard. I used a playing card as a ramp for the new drive, resting one short end of the card on the rim that the drive eventually will rest on and "just" pushed the drive in its place(took a few tries to get the card in the right place at first). I also didnt completely remove either the fan or the antenna plate. I just moved them to the side and taped them in place with masking tape

    Mymac4ever -

  2. 2PII4Xh1VMvlLLvn

    • Use the tip of a spudger to lift the IR sensor connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

    • This connector can be very fragile—lift gently and evenly.

    You can remove the hard drive by lifting out after step 9, it's not necessary to disconnect the wireless, nor remove the system board.

    Zinger z -

    U Rock! Thanks

    mamashannon4u -

    I did not remove the IR sensor. I attempted to and it was very difficult, (I felt like I was going to snap or damage the logic board). I would advise skipping this part since it's not necessary to removal of the hard drive, and it seems like a number of people have damaged their logic board while trying to disconnect the IR sensor. Skip.

    FinnCrisp888 -

    That third screw on the lower right hand side should be removed in the beginning when you remove the fan.

    FinnCrisp888 -

    You can skip this step with no problems.

    manwe -

    Agree with all the previous: this step is not necessary to remove the second drive (the one closer to the bottom of the case. The connector is VERY delicate.

    TerribleHacker -

    That is true! I just used the tip of a screw driver in the screw holes on the drive to help slide the drive out. The hard part is putting the new drive back in position, due to the 2 screws at the back have to fit into the 2 holes in the rubber at the back of the bay. I finally stood the mini on end, so the drive would fall down into position. Then I stuck a suction cup on the drive to then pull the drive towards me to get the screws and the holes in the rubber to line up.

    Wayne Renshaw -

    Truly great info here!!! 100 percent perfect

    MarlinsDavid -

    This was my first time taking apart my Mac mini. I wanted to upgrade my hard drive and RAM. However, when I came to this step I pulled the motherboard out a little bit to hard (after tugging on it gently a few times, but it wasn't coming out) and the wires came out. So I was wondering is this fixable? Thank you.

    Robert -

    I managed to lift the IR connector and the base it connects to... I tried to put it back without breaking the pins but failed. Fortunately, the IR sensor is the least useful part of this device for me, so no loss.

    art -

    I tried to reconnect this IR plug, but managed to crush all the pins on the logic board. I was gentle the entire time, but I simply could not see how the two fit together, and I still don't. I broke off all the dangling pins and removed them and will now leave the IR connector dangle. These instructions should provide a better visualization for this step. And by the way, I had to remove this connector because I was replacing both drives of a Fusion logical volume.

    Dave Kitabjian -

    After fiddling with a spudger and then two spudgers and not being happy at all with the direction of the forces I feel that the only safe way to do this, in my opinion, is to slide something under the wires of the IR connector (I used a narrow cable tie, but maybe a suitably bent paper clip would do it too). Make sure this is sitting as close to the connector as possible and then pull directly upwards (away from the board). The idea being to exert a force equally on all the wires at right angles to the board.

    Frank Puranik -

    straightened a paperclip, slid it under the wires, lifted, popped right out

    ebay -

    I accedentally broke the IR connector. How can I fix it?

    Chatr -

    If the hard disk is at the ‘normal’ position and not in the upper position, you don’t need to remove anything else to get the disk out.

    Finger-tighten two long screws that fit the two holes on the drive and use this to remove the old drive, and then screw them into the new drive and use them to properly align and insert.

    Here’s a picture of what I did and it was super-fantastically easy.

    Will Brokenbourgh -

    Sorry I wasn’t clear - - You use the long screws as handles to tilt and pull the drive out or to push it in and align it with the unseen rubber grommets.

    Will Brokenbourgh -

    &&^& you ifixit, because of you I damaged that connector, I should have skip it

    Really &&^& you

    c1sco -

    if the logic board is sticky to remove, you will pull too far and too quickly and the wires will pull out of the connector. Too late for me…but IMHO it makes a lot more sense to follow the directions and at least try to remove the connector as instructed.

    handemail -

    FINE UNTIL STEP 9 - then SKIP STEP 10 AND 13 and 14, 15 AND 16 - NOT NESSESSARY!!!!!!!!!!

    kenneth krabat -

    Confirmed here, but I’ve broke my IR connector before it. The rule of thumb, read comments before doing steps from guide…

    Mista Twista -

    The IR cable has some slack on it. If you have slackened the fan cable in the same manner (see above) and are careful, you can pull the logic board a short distance without the tension snapping the cable, which will give you enough space to access the drive bay.

    Ritchie Swann -

    Yep; broke mine off too :P. Definitely read the comments. Gots to get under the wires and pull up from there.

    Tim -

    Unfortunately you will need to do this if you have 2 drives installed in the Mini.

    maccentric -

    This step is not well explained. For some models of 2012 you need to disconnect this to be able to remove the motherboard and unscrew the hdd. However, this looks very fragile, and many people screw this sensor. If someone has been successful it would be nice if they can develop this. How to disconnect and how to re-connect it. thanks.

    daniel -

  3. jxjcYVSPLXmLNDF1

    • Remove the following three screws:

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

    • One 16.2 mm T6 Torx screw

    • One 26 mm T6 Torx standoff

    The 26 mm T6 Torx standoff is actually part of the the third fan screw which was removed earlier in order to get the fan out.

    Craig Foster -

    If you skipped step 13, skip this one as well.

    manwe -

    Screws were in different spots on my model

    alex -

    Note: On my model, this was not a "pull up" cable that needs a spudger, it was a regular "slide" in connector.

    alex -

    Screws were in different spots on my model

    https://snaptubeforpc.com

    imoforpc imoforpc -

    It would help if you gave your model. Thanks.

    Gerasimos Christoforatos -

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    • To remove the logic board, the two cylindrical rods of the Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool must be inserted into the holes highlighted in red. Inserting instruments into any logic board holes other than the ones highlighted in red may destroy the logic board.

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

    • 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.

    You may not find it necessary to push out the logic board in order to slide in (or out) the hard drive. It helps to have the extra room to maneuver, but it can be done without.

    FinnCrisp888 -

    thanks for the tip, i didnt have to move the motherboard and it made my hdd switch much easier! this guide overall was super helpful and thanks to it now my mac mini is working like a charm with an SSD running it

    Maher M -

    I had read all the comments thet said the HDD can be taken out at step 12, besides I'm in France, so I hadn't bought the special tool. when I realised I had to remove the logic board after all, I managed without the tool but I'm not doing it again. I inserted 2 screwdrivers in the holes and tried to move them both simultaneously. It worked but instead of sliding out slowly, the I/O board came out all the way with a noise! The clips from step 16 had unclipped by themselves, causing the noise. For a second I thought I had broken everything. I really don't recomment doing this without the tool.

    Elica -

    Instead of the removal tool it is also possible to use two metal pins with 2,5mm diameter.

    Martin Born -

    I didn't have the opportunity to get the removal tool before starting my tear-down but when I got to the Removal Tool stage I used a pair of small allen keys, just big enough to fit through the holes in the logic board. You can feel them engage into the holes below the logic board. Easy, steady pressure on both does the job well. I think the main thing through the whole disassembly process is SLOW and Gentle.

    January 11, 2015

    Steener -

    If you are this far into a tear-down it's a good idea to pop the logic board and replace the battery - a 3Volt #2032. It's on the under side of the board below the antenna and HDD. May save having to come back this way again...

    Steen Rancher January 12, 2015

    Steener -

    This step may require more force than expected. I was very careful and pulled the remove tool out too early. You have to put a bit of will into it and push it at least 0.5cm (= 0.2 in), less won't do the trick.

    Wenzel Massag -

    If you have no such tool, just skip this step. You can pull HDD anyway.

    manwe -

    For this, I discovered that no special tool was needed. I simply pushed the logic board towards the back of the case where the ports are, slid out easy peasy.

    alex -

    Also, be sure to withdraw the special tool (or any substitute) before prying out the logic board more than just a bit. In my case, the tool restricted the board's movement, and it took me a while to understand why I wasn't getting anywhere.

    Gunnar Linn -

    I used two 2.5 mm drill bits, turned upside down. They worked like a dream. It took me a little while to realize that they needed to be lifted slightly from the underlying case in order for the board to slide out.

    aron -

    I put two small screwdrivers in these holes and pulled and had my son push on the far side of the logic board. It took two of us to get it to move.

    sandyfacebook -

    With a Mac Mini 2012 model, you DO NOT need the logic-board removal tool. I wish I had read these comments before I spent the ten dollars on the tool (I'm not criticizing ifixit here, but I wasted my money).

    scootz -

    You could always create your own logic-board removal by re-bending what's known as a "landscaping staple". It's just stiff steel wire.

    scootz -

    Same. I cut a metal coat hanger and bent it to fit with needlenose pliers..

    Roman Sturgis -

    One can remove the hard drive without removing/moving the logic board. Once the hard drive cable is detached from the logic board, one can lift the side of the hard drive closest to the logic board just enough to clear the RAM bracket and then carefully slide it out. It may be easier to remove it with the logic board pulled out but in my opinion the logic board (and CPU) should be left alone unless it is absolutely necessary.

    CG Hughes -

    Just use two iFixit screwdrivers and pull

    daniel -

  5. qvHGQRjTOfoIEVMu

    • 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 away from the outer case.

    • Only pull the logic board assembly out of the outer case until the edge of the I/O board is about .5" away from the edge of the aluminum outer case.

    steps 10 11 13 14 15 16 not necessary …

    radioman -

    Really, not necessary.

    manwe -

    Confirmed not necessary at all!

    Paolo -

    Except when you are adding another HDD.

    Guastavo -

    In fact, not necessary, not at all! But I did it "strictly according to the instructions" at first and had some problems with the rubber sealing the power plug, which I hadn't seen when I slid the I/O board back into the aluminum case and nobody in the instructions mentions that the best way to do this is to use the spudger to press in the mounting clamps (right and left): then it's easy! But with me the insulating rubber of the 220V unit (female) got stuck between the aluminum housing and the I/O unit. It wasn't until I had already installed the antenna that I noticed that a tip of this rubber was sticking out of the housing and that the I/O unit was therefore not flush with the housing. So: disassemble everything again, antenna connector, mainboard connector, etc. Luckily I was able to fix it. After that I was smarter and asked myself why I had made all this effort and not just removed the old hard drive. Conclusion: afterwards you are always smarter and: read the comments!

    Preppers Delight -

  6. LLSRrEAOyvdoBkpB
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    • Pull the hard drive away from the front edge of the mini and remove it from the outer case.

    Be careful when replacing the HD/SSD in this step. If you are not careful, you can mess up the rubber shock absorbers by misaligning the posts. If that happens, you will have a hard time getting the screws to line up when putting the perforated grille back on (wifi antenna grill).

    Matthew Wagner -

    Exactly ! The easy way that I found to do this properly is to turn upside down the mac mini in order to have the HD at the top of the mini and the 2 screws at the back of the HD perfectly up at the level of the 2 holes on the shock absorber.

    Rodolphe -

    I have macMini (late 2012) and buy a Samsung SSD 850 PRO 256GB to replace original 500GB Apple HDD. Your guide is OK, but in step 17 I have a big problem. HDD in my Mini was securing with two screws. So first I need to remove logic board and unplug the power connector. Then remove two screws from HDD side.

    Roman Pucko -

    Can anyone confirm that those "2 screw" holding HDD to plastic frame in step 17 are "T8 torx"?

    slodkijanek -

    I can confirm as well. I pried off the large connector off the main board to get to those screws. They t8 and were screwed on very tightly in my case.

    Johannes Deml -

    Yes, for Mac mini late 2012, the HDD is fixed with all 4 screws. I had to remove the Power supply and entire HDD tray to unscrew it. :D

    It was easy though. Thanks iFixit for the guide.

    mahesh deshpande -

    My MacMini (bought late 2013), had the HDD installed in the upper bay, so a complete teardown was required in order to change the driver.

    However, if you are planning just to add a second driver, there is no need for the doubler kit (only a new lower flex drive).

    Antonis Spanakis -

    If you are having a !&&* of a time trying to re-position the upper HDD - or just putting it back in - try putting the screws from the antenna grill back into the two upwards facing holes in the drive and using them as 'handles'. The drive has 2 small screws on the forward edge that need to line up with 2 holes in the outer case and as the drive flops around at first it is really hard to hold & maneuver it at the same time.

    January 14, 2015

    Steener -

    Yes. I used two plastic pegs to do this as well. Watch out for the wires running along the right hand side of the drive bay (as viewed when you’re putting in the drive) when you’re trying to lift up the drive to fit in the two recesses at the back of the bay so you don’t pull or stress them.

    Chris Belanger -

    This saved my GF a lot of swearing. Tilting the SSD using the screws worked like a charm!

    Casper -

    You can pull the HDD out without sliding the board at steps 15 and 16. Quite tricky, but you can.

    manwe -

    I had the same problem as Roman, I just figured I would add that those "two screws" are T8 screws and that there is a cable on the right side which you should be careful about while removing and reinserting the said screws.

    philippott -

    In my model, this didn't just slide out. It was attached to a caddy that required removal of the power supply (see other guides for how to do this) which was a nightmare to get back in the same spot.

    alex -

    I just did this upgrade and my HDD was secured with screws on both sides of the caddy. I actually think the caddy is really only designed to hold a single drive, kind of in the middle position, i.e., it's not the upper, or 2nd drive, position. In any case, this requires removal of the logic board, power supply, and caddy, entirely, in order to remove the existing drive. Tedious, but I didn't have any problems on reassembly.

    Keith Rogers -

    I could not remove my hard drive for anything. That's because these late 2012 Mac mini directions do not cover all late 2012 Mac minis. Please see this YouTube video if you have trouble removing your hard drive with these directions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP... There is a longer process you've got to go through. It can be done, it just takes much longer. (3-4 hours for me)

    sandyfacebook -

    I replaced my HDD with an SSD; the SSD is thinner, so lining up the two screws at the back was tough. In the end I found some foam and cut it in to two lengths for the SSD to sit on; I used double sided tape to stick it down. After this I was able to glide the SSD into position and because it is foam it has a little bit of play that helps with reassembly. I wish I could use a material better than foam because I guess that can cause static. Fingers crossed :)

    Ife Nkechukwu -

    Because an ssd is thinner, I put the flat end of a spudger in between the ssd and the logicboard to prop it up and let the 2 bottom screws of the antenna plates ‘grip’ the holes on the ssd so everything is nice and secure.

    2Dutch -

    2012 model - Had to remove (slide out) the motherboard assembly (disconnecting power cable from rear of mobo) in order to reach the two screws holding the HD in its plastic frame. Then the two rubber bumpers (when attached to the new SSD) didn’t want to go back into the mating holes in the frame. I trimmed off some rubber all around the bumpers until they fit. I expect the age of the mini plus all the heat hardened up the bumpers.

    The strange thing is that this 2012 mini is radically different (HD mounting-wise) than my old 2012 mini (that I no longer have). My old one was a snap to swap out the HD. Just glad this one (the one triggering this comment) went back together okay; I was not expecting the Spanish Inquisition. :D

    barryjaylevine -

    No one ever does!

    maccentric -

    As noted by sandyfacebook above, the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP... is brilliant, and shows exactly what to do to get that second drive out. It’s impossible to do it otherwise.

    Michael Conley -

    Hi there, I’ve had an issue with this step. My HDD doesn’t seem to be mounted where yours is in this demonstration. It is in the lower bay so I’m unable to remove it with my fingers. Do you have any suggestions for how I can resolve this? Cheers, Ruari

    Ruari Graham -

    I think I meant the upper bay sorry.

    Ruari Graham -

    I had to completely remove the I/O board out or the case after I disconnected it from the power supply. Then I could unscrew the screws holding the hard drive in place. I dont know how anyone can get the hard drive out without doing this. I have a 2012 mac mini so there is this whole step missing in these instructions. I dont have any pictures yet.

    Janice Johnson -

    I had to completely remove the I/O board out of the case after I disconnected it from the power supply. Then I could unscrew the screws holding the hard drive in place. I dont know how anyone can get the hard drive out without doing this. I have a 2012 mac mini so there is this whole step missing in these instructions. I dont have any pictures yet. If you look at the instructions for Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit on step 16 & 17, you can see how to completely remove the I/O board, then you can look inside the case and see the hard drive screws that need to be removed so you can get the hard drive out

    Janice Johnson -

    The hard drive on mine was physically screwed into the drive carrier -- I could not just pull the drive up and out

    Instead I had to remove the logic board fully -- which involved disconnecting the power cable to it and pulling it out.

    Once the logic board was out, I removed the power supply -- which involves turning the power connector (the connector that the line cord to a wall socket connects) 90 degrees -- the power connector is keyed so that it unlocks the power supply when rotated

    Once you rotate the plug, it just comes straight out

    Now you can remove the entire drive carrier assembly. Once out remove the four screws holding the drive in and remove the drive. You then can transfer the drive cable to your new drive and reassemble. It's actually fairly straight forward

    Gregory Travis -

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Walter Galan

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