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Powerbook Hard Drive Upgrade
January 22, 2007 1:00 AM   RSS feed for this thread Subscribe

What should I know before I upgrade the hard drive in my Powerbook?

I have a 15" G4 Powerbook (aluminum) and I plan on replacing the hard drive (before anyone mentions it--yes, I know this voids my warranty, and I know that it is considered difficult to do. I am not interested in someone telling me to get an external drive, either). I've seen the guide at iFixIt (and plan to follow it), but before I proceed, I want to know if anyone who has done this has specific advice for what to do--parts of the actual installation that are difficult, or how I should migrate the data from the original drive to the new one (my plan now is to leave the OS X install disc in the computer, install the new drive and boot from the DVD, then put the old drive in an enclosure to transfer the data).
posted by cosmic osmo to computers & internet (14 comments total)
Make sure you get an ATA-9 drive. I think Apple didn't start using SATA laptop drives until the MacBook Pro.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:14 AM on January 22, 2007


I haven't done it on an Aluminum, but I have done it on a TiBook. I don't have advice specific to your model, however what's worked for me in the past

If you have access to another Mac, I'd backup the drive (at least your home directory, maybe apps as well if you've got the space) to that machine. Recovery of your working environment would be a lot easier that way, and you'd have two backups of your data.
posted by Mutant at 1:26 AM on January 22, 2007


You're correct. I have this Seagate drive (purchased for almost $100 cheaper, though). I also have this enclosure for the old drive. (I also have all the tools outlined in the iFixIt guide--#0 Phillips screwdriver, Torx screwdriver, and a 'spudger,' all ordered from the iFixIt site.)
posted by cosmic osmo at 1:30 AM on January 22, 2007


(that was to Blazecock Pileon, BTW.)

Re: backups, I have a clone of this original drive on an external drive, which I think is OK.
posted by cosmic osmo at 1:32 AM on January 22, 2007


Replacing the hard disk in a 15 inch PowerBook shouldn't take you more than a couple of minutes. You only have to undo the screws that hold the top case on, lift it up, and the drive is right there. I'd say you're best off paying attention to what's in front of you and not following the guide for every step.

The only page you need to really pay attention to is this one. If you bend that tab, the casing by your DVD drive will always be slightly wonky.

my plan now is to leave the OS X install disc in the computer, install the new drive and boot from the DVD, then put the old drive in an enclosure to transfer the data

Bad plan. Assuming you're not using a bootable enclosure, create a minimal install of OS X on a tiny second partition, then use a program like SilverKeeper or Carbon Copy Cloner to clone the old drive back on to the main partition.
posted by cillit bang at 1:49 AM on January 22, 2007


Are you planning to use Migration Assistant? You could also clone the live partition to the new disk in the enclosure.

I assume you have found apple's take apart guides?
posted by stereo at 2:17 AM on January 22, 2007


As someone who does this for a living, the best advice I can give is keep track of the screws. Use an egg carton, or something similar (mainly for the divided compartments) and after removing the screws in each step, place them in separate compartments in a consistent order. For example, I tend to use a method similar to the way English is read (left to right, drop down a line and reposition flush left).

The hardest part about the 15" PB Al is removing the top case the first time. After that it's much easier. Follow the take apart and double check you've removed all the screws*; the top case costs about $70.

*there are two in the battery well and two under the RAM lid.
posted by now i'm piste at 7:20 AM on January 22, 2007


i've done this - from a mechanical perspective and from my past experience tooling around with macs, this particular operation was a pain for me. i had a hell of a time getting those latches unhooked, and ended up bending not only the latches themselves when i was disassembling the case, but i also slightly bent the slot for the cd/dvd drive while reassembling the case.

seconded on piste's suggestion on the screws; i used an empty, dry ice cube tray + post-its to track which groups of screws went where. seemed to me that there was a surprising array of different screw types used to hold this case together.
posted by the painkiller at 8:23 AM on January 22, 2007


I have done it twice, and it is eminently doable, but certainly took me more than a few minutes. My only advice is that if you're not sure you have exactly the right screwdrivers, head on down to Radio Shack. In a shocking turn of events, they have a great mini-set for less than twenty dollars. You want the one with the ball-head hex drivers in addition to all the other itty bitty guys.

Second the "clone first" strategy. If you have a FW 2.5 enclosure, just clone to the new one before you install it. If not, use a third drive.

The only tricky physical thing for me was that both times I actually released the blind latch, but the tab to its immediate right was still engaged, and I really had to work to get that open. I think I bent it a little in jimmying the other one.
posted by mzurer at 10:57 AM on January 22, 2007


I strongly disagree that it would only take a couple of minutes. If this isn't something you do often, plan on a half-hour to an hour or so.

As far as keeping track of the screws, I highly recommend the screw guide from iFixit.

My experience was just like several others -- that blind latch is difficult to get loose and my 15" Aluminum shows a little damage around the optical drive slot, though it's not something that anybody but me probably notices. There must be a better way to do it -- they don't all come back from Apple service looking like that -- but I don't know what it is or what I did wrong.

Other than that latch, all the rest was practically trivial.
posted by BaxterG4 at 11:40 AM on January 22, 2007


The trick to getting the top case off of the "blind latch" and around the tabs holding it in place just above the optical drive slot is to tilt the case forward, pivoting at the front end (where the tabs are stuck) slightly more than you think is reasonable. You do this, of course, after running your Nylon Stick around the bead of the case. First time, plan on 30 mins.
posted by now i'm piste at 3:12 PM on January 22, 2007


Thanks for all the tips, guys! The case is already a little banged up, so I'm not so worried about cosmetic damages, but I will be extra careful now. And I'm going to tape the screws to the iFixIt screw guide, so hopefully I won't loose anything.

And now, perhaps a dumb question: if I clone the original drive (100 GB) to the new one (160 GB) placed in the FW enclosure--or even just install OS X on it, will the computer recognize the new drive as the startup disc once I have it inside?
posted by cosmic osmo at 5:05 PM on January 22, 2007


There actually is not a definitive answer from Apple on whether swapping out a laptop drive voids the entire warranty. What I've heard repeatedly from Genius Bar employees is that they certainly would not service anything under warranty that they believe was broken by your act of opening the case, but they may service things they believe are unrelated. Example: if your LCD bulbs burned out, they might well replace them under warranty even if your HD is clearly not the stock drive anymore.

Obviously this is anecdotal, but there is loads of anecdotal evidence out there on this question, if you want...
posted by allterrainbrain at 6:37 PM on January 22, 2007


I've upgraded at least a half dozen times as hard drive capacities have increased over the years. Powerbooks and now Macbook Pros.

I know you already have one, but I love the enclosures available at OWC. They're incredibly small and they'll power over the firewire/usb connection so you don't need a separate power adapter.

What I usually do is get one of these and insert the new, larger drive in it. Plug that in and then use SuperDuper! to back up the internal drive to the external drive. When the copy is complete, boot from the external drive to verify that it feels like an exact duplicate and boots up properly. Shut it down and then open up your laptop and swap the drives.

The hardest part in the whole thing is just taking your time and making sure you don't lose track of any of the screws. The new macbook pros are easier than the the old TiBooks - the case doesn't feel quite as bendy and flimsy in spots when you're popping it apart.

Good luck!
posted by warhol at 10:28 PM on January 22, 2007


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