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Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit

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  1. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Bottom Cover: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Bottom Cover: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Place your thumbs in the depressions cut into the bottom cover.

    • Rotate the bottom cover counter-clockwise until the white dot painted on the bottom cover is aligned with the ring inscribed on the outer case.

    • You do not need to apply much downward pressure while turning.

    This took a lot of force on my Mac mini. A lot.

    nh3 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I agree. It took a crap ton of force from my thumbs to twist the bottom off.

    sleeve -

    I accidentally broke the little things that hold the cover to the case. Is there a cheap replacement to the cover? Those clips are held onto it very weakly.

    Jacob Halton - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Don't just use your thumbs... Use your whole palm to twist it, with maybe a thumb in one of the recesses, applying slight downward pressure.

    markbart - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Wish I would have read this comment before I did it!

    I found that what markbart said works best. one palm one thumb (and my knees) My thumbs would do it. It was a bit at a time.

    Same difficulty getting it back on.

    Would be handy if this (difficulty) was mentioned in the guide

    Also would be nice to mention the safe practice of pressing the power button for a few seconds after disconnected to rid the system of any residual power, working in a clean static free environment & they say on the crucial website to touch a metal surface of the machine before touching the RAM

    Nancy -

    I think it depends, I have seen some that are very difficult to open and some super easy. But I see them everyday. I wish there was a tool that fit in the holes.

    Justin Weathersbee - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    When seating the bottom RAM chip you may have to apply a little extra side force to get it to seat properly. I put in the new RAM and just got a beeping sound upon starting. I then put the old RAM back in and got the same result.

    Here is the solution I found on the Apple discussion board.

    "Take a small flat head screwdriver and after you put the memory in slot 0, put the screwdriver between the top of the mac mini and the memory then turn the screwdriver a little to exert pressure on the memory into the slot. Do it on both sides of the memory."

    This worked for me.

    littlemas2 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I remember this when I was changing my memory ... I realized (after opening) that more you push, more force it take to open the cover. As you push down you force the cover "to rub" the casing and possibly other things inside. If you "lightly" hold the cover it comes right off ... Remember: less is more! :-)

    Have fun!

    Radek - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    We found it hard to use the thumbs but if you put the casing on a carpet and one person is holding the case while the other is using his palm of one hand to turn the cover it comes off quite smoothly and without much downward pressure.

    Alexander - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    If you're upgrading to an SSD, before you even take this first step, I'd recommend putting the SSD into an external drive case, using USB and format the SSD first before trying to swap your existing hard drive or implementing a fusion drive. The external drive case will come in handy later so you can use the old drive as extra storage anyhow.

    Once that SSD is internal, the Mac errors out during the formatting process. Once it was formatted externally, then installed inside the Mac again, there was no problem.

    Orange Girl - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The first time I did this it hurt! The second time my mac mini 2012 had been running so was warm. VERY EASY WHEN WARM. No fun when cool!

    Nancy - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Forget about those 2 circle indents. if you consider the 2 marked dots (open and close) as position 12 o’clock, place your thumbs at 11 and 1 o’clock on the outer rim of the cover and rotate from that position.

    juicer52 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    No way was I getting the back off. So I made a tool. Took a large wrench longer than the Mac mini. Superglued 2 rubber feet on the wrench at the same location as the thumb indents. Put the Mac on the ground, between my knees and used my body weight to turn the cover. Worked like a charm.

    Mark - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Hey dos anyone know if that can lead to the 3 beep RAM problem? I just got a Mac mini witch has the 3 Beeps when started. its not the RAMs them self because thy work in other Macs so if this could lead to thee 3 Beep problem it would make it more Ez because I don't have to Re solder the RAM Port. (This Mac mini was Running over 10 years and after it got turned of for the first Tim it started to have this problem) I think because of Over heading.

    Arvid000 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  2. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Tilt the mini enough to allow the bottom cover to fall away from the outer case.

    • Remove the bottom cover and set it aside.

    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 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    This applied to me as well. The iFixit article was good and lots of helpful information in the comments but my mini was different and required more dismantling. The video sandyfacebook posted was very helpful in taking me the rest of the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmuQIZP...

    Erik Heerlein -

    My HDD replacement procedure took 2 jours of research, one night sleeping on it and 30 minutes to perform…

    Rene Girardin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Step 1: Always wear ESD protection.

    skjell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  3. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Fan: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the two 11.3 mm T6 Torx screws securing the fan to the logic board near the antenna plate.

    On my mini, the fan has a 3rd screw on the bottom right of its housing just out of sight on the step 3 photo. I believe it was in the hole later referred to as the 26 mm T6 Torx standoff in step 14.

    benjamin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Remove a third screw at the opposite end of the fan near the DRAM

    Craig Foster - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Not necessary to remove that screw at that point to get the fan out. It is only a post at that point.

    Remove it in step 14.

    Craig Reilly -

    I needed a T7 for this, and had to remove all three screws before I could take the fan out.

    mackrell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The fan has in fact, 3 screws that need to be removed before you can lift it out.

    FinnCrisp888 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    That screw is a post at that point. I removed it at step 14.

    Craig Reilly -

    The 3rd screw needed a T5, for me.

    Martin Cleaver - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    All of mine have 3-T6 screws.

    Kadah Coba - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I can't, for the life of me, get the left screw out of the cowling. Had to pull both out together. Now having a very hard time getting the cowling back in to replace the fan.

    Elvin Lucic - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I can’t remove the left screw to separate the fan to the cooler. Impossible to put back the fan and the cooler.

    Jérôme Rosat - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    One of my fan screws don't come out, even though I keep trying to unscrew the screw. I tried a lot of things ranging from pulling the fan up to just trying to shake it out, please help me out with this

    cooldude20128 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Only two screws as stated above need to be removed but as people have found out, the one in the cowling can bind into the post below it and it’s the post below that unscrews instead. So you end up with the screw+the post+the fan all together as one. That assembly can be worked out, and then with two pairs of pliers the post and screw can be separated.

    The lower right T6 fan screw is a standoff (that also secures the logic board). This can be loosened and kept with the fan, or (since it is friction captured in a grommet on the fan), the fan can be lifted off, being careful not to dislodge the grommet.

    John - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    IMPORTANT: there’s a spring under the post which could go anywhere when the post comes out with the screw.

    John - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Hi… Hi… Good. I have a query, I want to change my internal hard drive from my Mac Mini (mid) 2011, and my query is whether to remove the fan screws and other parts, which from what I was informed is the Torx T6 screwdriver. And my question is: to remove it I need a Torx T6 screwdriver with a hollow point or the Torx T6 with a flat tip will work for me. From what I have read, that the hollow point Torx are called Precision Torx or are identified with an "H" after the number in this case: "T6H". The same query is to remove the cover where the WiFi is, should I use a Torx T8 hollow point or does the flat point work for me? From now on I thank you get me out of this doubt, before doing something wrong. Thank you very much and greetings. Image (Augusto)

    Augusto - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    After having a look on YouTube at various methods I found it was not necessary to disconnect the fan or the antenna plate. I rotated the antenna plate out of the way and secured it with a piece of masking tape. I also found that I didn't have to move the logic board either. I lifted the HDD connector (gently) with a spludger . The original HDD came out easily once I managed to grip the plastic PCB cover (which isn't needed on the SSD) . Fitting the new SSD was easy using a masking tape 'handle' in the shape of an upside down 'T' . funnily enough the hardest part was getting the little plastic shroud on the left to sit nicely but even that was easy once I had used the masking tape 'handle' I'd used on the SSD. I always think the less you have to mess with the less chance of anything going wrong. Oh, and buy a antistatic wriststrap !

    Andy Dacosta - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    When reassembling, take care to not over-tighten the screw on the left of the photo, which goes into the cowling. If this is screwed-in tight, then it may cause problems the next time you disassemble the Mini. (This screw is screwed into a second screw - and when you remove it, you only want the topmost screw to come out)

    Matthew F - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  4. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Lift the ear of the fan nearest the RAM up off the standoff secured to the outer case.

    • Removing the standoff screw is not necessary to remove the fan. You need only raise the fan enough to lift it off the standoff screw.

    Contrary to the instructions, I had to remove the fan screw

    radonr - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Same for me, couldn't get it to move without feeling it was going to break so I just removed the screw.

    warrencox -

    Ditto re: standoff screw

    turkeyneck -

    Better to remove the 3rd bolt here, making it easier to remove the fan. It needs to be removed anyway in step 14.

    Bas Meijer -

    Mid 2011. I too had to remove the standoff screw. It seems to be a T5.

    lsbf - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You will have to remove this screw in step 14, so why not now ;)

    mpalma - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    For me it was no prob to remove the fan just pulling carefully upwards.

    Timpetou - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Mid 2011 Server, I had to remove the fan screw

    garzov - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Mid 2011. The "yellow screw" from step 14 is captive in the fan and has to be removed in step 4.

    eric - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Also it is much easier getting the fan correctly aligned on the stand of rubbery bit if you have the screw removed.

    aron - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    It’s no need to remove the screw

    fatych - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I ended up removing the complete stand off post.

    Peter Stockwell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    My whole fan connector just broke when reconnecting

    Vince lolol - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  5. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Lift the fan out of the mini for enough clearance to access its connector.

    • Grab all the wires at once and gently pull straight up to disconnect the fan from the logic board.

    • Do not pry at the socket, or you may rip it from the logic board.

    • Remove the fan.

    You actually don't need to disconnect the fan. You can just let it hang on the side while working. I accidentally killed my connector trying to pry it loose. It's being held together now by some tape, after spending hours trying to reconnect it and figuring out pin outs.

    Nick Michielsen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Did it just as Nick suggested, hang the assembly to the side.

    David Chan -

    Agreed. It is much better to leave the fan connected. The only thing you actually need to disconnect is the hard drive.

    ablack3 -

    Absolutely. just dangle it.

    Chuck Lin -

    110% agreed: you don’t have to remove the fan. Those wires are delicate, as is the connector. Just move it off to the side. Do the same for the antenna plate. The fewer connectors you touch, the fewer things you break!

    Chris Belanger -

    These instructions are used as a prerequisite for many other repairs where the fan simply has to be removed in order to continue. (For example, fan replacement.) I would not recommend leaving the fan dangling from the board during a repair, as that’s a hazard all by itself. If you insist on leaving the fan connected, secure it to the chassis with some masking tape to make it a little less dangerous.

    Jeff Suovanen -

    The fan has some slack cable on it. Once you have unscrewed the fan, you should see that the connecting cable is wrapped around two hooks. CAREFULLY move the cable around the hooks to free it. You can then move the fan to one side out of the way while you access the hard drive bay. On reassembly, thread the cable back around the hooks before screwing it back in.

    Ritchie Swann -

    Be careful to LIFT UP on the fan connector cable. Using a spudger tool helps here. I mistakenly thought that the connector would slide off the logic board and tried to remove the connector this way. I ended up lifting the connector off of the logic board, thus ruining my logic board and requiring a $350 logic board replacement at the genius bar. The second time I did a HD/SSD replacement, everything worked fine.

    Matthew Wagner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Yeah, I did the same thing by following someone elses "shortcut". Now I am going to shell out 289 for quad core i5 board, and a new fan BTW. . . . . . Oh well never a dull moment :) and it gets an upgrade as well!

    rob Stewart -

    That's probably the must tricky part of the replacement. I did the same thing, i just pull on my cables and the connector stays on the board. Tried many times to switch cables into but any order i try is not the good one.

    The avoid this, now, when i want to pull out my fan, i just use a plate screwdriver and lift up the connector. That's work perfectly.

    ayottepl - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I've just pulled out the connector that's soldered to the logic board because I used a pry tool. Be careful at this point to just pull gently on the four cables that go to the fan.

    No Name - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The CAUTION in step 13, "Make sure to pry up from beneath the wires and not underneath the socket," applies to this step as well, for removal of the fan wires.

    lsbf - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I screwed it too... Not reading carefully enough, I accidentally removed the whole socket from the board. This happened with the IR connector too. When re-assembling the parts, the socket wouldn't stick to the board, now I know why. I don't want to buy a new logic board, because I can't afford one, so I'm trying to find someone to solder it. Seems hard to find someone able to repair logic boards these days. Hope I'll be successful, otherwise this is an expensive upgrade to my mac...

    Floffrob - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Don't remove it with your fingers, use a tool for that. And underneath the wires!

    sebcthiebaud - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Followed all the instructions, everything went well, but now my mini fan won't turn off. It starts as soon as I boot up. I've tried every fan control software out there, and nothing works; the fan just constantly runs. I was very careful when I disconnected/reconnected the fan cable, and it looks fine. What else can I do?

    Ben Dunkle - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The problem is most likely a disconnected or damaged temperature sensor, I had this problem when reassembling a 2007 Mac mini. It can't read the temperature, so assumes the worst and sets the fan to maximum.

    patronics -

    I broke the fan wires from the connector plug. Impossible to repair. I have ordered a new fan. Is there a correct orientation to plugging in the new connector?

    ronhixson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    For heavens sake please DON'T remove the fan. It's really really hard to reconnect it properly. And besides that you don't have to remove the Logic Board for just changing the HDD.

    Greg Kollmann - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    It’s very easy to reconnect if you know how. Position the connector over the socket as shown in the photo, and press it down. As long as it’s not upside-down or anything, you’re done in 5 seconds.

    Jeff Suovanen -

    Does anyone know how to solve the full RPM fan issue? My computer guy couldn't solve with fan control software

    J beneventi - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I removed the fan and everything worked fine, but it’s good to know that it’s a “push-down“ connector, took me some time to relize that, all I needed to do was to press down the connector over the pins, see the picture for more details.

    Jan Igerud - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    SO glad I read these comments first.

    I changed the directions to read:

    “Use a Spudger to carefully pry the fan cable connector UP out of its socket on the logic board.“

    You guys DO know you can edit these, right?

    Brian - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The direction you “ gently pull” to remove the connector is all important. You have to pull upwards, vertically away from the board. If you pull more downwards parallel to the board, you may end up wrecking the connector by pulling the wires out of it as I did. Fortunately the socket was okay so it was just a case of buying a $10 replacement fan (complete with new connector).

    David - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    DAGNABBIT! Broke it! Now I have a fan blowing on the open case while it’s operating. What can I use as a shield for dust but still allow for airflow?

    william8248 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    OMG, please change this instruction to NOT remove the fan. What a nightmare trying to reseat it.

    Donald Braman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You need to position it over the socket as shown and press straight down. If it takes you more than 5-10 seconds, something’s wrong.

    Jeff Suovanen -

    really wish i would have seen these comments before I ripped out the fan from the logic board.

    frankie messinja - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I missed the word UP and instead pulled the wires straight out, which ended up with me holding the wires but leaving the plug behind in the socket. I just ordered a replacement fan from ebay, since ifixit is out of the one in the correct amperage for this unit.

    I then edited the guide to capitalize and bold the word “UP” and hopefully that saves somebody else a bit of hassle.

    Any step with a lot of comments is one people have trouble with. It might be useful if ifixit were to make it more obvious we should read the comments, at least for those that have a lot of them. It would save a lot of people a lot of hassle.

    James Vasile - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Just for emphasis on this point, I did exactly that - I ripped the fan connector right off of a perfectly good logic board. I used a plastic pry tool and was attempting to follow OWC video for replacing the drive. So beware! Trust me, it is not that hard to rip this thing off the board.

    Neal Sosdian - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    DO NOT REMOVE THE FAN.

    Put it to one side.

    Curtin Architecture - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  6. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Cowling: crwdns2935265:06crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the single 3.5 mm T6 Torx screw securing the cowling to the heat sink.

    in Step 6 — Cowling ; " Remove the single 3.5 mm T6 Torx screw securing the cowling to the heat sink", does it mean that it is the same T6 Torx screw for the cowling and the heat sink ?

    In fact at the end, I mess this T6 Torx screw !

    cegondaireun - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Uhh I can't get this to go back in? Not sure what is going on...

    David Inman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Note that when you are replacing this cowling you are putting the screw back into what looks like another screw that holds the heat sink to the logic board. Disconcerting but correct.

    thrint - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Thank you!

    I kept looking at that screw and wondering why I was trying to screw that screw into another screw.

    I've done removal and reinstalling a couple of days apart and I don't remember everything about what happened and where things came from. You're not wrong that it's disconcerting!

    Andrew K -

    Note That the arc of the cowling does not butt to the edge of the chassis. But slides in below it. Once the two screws on the heat sink are aligned with the cowling holes, it's good to go.

    imtimrob - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    used a T7 head to get this one out.

    patjmccarthy - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Does this screw have a spring attached to it?

    martinknowsbest - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  7. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Lift the cowling from the end nearest the antenna plate.

    • Rotate the cowling away from the outer case and remove it from the mini.

    Look very closely at how this is set. Take a photo. Because when I put mine back together it took 45 minutes just to get the fan and this cowling to fit in place next to each other.

    sandyfacebook - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The cowling has a notch close to the midpoint of the flange that goes under the outer case, which slides onto a standoff screw attached to the logic board. I used a Sharpie marker to put one "alignment mark" on the inner edge of the outer case. I put another alignment mark from the midpoint of the cowling notch out onto the visible part of the cowling. This made it much easer to reassemble, especially since my standoff post provided a tight fit, which, when I did this the first time, felt like "it doesn't fit . . . again?" It also helped to insert the end of the cowling closest to the heat sink first, which acted as a "fulcrum" for the cowling to "click" onto the standoff post.

    Carrick - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    On reassembly, if you're having trouble lining up the cowling with the screw holes, you can try pulling the logic board out a tad and set the cowling in place. Just try not to damage the cowling or the inside of the outer case when sliding it back in!

    Drew - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    This is one of the few problems I had when reassembling because I didn’t realise at first that the cowling goes just under the lip of the outer case rather than just butting up against it; once done, it’s easy to line up the screw holes.

    eggs - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I am working on a late 2012 Mac Mini (A1347) and there are two T6 screws on the cowling. On towards the WIFI as indicated, and another towards the back by the SD card slot.

    Roman Sturgis - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    this is for the mac mini 2011. for mac mini 2012, see here: Mac mini Late 2012

    Gray Greensheim -

  8. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Antenna Plate: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the following screws securing the antenna plate to the mini:

    • Two 6.6 mm T8 Torx screws

    • Two 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screws (either screwdriver will work)

    • When putting back together:

    • It can be difficult to get the hard drive seated correctly such that the antenna plate fits in place correctly. If the screw holes don't line up with those on the hard drive, make sure that the two pins that are in the back of the hard drive are properly seated in the holes at the back of the case, above the housing for the second hard drive.

    • The antenna attaches directly to the hard drive (red markers), therefore attaching the antenna can move the hard drive around and loosen the connection of the hard drive cable to the logic board.

    When reassembling this aerial plate, it may take a very strong force to align the side lips with the screw bays. The circular edge on the body is meant to slot into the plate by less than 1mm. I followed the rule of thumb, which is, if it takes an unusual force, stop and think it out to avoid a disaster! Then, I hit on using a paper clip to get around this problem. Make a paper clip L-shaped to loop through a hole close to the edge of the plate, where the slotting is not deep enough. Gently lifting the paper clip, slide and push the aerial plate in place. This worked like a charm without using a strong force.

    al dente - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Worked like a charm, saved my day!!!

    David -

    @Al Dente’s approach worked for me, but at first I didn’t understand what he meant. Basically the antenna mesh has a tongue and grove relationship with the mac mini shell; it is hard to see, but along the curved edge has a concave grove which needs to be widened. You can widen this concave grove with a paper clip and then it will fit perfectly.

    Ife Nkechukwu -

    Wow! I struggled with this for at least 1 1/2 hours. Then I tried this suggestion and it worked with ease and immediately. Genius suggestion. Thanks!!!

    Kbwood -

    My only real problem in the whole process was putting back the antenna plate. Couldn't get both side screws to align. Ended up leaving one out but might try the paper clip trick now

    andrewarwas - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I had a similar experience, but when I realized the two 5.0mm T8 Torx screws were 2 of a set of 3 that also served to hold the cover on, I wasn't comfortable with only securing the cover with 2.

    UNSC Jon 117 -

    DO NOT BRUTE FORCE the reinstallation of the plate. In my case, the top lip of the antenna plate has a notch which aligns with the edge of the opening was preventing the perfect fit. All I did in my case was use the spudger to pry open the notch a little more to give me a little bit extra space so that edge of the aluminum enclosure fits into that notch on the top of the antenna plate. Hope that helps. :)

    chicosy - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I did this too. Worked like a charm.

    ablack3 -

    Thanks for the tip: I did the same thing and it worked like a charm

    Zitoune7 -

    I was installing an SSD in my mini and when I got to this step, an issue came up. The two 6.6mm screws on the antenna plate screw into one side of, and secure, the hard drive. The problem was the SSD was thinner than the original hard drive, so when I tried to reassemble, the hard drive sat too low for the screws to reach it.

    Here's how I got around the problem. I loosely attached the antenna plate to the hard drive, leaving plenty of wiggle room between the plate and the drive. I also left the two stand off screws on the logic board off to give me more wiggle room there.

    With the SSD attached to the antenna plate, I carefully connected and stowed the Bluetooth cable. Using the antenna plate as a handle, I was able to guide the SSD into the hard drive mount. Once in place, I tightened the 6.6mm screws more, which raised the SSD to the proper level.

    After insuring that the screws all lined up, I installed and tightened the logic board, then the other antenna plate screws.

    yourgenius - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I was able to achieve the same result with an slim SSD disk by simply turning the computer around with the access hole down so that gravity would pull the SSD towards the antenna plate.

    Mikael -

    I attached the SSD to the antenna plate FIRST. Then I connected the RF and the HD connectors during the antenna plate installation.

    Robert Reid -

    After trying these suggestions with a thinner SSD and couldn't get anywhere I used a bent paper clip, L-shaped, to act as a hook. One end I was able to simply hook under the drive and pull it up to install that ends screw loosely. The opposite end I inserted the paper clip through the antenna grate, again pulled up on the drive, installed the screw and carefully pulled the paper clip out.

    Tony Visconti -

    I used a spudger to lift the SSD so that it reached the screws. Not the best solution as the spudger applied some force on the board but it worked.

    vlada -

    The SSD was obviously thinner than the old HDD it was replacing so the screws didn’t contact the threads.

    As “Mikael”^^ said… flipped it upside down and it worked a treat!!! Cheers dude :-)

    Also the paperclip trick came to the rescue to get the antenna plate back on, couldn’t quite get it to sit correctly otherwise!

    Thanks all :-)

    Oliver Fox -

    I found this easy by temporarily using a longer hard drive screw in the right hand hole in the antenna plate to hold the drive in position . Screw in a couple of turns and slide in the HD while the screw is loose. Then tighten to secure the thinner SSD to the plate and insert and tighten the other screw. Finally remove the temporary screw and replace with the correct one.

    Alastair Nisbet -

    The "engineering tolerances" are definitely tight for the AirPort antenna plate. I would recommend trying to replace it as soon as it's removed for the first time, in order to work out the (precise) alignment of it.

    Nothing I tried (including the suggestions here) seemed to help me during reassembly. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get the holes for the two 5.0mm T8 screws to line up. Eventually, I had to resort to CAREFULLY and SLIGHTLY re-bending the curved edge of the antenna plate.

    UNSC Jon 117 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    REATTACHING grate - al dente's trick helped me.

    The tiny perforations on the grate rest ON TOP of the lip of the case, while the remainder of the grate slides UNDER the lip. It is very hard to see - I used a magnifying glass.

    To get it into place, create a tiny hook on the end of a paperclip. Moving along the edge of the grate, lift a perforation with the hook to help it slip into place. Keep moving along the edge until entire grate is shifted into place.

    Chris 1000 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I had several 2-terminal connectors that went to what appeared to be temperature sensors on several components including the hard disk and optical drive. I accidentally pulled the wires out of one of these connectors. Lucky for me, they came out clean and I was able to just re-insert them into the connector

    Kyle Jurick - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    On a Mini bought Jan 2014, Red screws were T-9 and orange were 2mm Hex, T-8 didn't work in either one. T-9 didn't work in orange.

    michael - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    As everyone else has noted during re-assembly, seating the antenna plate is tricky. For me, what ended up working was to attach the hard drive screws first. After this, with just a little wiggling of the plate, the 2 5mm screw holes lined up perfectly.

    jonathansturges - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Aligning the drive holes with the ones on the antenna grate was easy – just take the pointy end of the spudger. Also, for getting the circular part of the grate set correctly, I had to bend down the outermost part a tiny little bit and then used curved tweezers to lift the grate once it was near its final position to get it slide in the last millimeter. Frustrating at first, but it worked after a few tries.

    Julian - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Has anyone had any trouble getting the two 5.0mm screws back in place? I can't seem to get them in, as they just keep on turning. I thought the thread may have been damaged but I then removed the plate and could screw them in position okay. It seems the depth of the plate is causing the screws to not go down far enough. I've had to leave these off at the moment (obviously not great as this means the bottom cover is loose. Any ideas?

    alan - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I had the same problem but only on one of the two screws. Then I realized there's a little tiny "o-ring" underneath which is acting like a nut. I lost one of them in the process of upgrading. If I could find out where to buy a new one I would!

    lyleberman -

    @lyleberman Where are these O-rings? Under what? :)

    I figured I’d wasted the thread on the screws here, and was about to buy new ones at an absurd cost, but this is exactly what’s happening to me! I’ve currently ‘secured’ the antenna plate at the sides with duct tape. But this leaves the machine’s lid loose.

    I’d love to hear more about this, so I can get rid of my ghetto solution!

    Darren Black -

    The antenna plate seems to give most people problems. Somewhere along the line I found reference to "a wiggle here and a wiggle there" and that seemed to work. Shy away from the brute force - it's the surest way to damage something.

    Steen Rancher January 12, 2015

    Steener - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    If 5.0 mm T8 holes don't line up with those on the body, you should hook the antenna up a bit.

    manwe - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Despite all the efforts, I couldn't manage to insert both side screws for the antenna plate. I ended up only using a single one (the one nearest to the HD connector), hoping it will hold the weight of the SSD.

    ngt - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Same issue with that antenna plate - take a look at it from the side and you will see the incredibly tight gap which the lip of the case needs to slot into. I assumed it simply butted up against the case, but no.

    I used a big paper clip as suggested here, putting in one screw and then lifting through the perforations while applying a little pressure to the plate. Turned out there was one point misaligned and after a few tries it popped back in.

    Andrew - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The thickness of your hard drive or SSD plays a part here, I think. With a thicker SSD (Crucial M4) in the upper slot I found the antenna plate very hard to re-install. After replacing this with a Samsung Evo 850 it was much easier, I think because the lower drive has more room to breathe. With the thinner SSD I didn't have to remove the power supply, either – a major plus.

    Charles Butcher - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    For those having trouble reinstalling the Aerial Plate, it is probably a matter of alignment. The recessed edge of the plate slides all the way up under the lip edge of the case. I used my iFixit bent tweezers spread and inserted through a couple holes to lightly pull up on the grate while pushing on the flat edge. No hard force was required. It just snapped right in. You'll know when it is home because it will be a snug fit to the edge of the case inside the arc of the opening.

    imtimrob - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I would also add that during the reassembly process, make sure the drive stays firmly seated in the grommets. There's a tendency for it to come out or partially out. I kept nudging on it to make sure it was fully seated. Then the antenna screws line up nicely. Some of the problems I read about getting the screws in I suspect arise form the hard drive not being fully seated.

    Robert Meppelink - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Al Dente and Chris1000 provided the key for me. I used the logic board tool to help lift the cutout sections into place on the top part. Once I did that I slid in to place so easily I almost pulled it out of place trying to adjust it.

    jesscoker - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Hilariously, I was trying all the tricks, with the paper clip, and putting the drive screws in first, nothing working for me to get the case screw holes aligned. I ended up saying “one screw might just have to do it”, so I put the first case screw in, then I tried putting the second one in from an angle into the misaligned hole, and screwing it in, and that caused the plate to pop into place!

    lukejoz - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    What finally helped me was to check things one at a time. To check the tongue-and-groove fit, I installed the antenna plate by itself, with the hard drive removed. I used a spudger to pry open the groove on the antenna plate, since I had closed it a bit by forcing things. After the antenna plate was going in by itself, I focussed on the hard drive. At first, I was pre-attaching the hard drive to the antenna plate, but this makes it hard to see if the hard drive is going in as far as it should. Getting the two protruding screws on the hard drive into their holes is tricky (I found turning the Mini upside down to use gravity helped), but for me it was some wires at the side of the hard drive space that were getting under the drive and making it sit up high that was the problem. Once I got the hard drive in, and then the antenna plate, I could get the last two screws which hold the drive to the plate to catch by turning the Mini upside down and tapping it on top to bring the hard drive close to the plate.

    Duane - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    So, what they mean by the “paper clip” trick is that you need to lift away the round edge where the wire runs, to be a little further away from the plate. Then it will fit without forcing it.

    Agnes Riley - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    In order to put back correctly the 2 Torx T8 6,6 mm in the hard drive through the airport grid, I used a pick (to play guitar) to lift up the hard drive in order for the 2 screws to reach the hard drive holes.

    I inserted the pick in the little space left between the mother board and the hard drive. Then, by leaning the pick against the motherboard, it lifted up the hard drive against the grid. Then it was super-easy.

    Hope it might help…

    BAN JI - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The flush screws holding the hard drive to the mesh plate are actually T9 torx. The other little screws on the left and right edges of the mesh plate are T8.

    Nathan Barnett - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    No I disagree with all of this … this is plain and simple extremely difficult bordering on impossible and I now have to take the mini to professionals and pay them to see if its salvageable .. so moral of the story I wasted money and time trying to go DYI and I learned the hard way.

    Jay Kassabian - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    In my case the two center screws on the antenna cage do not physically connect to the drive. They're just held in place with rubber grommets and do not screw out. All you need to do is remove the outer two screws and the antenna can be removed

    Gregory Travis - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The two outer screws which also holds the bottom plate won’t fit anymore. It seems that the wholes for these screws lost their tight fit, the screws just drops in and falls out again… bummer, now the bottom plate doesn’t stays in place

    Rene - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The screws marked in red are T9 Torx, not T8. For the screws marked in orange, use the proper tool, 2 mm Hex, and nothing else.

    skjell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  9. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Slightly lift the antenna plate from the end closest to the RAM.

    • Carefully pull the antenna plate away from the circular rim of the outer case.

    • Do not remove the antenna plate yet. It is still attached to the AirPort/ Bluetooth board.

    Here's where it started going south on me because the two T8 screws aren't really attached to anything because my hard drive is on the top of the case where the DVD drive used to be.

    jpmist - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The top curved part of the antenna plate has a thin lip on the bottom edge, but is very flexible. During reassembly when sliding the antenna plate back into position, if the 4 holes do not exactly line up, then try bending that lip downward a bit and the antenna plate should then line up perfectly.

    Eric Demopoulos - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Actually, curved edge of antenna has a groove into which an edge of aluminium body should slide in. In my case a vary slight lift by putting tip of tweezers into one of the antenna top holes made a good help - antenna popped into correct position.

    Jurgis R - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Thank you! Helped me in my 2012 mini.

    Edmar Herrero -

    On reassembly, I could engage either one of the two ears, but not both at the same time. _Lifting_ the antenna plate slightly with a paperclip bent into an “L” and inserted through one of the holes close the the center of the curved edge did the trick for me.

    Andrew Black - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Adding 2nd drive to Late 2012 2.6GHz i7 Mac mini

    This is as far as I had to go with disassembly.

    Disconnected & eased out original 1TB HD. Removed the two grommets on its side and switched the 1TB HDD with the new 2nd drive cable (not quite the same as the one illustrated here – mine consisted of just the cable and no cradle ). Eased that HD back in and attached it to the previously spare drive socket on the logic board (with drive at the top, right-hand looking down). Screwed 2 grommets into my new 500GB (7mm) SSD, attached old drive cable and eased the SSD in on top of the old drive. Connected that drive to the first logic board socket.

    Took a while aligning the antenna plate and the 2 inner screws didn’t seem to line up with the new SSD so in the end I left them out. Everything seems secure, though. Cowling slipped back in place with no problem and that was it.

    Currently cloning the old HDD onto my new SSD with Carbon Copy Cloner. So far, so good. Can’t believe how easy it was – just 10 steps rather than 37!

    Roger Houghton - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    There is no need to remove the antenna connector if you are only replacing *most accessible* drive, which Apple calls “lower” for some reason when it is actually the “upper” drive! Just remove the four screws that hold the antenna plate and move the plate to the left and out of the way.

    skjell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The antenna plate is precision made but of very thin metal that can easily be bent. Try to avoid bending the plate and inspect it before reassembly.

    skjell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  10. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the tip of a spudger to carefully pry the antenna connector up from its socket on the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

    steps 10 11 13 14 15 16 not necessary …

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 12 17 only needed to change hard drive …

    radioman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You were right.

    kurtsaban -

    yep worked for me too

    kate henderson -

    Worked for me too.

    ablack3 -

    Absolutely correct. Thanks. The wide-head screws holding in the antenna plate may be used on the upper side of the HD (SSD in my case) to help hold the side of the HD that slips under the case -up- so the two side mounting screws in the drive may be seated properly in the case. This is easier to do than to describe. (Others have noted this, as well and I followed the advice.)

    barryjaylevine -

    This, agreed. Do as Radioman says. Far less complicated and I had everything apart and back together within 10 minutes.

    Chris Belanger -

    Step 10 is different for late mini Mac 2012

    The antennaplug is different (round)

    Josse - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    That s why it is easier to leave it on the logic board at all times

    There is no need to remove it.

    Carefully let it follow the logic board assembly when you take that it out completely in the nex steps.

    Bas Meijer -

    Agreed. I just rotated the antenna plate out of the way.

    barryjaylevine -

    unless, of course, you are here to replace the logic board

    maccentric -

    I skipped steps 10 and 11 but had to do the rest to get the drive out. My system had a second drive so that may be why the logic board had to be removed to have enough room to get the drive out past the DIMM sockets.

    Craig Foster - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    On the Late 2012 model the antenna connector is hidden under the case, so unlike as indicated in step 10 you can not see the connector and definitely not remove it until the Logic Board has been eased out an inch. Note how the cable makes a loop under the case as it is removed. Remember to reconnect the same way with the loop and connected before the logic board is pushed in all the way.

    Indy - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The antenna connector is underneath a black flap. I just lifted the flap slightly with a spudger and used my fingers to disconnect.

    FinnCrisp888 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    ...in the latest delivery of the mac mini they had changed something. The antenna plug is hidden under a plastic cover and some tape on it.

    You have to push up the cover and remove the tape...not really difficult, it was formed so you can put up easilly.

    Tom - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    If your machine came with a 7mm drive and you are replacing with a 7mm drive you do not need to move the logic board. I installed an Intel 335 240GB drive which is a 9.5mm drive and to get that drive in I did need to bump the logic board out to clear the memory slot brackets. I did not need to remote any other wires or connections as the logic board only needs to move maybe an 1/8" to get the drive to clear the memory bracket.

    klaubscher326 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    When removing the wifi antenna make sure you use a plastic spudger and lever up underneath the wire. I used a metal screwdriver and levered up from the side opposite the wire and ripped the pico-ITX connector right off the board! Fortunately I only use my mini via Ethernet, but now I have no choice!

    Kevin Broadey - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Did you actually break it? It pops out easily and can actually be plugged back in easily too with tweezers or small needle nose pliers. I did the same thing with no permanent damage.

    Steen Rancher

    January 12, 2015

    Steener -

    I skipped this step with no problems.

    manwe - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    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 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I think sandyfacebook is speaking about the mini server with the second drive this guide is about replacing the primary drive.

    BTW, I agree with radioman: it MUCH safer if you do not need to remove the logic board to replace the HD. Just stop after step 12 and pull the drive out. The trouble starts 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 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Am unable to reattach the cable to its socket on the wireless board of my late 2012 (after installing SSD as second drive). Looks roughly the same as pictures here, but won’t attach. Anyone had problems attaching and figured it out?

    foosayer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    On my late 2012 Mac mini, I could not slide out the lower drive without removing the logic board; the memory cards were in the way. Radioman’s suggestion may work for some disks, but not for mine.

    Andrew Black - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Thanks sandyfacebook, I also had a 2012 Mac Mini (not the Server version) where the Primary drive was installed in the top (that is to say, lower when the Mini is upside down to be worked on) drive slot. This meant a complete disassembly was required, removing the logic board completely, along with the PSU and lastly the lower drive caddy. Unlike the drive shown in the pictures, the one underneath is secured into the caddy with screws and cannot be just lifted out.

    stuart.johns - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You are absolutely right. It would have much too easy to make the drives accessible and user-replaceable. Anyone who has worked on the iMac knows what I am talking about...

    skjell -

    In the version I am looking at 17 is shifting the main board and not needed for drive only replacement, 18 is pulling the drive out

    Rob Miller - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  11. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the antenna plate from the mini.

    There's no real need to disconnect the antenna. You can just lay the grill gently on its side and leave it connected.

    FinnCrisp888 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    That is true if you do not need to remove the logic board (i.e. you are only replacing the drive in the original slot position).

    anonymous 3693 -

    You can leave the antenna plate attached and remove the logic board if you're careful while removing the motherboard.

    Dan Wilson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You might find the two silver screws (along the edge of the grill) will not attach. That's because the hard drive was installed a millimeter or two in the wrong place (or maybe the new hard drive has screw holes offset, in the wrong place). This happened to me. Rather than take it apart (again), I'll just secure the two screws that go into the tabs. No question this will keep things secure enough (just a question if I'll suffer noise or rattle). Extra screws are fun :-)

    scootz - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You can gently use the tip of a screwdriver to align the antenna plate screw holes as long as your hard drive pegs are aligned. *DO NOT FORCE* as your hard drive may just not be in the right place.

    Drew - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    On my Late 2012 mini, the antenna plate connector is covered by part of the case. But, as FinnCrisp888 said, there is actually no need to remove the antenna plate at all; just carefully fold it back to expose the bottom drive.

    Andrew Black - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Has anyone figured out how to reconnect the antenna wire back to the logic board?

    Phillip Mullins - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  12. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Logic Board: crwdns2935265:012crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Logic Board: crwdns2935265:012crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive connector up from its socket on the logic board.

    It may just be my own experience, but the hard drive connectors appear to be "sensitive" to ANY pressure, even when (re)connected properly. I found that I had to repeatedly re-seat them when re-installing the drive, AirPort antenna, and cowling. I would recommend holding off on putting the screws back for the AirPort antenna and cowling until both are in place, and re-checking the hard drive connectors before installing/tightening those screws.

    UNSC Jon 117 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Note the hard drive connector attaches to the outermost connector on the logic board. On my Mini it attached to the inner connector.

    The cable I got in the Dual Drive kit was exactly the same as the one installed in my Mini. I had to fold it to shift it over to snap on the outer connector.

    And, no, my hard drive wasn't where the picture shows it to be.

    jpmist - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    As UNSC Jon 117 says, these connectors are worryingly prone to pop off if there's any movement of the drives. Fortunately they're accessible even after refitting the antenna plate, so I would wait until then for a last-minute check. I've done this job three times now on the same Mac and everything has been fine.

    Charles Butcher - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The server version of the MacMini 2011 has three extra two wire cables for temperature sensors: two on the drive directly under the antenna plate, one on the other drive.

    The small connectors have to lifted up from the logic board just like the fan connector and the IR sensor connector.

    Take care when transferring the sensors to a new drive because two of those three extremely tiny PC board need to be removed of the old drive and are glued in place.

    ernstcline - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The "pop off" seems only to happen during reassembly if you press on the harddisk body. The harddisk at this time can be pressed in the direction of the underlying drive (in my case a SSD Drive) . Once the grid with the antenna has been attached (two red screws in step 8) this cannot happen any more.

    John Doe 9th - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  13. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the tip of a spudger to lift the IR sensor connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

    • Make sure to pry up from beneath the wires and not underneath the socket.

    This board component is very delicate, I screwed up my Mac Mini IR receiver and HDD led light by doing this wrong. PLEASE take your time to do this delicately.

    lcba813 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I have the same problem. I damaged the connecter for IR Sensor which is on the Logic Board.

    Is there a way to fix it?

    macnaf@orange.fr

    Michel -

    On my 2012 mac mini, the IR sensor was just soldered to the board--no connector that you could snap out. I have never used the remote with it, so I just let it disconnect. But I did have a few moments of panic while I remembered what the IR was for.

    AG -

    Anche a me e' successa la stessa cosa : si sono staccati i pin saldati alla piastra madre e non ho potuto riattaccare lo spinotto dell' IR sensor....esiste un modo per ripararlo?

    Ignazio Lussu -

    This connector can be repaired with the right tools and know how. Using an SMD hot air station or possibly even a professional quality soldering iron with a needle point tip is how you would approach it. I repaired mine—which I busted loose, of course by rushing things and pulling too hard—using a hot air station, but it was very tedious work requiring magnifying head gear and special low temp SMD soldering paste. Not an easy fix even with the right tools.

    S. M. -

    Yes, this is extremely fragile. A couple of the pins on the logic board broke off. They are very tiny pins that are secured to the board surface with solder. I was very careful with it too, but they broke nevertheless. There is no repairing that when it happens. Thus, I have no IR sensor (which I never used) and no front LED (minor loss - not worth the cost of a new logic board). Works fine otherwise.

    davidw - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Mannn this part is difficult. Tks for my girlfriend that disconected it for me. Hands of fary!

    luiscortex - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I also just snapped this off by levering at the wrong point. So this is just for the IR sensor and the flashing light? If so, I'll just ignore it and happily carry on with life without these two features that I never used or noticed! I've been searching for someone who can do the delicate welding to reconnect the 5 pins but if what you say is true I'll stop searching.

    Recommend emphasizing even more in the instructions, the potential for disaster!

    warren - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The pins connect into the edge of the connector, not the top or the bottom. So, you should pull it out parallel to the logic board in the direction of the wires, towards the front of the case.

    When reassembling, it's easier to connect this before pushing the logic board in all the way.

    TerribleHacker - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Also: do not attempt to bend the pins upwards to install, and then bend it back. I broke 3 pins that way.

    It easier if you unhook the wires from a couple of tabs on the side attached to the case. That allows more leeway to manipulate the connector. There are two plastic tabs, and the wires are routed between them so that they do not move out of place.

    I suggest taking a good close-up photo so you can see how the parts fit together. That's how I was able to figure out what I was doing wrong.

    TerribleHacker -

    TerribleHacker: "pull it out parallel to the logic board" – no, or at least not on mine. The pins are vertical and the socket has two vertical tongues that fit into grooves on the plug. Vertical is the way to go. In cases like this I use tweezers to pull gently on the wires, and if possible the plug – but the latter is very difficult in this case.

    Charles Butcher - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Yep. Like others here I no longer have IR. Be VERY careful removing this!

    Bryan Schneider - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    TAKE YOUR TIME!!! I used the spudger and pushed up from the back on the plastic, NOT the wires. And I had no issues. Pulling on the wires scared me way to much. Pull up vertically.

    Will Vernon - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Before attempting to remove the connector, use 5 minute epoxy to glue the wires together. Do this in several small batches and apply with a toothpick, right up to the plastic connector, but not glued to the connector (to risky and not necessary). Be especially careful not to glue to the motherboard. You basically want all 5 wires glued together as if they were a ribbon cable. After the epoxy is cured, pry up from underneath the wires to remove from the motherboard.

    Moldyjohn - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I could remove the HDD and then was able to use the folded spudger from the hdd side of the motherboard to _easily_ pull the connector up from its corners (not via the wires).

    Grigory Entin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I lost my IR sensor and HDD led light as well. Everything was moving along smoothly and I got cocky with the spudger and lifted the connection out of the board. I reassembled with the upgrades and it ran just fine. Like others, I had never used the remote and couldn’t see the HDD light where the mini sat on my desk anyway.

    Peter Bovey - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    yes, there is a way to FIX it, solder it back ! :) that’s what I did on mine

    Hubert H. - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The best way is to first remove the logic board already 0.5 cm out, like discribed in the next steps. Look closely at the wires, they tell you how far you can go! Then take a cotton swab, cut off the cotton ends ending witha plastic stick, bend the end to get it easily under the wires and pull it carefully upwards. The connector then comes off in one piece.

    Bas Meijer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The best way is to first remove the logic board already 0.5 cm out, like discribed in the next steps. Look closely at the wires, they tell you how far you can go! Then take a cotton swab, cut off the cotton ends ending witha plastic stick, bend the end to get it easily under the wires. Take both ends and pull it carefully when it is as close as possible to the connector. The connector then comes off in one piece.

    Bas Meijer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Must really concur with Bas Meijer’s suggestion. Move the logic board slightly first then it is a breeze to get under the wires and lift up.

    Mal Watson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    As the warning says “pry up beneath the wires, not beneath the socket”. The connector lifts out, but is surrounded on 3 sides by walls of the socket. Don’t lift the socket off, lift the connector out. Easier after step 14-15 and you move the main board out just slightly.

    Greg Nash - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Does anyone know what is the name of the connector cable side ) I want to buy a new one as mine is damaged and repair it.

    Andrei Constantinescu - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I am also wondering if I can purchase the side that was on the mother board?

    dogus aslan - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Unfortunately I bent two of the pins in the process. Moving them back into position broke them, although I was very careful. I felt so stupid. Who the heck at apple thought this is a good design to connect things?? I thought the mini is already lost. Happy to read this cable is not super important, so I will carry on.

    dennis - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You can find the connectors for cheap on AliExpress. I recommend getting at least five of them because they are easy to destroy while trying to install them. Search for "IR board cable connector for Mac Mini A1347" - without the quotation marks. I've not yet been successful installing a new connector. I need a very thin, perhaps angled soldering iron tip to fit in between the connector and that metal post.

    David Germain - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  14. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • 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

    Hi, I can't remove the yellow screw, I don't even see it (it look like more like on this picture: http://static.macgeneration.com/img/2012...)

    So I don't know what to do, I don't want to damage the tread (if there is actually one..) and I can't move the logic-board..

    Do you hav any idea?

    broussesimon - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The "yellow screw" depicted in this picture doesn't exist in the Mac Mini late 2012, at least in mine. Well, to be more precise, it exists but was already removed when the fan was unscrewed (it was actually in the fan).

    Jeff Evans -

    For reassembly, note that the red T8/2mm hex screw doesn't screw all the way down. It is for the bottom lid to slide-lock onto. Don't look for a hole beneath it on the logic board.

    malcolmgin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    this yellow screw come from fan , on the image in front missing exactly this one screw (yellow circle)

    Christopher - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    any idea in how to remove a stuck the "green” screw ?

    MF_Bra - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The yellow screw (fan stand off) on my late 2012, was removed with the fan.

    Peter Stockwell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    the orange screw is stuck in my Mac mini late 2012. I got a used one and I guess it was screwed too tightly. Anyone knows a trick to get the screw out of the socket?

    dan - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  15. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    crwdns2935267:0crwdne2935267:0
    Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool
    $4.99
    crwdns2942207:0crwdne2942207:0
    • 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.

    If you're in a pinch and don't have time to order the removal tool, you can use two 2mm hex wrenches.

    philomathius - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You can also use the probes from a Digital Multi-Meter. Just be very careful not to stab the pointed end into the casing. With a little care, you can get the logic board out.

    mattgarfield - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    On re-assembly, when you're putting the HD back in place, before you've pushed the logic board fully back into place, make sure the disk is in the right place for the antenna plate screw holes (step 8/9) or you'll have problems getting the screws back in. I did, and had to back up a few steps to realign the disk drive!

    Kevin Broadey - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Look at all of the images. Initially, I took the text literally. I pulled the tool straight back without letting it pivot, and without success. I suggest the following additions: "The tool acts as a lever. Carefully pull the top of the tool down and toward the I/O board. The logic board and I/O board assembly should slightly slide out of the outer case."

    anonymous 1829 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    A length of coat hanger wire bent to the width of the two holes worked fine for me.

    jpmist - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Thanks for that tip! A couple wire-hanger lengths worked for me too..!

    steve375 -

    If you don't have the removal tool you can just plug an ethernet cable into the I/O port and pull on it to help ease it out...if it's a bit stiff push on the fan duct at the same time...be gentle and it'll release...

    Jim Fixesthem - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I found that there is one step missing for removing the logic board. Once you have the removal tool in and pulling back check to see if you can push in on the taps that are on the outside of the logic board. On the right side if I had known this I would have tried pushing in on the tap and it might have released a little easier. There is not a good photo of the taps but in photo 17 between the pointer and index finger the tap is located on both right and left hands.

    mary7654 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Even better, you can just use one of your screwdrivers if you do it carefully, just push out each side a little bit and rock out the logic board. No special tool needed. Just be careful not to damage your logic board and/or apply too much force.

    Drew - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    If was able to fashion a removal tool out of part of a metal binding clip. I just removed one of the handles and bend it into the proper shape using a vise. FYI, the holes are about 4.5mm apart.

    drewmc - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I did this also. Worked fine.

    David Germain -

    I’ve used an Allen key of the right diameter.

    it worked very fine!

    skullerm - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I just pushed on one of the RAM slots and it slid out easily. No metal rods required!

    WhitetailAni - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  16. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:016crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull the I/O board/logic board assembly out of the outer case enough to access the power connector.

    • Use your fingers to disconnect the DC-In cable from the logic board.

    • Pull the power cable connector toward the front side of the mini.

    You can pull the board out about 1cm with the wires intact.

    Martin Cleaver - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    While you can remove this pin with your fingers as shown in the photo, putting back in proved frustrating by hand. I finally got out a forcep which allowed me to grab each side of the plug and push it in at a flat angle.

    Dan Ochiva - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I found way easier to remove the power wire line by removing the hard drive (loose already) first!

    alextc - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    This made all the difference.

    Lee Fuhr -

    You're a hero.

    kazoodac -

    excellent tip!

    Rog -

    When reconnect it on the board, make it when the board is in the middle of the mac, or you will be not abble to do it!

    luiscortex - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I'm not a fan of pulling on cables so I used the flat end of the spudger and pried between logic board and light thicker end of the DC plug. This took some time but worked really well.

    mhomscheidt - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I found that slightly lifting the board allowed me to get the connector in a better position to rest on its female counterpart. Then with a smudger just push it into place.

    Tony Visconti - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    When getting it back on during reassembly, your spudger is your best friend.

    Do this when the logic board assembly is not completely inserted back in again.

    Bas Meijer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    If you removed the hard drive during disassembly, when reassembling you'll want to put it back before sliding the board back into place.

    maccentric - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  17. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:017crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Carefully slide the logic board assembly out of the mini, minding any cables that may get caught.

    In April, I purchased a late 2012 mini (MD387LL/A) - 2.5Ghz i5 with 500MB hard drive.

    It looks like Apple now secures the drive to the tray with 3 screws. 2 on back side and one on front. This means the entire drive tray has to come out to remove the drive - it no longer just "lifts out" as in step 18. In order to remove the drive tray, you have to remove the power supply (step 22).

    Gary Leatherman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    During reassembly, watch the power harness and connector from the power supply when reinserting the logic board assembly into the case. When the board is close enough for the connector to reach, re-attach it before inserting the board the rest of the way. I found that if the connector is lined up properly, it almost attaches itself.

    Also be careful of the hard drive and IR sensor connectors.

    UNSC Jon 117 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Also, when you're re-assembling (especially with a tight squeeze if you've got dual drives), be sure that the internal AC power connector matches up in profile with the port outline on the rear plate of the main logic board assembly. If the two aren't mated identically, the black port plate won't mate flush with the aluminum case.

    johnkimmel -

    Speaker trademark? Is it a sony, or a Bose...

    I think it is a bad quality speaker.What do you thick?

    Hugo BURGUILLOS - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Does anyone know if the airport/bt board from a mac mini late 2012 can be retrofitted to the 2011 mini? this would add the airdrop functionality to the older device in theory and I have seen a similar procedure performed on MacBook pro's

    Steven Fox - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    When I pull out motherboard, I broke 39 16v capacitor underneath.. I don't understand what's I'm doing wrong. And why this happens? Or maybe I'm to fast. Now I need repair..

    Flanua - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I did the same thing, except two caps popped off the board. Perhaps drinking half a fifth of whiskey before starting this project was unwise. Although, if the sucky SATA cable that came with the ifixit kit had worked in the first place, I wouldn't have had to pull the thing apart again to replace it with the OWC cable (which supposedly doesn't suck).

    scoventon -

    During reassembly, the SD Card reader end of the I/O Bezel will not go back in flat like the AC power connector end, thus the SD Card reader end protrudes about 0.5mm from the edge of the back of the MacMini, I tried took it out and put it back in many times but could not manage to push it all the way in. The truth is it is hard to notice and everything else works fine but it is annoying to see that tiny bit protrusion. Anyone else had this problem? or it was like this already before I took it out? i can't remember what was it like now.....

    neo.hsu - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    During this process, I took advantage of having the logic board out, checked the BR2032 battery, which tested nearly dead, and I replaced it with an ECR2032 battery. If you choose to do this, be careful with the moving and replacing of this button battery. There is a wee-little directional arrow on the ( - ) side of the battery holder, which means move the battery without prying towards the positive ( + ) side. One end of the battery then pops up to grab. I also tested the new replacement battery before putting it in. I used an AMPROBE BAT-200 Battery Tester.

    Carrick - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    So near and yet so far. Got as far as this stage only to fail.

    If you look closely at the photo for this stage, just up and to the left of where you unplug the power cable, you will see a white wire going into a grey sleeve attached to a grey plastic plug of some description. That’s not what I have. What I have is five wires, two of which (one black, one brown) have tiny copper clips which suggests that they were attached to the logic board. The other three wires (two black, one grey) look like they were torn off and damaged during the removal. I’d post a photo but there doesn’t appear to be the facility for it.

    C’est la vie.

    stevie.g - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Would it be possible to insert the lower disk at this step without removing all the remaining parts ?

    fra - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I achieved to insert the lower disk at this step without removing all the remaining parts !!! You just have to screw the HD on the other side (motherboard side).

    fra - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I too, took advantage of replacing the 3V #2032 PRAM lithium battery. Doesn’t make sense not to, since it’s completely torn down.

    Val - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I found that cloning the new SSD drive before installation sidesteps 'hybrid' drive issues.

    I didn't disconnect the antenna cable since it's very tricky to reconnect that tiny connector.

    The original drive in my unit is positioned at the bottom and I couldn't get that out without dissembling everything so I just left it in place and disconnected the cable.

    I moved the logic board back about 2" to give me some wiggle room inserting the new drive.

    I couldn't get the new drive to fit into place with the rubber washers inserted on the posts so I just used the posts instead which gave me some more room to push the new drive back far enough to fit into the positioning holes.

    Even then the cable for the new drive took a lot of effort to connect to the board since I think the new drive still didn't fit perfectly above the older drive.

    I used scotch tape to help position the new SSD.

    Overall a huge speed improvement from the old spinner.

    For me this was a more than moderately difficult project.

    k.lang - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  18. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Hard Drive: crwdns2935265:018crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Hard Drive: crwdns2935265:018crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull the hard drive away from the front edge of the mini and remove it from the outer case.

    • During reassembly, there are two pins on the inside edge of the hard drive that fit into the case. The holes have rubber grommets around them, so it may be difficult to tell when you have seated the hard drive correctly.

    • There are two pairs of holes in the case. Insert the pins into the holes closest to the bottom of the case.

    During reassembly, after putting the "lower" drive back, test fit the AirPort antenna to make sure the two holes in the antenna plate line up with the two holes in the drive. If not, check that the power harness from the power supply is routed correctly. If the power harness is next to the power supply, go back and re-route it properly.

    UNSC Jon 117 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Before I started this ifixit I read a lot of people talking about the antenna not going on properly and problems with the hard drive. I found that the problem is the two grommets inside the front of the casing. These grommets are where the two screws on the existing or upper most (when the case is inverted) hard drive should go into.

    I was placing the hard drive flat against the second hard drive I'd added which ment the two screws weren't in the grommets and we instead pushing on the outer casing. This meant the hard drive was in the wrong position and if I had continued with the rest of the reassembly the antenna definitely couldn't have fit correctly. I spotted this and made sure the hard drive was in the grommets, leaving enough room for the power cables to sit between the two hard drives.

    With the hard drive sitting correctly you should find everything goes back together very easily. If you get to the end and nothing seems to fit this is probably the reason why!

    Martyn - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I bought my mini in late June 2013. My hard drive was not mounted as indicated, it was in the lower slot. I had to insert the grommets into the upper holes. You need to use a non metal flat edge to get them in, my fingers had no leverage when reaching into the aluminum shell. I also waited until I had removed everything from the case before inserting them to minimize the risk of harming an internal component.

    rob545 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    This is one case where having the actual reassembly instructions would be helpful. When I put my drive back in the upper position, I thought it was in the right place, even tried to move it and it seemed like it was locked into the holes, but it wasn't, so I had the issue with the antenna plate not going back on. It was so close. It seemed like it should work, but nope.

    So, after disassembling again, I played with it some and the best, most surefire way to get it to line up is to hold the unibody upside down when inserting the drive. It has to be essentially at the top to catch the holes. Thin drives make it even more of a problem.

    Once I did this, it fit in great and stayed in with no need to hold down, and there was now another 1/8" between the motherboard and the drive, which doesn't seem like much, but in this tight case, its everything. The antenna plate then went in perfectly, all 4 screws were in with no issues at all and the connectors for the two drives stayed on with no issue.

    Sherifftruman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    This makes ALL the difference in the entire world! Thank you!

    mawkee -

    Eureka! Thank you!

    John Baker -

    Yup - Just saved me an afternoon’s work I reckon - thank you very much Sir.

    Simon Finch -

    Like others, I found with my November 2013 purchased Mac Mini, Apple had installed the internal hard disk in the bottom location (bottom when working on the unit upside down as detailed in this guide).

    I found that it was best to remove that drive, and install the SSD in the bottom location, but use

    * 2 of the rubber grommets and screws (that came with the ifixit kit) on the front edge of the drive

    * that let me use 2 of the screws from the original mac mini on the back top HDD as they are larger screws than came with the kit

    That way the HDD didn't rattle in the top location.

    I also

    * Installed the SSD in the bottom location with the original apple cable

    * Installed the spinning 1TB drive into the top location (which made it easier for the top wifi screws to screw into

    * But I had to reshape the cable (that came with the ifixit kit) quite a bit to get it to line up with the connector on the logic board.

    brian - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    During reassembly I had the reported problems of getting the original drive in the right spot. You should note that there is a gap on the left side. My drive slid in (twice) so it was right up against where the connectors are on the left side. Slide it right so there is a gap.

    mikeubell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Found it easier to place the SSD in the "lower" position (closer to the bottom of the Mini, but upper while working on the disassembly/reassembly) by resting the Mini on its front side. Easier to move the pegs into the grommets installed in the case. Easier to see if they're not lined up at all.

    malcolmgin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I'm refitting a mid 2011 mini. Reinstalling the drive easy with a few tricks:

    *Step 11.5: add registration marks to the thin plastic drive cover.

    **Use a fine point blue sharpie (or similar).

    **Add two lines a couple inches apart, extending back from the metal housing lip onto the drive shroud.

    **Add two short lines by tracing the curve of the housing across the first two lines.

    **Use the marks to line everything up when reassembling.

    *Reinstall with the mini standing on it's front end

    **The drive slots in high in the case. There is a substantial gap between it and a 9.5mm second drive. This makes it hard to line up with the mac flat on the table.

    *You can absolutely feel the drive's pegs engage into the rubber mounts.

    *When seated properly:

    **The drive slants slightly down from the front to the back of the housing.

    **There is a sizable gap (~2mm) between the visible long edge of the drive and the flange on the plastic frame that sits behind it.

    **The motherboard will seat ~1mm from the drive.

    anonymous 1829 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Follow the advise of malcolmgin. During reassembly place the Mini on its front, and let the HDD or SSD (doesn't matter at all) slip into the two "rubber holes". This way everything is easier to see and to direct.

    Timpetou - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Putting the old drive into its proper place and fitting the antenna plate correctly are the two most difficult actions if you follow the instructions. An easier way is to remove the two tabs (bolts) at the rear end of the old drive (since they just cause trouble) and affix the drive to the antenna plate. THEN attach the antenna cable to its receptacle (very difficult) and insert the plate with drive attached into the computer. When the whole assembly is in place and bolted in place, it is easy to connect the drive cable to the motherboard. By this method, the drive has no chance of snagging.

    michi - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I agree with Doug. It worked perfectly.

    michi - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I replaced the two black rubber grommets with two white silicone ones. The white grommets were easier to see, and (whew!), they didn't catch and deform like the black ones did. I also used the "gravity technique" mentioned above, along with putting two T8 screws temporarily into the side holes of the hard drive closest to the logic board to use as "positioning handles" and guides to place into the "far end" white grommets. Being able to align much easier, along with controlling the hard drive, made for a much smoother replacement from my first adventure.

    Carrick - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    This is a lot easier to disassemble and reassemble if you take out the hard drive tray altogether. The rubber grommets go in their holes easy without the screws, then you can place the new hard drive in and screw it through the grommets.

    pashdown - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    When reassembling, my advice is to turn the Mini up onto its front so you can look directly down at the holes the grommets go into. This way it’s much easier to see where you need to aim, and also to adjust/wiggle into the slot it only takes a light touch. Check afterwards that screw holes in the drive line up with the antenna plate (step 8/9).

    Simon Birch - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    anyone know where the 2 mounting screws or standoff can be purchased? This is for the top main hard drive.

    George Drummer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    In der Regel wird man diese Schritte hier ausführen, um eine HDD durch eine SSD zu ersetzen. SSDs sind vollständig gekappselt, so dass die schwarze Isolationsfolie nicht wieder mit eingebaut werden muss. Dann hilft es, einen kleinen Saugnapf auf der Unterseite der SSD zu befestigen, damit hat man einen Angriffspunkt, um die SSD leichter in die beiden Befestigungslöcher zu bewegen.

    Johannes von Keller - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  19. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Power Supply: crwdns2935265:019crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the 7.9 mm T6 Torx screw securing the power supply and hard drive tray to the outer case.

    • During reassembly, ensure the cables that run alongside the hard drive are tucked under the power supply. This will ensure the hard drive is properly seated. In addition, the antenna screw holes will not line up if there are cables in the way.

    Careful when reassembling. Don't make the same mistake I did by attempting to screw in the hard drive bracket without having the power supply re-inserted and aligned. Otherwise the screw will end up in the piece attached to the bottom of the case (where it's not supposed to be) and you will have no choice but to pry the glued part off the case to remove it. If you start to hear a "crunchy" sound when screwing, stop immediately because it's probably a glued part coming off.

    anonymous 3693 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Indeed important that the power cables are not in the way when reassembling.

    Otherwise it will be difficult to get the drive that is directly under the antenna plate back in.

    ernstcline - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  20. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:020crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:020crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:020crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull the silver metal AC-In socket retainer away from the side of the outer case and remove it from the mini.

    • During reassembly, notice that the silver clip hugs either side of the lower beveled edge of the AC connector. When sliding the clip back in it will hit a stop, but not click into place. You will know that you did it correctly because it will not easily move out of position.

    When putting it back, make sure that it's both in the correct place and fits properly; otherwise, it may come loose. After reassembly, if you hear what sounds somewhat but not quite like a loose screw rattling around in the case, it's probably this clip.

    Don't worry: it's only 20 steps to get back to it. I hate this metal clip. ;-)

    UNSC Jon 117 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    What's the use of this silver metal AC ?? I couldn't put it ... sou I assemble the mac mini without it...

    lenosane -

    I couldn't get it to stay in place so I reassembled without the clip.

    glassdj -

    It would appear this clip prevents the connector from turning counter-clockwise

    Jason Gurtz-Cayla - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Yeah no way could I get that clip to work so I threw it in the garbage.

    My machine works fine so far !

    iain macleod - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  21. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:021crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:021crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Rotate the AC-In connector 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

    For the late 2012 model at least, when re-assembling, make sure the edges of the plug are lined up with the innermost grooves in the case (there appears to be another set that is closer to the outside of the case).

    anonymous 3693 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I'm going to add that with the opening up it is actually counter clockwise.

    shinji -

    When reassembling, make sure the short tab is down and the long tab is up. Compare placement with the back panel to make sure it will line up.

    eric - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Thanks @eric that was helpful to figure out the correct placement.

    Aaron Campbell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  22. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:022crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Slide the power supply out of the mini, minding any cables that may get caught.

    Specifically, note the power harness and connector, and that it's routed "above" the inner edge of the power supply ("below" when viewed from this angle). That power harness needs to be in the same position when replacing the power supply during reassembly. If the power harness ends up next to the power supply instead, the "lower" drive won't fit properly and the AirPort antenna won't line up correctly.

    UNSC Jon 117 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    There is a grove in the casing that might be difficult to align. If so use gravity to allow the power unit to fall into "place".

    aron - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    After struggling with this the first time, I laid the cables "more flatly" closer to the power supply, and then secured them with a piece of black electrician's tape. This made reassembly much more tolerable, by keeping these wires hugged close and out of snagging way. There does not appear to be any heat damage to the tape over the past year.

    Carrick - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  23. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Hard Drive Tray: crwdns2935265:023crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the 7.9 mm T6 Torx screw securing the hard drive tray to the outer case.

  24. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:024crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the hard drive tray from the outer case.

    With virtually everything removed from the outer case, this is a good time to look toward the front of the case to notice the two locations where the standoffs from the "lower" drive normally fit. You'll want to be aware of this when reinstalling that drive later.

    UNSC Jon 117 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  25. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit, Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:025crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • The following steps will guide you through installing a second hard drive in your mini.

    • In the next few steps you will be installing the grommets in the holes located along the brackets boxed in red.

    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 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    With this Dual kit, Can I install 2 Hard Drives of 2TB: the new slim seagate (9,5mm) 0.37"? Thanks

    ProMac - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  26. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:026crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:026crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:026crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • While working from the inner side of the bracket, push the grommet through the hole in the side of the bracket.

    • Be sure the grommet is seated nicely in the bracket as seen in the third picture.

    • Repeat the process for the remaining three grommets on either sides of the brackets.

    The spudger is very handy at this point.

    Martin Cleaver - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The bracket is the original one?, or do i need to buy one?

    diegort26 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The bracket is the original one, check https://youtu.be/2NORZR0BbZs for a better visualization.

    Wieger -

    This step is far, far harder than it should be as ifixit decided to save a few pennies on the cost of the grommets - they are made of a hard and relatively inflexible pvc, whereas the Apple supplied ones are a lovely flexible rubber that can be easily inserted. I'm very disappointed in ifixit.

    Joseph Heenan - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I thought this would be hard. It's not. The one hole that has cables in the way was a little tough, but my experience wasn't the same as Joseph's, it would seem

    Lee Fuhr - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I’m struggling with getting these in. Is there a trick?

    Asif Ahmad - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I think I have a little trick. Using a sim-tray ejector tool or similar, use its small point to simultaneously push from the sides of the grommet while inserting, all while applying pressure from the thumb.

    Magnus Edetorn - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Warm the grommets with your hands for a minute, so they become more flexible, then using the Spudger to gently ease them in helps.

    Damian Holland - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Finally found a great video that shows the installation of BOTH drives. Ifixit never shows this in their written instructions or instructional video for some reason.

    https://youtu.be/8_71bUMAMkA

    Richard Cross - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  27. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:027crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • The bracket with all four grommets installed should look like the bracket shown in this picture.

  28. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:028crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:028crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Bend the ribbon cable along the dotted lines to help the connectors remain seated in their sockets.

    • Bend the ribbon cable 90 degrees at the SSD connector so that it is parallel to the connector.

    The ribbon cable with my kit was already bent correctly when I received it. Not sure if it was just that one or if they're all going out like that now, but it saved me a few steps (and worries about ruining the cable). Thanks! :-)

    UNSC Jon 117 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I bought my mini in late June 2013. My internal hard drive had the same cable as the one in the iFixit kit. I had to position the cable for the upper drive on top and not in-between the drives as indicated. I also had to bend the ribbon in the opposite directions. Be careful. The ribbon can be adjusted but due to the location of the sata connectors on the mainboard the cable for the upper hard drive does not lay flat against the drive. There is room for it under the vent that the wireless cable is attached to if you have the upper drive seated correctly in the grommets but it is not pretty.

    rob545 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  29. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:029crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:029crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the edge of the SSD connector to put a 90 degree downward bend in the cable along the first large dotted line.

    • Bend the ribbon cable back up 90 degrees along the second large dotted line.

    90 degree bends :), not 45.

    Christer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I have been using my mid-2011 Mac Mini as a media player while working/living oversees. Decided to upgrade to an SSD HD and add more RAM (4 to 8 GB). With the ifixit kit, I was able to add the SSD in a little over an hour. My only issue was with the SSD data ribbon. I didn't realize at first that the new drive's data ribbon was designed to be routed underneath the original drive, which required me to backtrack to reinstall the original drive. Otherwise a smooth installation and I like the toolkit that's included which will be handy for other projects.

    Eric - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I found this confusing. The photos of which way to bend could be better.

    Couldn’t tell which way was up with the HD.

    All worked out in the end tho.

    iain

    iain macleod - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  30. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:030crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:030crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Hold the ribbon cable on either side of the first small dotted line and bend it up 90 degrees.

    I think it is best to have a good look to see if all this bending is really necessary. It was definitely not with my set of SSD drives (2) and cables. It was a perfect fit already, the only thing what was good to do is to remove the paper protector from the self-adhesive material so that the cable of the second drive cold be fastened to that drive to prevent rattling if vibrations occur.

    Bas Meijer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  31. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:031crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:031crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Bend the ribbon cable down 90 degrees along the second small dotted line.

  32. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:032crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Attach the cable included in the kit to your second hard drive. In our case, we are using an SSD.

    • If your cable came with a small piece of black tape with rounded corners, you can install it over the hard drive cable connector to secure the connector to its socket on the hard drive. The piece of tape is not required and not installing it will have no adverse effects on your machine's performance.

    • Before attaching the cable to your hard drive make sure it has been properly folded along the dotted white lines. This will help the cable attach and stay in-place.

    there are two 'to's in this step. Too many "to"s

    Ben Hirby - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  33. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:033crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:033crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:033crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a T6 Torx screwdriver to install two of the set screws on the side of the hard drive closest to the end of the hard drive cable that attaches to the logic board.

    • Tighten the screws until they contact the end of the threaded holes in the side of the hard drive. They are shown correctly installed in the third picture.

    On my corsair SSD, the set screws don't extend beyond the edge of the drive when full screwed in. I guess I'll try some blue thread locker to hold them at the right distance.

    davidamis - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    My SSD kit had countersunk screws which protruded a long way, causing the disk bracket to catch on the front of the mini when I re-inserted it. I avoided the problem by putting the grub screws in the other side so they point towards the front of the mini. This left the countersunk screws pointing towards the logic board, where there was plenty of room.

    Kevin Broadey - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    On my SanDisk SSD Plus, there was actually nothing inside the case (which is mostly hollow) to stop the setscrew. Just screw it in far enough to match the picture, leaving 3-4 mm protruding. That way when you insert it into the bracket, you'll be flush with the rubber grommets.

    Poor me now has a setscrew rattling around inside the SSD forever. It's okay so long as the Mac mini doesn't move but obviously it's aggravating.

    dan - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I had the same thing as dan — in my case it was a Crucial MX500 that had no stop for the setscrew and I ended up screwing it all the way into the drive. Can I suggest adding a warning to the main instruction for this set? I wish I had thought to check the comments first…

    Russell Finn - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    There were no set screws like this in my kit. I don't think I need them. If I understand what I am doing, I would have had to remove them anyway so I could put the next set of screws through the grommets into the hard drive.

    Neil Ratzlaff - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  34. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:034crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:034crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:034crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • In the next two steps, you will install the hard drive into its bracket.

    • When inserting the hard drive, be sure to place it in its bracket cable side up with the SATA connector closest to the bulge in the bracket seen in the third picture.

    • Push the set screws into the grommets in the bracket and install the hard drive up into its bracket as seen in the second picture.

  35. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:035crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:035crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a T6 Torx screwdriver to install the remaining two set screws through the grommets and into the side of the hard drive.

  36. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:036crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:036crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Install the second hard drive assembly into the outer case.

    • Be sure that the mounting holes line up with the threaded holes in the outer case as seen in the second picture.

    • When the logic board is installed, simply connect the second hard drive cable to the free socket on the logic board.

    • The second hard drive cable should lay flat between the two hard drives. If the second hard drive cable is placed on top of the first, the antenna plate will not reattach, and you could damage your cable.

    When re-installing the original hard drive (aka - inner hard drive), be sure that this drive's two side pins fit exactly into their rubber mounts that are deep inside the Mac Mini.I achieved a nice fit by turning the Mac Mini on its side so gravity would align the pins with their respective holes with ease.

    jeffchambers - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Yes, I struggled until I spotted this. When I finally got these pegs in the holes, all was much easier

    andrewarwas - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Same here. I basically had to turn the Mac Mini completely upside-down (hence, "right side up" from the normal operational standpoint), then gently move the drive pins into place against the side of the case. Once they went in, then the antenna plate screws lined up nicely.

    anonymous 3693 -

    I suffered the same with this. In the end I sat the Mac Mini on it's end and lowered the originally fitted hard drive into the pin lugs on the casing. Once the logic board was in place it stopped it from falling forward / out of position.

    warrencox - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I installed an OWC Mercury Extreme 6G SSD into my Mac Mini. Comparing this SSD to others it is almost 1 mm wider and the screw holes are not quite as deep. Because of this it does not fit very well into the upper HD space. I recommend swapping the stock drive into the upper spot and putting this SSD in the lower slot. It fits much better.

    chris - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I also very much recommend turning the Mac upside-down. I struggled to get the pegs in the holes, until I held the Mac upside down and started wiggling the drive. It was pretty easy to see when the drive was seated correctly: there's a plastic tab under the top drive. If the pegs are not in the holes, you'll see that the drive is flush with the plastic tab. When the pegs are in the holes, you'll have around 2mm clearance between tab and drive.

    Vincent - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Can we assume that, by "upside down" you mean "rightside up"?

    raleedy -

    En français s'il vous plait :)

    Une fois le disque du dessous installé je conseil de préparer celui du dessus avant de tout remonter, sinon va falloir viser les petits trous après.. quelle misère !

    Donc on démonte tout, mon place le disque dur du dessous, on remet celui du dessus dans ses petits trous, on insère le braquet avec le disque du dessous et on remonte tout : nickel !

    Merci beaucoup iFixit ! mon Mac Mini est une machine de guerre ^^ Et merci pour les bonbons !!

    zhorglub - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Everthing ok with this guide. I took a lot of time, about 2:30h but it worsed. The ssd is in the lower position and the system boot ok. Now Im installing the system in the ssd and I will format the HD. I will pray for this works.

    luiscortex - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Everthing is fine, the IOS was installed with sucess in the SSD!

    luiscortex -

    Well, broke off all the pins to the IR sensor/power indicator LED during re-installation.

    Otherwise, it worked just fine.

    Blake Barrett - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Is there a pic with both hard-drives installed?

    Daniel Perez - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    From examining the images in each step, 1 hdd or ssd will set on top of the other. Is that correct?

    Daniel Perez - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Would someonw PLEASE ass a new pix with both hard drives installed? Someone asked 2 years ago. This is really is the single most important picture.

    I'm installing an SSD with the original drive and I can't seem to make them both fit onto the back tray.

    scootz - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  37. Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:037crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Installing Mac Mini Late 2012 Dual Hard Drive Kit: crwdns2935265:037crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • When you start up your machine, you'll see both drives are recognized by the mini.

    • Xbench scores show that if you install hard drives in either the top or the bottom position, their speeds will remain the same.

    • To minimize the amount of work necessary when adding an SSD to be used as your primary drive, we recommend installing the SSD like we did in this guide and leaving the stock platter drive in its original bottom position (closest to the antenna plate).

    • After reassembly, boot the mini into Lion Recovery and use disk utility to erase your SSD. Then install Lion on your SSD. After rebooting, go into system preferences>startup disk and choose your SSD as the startup disk.

    Thanks guys! It works perfectly (mac late 2012 i7)! :)

    I had to install again Mac OS from the web on my Vertex 4 SSD and after my mac automatically has enabled the SSD as primary disc. It's really fast! :) Wow! :)

    P.S. I have switched my HD positions. So the SSD is on the bottom now.

    Alexey - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I would appreciate seeing another photo or two to differentiate the two drives in place-- I dont see the difference between the original hard drive location-- the old one-- and the new one. The end of the guide mentions installing the 2nd drive to the outer case, but thats confusing.

    Can someone post some clearer photographs?

    jacob - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I have followed the good advice here on upgrading a 2013 Mac Mini (500GB) to SSD.

    However, on step 37 I disagree. What happened:

    - I had OS X Maverick on the original 500 GB HDD

    - installed the SSD in the "Upper" position, as in the figure

    - left the original 500 GB drive in its original, "Lower" position (meaning upper when the Mac is upside down)

    - followed the steps in 37

    - install was terribly slow, ~6 hours; there was some data corruption, the SSD would not boot; I tried to fix permissions, disk etc, no help; benchmarks showed slow read with normal write speed; after a while there was an error about the SSD could not be repaired and it disappeared (unmounted)

    - at some point I've seen some complaint about Fusion drive. Then l realized that is it possible Maverick tried to treat the SSD + HDD as a single fusion drive?

    - switched the positions of the HDD and the SSD, so now the SSD was in "Lower" position. Also moved the protecting/insulating sheet to the SSD.

    - Now everything works. So, position matters!

    Zoltan - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Just realized that many people had the same problem. If I read the comments too, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble :). But at least we have a plausible reason for the described behavior: the position matters, and OS X may try to handle the 2 drives as one Fusion drive (and somehow fails at that). Maybe it's a setting issue, or just has not been tested this way. Consumers should not upgrade to SSD by themselves :).

    Zoltan - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Thank you for this advice. I had the same problem and you resolved it :)

    quentin Castel -

    What? It took me about 7 minutes. 2nd time i ever opened a computer

    kyle gilstrap -

    After connecting the new SSD to the empty bay I tried to follow the steps that recommend making a fresh install with Lion internet recovery. This process got stuck the 3 times I tried. So I googled for other options and found that I you clone your former HD with Carbon Copy Cloner, fix the permissions with disk utility and then make the SSD the bootable drive, everything goes fine. I used this tutorial: https://discussions.apple.com/message/22...

    gillagher - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Everything worked like a charm for me, with the exception of my new drive needing to be formatted! Thanks a million for the guide (and the extra comments attached to most of the steps)!

    SugeKNice - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    To avoid the SSD becoming a fusion driver follow this

    http://blog.macsales.com/15619-special-n...

    Vip - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Zoltan I had a very similar experience as you yesterday, I installed a Samsung 840 evo SSD into the upper position and kept the original 1TB HDD in the same place, according to the guide. Then I encountered lots of weird issues trying to partition the SSD with disk utility. Not to mention its slow and sometimes the disk even unmount by itself. I spent many hours and figured out swapping the positions of the two drives might help, then it worked!!! I hope I read the comment here earlier.

    POINT IS: Better to put the SSD in the lower position and move the original disk to upper position, you may or may not have issue following the guide, but apparently lots of people have run into performance or stability issues .

    Anyway thanks for the great kit and the guide!

    JiaJing WANG - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Hi

    You are right, install an ssd in the upper position make the mini think that a Fusion drive is installed and try to configure itself as fusion while the twin has not the proper firmware, while with the ssd in the lower position do not fool the system.

    Marco Mazzocchi

    Marco Mazzocchi -

    When will this step get updated? I followed this instruction and ended up with original HDD as /dev/sda and SSD as /dev/sdb. Flipped it back and all is good, but why leave up backwards/wrong info?

    Forge - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    "After reassembly, boot the Mini into Lion Recovery and use disk utility to erase your SSD. Then install Lion on your SSD. After rebooting, go into system preferences>startup disk and choose your SSD as the startup disk."

    NO! STOP! DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!

    Do NOT use the Disk Utility on the Recovery partition. Boot your Mini normally and use the Disk Utility that you access through your Applications/Utilities folder. Use Disk Utility to create a new Single Partition (Mac OS Journaled) on your new drive and verify that it can be seen in Finder. After that, Install OS X using Command - R and specifying the new SSD drive. After reboot restore from your old disk and Bob's your Uncle.

    Doug - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Has anyone confirmed that there is a correct order to put the drives in? Seems like people have had success and failures with either position? I was going to leave the original drive in it's slot and add a Samsung 850 EVO in the blank slot? or is it necessary to flip them? Thx for the guide. Here goes nothing...

    Tim Davenport - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Has anyone confirmed Ithat there is a correct order to put the drives in? Seems like people have had success and failures with either position? I was going to leave the original drive in it's slot and add a Samsung 850 EVO in the blank slot? or is it necessary to flip them? Thx for the guide. Here goes nothing..

    I successfully completed this and converted the two drives to a Fusion Drive and it seems to be working splendidly. I wasn't careful enough the first time in getting the power cables under the power supply the first attempt and the old hard drive was out of position and couldn't be screwed back in. Just make sure they are tucked under. The tips about the antenna plate were spot on. See that there are two levels of grill and one goes under and one goes above. Used my spudger in a grill hole to lift slightly as I slid it back into place.

    Didn't really think I would be able to complete this but very happy this guide was here and now I have a great set of tools for the next repair. Thx SO much!

    Tim Davenport - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    What happens if I just swap both drives with SSD and ridding old the origina drive ? I’m In the middle of Install and don’t want to have To go back, but I guess I might be that guinee pig.

    Gerasimos Christoforatos - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Did this work for you? I want to do the same thing and install two SSDs. I’m interested to know if it works before I tear down my machine.

    Hemicyon -

    How did you get on? I’m guessing everything went fine and you have two (2) separate SSD’s working side-by-side (perhaps one 128GB for Mac OS X — one 1TB for Data)?

    I ask because, like you, I intend removing the original HDD completely and replacing it with 2 x SSD’s (Samsung 870QVO — 1TB each), using the iFixit Mac Mini Dual Drive Kit (£18 + P&P) which I bought — to set up either RAID-0 (seen as 1 x 2TB drive) or RAID-1 (seen as 1TB — but faster + redundancy)(size versus speed) configuration.

    Nobody has yet reported success with similar combinations (although I’m sure they have been successful).

    Whilst I’m in there, I’m going to remove/replace the thermal paste on the CPU then swap out the old CMOS battery too.

    With the Mac Mini (Late 2012) model it’s now possible (March 2023) to run MacOS Monterey 12.6.4 using OpenCore Legacy Patcher (same for the 2011 Mac Mini, I believe)(16GB RAM advisable obviously). Might try it.

    Expecting to get many more years of daily use out of this beautiful little 2012 machine!

    Steve Arkwright -

    From my experience drive order doesn’t make any difference (as stated in the beginning of the instructions).

    What gave me a hard time was the MacMini connecting the existing HDD and the new SSD into a Fusion Drive and formatting that with HFS+. That worked for 1 (!) start of my existing macOS 10.14, but then somehow corrupted the disks.

    Reformatting with APFS and restoring my backup did the trick. Works like a charm now.

    Alexander Czernay - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I had difficulty inserting the hdd back into the slot to align it with the 2 holes inside the case. I decided to insert it first and position it before inserting the power supply. I had less of a struggle than I did at first.

    Rafael Encarnacion - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

crwdns2915888:0crwdne2915888:0

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

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Andrew Optimus Goldheart

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iFixit crwdns2935289:0iFixitcrwdne2935289:0

Staff

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In my system the only way to get an SSD drive (OCZ Agility 3 120G) to work was to install it to the first SATA interface and the original HD to the second SATA interface.

I tried first as said in this guide, but the whole system got very unstable, the SSD was basicly unusable with lots of read errors, kernel panics etc...

After switch everything went smoothly. I cloned the original system to the new SSD with Carbon Copy Cloner, selected the SSD to be the startup disk and rebooted, Now the SSD is primary drive (with huge difference in speed, some 340/300 read/write) and the original 1T HD is secondary drive hosting my iTunes, iMovie and iPhoto archives.

marcojohansson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

The iFixit SATA cable does not work with the OCZ Vertex 4 drive using OS X 10.8. I tried both the "upper" and "lower" ports, neither work. Using the Apple supplied SATA cable, the drive works in both ports. Using the iFixit cable with the Apple supplied HDD drive works. Using the iFixit cable, the OCZ drive is detected using the OCZ Mac boot tools. It's just OS X 10.8 that can not see the drive when using the iFixit cable. I've contacted OCZ support.

brainsik - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Same for me as for marcojohansson. While my SSD worked in the "empty" bay, I was experiencing frequent system hangs and beach balling. Moving the SSD to the original hard drive position, and the hard drive into the extra bay seems to have solved the problem entirely!

Patrick - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

(Same as Patrick noted above) If you are adding a new SSD to your factory 1TB HD using iFixit's Mac mini HD kit, SWAP the drive positions—so that the SSD is in the original slot connected Apple's SATA cable and the original HD is now in the other bay using iFixit's cable. This issue affects only late-2012 Mac minis that come with a mini-specific build of OS X 10.8.2.

Vin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

The most difficult part of the process, as mentioned is fitting up the antenna platter again. It has an explanation.

You have to make sure hard drive (primary one, the one on the top), is correctly fitted. You can make sure it is by matching the screws on the hidden part, on the mounting holes of the plastic hard drive chasis. Once this is matched, it fits perfectly and screws are perfectly aligned.

Just keep calm, and be patient, all parts have perfect milimetric match. IT'S NOT DIFFICULT! PERFECT GUIDE!

fsanchez - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Just leave out the logic board removal!

You can do the job with the logic board in place.

- It is way easier

- No risk of damaging IR receiver and power light

- No special tools required, only Torx and Hex drivers

Blkksss - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

You can definitely omit the logic board removal if you are ONLY replacing the drive in the "old" (i.e. closer to opening) slot and not planning to put anything in the "new" (buried) slot.

anonymous 3693 -

I was surprised to find I could even add a second drive despite going no further than Step 9. (See my account below Step 9.) The second hard drive cradle was much simpler than the one used by iFixit, though. Just the connector, really.

Roger Houghton -

OK, I should have read through all the comments before going ahead with this. I have a Mac Mini late 2012 i7 with 1TB HD. I wanted to add a Samsung 840 256GB SSD. Initially, I installed that drive into the open bay as described in this guide, but it didn't work. Disk Utility saw it as a broken fusion drive (as outlined elsewhere). So I removed the original hard drive, leaving only the SSD in the new slot. This also didn't work - internet install of OS X failed multiple times and the machine was extremely hot. I finally got it to work by 1) taking original HD cable and putting it on the SSD, 2) installing original HD into the new slot using the iFixit cable (but leaving it unplugged from board after reassembly), 3) installing OS X onto the SSD which is now sitting in the old slot with old cable, 4) reconnecting the old HD/new cable to logic board, 5) restarting and using Disk Utility to reformat old HD. iFixit really needs to update this guide to indicate the SSD will probably not work in the new slot!

anonymous 3693 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Yes, new SSD (in my case Crucial CT 512 MX100) should be installed into the place of original HDD!!! and connected with the original connector!!!, then original HDD goes into the bracket and connects with the new connector, otherwise - "wheel of death" pops up regularly... It was painful learning exercise :(

sgelmius -

Excellent guide!

Only if OSX wasn't a piece of junk, causing a ridiculously slow install on a new SSD (4 hours) because it wasn't an Apple certified drive. All disk activity would halt every 10-20 seconds for about 20 seconds. Once the install was complete I was able to use "Enable Trim" to bring the speed up with no more halts.

Thank you iFixIt!!

Stephen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Before I started this ifixit I read a lot of people talking about the antenna not going on properly and problems with the hard drive. I found that the problem is the two grommets inside the front of the casing. These grommets are where the two screws on the existing or upper most (when the case is inverted) hard drive should go into.

I was placing the hard drive flat against the second hard drive I'd added which ment the two screws weren't in the grommets and we instead pushing on the outer casing. This meant the hard drive was in the wrong position and if I had continued with the rest of the reassembly the antenna definitely couldn't have fit correctly. I spotted this and made sure the hard drive was in the grommets, leaving enough room for the power cables to sit between the two hard drives.

With the hard drive sitting correctly you should find everything goes back together very easily. If you get to the end and nothing seems to fit this is probably the reason why!

Martyn - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Worked almost perfectly. A few notes:

-The Standoff that the fan is attached to DOES NOT need to be removed in order to get the fan off. However, it did make me uncomfortable pulling up on it thinking I might break it. You just have to go for it.

-I had to move the 2 HDD screws in the side of the stock HDD in to the new SSD and the 4 HDD screws in to the new SSD.

-Upon installing the grommets, don't install all 4 at once. Install the first two, put in the HDD, and put in the remaining two screws afterwards. I missed that and nearly broke the dual HDD bay chassis.

-I installed the SSD in the position where the stock HDD was and moved the stock HDD to the secondary open bay, leaving the original SATA connector to be used on the new SSD. I completed the installation without doing the install/restart prior to the second HDD installation business as suggested earlier in these comments. Worked perfectly.

-The only issue I had was plugging back in the power supply which was hard to do with big fingers.

Jesse Russell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Confirming other people's experience, I also had to swap the position of the original HDD and the new SSD (a Plextor 256GB in my case) which I added in the free slot. In the configuration described in the guide, the SSD proved unreliable and disappeared during mirroring the system drive with Carbon Copy Cloner. After connecting the SSD with the existing cable (i.e., in the location closer to the WiFi antenna) everything worked fine.

flipperuno - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Another issue I encountered was interference with the Mac Mini's internal Bluetooth adapter. This may be related to a suggested general weakness of the adapter's design (people report trouble with USB3.0 interference elsewhere). I had severe problems to get a pair of wireless Bluetooth speakers working. When I disconnected the newly installed SSD, everything worked fine.

What did the trick in the end, was to shield the SATA cable attached to the SSD with a thick layer of tin foil that I wrapped around the SSD on the side with the ribbon cable and that I fixed with Sellotape. Also, to avoid electrical contact with the WiFi antenna's plug, I added a layer of Sellotape in that region. Not exactly elegant but it worked for me.

flipperuno - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Success!

Add a Samsung SSD 840 PRO Series 512GB + 16GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR3 RAM.

Here's an accelerated video of the installation:

http://youtu.be/HZaP7e_Hvis

kristofferlr - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I recently bought my Core i5 2.5 base model.

Upon opening my case, i noticed that the original drive was not on the upper most slot but in the buried location. This makes installation that much easier. Unfortunately, my sata ribbon cable had a tear in it and could not be installed.

Reading the above comments, it seems i will need to switch the drives? If it was not for that, there would be no need to remove the logic board. You only need to remove the Fan assembly and the plastic cover and fit the drive in. the grommets are already there but the screws are not. you may need to fins screws that will fit in the grommets as the ones provided in this kit may be too skinny.

Ill have to try it once i get the ribbon replaced.

andrepaquette - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Absolutely superb.

Very straightforward and easy steps to run through.

512GB SSD & 2TB HDD

Why do I ever need a Desktop PC for again!?

Stuart Harris - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Migrated SSD from other machine into Upper bay of "new" Apple refurb'd 2012 mini, everything seemed to go well, but the existing 1TB spinner in the Lower bay shows negotiated connection at 3Gb vs the 6Gb for the SSD.

Is this expected behavior?

I am confused about mixed experience with SSD in Upper bay vs Lower. Would be nice to have a more definitive answer.

larryleonard - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Followed the Guide and added a 250g Samsung EVO SSD Drive. Everything went smooth as silk. I also purchased the expanded kit with the driver set. Made it extremely easy having all the right tools. After completion I decided to convert to a Fusions set up which worked out perfectly. After installing Yosemite, I did a restore and everything is just how it should be.

Thanks for the Guide & Tools !

crgagner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Thanks for the guide! I used OWC's kit (no reason why I chose that over IFixit's, as far as I can tell they're the same). Between doing this and taking care of my 11 month old it took me a few hours with lots of forced breaks to get it done, but everything seems to work.

I'm kind of bummed with the realization that enabling TRIM on Yosemite will cause all sorts of crazy issues. Thinking of going back to 10.9.....

CiViCKiDD - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I have a dual drive server. I'm thinking of replacing one drive with an SSD. I'm assuming I should put it in the 1st (easiest to access) slot.

lederermc - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

The guide is great, and the iFixit toolkit is awesome. The SATA cable itself though is not great.

Had a bunch of issues with it when connecting a SSD.The cable would cause my RAID1 to fail, and attempts to install OS X on just the iFixit cable connected drive resulted in kernel panics. Have tried multiple cables all with the same result. Ended up getting the SATA cable from OWC and all issues went away.

adam - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Follows this guide and consulted all comments as o went through each step. What others have said was invaluable to my success- thank you to all the pioneers who paved the way, and some who even sacrificed their machines by boldly going first! I surely would have broken something we're it not for your words of caution.

Also wanted to add that I installed a Samsung SSHD (1tb) in the original slot and moved the original HD to the open slot, and all seems to be well. Boot times are exponentially faster, and I use my mini as a server so normal SSD speeds are not important for me, just the boot. I highly recommend this option for servers as you get SSD boot times for a fraction of the cost.

Good luck!

ShapeShifter - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hi ! I dismounted the mini i5 2012 but the original 500gb HDD is already set as one must secure the new SSD! So I put the SSD instead of the original screws and rubber are already fixed. but my concern then is how to install the second DD (original 500gb) I do not understand there is 2 holes on the plastic support! I have to fix it before replacing the media? then the sata connectors are identical and no obvious place! the second sata connectors should be between 2 SSD and HD discs? thank you

gregory Pedurand - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I dismounted the mini i5 2012 but the original 500gb HDD is already set as one must secure the new SSD! So I put the SSD instead of the original screws and rubber are already fixed. but my concern then is how to install the second DD (original 500gb) I do not understand there is 2 holes on the plastic support! I have to fix it before replacing the media? then the sata connectors are identical and no obvious place! the second sata connectors should be between 2 SSD and HD discs? thank you

gregory Pedurand - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Is there a way to tell in software, without opening it up, which drive is in which location? I added the SSD and made a Fusion Drive well over a year ago and now I can't remember whether I switched the drives or not. My Samsung 840 Evo 750GB is rife with CRC errors, rendering my computer basically unusable.

Andrew - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Yes. Apple Logo in top left -> About this Mac -> System Report -> Click on SATA/SATA Express. Select your drive and look for which bay it is in "upper or lower".

Remember when you have the mini open this is reversed so "lower" would be at the top when the cover is off.

matthewe -

I also destroyed 2 very fragile connections from the IR to my logic board in attempting to perform step 13 on my brand new Server. Rather than replace the entire logic board I started it up and it seemed to have worked OK for a while but over one year, the sound card seems to have disappeared. Now Photos and Quicktime will not open video files.

Beware! I would rate this upgrade as "challenging" or 9 based on the risk benefit ratio.

cvmd - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

BEWARE. Easy to destroy your logic board with this DIY. Difficulty 9/10!

cvmd - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I used this guide for my Mac Mini Late 2012 for SSD upgrade to be a Fusion Drive with my old 64GB Crucial m4 SSD. I can't believe how well it works!! SO much faster I am not even going to bother upgrading the 4GB factory RAM!

Just follow the iFixit guide very carefully and cautiously.. I spent about 2 hours doing this on the kitchen table. It helps if you have good lighting and good tools. You will have to literally gut every part out from the inside of your Mac Mini until it's nothing but an empty aluminum shell...

I used everyone's advice and moved my factory 500GB Hitachi HD to the new location, and put my SSD in the old location.

When I was putting it back together I encountered 2 obstacles: [see next comment]

syclone0044 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

1. My power supply wire harness (black maybe 8-wire?) did not want to return to its original position, making me feel like I was jamming something too tight when I reinstalled the logic board. The iFixit guide said to ensure the power supply harness routes underneath the power supply but that left too much extra wire bunched up where it meets the logic board. I wish I had paid closer attention to how the factory routed the power supply wire harness so I could've put it back that exact way. My suspicion is it runs in a tight narrow gap between the top HD and the power supply.

[see next comment]

syclone0044 -

2. When I was reassembling my Mac Mini, the top HD seemed to just flop on there and I was concerned it wasn't going to really be secured by anything. Even worse, it seemed like my 2 HD-to-logic-board cables were going to be pinched when the top HD got installed! Then I realized if you tip your Mac Mini sideways (pretend its a book and stand it on it's "spine"), gravity will pull the hard drive locating pins into the 2 grommets, and you'll realize the top HD actually sits a fair bit higher than it appears, and there shouldn't be much risk of cable pinching when finished.

[see next comment]

syclone0044 -

I also used a special guide I found on the web that uses CoreStorage commands to make a Fusion drive out of the factory HD "Macintosh HD" PARTITION and not the entire DISK. (Something like disk2s2 instead of just disk2). That way, my factory HD actually keeps it's 650MB RECOVERY HD which allows you to still do rescue/recovery stuff just like factory. Otherwise you could lose that if you erase both HDs and just create a new Fusion drive. (Although when I read the 10.9 Mavericks Installer log details, it seemed like there was a check for a Recovery partition where maybe it would've made one?). Apple's Support website has a tool where you can download a Recovery Assistant .DMG that lets you create the Recovery Partition on your blank drive.

[see next comment]

syclone0044 -

Hope this helps someone..

The result is WELL worth it! Before my Mac Mini was constantly deadlocked because I always have dozens of Chrome tabs open, Safari, and the thought of opening X Code is out of the question. Now I can flip between all 3 of them like nothing!!! I swear it runs like greased lightning!! I am so happy, I can't even imagine a better result. I thought FOR SURE I would still need to upgrade from 4GB to 8GB RAM but NOPE! Its so fast I can't see any reason to drop the $50. The "page file" / "virtual memory" gets located on SSD and that's so fast it acts just like RAM. Awesome!!

syclone0044 -

I have a Late 2012 Mac Mini and followed this guide which worked well until, as others have reported, I tried using the system. I was getting lockups and spinning wheel often when booting using the new SSD. (Crucial MX100). As others did, I switched the slots and have success unless I install as a fusion drive. It seems that if the 2nd drive is part of the os disk, either stand alone or as part of a fusion drive you are going to have issues. It is working now as a separate drive. I assume the problem lies with the cable that is included as part of the kit.

Johnny Bridges - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

bought a mac mini late 2012 model earlier this year on my workplace's clearance - i7 model - for £230 :) upgraded ram instantly to 8GB but the 1TB HDD, although enough space, just wasn't fast enough for me for loading times (even though the 4GB>8GB upgraded did speed things up a bit...)

had been saving up for a large SSD to swap the HDD inside with but then recently found out that all late 2012 mac minis can have 2 HDDs in them! so bought this kit, went through the upgrade procedure flawlessly and boom! 480GB SSD (OCZ with Trim) + the original 1TB HDD in my Mac Mini and now my boot time is around 7 seconds! :) happy chappy

Robin Hosgood - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hi there,

what iFixit doesn't phrase clearly is the fact that there are 2 hdd configuration types. There are a number of Mac Minis shipped with HDD in UPPER position (as shown as in Mac OS X). Almost every upgrade guide on the internet (incl. ifixit) doesn't even mention the possibility that these costly upgrade kits won't fit in your Mac!

Unfortunately iFixit doesn't offer this particular cable for the LOWER slot (076-1412). The cable 076-1413 for the upper slot does not fit for these Mac Minis with HDDs shipped in upper position.

Spent money for nothing... :(

Herbert Hutterer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I do this daily. Adding drives, removing drives upper and lower. The fastest way is to disconnected everything first then do not remove the logic board. only for the lower drive for the upper drive you will have to remove the logic board. I have build several minis for clients with a 2 TB upped drive and a 500GB SSD for the lower its tight but it works great.

Justin Weathersbee - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I did it with a 480GO SSD, I already added a 240GO SSD previously. I tried to do a fusion drive with those to ssd, but I would rather recommend to have the system on the fastest drive, and being able to chose on witch one you want to store your files.

Of cours, this is my advice when you are having two ssd, if you are have one hard drive and one ssd, fusion drive is an option to conceder.

cedricheckly - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

WARNING: FAULTY CABLE.

My hard drive cable, ordered at the European store 21. May 2016, was faulty. It was not working neither with the SSD nor with the formerly installed hard drive. It turned out that the pins on the plug (SSD side) had not been soldered correctly. So if a drive does not work, check the cable carefully! After soldering the pins (very experienced people and correct equipment necessary!) everything was fine.

ACHTUNG! Festplattenkabel prüfen! Wenn weder die SSD noch die vorherige HD mit dem mitgelieferten Kabel funktionieren, ist das Kabel eventuell defekt! Bei mir war der Stecker der HD nicht korrekt angelötet. Nach Reparatur funktioniert nun alles bestens.

reinhard - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I just used this kit to install a Samsung Evo 840 into my mini, and it worked great. As most have commented, the airport antenna shield was the most difficult part to get installed correctly. My mini had the OEM HDD in the lower position. Because of comments here, I swapped locations, moving the HDD to the upper position (with the ifixit grommets and screws) and reused the stock hardware for the SSD in the lower position.

The only problem I am noticing is a vibration from the HDD, which wasn't there in the stock single drive configuration. I think I will open it up and swap the drive postions to SSD - upper and HDD - lower. Otherwise, no problems.

youngc1 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hello. Once both drives are installed, I see that I have a disk0 and disk1. Which disk would be best to use as a boot drive for boot speed? Thanks.

handlenyc - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Great guide. I switched the drives as suggested and all looks good so far. This process would have been impossible without this guide or someone that has done it before. The connectors are small and all go on a certain way. One tip, I used nail clippers to click off a little of the protective sheet on the original drive around where the holes are for the screws. This helped get the screws in easily. I also clipped a small bit of material off one of the drive cable connectors. It was getting caught on the other cable connector and would not seat properly.

Frank Dickinson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Excellent guide except for one massive omission (unless I missed it somewhere): nowhere does it mention the limitation on the DRIVE THICKNESS.

I purchased the only Seagate 7200rpm 2.5" SATA drive greater than 1TB that I have been able to find (Constellation.2) for replacing my Fusion drive pair and when it arrived it looked thicker than most laptop drives. And sure enough, at 15mm, it will not fit in the "upper bay" where OEM spinner was installed. If you secure that 15mm into the drive bracket, you cannot get the bracket to properly seat into the case.

Looking at the OEM spinner, it's a 9.5mm. So now I have to return the drive that's too big and order a new drive. As my Fusion drive is failing, having further delay is not pleasant. And since my mini has been painstakingly disassembled, I'm not going to put it back together for the intervening 3-5 days it takes to get the new drive, as I already saw the IR(?) connector start to have pins pull out, and I had to redo that connector.

So now I'm down :-(

Dave Kitabjian - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I was done in about 30 minutes.

I also have a 2010 2.4GHz C2D that I have swapped the drive on multiple times, so I had a little prior knowledge of some disassembly.

I had already replaced the 500GB that came in this originally with a WD Black². I have also converted the Black² to a Fusion drive with the help of WD's software.

I installed a Samsung 250GB SSD in the upper drive location. I used Boot camp to install Windows 10 on the Samsung SSD. I'm actually on the Windows side right now.

While I had the mini apart I decided to compressed air can clean it out. There was a little bit of dust build up, but not anymore.

I did make the mistake of not pressing the fan connector back on all the way. I was reaching to the back of the mini to install a USB thumb drive when I noticed the casing was very warm. I flipped the case over, removed the cover and noticed the fan wasn't working. I shut the mini down and made sure the connector was seated properly. After restarting and the fan was working it's all good.

Al Mann - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

It's a somewhat intimidating but straightforward procedure. Ultimately the most difficult part was reseating the hard drive into the casing grommets (step 18), but once seated you will hear/feel a slight 'pop' and the drive will be held fairly securely while you complete the rest of the steps.

Matt Traynor - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Thanks for this post! Followed step by step and now have the original 250 SSD with a 2TB SSD. Runs and functions like a champ!

Eric Faith - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I started following the instructions, but soon stopped, because it doesn't fit my machine: I have a Mac Mini, Late 2012 with the Modell-ID: Macmini6,2 . Here the standoff from step 4 is a real screw, but then I tried to get to the antenna plug in step 10, I nearly ripped a flat band cable that lies on top of the bluetooth / wifi antenna plug. I then decided to stop.

Oliver Hörold - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I did this last night. It took me about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish. I'm pretty decent as far as working on this insides of gadgets, and overall this went fairly straightforward.

Everything that I found difficult was addressed by people in the comments.

1. I never removed the fan connector. I just put it to the side.

2. I put the new SSD drive where the old HD was. Everything works.

3. I didn't understand how the drive that sat on the top was going to be held in place. Indeed, tipping the Mac Mini on its side so you can get the screws on the side of the drive to fall into the existing holes/grommets in the Mac Mini case was the trick.

4. Making sure the power connector cables ran between/under the drives was easy for me.

5. The IR connector was easy to remove, but yes, very fragile. It lifts off the PCB, straight up, so the flat connector remains parallel to the PCB.

6. It really is something to see how beautiful a simple case is on the inside...when few people will ever see it.

Kris Pfeiffer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Did it yesterday, went flawlessly, added 500 GB Samsung EVO SSD and Mac mini is like new computer, blazing fast :)

Guide is great, I also used video on youtube to follow along ( https://youtu.be/63WL3Q7UujI )

iFix toolkit for this is great, so I highly recommend buying it,

Kandage - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I’m getting a “CRC Error Count” https://imgur.com/a/ApRAI is the cable faulty? They’re about $20 to replace.

I just finished adding an ssd, went a lot smoother than in the comments, but I guess better to be safe than sorry but it was a lot easier than imagined especially putting everything back.

John Doole - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Very helpful tutorial. Couple of things I’d add in addition to comments above.

1. I did not unplug the fan, just gently slid it out of the case with the logic board.

2. Removing the HDD helps to unplug the motherboard.

3. When adding a SSD drive I swapped places, moving the old HDD one to the upper bay and placing new SSD in where HDD used to sit.

4. Pulling up on the antenna plate with tweezers while trying to seat it worked best to make it align.

I installed high sierra through internet recovery and everything works great! HDD exist as additional storage at this point.

michalmotykiewicz - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Can this be performed on a late 2014 mac mini?

Aaron Resendiz - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hello,

I found different answers or suggestions.

I have a MacMini Late 2011 with 16GB Ram and 1TB hdd.

I use it for transcoding video files with handbrake and tag them with subbler for my plex server.

It is fast due to the quadcore processor and 16gb Ram. Can I speed it up with the dual hard drive kit when I remove the hdd and insert two ssd‘s?

Do they work in a Raid system and if so, could I format the system in APFS and will increase that again the speed for read/write?

Thanks in advance!

Julian - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hi i just installed my new hard drive and after rebooting i can inky see hard drive from the original slot (bay) so i’ve changed hard drives and again only original bay is working , do i need to activate the other slot? And how. Pls help.

Martin Mardun Hornak - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I’ve seen that a lot of people say to not place a new SSD in the secondary (upper) space due to issues with the ifixit sata cable. What I want to know is if I don’t use the original hard drive and swap in 2 new SSDs, will one not be usable?

Dimitri Hondroulis - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Thank you for this guide - can’t believe how easy it was to add the second drive with these instructions. I’m a fairly experienced PC builder, but without this guide, I don’t think I’d have managed to get this done on the Mini. It’s amazing how much they’ve packed into the case!

Two things I found tricky:

1. Getting the top hard drive to screw back in. I ended up using the spudger to just lift up the top drive enough to get the first screw to catch, then pulled the spudger out.

2. The fan plug didn’t seat properly into the socket, on reassembly. My Mini has always run very quiet and so I’m glad I left the cover off when I turned it back on first time. A quick wiggle on the plug and the fan burst into life.

I used the cheaper kit from Amazon (iFixit was out of stock in EU) and it seems to have worked just fine. SSD on the bottom, original HDD on the top.

One other thing - my 2012 Mini wouldn’t take Catalina as an upgrade to Mountain Lion that it semi-automatically installed when I turned it on. I had to install El Capitan on top of Mountain Lion, and then Catalina on top of that.

Ben - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Question - would the new M.2 SSD drives fit in the bay?

Height: 93.70 mil (2.38 mm) Width: 0.87" (22 mm) Depth: 3.15" (80 mm)

John R - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

i don’t see two hard drives here

Tony Drolson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Le tutorial manque de précision. La description des vis est trop peu détaillée, il y a plusieurs modèles de vis, certaines avec des épaulements, d’autres à étages, d’autres ordinaires, la seule mention de la longueur ne pas suffisante… Par exemple les vis du radiateurs sont elles-mêmes la base des vis du protecteur à droite, c’est ainsi qu’elles possèdent un petit ressort dans l’ouverture pour le tourne-vis.. Qui est en passant difficile à enlever, car il y a une vis caché à 9heures avec un guide.

Bref, il faut marquer toutes les vis et ne pas croire que le guide va nous aider lors à la fin.

La procédure qui consiste à installer l’ancien disque dans la seconde baie n’a de sens que si le premier est un disque mécanique, plus lent. Et même encore, il est possible de choisir le disque de démarrage avec la touche ALT. Bref, je ne comprends pas la pertinence de cette procèdure. Dans mon cas, j’ajoutais un second SSD, pour faire 2 T, au total. Le tout a redémarré parfaitement sans changer le premier SSD de baie

jeangould - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hi!

thank you for the excellent installing guide!

one question: you didn’t mention the temperature sensor. Is it not necessary? The kit doesn’t include it, right?

thank you!

gabrielafavre - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

This guide can also be used in cases where your Mac Mini has been pre-installed with only the second drive bay in a bracket, from manufacture. Apple made it deliberately difficult by mounting the stock HDD in this model in the second drive bay so you have to disassemble it to get in and replace it with a much faster SSD. You essentially follow the guide until step 24, install the SSD in the bracket with the four T10 screws, then follow the guide back in reverse order assuming you only want the one drive and aren’t installing a second with the kit. This is what I did, so this guide prevailed where YouTube failed as all the ones I saw had the drive in an easy to reach place.

Gary Diamond - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I installed dual SSDs in my late model 2012 Mac mini. I’m running Catalina in it and it’s runs great. I was wondering if there is a trick

to get the secondary hard drive to run independently of the primary while using the secondary as as the HOME drive (storing files, photos,

music, etc) so that I have plenty of room for OS and APPs to run on my Primary drive.

I Installed the primary drive where the original Mac Hard drive sat. I manually dragged my home Icon over to the secondary SSD and restarted the Mac. The secondary has the Home (user) icon in it now and all of the files that were associated with it.

HOWEVER, what ever I do on the primary desktop the secondary seems to be mirroring. I realized that the desktop is linked to the HOME user in the secondary, but when I change anything on the desktop in the secondary drive it affects the primary. It’s as if there is some type of odd mirroring happening.

If anyone out there has done this type of custom install could you reply? Thanks so much!

lyn - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I have 3 Mac Mini’s Late 2012 that I bought with dual drives so never noticed that there is a 2nd HDD adapter/caddy tray for the lower slot.

Just recently purchased 2 Mac Mini’s on eBay with 1 HDD drive each and want to move them to lower slot (and add SSD’s to upper slots) when they arrive but trying to understand beforehand:

For a stock Mac Mini Late 2012 with 1 drive do I need to buy the 2nd HDD tray/caddy pictured above *OR* does a 2nd drive fit into the grommets when placed in lower slot (without the caddy). Also noticed the posts (I assume to fit in grommets) in the kits appear to be threaded only… do the threaded posts work just like the posts that come with stock drives ordered in the mac mini or do I need to buy other non-threaded posts (all the 2nd hard drive cable kits seem to come with threaded posts oddly enough)?

Really appreciate anyone’s expert insight….

Nikolaos Giannopoulos - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Great Guide. I just finished putting two SSD's (too much data) in my late 2012 i7 mac mini, and changing the battery. Preinstalled, the drives came out of a very dead MacBook Pro. I'd booted them before as external drives on the mini, but took the plunge into the instalation to make the system faster, and it worked! The mini's Fusion drive didn't have to be split before removal as the mini's operating system was in the meantime newer and the Fusion architecture has changed. The preinstalled SSD system booted without problems. The mini has been running pretty constantly for the last decade, and I'm looking forward to a few more years of decade-old mini service.

OldHand - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I wish this guide were clearer. At no point do I see HOW the second drive is installed nor how the original vs new cable are installed. Rather confusing as it should SHOW both drives and BOTH cables installed. maybe I will have to look elsewhere for my upgrade

Mark Dm - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

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