MacBook Air 13" Early 2014 Solid-State Drive Replacement
crwdns2944107:0crwdnd2944107:0Jeff Suovanencrwdnd2944107:0crwdnd2944107:0crwdnd2944107:04crwdnd2944107:0crwdne2944107:0
crwdns2944111:0Kul 24, 2024crwdne2944111:0
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crwdns2942287:0crwdne2942287:0Use this guide to upgrade or replace the solid-state drive in a MacBook Air 13” Early 2014. This MacBook Air uses a proprietary storage drive connector, and is therefore not compatible with common M.2 drives without the use of an adapter.
Before you perform this repair, if at all possible, back up your existing SSD. Then, either familiarize yourself with internet recovery or create a bootable external drive so you’ll be ready to install macOS onto your new drive and migrate your data to the new SSD.
Finally, we strongly recommend installing macOS 10.13 High Sierra (or a later macOS) before replacing the original SSD from your MacBook Air. Most new SSDs require updated storage drivers not found in versions of macOS prior to High Sierra.
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crwdns2935267:0crwdne2935267:0P5 Pentalobe Screwdriver Retina MacBook Pro and Air$5.99
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Use a P5 Pentalobe driver to remove ten screws securing the lower case, of the following lengths:
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Two 9 mm screws
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Eight 2.6 mm screws
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Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
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Remove the lower case and set it aside.
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Grab the clear plastic pull tab attached to the battery connector and pull it parallel to the board toward the front edge of the Air.
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Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.
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Gently lift the end of the SSD about half an inch and pull it straight out of its socket on the logic board.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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Fairly straight forward once you get the right screwdrivers. Took me less than 10 minutes.
Very simple and straight forward replacement. First-party SSD replacement can be found on ebay (typically removed from parted-out MacBook Airs). Currently they're aren't any third-party parts available.
Don't forget to re-attach the battery cable before closing up the underside... not that I did or anything ;-/
The Relevant Parts list all has incorrect links. Bait & Switch??
Examples:
"$199.95 Macbook Air 11" and 13" (Mid 2013/Early 2014) SSD, 256 GB"
Actually supplies: 128GB USED
"$349.95 Macbook Air 11" and 13" (Mid 2013/Early 2014) SSD, 512 GB"
Actually supplies: 256GB USED
Whoops! Looks like we didn't update the details on those parts when we updated the part itself, sorry about that!
How do I clone the content of my current ssd hard drive that I want to upgrade? Basically I want my macbook air ready for use once I install the new ssd drive.
First off, you would need an enclosure with cable that would let you connect the new/replacement ssd/flash to your existing Air using a USB port. Then use Clone Carbon Copy and copy the inner drive to the outside drive. 30 minute process, at most. Then follow this well-done guide.
Phil L -
Hi all.
What is the maximum SSD accepted (and recognized by OSX) for Macbook Air Early 2014 ?
I have 256 GB. Can I go above this ?
you can install what ever you want and your wallet is available to ^^
i have now the 500GB Samsung EVO 970 M.2 NVMe with an adapter installed. more is possible.
M.2 NVMe is the cheapest way to upgrade your MacBook. If you have to much money, you can also buy an OWC SSD (up to 1000$ for 2TB; Samsung 2TB 500$)
Marcel -
Marcel: Would be nice to know what the performance is like.
Which adapter exactly did you use?
Is the Samsung EVO 970 M.2 NVMe slower than the (more expensive) OWC SSD due to the adapter?
I looked into this and was told that the new SSD drives did not play well with this model. Comment ?
Samsung evo 960 and sintech adapter works perfect. 2014 mba plug and play and time machine backup restore.
Did you test the performance?
Hi! I already own this Inland Profession M.2 drive and would love to be able to use it for this project. Is it compatible, and if so, how do I find the proper adapter?
Has anyone had luck upgrading the SSD? I upgraded to the OWC X2 and now after the computer goes into hibernation mode it restarts twice before I can use it. This usually occurs in the mornings…
Hey Will! That’s a fairly common post-SSD-upgrade problem, unfortunately :( Here’s a forum post with a couple troubleshooting options you can try! Really an SSD doesn’t need to “hibernate” like a spinning drive does, so if nothing else works for you, you can always just disable hibernation. Sorry about the trouble!
I bought a Macbook Air 2014 and it didn’t come with an ssd. I ordered an OWC Aura pro x2 ssd and installed it. The Mac had El Capitan installed previously (I saw it on the Ebay listing). The new ssd would not appear in the disk utility menu. In the end I have a Macbook Air that I can’t get an operating software on. Any ideas?
As mentioned above, you need MacOS 10.13 High Sierra (or later).
Normally you would install that first, then install the new SSD.
Have you tried booting from USB on a newer version of MacOS and installing that way?
Same problem to a certain extent. I am trying to upgrade my ssd. Followed all the instructions but once I get to disk utility my hd is not shown. Only thing I am disk0 and OS X Base. Can’t select any options. Can’t install OS or anything else because there is no hard drive to select.
Bonjour, j’ai essayé d’installer un ssd samsung 970 evo plus 500 GB sur mon macbook air début 2014. J’ai tout essayé mais impossible de réinstaller macOS sur la machine, ça plante tout le temps. J’ai tenté de remettre Mojave via le réseau wifi puis j’ai créé une clé usb (8GB) bootable avec Mojave dessus. Je démarre la machine en cliquant alt puis choisi de restauré macOS Mojave en utilisant ma clé. Je choisi la destination, soit le nouvel ssd et ça démarre. Sauf que ça plante toujours. Je précise que mon ssd est formater en macOS étendu (journalisé). Avez-vous une solution car là je ne sais plus quoi faire de plus ?
Merci
Very disappointed with this product since it does not work ; no installation problem ;
no problem as long as it is running, but problems appear when I put it to sleep
when i put it in deep sleep pmset hibernatemode 25 it crashes as soon as i open the hood and it reboot alone 2 times before restartingif i put the hibernatemode 3 it crashes from the moment when he has to use his sleepimage and again he reboot alone 2 times before restarting
whether in high sierra or mojave with my macbook air early 2014 11", 1,7 Ghz intel core i7
response
Thank you for contacting me back! This SSD is compatible with your MacBookAir, regrettably, any NVME SSD will potentially face the same issue. This is due to a connection issue with the logic board to the SSDs. We are working with Apple to resolve this and hope to have a permanent fix soon.
therefore works well but impossible to put the mac on standby, otherwise crashes twice when exiting from standby
obligation to leave it connected permanently otherwise the battery drains very quickly
Does iFixit sell the enclosure for this SSD? It look proprietary. I really just need to access the data from a dead computer. Any help appreciated!
une erreur s'est glissée dans la rédaction du "how to" Ayant suivi cette procédure pour installer un 400 GB Aura Pro X2 page 3 vous indiquez l'utilité d un Torx T9 de 2;9. Or il s agit Dun Torx T5 i Pour le reste ce fut assez simple grâce à votre conseil.... merci
Bonjour @sinagot,
Merci de votre remarque et de votre attention. Effectivement, il y avait une erreur dans la traduction. Je l'ai rectifiée. iFixit étant un wiki, n'hésitez pas à corriger vous-même la prochaine fois que vous trouvez une erreur. Merci encore et belle journée à vous !
Wich Hdd 1Tb do you suggest for this macabri ? (MacAir early 2014)
Pulling the fan cable out was terrifying but you actually just pull on the cable itself. No way to get any leverage at the connector to dislodge it. Did come out easily but like I said, scared me!
allison - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Draai de schroefjes voorzichtig los en leg ze op een stabiele plek neer en let erop dat de schroefje een verschillende lengte hebben.
bwgvanderveer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
I thought I could replace my 256 Gb SSD with 512? regards
ola m - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Do you have good Test Point Voltages? It appears there are silver colored Test points on the I/O Board. I am working on a water spill and trying to troubleshoot if both the I/O board and the Logic need replaced.
andrew - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
It's probably not necessary but may be a little safer to completely discharge the old battery before replacing it.
Larry Smith - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
tell a model that was not inferior to the speed of the one in the laptop.
Thank you
ilyabuhov - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Do i need to order tools separately to replace the battery i just ordered?
anne uhlir - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
im looking for a Logic Board for a
Apple - MacBook Air® - 13.3" Display - Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 128GB Flash Storage (Latest Model) - Silver Model: MQD32LL/A
Any help is appreciated.
Jamie Comstock - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
P5 pentalobe screwdrivers are too big! The correct size for these screws are p4 pentalobe. P5 pentalobe was just able, with difficulty, to turn some of the screws. If the screws were at all tight, my p5 was unable to get them out, and started to strip the screws. A p4 screwdriver fit better and removed the screws with ease. (I was using high quality Wiha brand screwdrivers.)
William Skinner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
I had same experience (with MacBook Air 13-inch Mid-2012) … had to get P4, which worked swimmingly
eric -
Very simple installation. The screwdriver heads were exactly what we’re needed, one head for the outside case screws, the other for the screws holding the battery in place. The computer started right up. Now to see how the battery holds up, but I have a good feeling about this!
Dennis Eaton - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
My P5 and the T5 worked perfectly with my early 2015 Air 13”! And it is super fast! Thank you iFixit!
Pennny Beach - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
The supplied kit and instructions worked perfectly!
Nikolay Andreev - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Comments that the P5 pentalobe are too large are absolutely spot-on. There is no way the P5 pentalobe bit I have will work with the MacBook Air without destroying the screws. Hard target search for P4 pentalobe bit in progress…..
joemoog - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Bonjour j’aimerais changer mon SSD de 128 Go pour en mettre un de 512 Go. Je ne sais pas ce qu’il faut prendre car il faut qu’il soit compatible avec le macbook air A1466. J’aurais vu un Samsung Evo 970 500 Go mais si je ne me trompe pas, il faut un adaptateur.
Merci pour votre aide.
chicco33 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
oui, vous aurez besoin d’un adaptateur, pour completez le changement.
Dan -
The tool kit should include tweezers for re-inserting the battery connector.
Andre Clement - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
P5 pentalobe worked perfectly for me. Instructions were spot-on. Antenna connections were a bit fiddly to refit but got them in ok.
michaelquinnell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Maybe the problem some are experiencing is that the designations are confusing (blame Apple rather than iFixit). the P2 is also known as PL1. The P5 is also known as PL4. The P6 is also known as PL5. So it is possible to mistake the P6 (PL5) for the P5 (PL4), meaning it (P6-PL5) will be too big, while the P5 (PL4) will be just right. Sort of a 3 Bears explanation, but it is very confusing.
Thomas Lewis - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
To add to this. In searching for the P5 screwdriver to buy in UK, as far as I can tell, it is also known as
Pentalobe 1.2(mm)
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P4 = 0.8
P6 = 1.5
Just unscrewed the back case of MacBook Air 13” mid 2011, with no problems using Pentalobe 1.2
nijafe -
I have not replaced a display on the A1369 but have done many A1466 which is a newer 13” model. They seem really similar and its not clear why one needs to remove the logic board to remove the display. The antenna cables on the A1466 dont have to rest under the logic board but can be tucked in the hinge crevice. Cant this same thing be done with the A1369?
Sean Love - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Did mine today - but new battery wasnt charging. Went back in and noticed the battery connector cable was not quite 100% “seated. It was sticking out by less than a millimetre! - you need to give it quite a firm push in to get it seated properly. Otherwise - all ok .
John Brennand - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Just installed on a MacBookAir6,2 (13-inch, Early 2014).
Was very easy.
New iFixit battery looks great so far:
Jonathan Cross - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
can you tell me which size of screwdrivers you’ve used to crack it up, please? I have the same model and size,
hawk_lpc -
Screw P5 Pentalobe 1.2
Mario Verlent - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Install went flawlessly. Only challange was reattaching blue tooth antennas. Those sockets are so tiny.
Joel Sebastian - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Installation was a little challenging at first because the instructions on this site did not perfectly match my model (late 2013 to early 2015).
Found this video on YouTube which described the procedure perfectly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lue6lVWh...
Also the Ifixit kit I received was well put together with everything I needed and more. The calibration went perfectly and I am very pleased. Will buy again!!
Donald Niamath - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Gently pulled out connector of old battery, then pressed and held the power switch for 1 minute. Unscrewed and removed the old battery. Pressed and held power switch for 1 minute again. I know from previous work that this helps drain charge from spontaneous recharging as the dielectric recovers. Gently “fine tuned” leads from new battery to connector till connector stuck out at right angle to the edge of battery. Held the battery by the edges and let the connector slide into the socket. Set the battery down and put the screws in all the way. Then checked that the connector was completely seated before tightening the screws. The laptop come on immediately and showed 98% charge and registered normal (checked in “About this Mac”. Very happy to this point. Now for calibration.
Amir Zaidi - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Thank you very much for the guilde. My MBA2011 had reborn !
Billy Wong - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Allow for electrostatics, otherwise you may cook components on the logicboard /motherboard (like I did with one of these!)
See great advice: Electrostatic Discharge
Fletcher Cole - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
… und wenn du eines von diesen wirklich kleinen Schräubchen vermisst: bevor du den Boden aufkehrst oder mit einem starken Magneten absuchst, schau mal am seitlichen (magnetischen) Ladekabelanschluss nach … ?
... and if you miss one of these really small screws: before you sweep the floor or search it with a strong magnet, take a look at the (magnetic) charging cable connection on the side … ?
Blatt - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Fot All People ha ing trouble finding their SSD
DONT PRESS CMD +R + POWER
instead press
OPTION+CMD+R +POWER
I just installed Monterrey with WD black sn 770 SSD in m'y macbook air 2015
Albert - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
IFixit just had me submit "my story" re. fixing my MacBook Air 2013.
This repair was NOT difficult. The battery is enclosed in a plastic frame. It is NOT glued in like the newer models of Apple laptops. And unlike older laptops, the battery is not totally enclosed in a plastic housing. So once you remove the screws holding the batterie's frame, you can remove the battery.
Follow the instructions. Read the comments. Also read the comments re. installing a new battery.
Good luck. - Eric J.
ECJohansen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
On the back of the laptop, notice that each screw is angled a little bit inward, aiming toward the middle of the laptop. Keep your screwdriver lined up with the screw (angled a bit outward as seen at 01:23 in the video: https://youtu.be/tToAwO6f-SY&t=83). This will help you get a good bite on the screw to get it out and avoid stripping the head of the screw.
Use the same angle when putting each screw back in. If the screw is in line with its hole it should not feel like you are fighting to screw it in. If it does, check your angle and back up a little; you should feel the screw fall into line.
Rich Garella - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
IFixit just had me submit "my story" re. fixing my MacBook Air 2013.
This repair was NOT difficult. The battery is enclosed in a plastic frame.
shrhh - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Is it possible to change an upper case with a german keyboard for an english one?
Rogerio Pefi - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
if you are intending to change it to British layout you don't need to change the keyboard at all, just the keys, buy either a set of a1466 key caps ( I assume you have a 2017 MacBook Air?) or a cheap a1466 keyboard (can even be a broken one), remove the keys that are different and replace them with the other keycaps, and then set the macbook's language to British and you are set
Kai Mcpherson -