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Advice: New Macbook or new hard drive?

A

ashley8706

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 25, 2009
6
0
I have a MacBook that I purchased in Aug. of 2006 for $1000. Today, I got the blue screen of death. My hard drive failed and I have that clicking noise that no one wants to hear. I got it estimated and for the same GB, it would cost about $300-400. I don't have apple care, unfortunately.

My CD drive is also acting up but again, since I stupidly never purchased applecare, I haven't gotten it fixed.

I am trying to decide if I should purchase a new laptop, get applecare and move on or should I fix the hard drive on this model. Since it's almost 3 years old, I'm wondering if the money put into it would be worth it.
 
is it relatively simple? I'm not all that great with stuff like this but I could probably follow directions...
 
if you are looking for an excuse to justify buying a new machine, you could do that. if you are satisfied with the current machine, just replace the new hard drive for less than $100 yourself.
 
ashley8706 said:
is it relatively simple? I'm not all that great with stuff like this but I could probably follow directions...
Click to expand...
The Torx driver might be the hardest thing to come by for most users.

A Torx driver, Phillips #0, and a basic understanding of spatial orientation are all the necessary things.
 
I would much rather not buy a new machine. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to replace on my own.

Any recommendations on where to purchase?
 
Okay..sounds simple enough.

I'm going to give it a go on my own. Any recommendations on affordable/good hard drives?
 
Thank you.

I apologize. I'm basically computer illiterate so most of this is a foreign language to me.
 
eksplosions said:
I'm not sure what type of drive it is, but if someone can help you identify that, you have a nice and well-priced selection here: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=380&name=Laptop-Hard-Drives
Click to expand...

He/she needs a 2.5" SATA laptop drive. Size is totally up to them - speed, too, but keep in mind that a 7200 RPM drive, though faster, may use more battery and cause the casing to vibrate a bit (mine did both). For a plastic Macbook, I'd recommend a 5400 RPM drive - cheaper, save battery, and its the same as what came in it anyway. And though I LOVE Newegg, check eBay too - you may come across a deal (I recently bought a 160GB for $34 - YMMV...).
 
Purchased an 250 GB Western Digital. It's in. When I tried to start it, I get the same message. Do I start it with the Mac Disk 1 already in it?
 
OWC has videos online that show you how to do it. I did it myself
and it was easy. Got torx and 0, 00, 000 size phillips at Sears.
 
ashley8706 said:
I have a MacBook that I purchased in Aug. of 2006 for $1000. Today, I got the blue screen of death. My hard drive failed and I have that clicking noise that no one wants to hear. I got it estimated and for the same GB, it would cost about $300-400. I don't have apple care, unfortunately.
Click to expand...

A 320 GB hard drive is really cheap (probably a lot less than $100), and if you can operate a screw driver it should take you less than fifteen minutes to replace that hard drive, assuming that you do it for the very first time, and you do every single step very very slowly and carefully. If you are afraid of doing it yourself, ask a bit around amongst your friends.

Here is what you have to do: Use a coin to open the battery case and remove the battery. Unscrew three screws in the battery bay and remove the cover for the hard drive and memory. Find a white plastic ribbon and use it pull the hard drive out; take note which side was up. The hard drive is in a little metal holder with four screws. Unscrew the four screws. Replace hard drive with new one, screw the four screws back in. Push the whole thing into the MacBook where the old hard drive came from. Put the cover for hard drive and battery back. Put three screws on. Put the battery in. Use a coin to lock the battery back into place.
 
wow, over on the Upgrade MBP2.2 hard drive thread, I was on the same boat as the OP/posters in the thread in wanting to upgrade the hard drive in my own 15" 2.2ghz MacBook Pro (purchased Fall 2007) to the 320gb WD3200BEVT (from my now not working external hard drive - WD3200XMS-00). I had a lot of questions though and it seems they're all answered here.

I wanted a link to a tutorial & to know about the tools:

skye12 said:
OWC has videos online that show you how to do it. I did it myself
and it was easy. Got torx and 0, 00, 000 size phillips at Sears.
Click to expand...

gnasher729 said:
A 320 GB hard drive is really cheap (probably a lot less than $100), and if you can operate a screw driver it should take you less than fifteen minutes to replace that hard drive, assuming that you do it for the very first time, and you do every single step very very slowly and carefully. If you are afraid of doing it yourself, ask a bit around amongst your friends.

Here is what you have to do: Use a coin to open the battery case and remove the battery. Unscrew three screws in the battery bay and remove the cover for the hard drive and memory. Find a white plastic ribbon and use it pull the hard drive out; take note which side was up. The hard drive is in a little metal holder with four screws. Unscrew the four screws. Replace hard drive with new one, screw the four screws back in. Push the whole thing into the MacBook where the old hard drive came from. Put the cover for hard drive and battery back. Put three screws on. Put the battery in. Use a coin to lock the battery back into place.
Click to expand...




And what steps I needed to do to prepare the hard drive for being swapped?

flopticalcube said:
Insert Mac Disk 1 and press c when you start and it should boot up from the dvd drive.
Click to expand...
 
skye12 said:
OWC has videos online that show you how to do it. I did it myself
and it was easy. Got torx and 0, 00, 000 size phillips at Sears.
Click to expand...

I asked my wife to grab these for me, but she got a Kronus Precision Slotted Screwdriver set - 3.5mm, 3.0mm, 2.4mm, 1.6mm, 1.4mm.

Is this what i need or do I have to go and get something? Where's the better place to go to buy?
 
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