OMG SSD upgrade with sausage fingers

[Lankyman]

As per title - I have been at my daughters all day doing an SSD upgrade (2 drives, one the original the other a new SSD) for her. She has the same model as myself i.e. mid-2011.

I was sucked in with the OCW videos not realising that they must use magnification for the instructional videos. My face must have been a picture when on removing the screws for the LCD screen I saw for the first time just how fine the wires are and how terribly small and delicate the connecters are.

I put all the screws in different containers and labeled them plus I had my Tablet on hand to keep updating myself with the video.

I have managed to do it only chewing up the end of one connecter with my sharp nosed pliers (the connector refused to come away. Luckily no real damage done.

It really isn't a job for the faint hearted though. I held my breath when I finally turned it back on. However, it started with no problems.

I need a strong drink now.

 

[Gav2k]

Lol I do this every other day. You become immune to it after a while

 

[macthefork]

Congratulations... The first time I upgraded my 2011 iMac the same thing happened with one of the plugs. I worked at it for a long time before it came loose. Didn't want to damage it so I slowly, using the spudger, worked it loose.

I've since upgraded it with a larger SSD and the second time was a breeze. Everything came apart much more easily... and I knew what to expect.

You/she will be pleased with the speed.

 

[Lankyman]

I was speaking to my daughter this morning and she made the comment her iMac is faster now (much faster) than it was when she bought it 4 years ago. For any computer that is remarkable.

I have to say though that having done the upgrade and having more disposable income than my daughter I think if I do mine at some point (same year same model) then I will 'replace' the existing HDD with an SDD.

When I was putting the additional drive in my daughters yesterday I thought to myself a number of times, (especially when the connectors wouldn't come off) that a drive swap out is much the simpler route.

I think I will have nightmares for weeks to come about just how close I came to snapping at least one of those connectors yesterday. I wonder if the iMacs are part assembled by humans? If so then they must have slim fingers and better dexterity than I.

 

[geta]

I think I will have nightmares for weeks to come about just how close I came to snapping at least one of those connectors yesterday. I wonder if the iMacs are part assembled by humans? If so then they must have slim fingers and better dexterity than I.

Thats why they using kids for assembling...

 

[thewap]

Just remember *spudger good*, needle nose-bad ! lol... the first plunge is always the hardest tho, you just graduated...Congrats on your first tinkering job!

 

[Lankyman]

Just remember *spudger good*, needle nose-bad ! lol... the first plunge is always the hardest tho, you just graduated...Congrats on your first tinkering job!

No not at all, I've tinkered and built many a PC from scratch. However, delving in a tower is child's play compared to the inside of an iMac i.e. acres of room. Add to that the components are much larger and more industrial. I'd liken the wiring and connectors in a Mac to brain surgery whereas the wiring in a tower PC is more akin to wiring a plug.

What made it worse was the fact it was my daughters and she expects her old dad to come up with the goods. I had visions at one point of the tech equivalent of replacing the 'hamster' before she got home from work and just hope she didn't notice.

 

[Abazigal]

Lol I do this every other day. You become immune to it after a while

Only if it's your job. This is the sort of thing most people would just do once and hopefully never have to touch again for the next couple of years, and the first time is always the slowest and most nerve-wracking because you have no idea of what to expect. I paid to have someone install a 128gb SSD in my 2011 iMac many years back (back when these drives were still quite pricey) and watched the installation process. It definitely can be done by adults, you have to be very slow and careful and methodical because of all the screws and cables running everywhere. Not to mention that giant LCD screen you remove right at the start!

That said, I recently swapped the SSD in my MBA from a 64gb one to a 240 gb drive and I am feeling pretty good about myself (I am not tech-savvy, so don't judge me)

Amazon has been repeatedly spamming me with offers of 1TB SSD drives these few days and I am frankly a little tempted.....Must resist! I have already splurged on quite a few gadgets this year already, and I am due for an iPhone recontract later!!!

 

[Chippy99]

No not at all, I've tinkered and built many a PC from scratch. However, delving in a tower is child's play compared to the inside of an iMac i.e. acres of room. Add to that the components are much larger and more industrial. I'd liken the wiring and connectors in a Mac to brain surgery whereas the wiring in a tower PC is more akin to wiring a plug.

What made it worse was the fact it was my daughters and she expects her old dad to come up with the goods. I had visions at one point of the tech equivalent of replacing the 'hamster' before she got home from work and just hope she didn't notice.

Made me smile this post

I know *exactly* how you feel mate. I've been building PC's for years, but when I got around to trying add an SSD to the upper bay in the Mac Mini??!?! Oh my God how fiddly and nerve-wracking is that. One tug too hard and a header comes away from the mainboard and the whole thing is knackered. Not for the faint of heart at all!

 

[Blue Sun]

As per title - I have been at my daughters all day doing an SSD upgrade (2 drives, one the original the other a new SSD) for her. She has the same model as myself i.e. mid-2011.

I was sucked in with the OCW videos not realising that they must use magnification for the instructional videos. My face must have been a picture when on removing the screws for the LCD screen I saw for the first time just how fine the wires are and how terribly small and delicate the connecters are.

I put all the screws in different containers and labeled them plus I had my Tablet on hand to keep updating myself with the video.

I have managed to do it only chewing up the end of one connecter with my sharp nosed pliers (the connector refused to come away. Luckily no real damage done.

It really isn't a job for the faint hearted though. I held my breath when I finally turned it back on. However, it started with no problems.

I need a strong drink now.

I purchased a LaCie 256GB Thunderbolt SSD and installed Yosemite on it instead of the internal mechanical drive. The iMac treats the external SSD as an internal drive and everything works a treat. You get SSD speeds without having to open up the iMac!

 

[Lankyman]

Well having successfully installed the SSD in my daughters machine, my heart beat has finally steadied following the experience so I'm getting ready to do the same with mine.

I have purchased the appropriate lead along with a 500 gig Samsung Evo 850. I will let everyone know if this upgrade goes smoothly too and post some figures when it's done.

 

[macthefork]

Second one is much easier... You know what to expect, now. Just be gentle, and take your time... You'll enjoy the results.

 

[Lankyman]

I have finished the SSD upgrade to my mid-2011 21.5 inch iMac a short while ago - took me about 90 careful minutes second time around. I have enclosed a Black Magic screen shot which indicates the speeds with upgrade.

I have to comment that without doubt this iMac is much faster now than when it was new 4 years ago. It's little wonder that Apple don't want customers doing their own upgrades. Providing there are no hardware failures the SSD has added at least 2 more useful years of life (if not more) to this machine. I have little interest in 5K and the graphics do what I ask of them.

A couple of work colleagues have asked me if I will put an SSD in their iMac's but I have refused. The risk of breaking a connector or something similar is high and whilst it's one thing to ruin my own computer, or even my daughters, it's entirely another to ruin someone else's. Having the right tools for the job e.g. spudger and tweezers is a must.