Mac

If you’re even mildly technically inclined, the most difficult part is separating the bottom case. Your initial reaction will be to stop prying because it really does produce some uncomfortable noises.

One consideration is the speed of the drive you’re going to buy. I opted for a 7200rpm 160Gb drive as opposed to the bigger, slower 5400rpm 200Gb drive.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a note on my site.

Here are a couple of tips:

1) Make sure you have a good set of micro-screwdrivers. You’ll need Torx to take off screws under the battery and Phillips for everything else.

2) Label or otherwise organize the screws you remove. There are at least three different lengths, so you need to be careful when reassembling.

3) When taking the top of the case and keyboard off, start from the back (near the LCD) and gently pull up. When you get to the front, the machine will start creaking, but don’t be scared — there are a few stubborn metal clips on either side of the power button.

4) The hard drive itself has a ribbon cable glued to the top of it. Be very careful when removing this. Gently bend (but don’t fold!) it toward the LCD while you’re removing/replacing the drive.

5) Make sure you transfer the screws, rubber pegs, and drive brace from the old drive to the new drive. If you don’t, the drive will float around freely and cause all sorts of problems.

6) When reassembling, don’t forget to reconnect the keyboard ribbon cable to the logic board.

7) Take your time, and remember to make a backup before you start with something like SuperDuper (http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html). :)