My Airport Time Capsule HDD is gone. I have tried to to erase or format the same, but the capsule freezes for days trying to do either. At the end I always get the same message: “There is a problem with your AirPort Time Capsule disk”. The current disk is 3TB, but can I use any larger size? Thanks!
Just to be clear the A1470 is the last model Time Capsule and is Gen5. Apple refer to it as AC model.
Replacing the disk is certainly possible.. although the construction of the Gen5 makes it rather a chore.
See the ifixit article on replacement of the disk.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Airport+Time+Capsule+A1470+Hard+Drive+Replacement/61924
IMHO the task they rate as moderate is actually difficult. The sockets on the board are surface mount and easy to damage. The ribbon cable to the hard disk is easy to tear. Do not take on the task lightly.
If the TC is 4years old or more it might really be better to replace it.
Anyway you can certainly replace with any size drive.. NOT SMR type. Look it up as it is important.
Typically a NAS drive will suit fine. And you can use sizes up to 8TB as I have done it myself. Over 8TB is also likely fine but I see little point to it.
Note the mountings of the hard disk will need re-fabrication because they only fit that model seagate. It is purely friction fit with rubber wedges .. no screws at all.
Just to be clear the A1470 is the last model Time Capsule and is Gen5. Apple refer to it as AC model.
Replacing the disk is certainly possible.. although the construction of the Gen5 makes it rather a chore.
See the ifixit article on replacement of the disk.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Airport+Time+Capsule+A1470+Hard+Drive+Replacement/61924
IMHO the task they rate as moderate is actually difficult. The sockets on the board are surface mount and easy to damage. The ribbon cable to the hard disk is easy to tear. Do not take on the task lightly.
If the TC is 4years old or more it might really be better to replace it.
Anyway you can certainly replace with any size drive.. NOT SMR type. Look it up as it is important.
Typically a NAS drive will suit fine. And you can use sizes up to 8TB as I have done it myself. Over 8TB is also likely fine but I see little point to it.
Note the mountings of the hard disk will need re-fabrication because they only fit that model seagate. It is purely friction fit with rubber wedges .. no screws at all.
Might be some help and ideas here. Please note that this is NOT an easy project, since the Time Capsule was never designed for service.
If you decide to try this, be extremely careful when you disassemble the Time Capsule as it is very easy to tear a delicate ribbon cable or break a connector off the board.
https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/172280/Can+the+TC+Drive+be+upgraded+to+5+TB
Not a big deal, but an A1470 version of the Time Capsule is not a 3rd Generation product. It came after the 4th Gen Time Capsule was discontinued, so users tend to call the A1470 a 5th Gen Time Capsule, even though Apple does not.
Either of those should be fine. They are desktop drives. Not speedy but fairly low power which is also a factor.. and NOT SMR.
I have these two options: Seagate 8TB ST8000DM004 or 6TB ST6000DM003. Is either one of these acceptable? Thanks!
If the Time Capsule is 5 years old, that means that the power supply is 5 years old. I would not replace a hard drive without also replacing the power supply as well, but it's your call.
What type of HDD can I use to replace the hard drive on my Airport Time Capsule A1470 (3rd generation)?
