I would like to remove the 256GB SSD from my soon-to-be-replaced 2017 13" MBP.
Is it possible to remove the SSD and install it in a housing to connect as an external drive for another computer?
If so, what housing do I need?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 13.3
Unfortunately there are no adapters or enclosures for the SSD in that laptop as it uses yet another unique & proprietary SSD connector. Your only option is to install the SSD into another laptop (MBPro 13" 2016 or 2017 non-touchbar model). Assuming the SSD is good.
What happened to this laptop? This is important because if the issue with the laptop is a blinking folder with question mark or missing drive, then most likely the SSD has failed. The SSD in the non-touchbar 2016 & 2017 model has an extremely high rate of failure. Plus if the laptop has power, then maybe you can put the laptop into Target Disk Mode so you can connect it to another Mac to attempt access to the data on the broken laptop. This will require a working USB-C port on the broken laptop (again assuming the SSD is good).
Unfortunately there are no adapters or enclosures for the SSD in that laptop as it uses yet another unique & proprietary SSD connector. Your only option is to install the SSD into another laptop (MBPro 13" 2016 or 2017 non-touchbar model). Assuming the SSD is good.
What happened to this laptop? This is important because if the issue with the laptop is a blinking folder with question mark or missing drive, then most likely the SSD has failed. The SSD in the non-touchbar 2016 & 2017 model has an extremely high rate of failure. Plus if the laptop has power, then maybe you can put the laptop into Target Disk Mode so you can connect it to another Mac to attempt access to the data on the broken laptop. This will require a working USB-C port on the broken laptop (again assuming the SSD is good).
I understand. You can do that. OWC has the external device enclosure you need. (correction: they call it a "transfer drive". I don't know if it can be used with your new computer. You would need to contact OWC about that.)
The storage device on the Touch Bar model is not removable.
In that case you may be in luck: https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/macbook-pro-13-inch-non-touch-bar/2016-2017
Confirm your Mac's Model Identifier first. The Apple Support document I provided describes how to obtain it.
Perhaps. If there is a solution, OWC / MacSales will have one. It depends on whether your MPB is a touch bar model or not. Identify your model here: Identify your MacBook Pro model - Apple Support
OK, no ... there are no enclosures for that drive.
It is a MBP 14,1. 13" Retina mid2017 two-TB Port model.
I am not looking to replace the drive in my MBP. I am recycling the device. What I want is to remove the SSD and install it into a housing to make it an external drive for my new computer.
If the laptop is slow, then run EtreCheck and post the report here so we can review it. Most likely you have some third party software installed which is interfering with the normal operation of macOS. The report will also provide us with some performance metrics and even the summary of system logs which may also contain clues which may help us to restore some of the laptop's lost performance.
Edit: Do you have a good backup of your data from this laptop? If not, then I highly recommend you make a good backup of this computer using the free Time Machine backup software Apple provides with macOS. You will need an external USB drive for the backup.
For information only, I bought a 1TB drive for my 2016 MBP. It never ran right and was a constant headache. Since it was my decision to buy it I just pulled it, put it in a drawer and left it.
After about 4 months, I replaced it with the original Apple drive and it's been near perfect since. That was about two years ago.
Thanks for diagnosing my problem without ever looking at my device or understanding the problem. Your skills are truly remarkable.
I asked about a housing for the SSD. Not why the computer is slow. Not about 3rd party items. Not about a failed boot drive.
perryub wrote:
I asked about a housing for the SSD. Not why the computer is slow. Not about 3rd party items. Not about a failed boot drive.
Sorry for overstepping, but most people would like to keep their expensive computer running for as long as possible which is why I offered some assistance for trying to resolve the issue....of course the decision is yours. Of course if you did not want assistance with the main issue with your laptop, then you could have just politely declined answering my question or mentioned you did not desire any assistance with the laptop. Since you answered that question, I felt it was Ok to provide you with assistance related to the performance issues of your laptop. Your response here comes across as rude & insulting...maybe not how you intended it, but that is how it appears to me.
Since you desire no more assistance, I am going to bow out now.
Good luck.
The people who are answering your questions here are other users, NOT Apple employees, who Volunteer their time and energy to help you in whatever way they can.
Sometimes you might get WAY more information than you wanted to know.
PLEASE try to be gracious in your responses. If you got more than you wanted to hear, do not assault the person who gave you 'too much' information. Instead understand that they were TRYING to be helpful, even if their answer did not line up perfectly with your query. Just ignore the overage and get on with solving your problems, and count your blessings that someone was willing to help, even if the answer was "too much".
It's a function key model, not the Touch Bar.
The transfer drive is not an enclosure, its a 1.0 TB external drive.
The computer is old and slow.
The SSD still works fine which is why I want to salvage it.
You are, of course, correct. I was in a foul mood and I unfairly took it out on you. I apologize.
I would like to remove the SSD from my MacBook Pro
