Do I void the warranty if I install SSD drive in my MacPro, Do I void the warranty if I install SSD drive in my MacPro

Non-Retina, no. I installed on in mine (now have a 10 second boottime instead of 1 minute).

Retina, yes. Retina models are not designed to be opened by you.

Readers have reported that installing an SSD in the DVD-reader bay on a Mac that has a DVD reader will cause Apple to refuse to ever service it under warranty.

Depends - what year do you have? The MacBook Pro through 2011 allowed the user to replace the hard drive and the memory. After 2011 the user was permitted to only replace the memory. Replacing the hard drive is not considered a user serviceable item so will void the warranty for models newer than 2011.

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

Readers have reported that installing an SSD in the DVD-reader bay on a Mac that has a DVD reader will cause Apple to refuse to ever service it under warranty.

True that. One reason I have not swapped out my optical drive for another HD/SSD.

Thanks for correcting the omission.

.

Really. I thought nonRetina systems could regardless of year. But I will cede the point to you.

This was pointed out to me a year ago, that the user materials stopped saying a user could replace the drive after the Early 2011 or Late 2011, so Apple no longer was allowing the user to do that.

I need to correct the advice I give. The OP in this case would have done bad things relying on me.

So how does a user get a new SSD/HD if not for when the old one dies? AppleAuthorisedServiceProviders putting in a drive of the user's choice? Apple does not install what they do not sell.

If you've a 2012 non-Retina machine, I don't think that you'd void your warranty by installing a SSD. Always keep your 'old' internal drive, however, just in case you need service - with my third-party RAM and third-party SSD, the Apple techs grumbled a bit when I needed a new logic board installed because with my modified machine they could not send it into depot repair.

Clinton

The last user guide that covered hard drive replacement is the Late 2011: http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1602/en_US/macbook_pro_15inch_late_ 2011.pdf

After that it becomes an approved service provider's job...either an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple themselves. I keep getting mixed signals on Apple doing that, some say you have to buy the SSD from them, others say they won't do it. That part of the equation is a little confused. Of course, one can always take the MBP to an Apple store and see if they will do it for you, or call Apple Support and see what they say.

So the basic answer to the OP, except for clintonfrombirmingham, is: it depends ... ask Apple Genius Bar first.

Could be be any fuzzier?

Ralph,

The 2011 model was actually the last to ship with a 'real' user's manual - all subsequent models have simply had a "Quick Start" guide.

It's my belied (wholly unsubstantiated!) that if the OP will just keep the internal that shipped with the 2012 model and exchanged it if the need for an AppleCare repair were needed, that he/she would be just fine.

It was simply explained to me that, given I'd made two system modifications, I wasn't eligible for a depot repair and that they had to replace my logic board by the local techs in my local Apple Store. It set me back getting my machine by one day but the tech I had was sympathetic, saying that he'd replaced the RAM and HDD in his Mac mini, as well.

Clinton

I think Clinton's experience is that it can be even fuzzier if you get a tech who is willing to do the work and not send it in to the repair depot...fuzzier and fuzzier.

If it were mine, I would take it in and see if I could put up a good, friendly attitude and get the Apple tech to install the SSD for me...these techs are human beings and all I have run into have been really friendly. They like what they are doing so tend to be helpful.

Agreed about the techs being good people. Ask nicely and hope they will help with minimal "holding the company line". And ask nicely.