Upgrading to SSD for MacBook Pro 13" (2011)

Question

JamaicanBMW Author

Level 1

5 points

Upgrading to SSD for MacBook Pro 13" (2011)

I want to upgrade to an SSD hard drive for my Early 2011 MacBook Pro laptop.

What are the specifications of the SSDs to look for?

Is it the 2.5" (7mm) kind? I was looking at the SanDisk Ultra II or similar model.

What is the process or workflow to change to SSD? (does it just plug in or do I need an accessory?)

I backed up my current HDD to Time Machine on a G-Drive external hard drive. Can I restore my backup to the SSD from Time Machine or are there extra steps?

Thank you in advance.

MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), Spring 2011 MacBook Pro

Posted on Jul 7, 2016 2:54 PM

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Answer 1

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Jul 7, 2016 7:48 PM in response to JamaicanBMW

Any SSD with a 2.5" formfactor will be compatible with your MBP. I recommend SSDs from OWC or Crucial based on my experience and other veteran ACS participants.

Installing the SSD is the same as for a traditional HDD. Look at this video:

https://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/macbookpro_13_unibody_early11_hd/

You will have to format the SSD in Disk Utility to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). You can use Time Machine to restore your data to the SSD.

You can follow these guidelines:

http://pondini.org/TM/19.html

Ciao.

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Answer 2

BigGee42

Level 2

325 points

Jul 7, 2016 7:48 PM in response to JamaicanBMW

Hi there

Ifixit.com have a nice guide on how to change the hard drive:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Early+2011+Hard+Drive+R eplacement/5119

Any 2.5 inch SSD should work. I use a Crucial 480GB SSD in my 2012 MBP (www.crucial.com). Their site has a handy compatibility checker that will tell you which SSD's are compatible with the model you select.

Yes, you can restore from Time Machine, that makes it much easier.

Once you have the new drive installed, connect your external Time Machine backup drive, power on the Mac and hold the Command and R keys down after you hear the startup sound.

Since the drive is new this will take you to Internet Recovery to download OS X. You'll need access to a Wi-Fi Network or a cable to connect to an Ethernet network.

OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support

Once it loads, the recovery options should appear and the first item is "Restore from Time Machine Backup". Follow the prompts to restore and wait for it to finish.

Good luck.

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