Juan, Since you have a hard disk (not an SSD or a hybrid) in your Mac, I would consider getting another hard disk, simply because you can get a 1.0 TB disk pretty cheap and it will have more capacity than your current one. As you see in the guides, it's actually pretty simple to replace the hard disk: (1) open the case (2) unscrew two screws to release the hard disk (3) carefully remove disk and then detach cable (4) transfer four screws from disk to new disk (5) re-attach cable, re-fit hard disk into its space (6) replace bracket (7) close case Done. From another computer, you can also download the OS Install from the App Store and then copy it to a USB (8 GB or more). Then you can plug it, turn on the Mac, and install. I've done this hundred's of times, it takes about 10 minutes to replace the disk, 30 minutes to install the OS. Good luck!
Battery estimates vary widely depending on what you are actually doing. 10 hours is probably not "normal use" but some utopian fantasy. If you want to make your battery last longer, turn of unnecessary services like Bluetooth, wireless, close applications which update regularly (like Mail) and close any applications or web browser tabs that you're not actively using. Batteries also degrade over time, so it also matters how old is your device?
Try looking in > About this Mac > System Report and look for the "WiFi" section. If you see something like "no hardware found" that means that your wireless card has become detached from your motherboard. You can open up the laptop and make sure the cable is plugged in. If you see information about your wireless card, then you may have some software which is blocking or turning off your wireless card. You'll have to google that or provide us with more information.
This is going to sound strange, but I've noticed that my iPhone gets lots of fluff and so on in various ports since I keep my iPhone in my jeans pockets. Maybe your jack is blocked?
Are you using Windows 10? If so, this seems to be a very big bug that's been floating around since late 2015. I'm trying to find a solution, too. If you press Control-Alt-Delete, do you get a blue screen with options like "Lock", "Sign out", and "Task Manager?" If so, can you start Task Manager? Maybe you can see some programs running there that shouldn't be.
There is a difference between "crashing" and "turning off due to loss of power." I would not describe this as "crashing." It's not *too* surprising that your computer is switching off at 10%, because it's trying to preserve your log in session before it *really* has no more battery. Also, I've found that battery estimates can vary a lot. Just learn to plug it in at 20% so that it never reaches that threshold. Also, look for "coconutbattery" and see some important information about your battery. It may be exhausted.
The brand doesn’t matter per se, but it’s helpful to have a disk with the same temperature sensor connector. In some cases, it’s stuck to the disk. In other cases, it’s a long, thin connector with 4 pins. Or, it’s a thick, square-ish connector with two pins. I usually take the old disk to the store and ask “do you have a disk that has a temperature sensor that looks like this?” And….if you can’t find such a disk or you want to stick an SSD in there (they’re getting cheaper by the day!), then make sure you get Macs Fan Control software to help you manage the fans that will possibly run at full blast.
Joao, I had the same problem just last week. In my case, it seems I hadn’t fully inserted the video cable. I opened it up again, reset the cables, and yes, the video still works. So, open it up, order some new adhesive strips, and be *extra* careful the second time you do it.
I have been using iFixit for years, so thank you very much for these guides. Invaluable!
But, I have one question.....
It seems that when I replace the HDD, often the microphone goes dead or bad. I never touch the microphone, never touch those cables, so is there any idea why this would happen or what I can do to repair/recover?
I saw one iFixit guide which showed how to replace the microphone, but it gave no source for the part..... help!
The brand doesn’t matter per se, but it’s helpful to have a disk with the same temperature sensor connector. In some cases, it’s stuck to the disk. In other cases, it’s a long, thin connector with 4 pins. Or, it’s a thick, square-ish connector with two pins. I usually take the old disk to the store and ask “do you have a disk that has a temperature sensor that looks like this?” And….if you can’t find such a disk or you want to stick an SSD in there (they’re getting cheaper by the day!), then make sure you get Macs Fan Control software to help you manage the fans that will possibly run at full blast.
Don’t we need to remove the screws before the next step?
Is this the power cable?
Joao, I had the same problem just last week. In my case, it seems I hadn’t fully inserted the video cable. I opened it up again, reset the cables, and yes, the video still works. So, open it up, order some new adhesive strips, and be *extra* careful the second time you do it.
Yes, this step is enough to remove the hard disk. No need to open the chassis.
No parts required to *replace* the keyboard?
@Greg Harris do you have a source for that fan? I think I did the same.
I have been using iFixit for years, so thank you very much for these guides. Invaluable!
But, I have one question.....
It seems that when I replace the HDD, often the microphone goes dead or bad. I never touch the microphone, never touch those cables, so is there any idea why this would happen or what I can do to repair/recover?
I saw one iFixit guide which showed how to replace the microphone, but it gave no source for the part..... help!