MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive Cable Replacement

Mijn probleem

At a random point when my Macbook was up and running, it suddenly froze. After I powered it off and tried to restart it, I saw the blinking folder with the question mark (indicating that it couldnt detect an operating system). At first thought it was the hard drive (HDD), but after putting a brand new one in and getting the same result, realized that the HDD wasnt the problem. Through this entire process, I was always able to boot the laptop from a disc in the optical drive, so I deduced that the logic board, processor, disc drive, original HDD, etc. were all working fine. Multiple message boards on the web strongly suggested that in this case, the malfunctioning component is most likely the SATA cable that connects the HDD to the logic board.

Mijn oplossing

The replacement was quick and self-explanatory. It took 5 min at most. Its been 2 days since the repair and the laptop has worked beautifully since then.

iFixit.com was the only place on the web that I could find a new cable (no other DIY suppliers had any in stock). The price was reasonable, and the part was delivered in 3 days.

Mijn advies

Before ordering anything, determine what year your macbook is (early 2011, late 2011, 2012, 2013, etc.) and also what type (unibody, etc.). The SATA cable for each one is different. Your SATA cable may come with a built-in IR sensor that will replace the old one.

Wear rubber gloves when handling any component in order to protect them from static electricity and body oils (which cause corrosion).

Follow the instructions at iFixit.com ( MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Early 2011 Hard Drive Cable Replacement ) and everything should go just fine.

good luck