Whether you are a student, businessman, writer, or programmer, you will have terabytes of storage space on your Macbook and still struggle with the data. If you check the storage disk space on Mac and are keep an eye on it, you will notice how quickly the storage gets consumed. MacBook Air comes in three finishes — gold, silver and space grey, and comes with macOS Catalina, the latest OS from Apple. The 2020 MacBook Air is available to order now, and is priced at $1,599, or $1,439 for education. MacBook Air models are organized by the year they were introduced, starting with the most recent. Click the model name for detailed technical specifications. MacBook Air models from 2012 and newer can run the latest version of macOS.
To upgrade MacBook Air SSD to a new one can solve a lot of issues like MacBook Air expand storage and corrupted SSD replacement. This article shows you the detailed steps to do such a job. To rescue data from the corrupted SSD, you can use MiniTool Software.
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When You Need to Upgrade MacBook Air SSD?
Two Common Situations You Need to Upgrade MacBook Air SSD
Apple’s MacBook Air is a solid and reliable laptop for you, especially it is a device that is using the solid-state drive (SSD) as the data storage drive. Compared with the traditional hard disk drive, SSD is much faster and durable.
What’s the difference between solid-state drive and hard drive? Which one to use for your PC? Read this post to learn more on SSD VS HDD now.
However, as time goes on, there will be more and more files on the MacBook Air SSD. That is, the free space will become less and less. This is an inevitable result that may even influence the performance of the device.
Perhaps, you have taken some measures to release space for new data. But this method is not once and for all. Many users reported that their MacBook Air SSDs became full very soon since new data occupied the drive space quickly.
Due to this, the proper answer for MacBook Air expand storage is to upgrade MacBook Air SSD to a larger one. That is, you can replace MacBook Air SSD with a new and larger one especially when you want to save more data on your MacBook Air and experience the smooth running speed.
Tip: If your Windows computer is running into low disk space, you can read this article, 3 Ways to Help You Get out of Low Disk Space Warning in Windows 7/8.1/10, to learn how to deal with this issue effectively.
Additionally, MacBook Air SSD may get damaged or corrupted, and become unrepairable. If you don’t want to buy a new device, you will need to update your MacBook Air SSD by replacing it with a new one. Best pdf reader for macbook air.
So far, we summarize these two common situations in which you’d better upgrade MacBook Air SSD:
MacBook Air SSD is full or running into low disk space.
MacBook Air SSD is corrupted or damaged, and unrepairable.
Note: You are not allowed to remove and upgrade the SSD in MacBook Air 2020 because the SSD is welded to the computer.
Why You Should Upgrade MacBook Air SSD on Your Own
How To Check Macbook Air Storage Space
Some of you may choose to ask Apple Support for help to replace MacBook Air SSD. But, there is something you need to know: you need to send the device to the support center and it will take days to complete MacBook Air SSD replacement.
Besides, there should be some privacy information on the SSD. Once you send it to a stranger, you will be in the risk of privacy leakage.
Additionally, if you are using a mid-2012 model or even earlier, the machine is on “Vintage” list of Apple, which means the company has disconnected the support for the device.
Actually, it is not a difficult job to replace MacBook Air SSD by yourself. If you have a proper SSD for MacBook Air and enough tools to disassemble and assemble the laptop, you will be able to perform a MacBook Air SSD replacement in a few minutes.
In the following contents, we will show you the exact things you should do to upgrade MacBook Air SSD. You’d better follow every step strictly.
Tip: If your computer is running Windows and you want to upgrade the traditional hard disk drive to an advanced SSD, you can refer to this article to do the job: How to Upgrade Laptop from HDD to SSD Without Reinstalling OS.
Step 1: Select a Proper SSD and Tools
Not all kinds of SSDs can be used to replace your original MacBook Air SSD. You need to select a proper one from the formal purchase channel, like Amazon, Newegg, eBay, and more.
For MacBook Air expand storage use, you need to choose an SSD that has larger capacity compared with the original MacBook Air SSD.
Usually, the alternative SSD comes with installation tools. However, if there are no such kinds of tools, you also need to purchase them together.
If the SSD of the MacBook Air is corrupted and you want to recover data from it, you need to buy a suitable MacBook Air SSD enclosure together. After MacBook Air SSD replacement, you can install the previous SSD into the enclosure, connect it to your computer, and then use a data recovery software to get your files back. In the last step, we will tell you how to rescue your data from the damaged SSD.
Note: You need to make sure that the enclosure you select supports the original SSD of your MacBook Air.
Step 2: Back up Data on the MacBook Air SSD
After buying a MacBook Air SSD from the internet, you can make full use of time to do something meaningful, such as backing up your data on the MacBook Air’s original SSD. A well-known method to back up Mac data is to use Time Machine, which is a built-in backup feature of Mac.
Note: You are only allowed to back up your files using Time Machine when your MacBook Air can run normally. If the SSD is corrupted and the device is unbootable, you can just skip to the next step to replace the damaged SSD.
Time Machine can automatically back up all of your files on MacBook Air, such as apps, music files, photos, email, documents, system files, and more. Once a backup is created, you can restore your files from the backup if the original files are deleted from the machine, or the SSD of your MacBook Air is erased, replaced, or corrupted.
Before using Time Machine to back up your files, you need to prepare an external drive that is large enough to save the backup file.
Note: The backup process will erase all files on the external drive. Thus, you need to make sure that there are no important files on that drive.
Here, you need to pay attention to the file system of the external drive since macOS only supports a handful of common file systems, including HFS+, FAT32, and exFAT. Make sure that the file system of the external drive is supported by your MacBook Air.
When you want to format Ext4 Windows but failed to do that, don’t get disappointed. This post will provide you with solutions to format disk to Ext4 Windows.
When everything is prepared, you can refer to Apple’s previous backup guide to make a backup of your Mac files with Time Machine: Back up your Mac with Time Machine.
Step 3: Replace MacBook Air SSD by a New One (Assembly)
After receiving your needed MacBook Air SSD, you can go to remove the old SSD and then install the new one in the device.
Here is a detailed guide:
1. Close the MacBook Air and unplug the power.
2. Lay it down on a soft cloth and flip the device over.
3. Remove the screws from the bottom of the case and put them into a place where you can find them easily.
4. Lift the case bottom off. In this step, you can also clean the dust and debris in the device to reduce power consumption, solve the laptop overheating issue, or fix other kinds of issues.
5. Pop off the battery connector to disconnect the battery.
6. Remove the screws that are used to secure the SSD and then gently pull the drive out of the slot.
7. Install the new SSD to the slot.
8. Tighten the screws to secure the SSD.
9. Re-connect the battery to your MacBook Air.
10. Reassemble the laptop bottom case.
See! It is so easy to replace MacBook Air SSD with a new one. Every ordinary user can operate it smoothly. Next, it’s time to make the new SSD bootable.
Step 4: Make MacBook Air Boot from the New SSD
Usually, some MacBook Air SSDs are advertised to have macOS pre-installed. In this situation, you can boot the device directly.
If there is nothing in the new SSD, you will have to do something to make the MacBook Air bootable.
Remember that you have used Time Machine to back up your original files and system in step 2. Now, you can directly restore both macOS and your files to the new SSD with Time Machine.
In case there is no available backup file, you will need to perform a clean install of the operating system on the MacBook Air. To use Windows or macOS, or both, you can have your own choice. Now, you can search for a guide on the internet on your own.
Step 5: Rescue Data from the Damaged/Corrupted MacBook Air SSD
After the above four steps, you can use the MacBook Air as normal again. In this step, we will talk about how to rescue data from your previous SSD if it is damaged.
No matter you are running Windows or Mac, you always have the chance to rescue data from a damaged SSD with a third-party file recovery tool.
Take out the MacBook Air SSD enclosure you have bought and then install the original MacBook Air SSD into it. After that, connect the enclosure to your computer…
If You Are Running macOS:
If you are using macOS, you need to use a Mac data recovery software to rescue your data from the damaged or corrupted drive. As a free Mac data recovery tool, Stellar Data Recovery for Mac is a good choice.
This software can run on macOS and then rescue your data from different kinds of storage devices like hard drive, SSD, memory card, and more. As long as the drive is not physically damaged, this software can always work to recover data from it.
It has a trial edition and you can first use it to see whether it can find your needed data. Go to the MiniTool download center to get this free software.
Here is a guide on how to use Stellar Data Recovery for Mac to rescue data from a damaged drive.
1. Install this software on your computer and then open it.
2. On the following interface, you can choose to recover everything or customize the scanning range according to your actual requirements.
3. Click Next to continue.
4. Select the drive you want to scan on the following interface.
5. Click Scan.
6. When the scanning process ends, you can see the scan results. Then, you can go to check whether you can find your needed files.
If Stellar Data Recovery for Mac can find your needed files, you can upgrade this software to a full edition and then recover your needed files without limits.
If You Are Running Windows OS:
Check Macbook Air Storage
MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a special data recovery software designed for Windows OS. You can first use the trial edition of this software to check whether it can find the files you want to rescue. This software can even support HFS+ file system.
Press the following download button to download and then install this software on your computer.
Then, it’s a step-by-step guide on how to restore your files from the corrupted SSD with MiniTool Power Data Recovery.
1. Open the software to enter This PC interface.
2. Select the target SSD and press the Scan button to continue.
3. Likewise, when the scanning process ends, you will see the scan results that are listed by the path. You can open each path to find the files you want to restore. Or, you can also use the Type and Find features to find your needed data easily.
4. MiniTool Power Data Recovery Trial Edition doesn’t allow you to recover files. You need to enter the MiniTool official store to get a suitable edition, register the software, and then restore your files to a safe location.
These are the integrated 5 steps you should do to upgrade MacBook Air SSD.
Bottom Line
Want to upgrade MacBook Air SSD by replacing it with a new one? This article tells you all the things you need to do, including the preparations, data backup, SSD assembly, operating system installation, and data recovery.
Should you have any questions when performing MacBook Air SSD upgrade, you can contact us via [email protected], or let us know in the comment. You can also share your suggestions and solutions here.
When Apple introduced its MacBooks with built-in flash storage that starts at just 128 gigabytes, the question became: “Is 128GB enough for me?”
Tough question. The answer in most cases? Probably. And maybe it’s even more than enough. But it might be far too little, too. Here’s how to figure it out:
Do you take a lot of photos? A lot of video?
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If you take a lot of photos and video and store them on your hard drive, find out how many gigabytes (GB) they take up. In iPhoto, you can select your events or photos and click on the View menu to “Get Info.” You should be able to see how many photos you have total and the storage space they take up. If you’re using Apple’s newer Photos app, you can find out how much storage space your photos and video take up by opening Photos, then clicking on the Photos menu at the top left, choosing Preferences, then clicking on the General selection. Click the Show in Finder button, which will show you your Photos Library. Make sure this library file is selected, then go to the top left of your screen and choose File, then Get Info. The resulting window will show you the size of your Photos library.
I have more than 24,000 photos and videos that take up 230GB of storage space.
So is 128GB enough for me? No way.
Most people have far less photos, though.
It is possible to offload photos to a fast external hard drive or one of the cost-effective USB 3.0 flash “thumb” drives, which now store up to 256GB at reasonable prices — check out, “Best External Hard Drive for Macs, Plus 256GB Flash Drives” for more detail.
You can even store your iPhoto or Photos library on a connected hard drive. I don’t like to, though. I prefer the simplicity of keeping it all on one drive, in my MacBook Pro, which also makes it easier to backup. Downside is, Apple’s move to super-fast solid-state hard drives (flash storage) means that the company is stingy with its drive space in its entry-level models.
What’s worse is that it’s not easy to upgrade SSDs like old-school (slower) hard drives.
Alert: B&H has a crazy good deal on an Apple 15.4″ MacBook Pro with 256GB of storage — save a whopping $800 on Black Friday only!
What about Apple’s iCloud for storage?
Check Storage On Macbook Air
Another option is to upgrade your iCloud storage and store all your photos in iCloud with optimized smaller images on your MacBook. This is a great service, but you’ll pay every month. For me, that’s $9.99 a month, which is $120 a year . . . forever. And if I ever have trouble accessing my iCloud account, I’m not sure I’ll be able to navigate Apple’s security hoops — or that family or loved ones will be able to if, say, I were hit by a bus.
Should I spend more and get 256GB or 512GB instead?
Again, tough question. The price leap into 256GB to a new MacBook Pro or MacBook Air is a good idea for regular people (non-professionals) in these three situations:
You have a lot of photos and video . . . and you’ll likely be taking more photos and video.
You don’t like the idea of sorting and storing photos and video on external hard drives.
You have a lot of movies or TV shows and you want them easily available because you don’t have fast Internet access for streaming or downloading.
The good news is, new Thunderbolt and USB-C hard drives are wicked fast — and good USB 3.0 drives are nearly as fast — both which will ease your photo access and transfer pain. Still, it’s not as portable, and you’ll have to pay attention to what, where, and how you’re storing your files. To me, the ease of management is worth a couple hundred dollars over the course of my usual 3-to-4-year MacBook Pro lifespan between upgrades.
If you have a MacBook Air or Pro that has run out of storage, don’t despair — OWC may have an upgrade kit for your MacBook model.
If you find yourself with a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro that has run out of storage and you simply need more, don’t despair — Other World Computing (OWC) has upgrade kits for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro that you can use to upgrade your built-in storage. It’s not exactly difficult but it’s not exactly easy, either. Any time you crack your case you run the risk of accidentally breaking something important or expensive. Fortunately, OWC includes the tools you need for opening your MacBook and installing new storage. Plus, you’ll get a handy enclosure for your old SSD storage, giving you a sweet little external drive.
Update: Transcend is now offering upgrade kits for some MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models — but none are available for the newest MacBook models yet.
What About Using Your SDXC Card Slot for More Mac Storage?
If you want more on-board, nearly built-in storage, you have two cool options, both of which are tiny flash-based drives in the shape of camera memory cards. They plug into the SDXC card slot on your older generations of MacBook Air or MacBook Pro — the newest MacBooks and MacBook Pros no longer have SDXC card slots. They only have USB-C ports.
The TarDisk Pear system is a tiny drive that you can combine with your built-in drive to create a single “fused” storage system on your MacBook Air or Pro.
For all intents and purposes, the Transcend JetDrive Liteacts like a little USB thumb drive — but it fits flush into the SDXC card slot instead and appears on your Mac like an external drive that is always on, always available. It appears as a separate storage option to your Mac’s operating system. Quite handy.
The TarDisk Pear system, on the other hand, also uses the SDXC card slot but it combines with your built-in storage to form a single “fused” drive. If you want a near-permanent — but easy storage solution for your MacBook Air or Pro, the TarDisk Pear system might be your best bet.
Of course, if you use your SDXC card slot for loading photos, you can pick up a small USB-based card reader like the Kingston Digital MobileLite G4 Card Reader to easily load photos and video off of your SD camera cards through a USB port.
Final 128GB Recommendation?
If you will start taking a lot of photos and video — especially if you use an iPhone 6 or 7 that lets you do things like shoot HD video at 60fps — spend the $200 extra to bump yourself up into the next model of MacBook Air, MacBook, or MacBook Pro and get 256GB of storage. If you buy from a third-party (like B&H) that often offers a slight discount and free shipping, you can lower the total cost at time of purchase to help offset the hit to your budget. For instance, at a third-party online store like B&H, you can often get into a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display or with Touch Bar with 256GB of storage for about $100 less than Apple’s price and only about $100 more than Apple’s 128GB version. If you consider drive time and fuel to get to an Apple store, along with B&H’s free shipping and the likelihood that you won’t be charged sales tax . . . suddenly you might get the savings you need to get into the right MacBook for you.