# Replacing a hard drive in an iBook G4 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 2, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012 "2009-03-02T15:11:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/1 "2009-03-02T15:11:58Z")
There’s nothing wrong with my Mac’s HD so far, I was hoping someone here has the answer. If I replaced the HD on my Mac, what would I need to do? Replacing drivers and so on, I am going to replace the version of OSX (10.3.9) that came with this one for Leopard. I have added 512mb RAM to the 128 that comes with the machine, but I will probably replace that with 1G. So, advice please. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/2 "2009-03-02T15:15:25Z")
It’s a long a difficult process to replace the HD in an iBook. You have to remove around 30 screws. There are no drivers that need to be installed, but you might want to use something like Carbon Copy Cloner to duplicate your current drive onto the new one first. ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/3 "2009-03-02T15:23:39Z")
Ok, the new drive I plan to put in will be blank, the current one is only 40G, I’d planned to double the size at least. Basically, I want to replace the old drive and then install Leopard. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/4 "2009-03-02T15:58:39Z")
Make sure you order the correct drive. iBooks use ATA (PATA) drives, not the newer SATA connector. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/5 "2009-03-02T16:44:41Z")
[ifixit.com](http://www.ifixit.com/guide/) provides step-by-step guides for most Macs. I replaced the hard drive in my old iBook G3, and following their directions, it wasn’t bad at all. ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/6 "2009-03-02T17:01:24Z")
Yeah thanks for the link. After seeing all the steps I think I’ll not bother. There’s no way I’ll do all that without fucking it up. I take my hat off to you for managing to not destroy your Mac. Jesus, I’ve replaced HDs on PCs without any trouble, but this takes the biscuit. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/7 "2009-03-02T17:24:21Z")
I’ve done it, not too long ago, on the exact same model as you have, so I can speak from experience. In my case, I had to replace it; the hard drive was dying a slow, painful death. I purchased the drive from ifixit, as linked above. The walk-throughs they have there are excellent, with big pictures and very detailed steps. Still, it is a very long and intense procedure… you have to basically take EVERYTHING apart to get to the drive. I felt like I was doing surgery. And yes, there were what seemed like dozens of screws to remove and keep track of. But other than the fact that it took a long time, it really wasn’t too bad. The hardest part was cracking the case open… even after you remove the screws, you still need to use a tool (you can purchase a good cheap one from ifixit) to pry the case open. It took some work, and I was really worried I was going break the case during this step, but it all came apart okay eventually – with a few scratches. After finally getting everything back together again (seriously, if you end up doing this, keep your screws very organized), I gotta admit, I was almost surprised when the computer turned back on. Even though there was nothing TOO complicated, there were just so many steps, I was certain I must’ve screwed something up at some point (actually, it turned out I did – I hadn’t reconnected the internal Airport antenna properly, so wifi wasn’t working. Thankfully, that just required lifting up the keyboard, not taking it all apart again). As others have said, no need for drivers. Once it’s installed, just boot up with an install disk and install the system. I know it looks daunting, but it’s really not too bad. Just set aside a few hours, and find a good, well-lit area to perform the surgery on, have another computer nearby to follow the step-by-step on… and keep track of your screws! ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/8 "2009-03-02T17:46:21Z")
Thanks for the vote of confidence, I’ll have to squeeze my mind grapes hard for this I think. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/9 "2009-03-02T18:19:30Z")
I’ll give you a hint - As you remove each screw, use a small piece of tape to stick it near the hole it came from. There are at least 5 different sizes/heads/lengths of screws in the iBook, and this will keep them all straight. BTW - when I do this, I charge $100 for labor… ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/10 "2009-03-02T19:42:38Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I’ll give you a hint - > As you remove each screw, use a small piece of tape to stick it near the hole it came from. There are at least 5 different sizes/heads/lengths of screws in the iBook, and this will keep them all straight. > > BTW - when I do this, I charge $100 for labor… That’s a great idea; I wish I’d thought of it when I was doing it. I ended up keeping them organized on a large piece of paper, notating what screws were what by measurement. The ifixit directions are pretty specific about what screws go where, so it just took some cross-referencing to get everything back, but your method sounds like it would have been even easier. ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/11 "2009-03-02T20:18:52Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I’ll give you a hint - > As you remove each screw, use a small piece of tape to stick it near the hole it came from. There are at least 5 different sizes/heads/lengths of screws in the iBook, and this will keep them all straight. > > BTW - when I do this, I charge $100 for labor… Actually that’s a brilliant idea, thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely use that in the future. As to expanding the HD, I’ll just get an external drive, it’s just easier and safer. The machine only cost 150 euro, but I’d still rather not break it. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/12 "2009-03-03T05:55:37Z")
> [@Professor\_Murder](#): > > Actually that’s a brilliant idea, thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely use that in the future. As to expanding the HD, I’ll just get an external drive, it’s just easier and safer. The machine only cost 150 euro, but I’d still rather not break it. You can also print out a screw guide from ifixit that will help you keep track of the screws. Now that I think about it, I bought the spudger (to crack the case) and the torx screwdriver from them, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/13 "2009-03-04T08:48:52Z")
Good responses so far everyone, thanks. For now lets say I don’t replace the HD, I just install Leopard, will this completely overwrite the current OS. There’s nothing on this machine I need to keep, its second hand so none of the settings are mine anyway. I’ll do this soon rather than later because Leopard is the last version of OSX that will work on my machine. I can’t update the installed browsers (Opera and Safari) or iTunes, so my iTouch doesn’t work on it. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/14 "2009-03-04T10:37:40Z")
Having done maybe a dozen Powerbook surgeries over the years, I recommend you buy an external hard drive case for your old drive. When you finish swapping drives you can then import all your old data from the old drive back to the computer (including user settings, etc…) then you have a portable drive to play with as well! Don’t fear a drive swap - take your time and use the screw printout from ifixit. Have clean cloths and compressed air handy to clean out the computer while you are there. Take the opportunity to gently seat all the boards and connectors you see since they may be loose or getting loose. View it as the opportunity to do all the maintenance you should be doing but never do, you’ll feel better for it. ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/15 "2009-03-04T17:09:45Z")
Yeah, I still think I’ll give it a miss. I’d only risk a dismantling like that if I absolutely had to. I don’t have enough invested in the nachine to go to all that trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/16 "2009-03-06T10:10:02Z")
Can I install a new OS on this machine? I have 25 gigs free space left on the hard drive, 12 gigs taken up with the original OS. Or would it be more practical to format the hard drive completely? I only intend to use this Mac for internet and iTunes, nothing too intensive. I will use an external hard drive to store my music so I don’t fill it too quickly. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/17 "2009-03-06T13:11:57Z")
> [@Professor\_Murder](#): > > Can I install a new OS on this machine? I have 25 gigs free space left on the hard drive, 12 gigs taken up with the original OS. Or would it be more practical to format the hard drive completely? I only intend to use this Mac for internet and iTunes, nothing too intensive. I will use an external hard drive to store my music so I don’t fill it too quickly. Sure. This machine will run Leopard. You can do an “upgrade install.” ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/18 "2009-03-06T13:43:46Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Sure. > This machine will run Leopard. You can do an “upgrade install.” That’s good, thanks. I’m looking for the simplest and quickest option, and I think that’ll be it.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/19 "2009-03-07T01:05:54Z")
These are the specs of the Mac: iBook G4 PowerPC G4 (3.3) 933 MHz processor L2 Cache 256 KB Memory 640 MB Bus Speed 133 MHz Boot ROM Version 4.7.7f0 What do you think, will it be able to run Leopard at a decent speed or would it be very slow. I will get a 1 GB RAM card if I need to. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012/20 "2009-03-07T01:09:12Z")
> [@Professor\_Murder](#): > > These are the specs of the Mac: > iBook G4 > PowerPC G4 (3.3) > 933 MHz processor > L2 Cache 256 KB > Memory 640 MB > Bus Speed 133 MHz > Boot ROM Version 4.7.7f0 > > What do you think, will it be able to run Leopard at a decent speed or would it be very slow. I will get a 1 GB RAM card if I need to. That machine is at the low end of Leopard’s requirements, but I think it will run OK. FYI - you need a DVD drive to install. More RAM is always good. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-a-hard-drive-in-an-ibook-g4/488012.md?page=2)