Mac mini A1347 (Late 2012-Late 2014) Power Supply

Mon problème

The keyboard was faulty and Apple said it would need to change the entire upper case. So I thought I would do it myself as I love opening up and experimenting with stuff anyway :-)

Ma solution

With the help of "http://www.insidemylaptop.com/how-to-rep..., it was a breeze. :-)

Mon conseil

When buying spares online make sure the seller is reputed and has got genuine comments and reviews not just some planted stuff. I had to order the keyboard twice. Apple's original parts are of way much better quality. But not available independently so choose good quality spare parts. I fixed up the entire laptop only to find the backlight was awful. So I opened up everything again to put back the old backlight. I had no option but to use the "new" keyboard. However the old one feels much much better... IMHO!

Mon problème

Laptop keyboard was failing.

Ma solution

My mid-2010 MacBook Pro 15" keyboard was going out and leaving me frustrated. The nearest repair shop wanted $175 to fix it, and I am on a very tight budget, so I attempted it myself. I dropped $17 on a new keyboard and $47 on your toolkit, and fixed it myself in about an hour and a half. I was a bit nervous, but took my time and remained organized, and it was way easier than I expected! Thanks so much for the awesome tools, I really like the quality and functionality of them. Very happy shopper here! Thanks again!! Keyboard works great!

Mon conseil

Yes... Don't ever doubt yourself. Shops are in the business to make money and you can save money by doing it yourself. With companies like iFixit there for us, we're able to source the products, tools and tutorials to do it with confidence! If I can do it, anyone can do it!!

Mon problème

My 2014 1.4ghz 500 gb 5400rpm HD Mini has been slow from the start and only got more so as the years went on. Rather than buy a new machine, found a Samsung EVO 850 2.5" at $130 for the SSD and $35 or so for the iFixIt tools and voila.

Ma solution

Ordered a USB to SATA cord for $15 from Amazon and connected the drive. A little tricky formatting it using DiskUtility, etc. but eventually got the hang of it and restored it using TimeMachine from a saved disk image. There was likely a faster way, but this worked overnight. Tested the disk first via USB and the machine was already like night and day: all functions were instant, including a reduction of boot up from c. 2 minutes to c. 30 seconds. Opened it up and the results were event better. The still photos on the guide/site covered every step and my 11 year old daughter scrolled from step to step on the guide, immediately able to ID all parts (even the microscopic Apple security torx screws) in second. Excellent results. Went from 45 or so megs per second read/write to about 500. Like a new machine... for $160. Could not be more worthwhile.

Mon conseil

Order the identified tools from the guide. They got here in 4 days-- THANK YOU. They make the repair much easier/possible, especially the tiny security torx screwdriver (maybe Home Depot carries them but darned if I could find them) and the logic board tool-- the idea of improvising that tool to dislodge the logic board seems silly and maybe risky. Also, my advice: figure out a better way to clone your drive than Time Machine, which was endless and failed at least once for no discernible reason. The only improvement on the site (and apologies if I just could not find) would be a better walkthrough of the steps one needs to take in the Mac OS to prepare for this repair as an upgrade from the existing HD. Otherwise, this was simply an excellent site and service. THANKS.

Mon problème

The fan on my Macbook Pro 13" (mid 2012) was making this grinding noise. I took it to the Geek Squad (Best Buy) and they told me that it could cost in excess of $500 to repair and advised me to buy another computer. It is important for me to note that they referred to my laptop as "Very Old," and told me the high cost was due to the cost of finding parts for the "Vintage" models. Yet, I reminded the gentleman that Best Buy STILL SELLS my laptop.

Ma solution

With shipping and the tools I needed, my total cost was under $70.00. The fan alone was $39.99. I followed the very clear and simple directions and within minutes, my MBP was up and running....perfectly!

I can't thank you all at iFixit.com for all the help and for shipping the part to my hotel while I was on vacation.

Mon conseil

I am not a tech-y and one doesn't really have to be when fixing a part like this. Don't be afraid to attempt to fix something on your computer on your own, before paying hundreds of dollars. We live in a disposable world and I wasn't ready to get rid of my 2012 Macbook Pro, since it is lightly used and I love it. Also, just so everyone knows, if you are told your laptop is "done," there are sites that will buy it back. I was already getting estimates in the $400's for my laptop. I am so glad I didn't have to buy another one or foolishly sell this one for peanuts.

Lastly, don't mess with other torx screwdrivers if you have your own set. It's easier to just buy what is recommended here on this site. You don't want to strip the screws.

Mon problème

This device was so slow that it was inappropriate to use even as a time machine server. After I replaced the 5400 RPM HDD with an SSD there was a noticeable improvement.

Ma solution

The repair went smoothly after I reviewed the guide several times.

Mon conseil

Place a piece of tape on the bottom of the case situated to help orient yourself when reinserting components.

Mon problème

I had a total hard drive failure.

Ma solution

With the Ifixit step by step instructions, and the proper tools, replacing the hard drive was easy. Without the tools and instructions, I would have damaged something. Taking my time, the job took about 45 minutes.

Mon conseil

Just follow the directions step by step. Get a jewelers magnifying hood, even if you have 20/20

Mon problème

Battery goes to 0% from 20%

Ma solution

Not successful. Screws turned out to be non-standard. iFixit tools did not fit in screw heads. I ordered torque screw drivers from iFixit and one other vendor. Neither fit. No worthwhile paying $100 for a store to repair as that would be about 20% of a new phone. I have decided to make due with the phone (Droid Turbo 2) until the new phone releases in October. No fault to iFixit. Just a sign of the times that the newer phones are designed for smallest size which drives them farther away from easy serviceability. This was the first mobile device that was unable to repair. FYI the good news is that I decided to abort before I did anything to damage the phone.

Mon conseil

For Droid Turbo 2, you will need to be very careful if you attempt this - high quality miniature flat head screwdrivers might have been more successful that the torque screwdrivers which would up damaging the heads of a couple screw heads. That ended my attempt.