For the longest time I haven't been able to update my OS b/c of not enough hard drive space. I have a whimpy 121 GB drive. Can I do the following to get more storage and upgrade my iOS?
Are there other roadblocks/issues I will encounter with this idea?
Thanks in advance for any advice/thoughts.
I was wrong. some MBA's have SSDs that can be swapped out. apparently yours can be. if you want to try it, you can go to OWC’s website and watch the SSD self install video for your specific MBA to see if you are able to perform the upgrade yourself, of if you will need to farm it out.
You can upgrade it, but your model uses a proprietary SSD, attached is a guide on how to upgrade your SSD.
MacBook Air 13" Early 2017 SSD Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide
replacing an internal drive is not something I would recommend for most users. And AFAIK, a MacBook Air's internal drive is not replaceable in any event.
but if you are running low on space, you can purchase an external HDD or SSD of sufficient capacity and move your larger files (videos, pictures, documents, etc...) to it. once they are on the EHD, you can simply erase the same files from your internal drive. and, if it's just going to be used for storage, you can use an HDD and save a few bucks over the cost of an SSD. FWIW, i personally keep very little on my internal drive.
additionally, you want to keep ~ 20% of your local drive as free space for proper operation of macOS.
if you source the replacement drive from OWC, it will be the correct one for your Mac. as long as you ensure that you have selected the correct Mac in the first place. when in doubt, contact them. they provide excellent customer service.
and just to add, I am in no way affiliated with OWC. I'm just a very satisfied customer.
PDXchip wrote:
Assuming I’m competent technically in replacing the SSD, can I possibly brick my MBA by using an incorrect SSD replacement?
There are two things of which you need to be aware.
(1) According to OWC, you need to upgrade to High Sierra or later before installing one of their SSDs. I believe I read elsewhere in these forums that this is because that installs firmware needed for the MBA to recognize that type of SSD.
(2) The 2017 MacBook Air can run Monterey. According to threads I have read elsewhere in this forum, if you ever want to run Monterey on it, you should install Monterey on some drive (internal or external) before installing any third-party internal SSD. If Monterey tries to update firmware, and sees that the internal SSD is a third-party one, both the firmware update and the Monterey update will fail. Once you install it successfully (with the Apple SSD installed), subsequent installations supposedly will not fail merely because of the presence of a third-party SSD.
Thank you for responding. I certainly feel capable - I just replaced the battery without an issue. I do appreciate your suggestions on EHD use.
you're welcome. :)
Assuming I’m competent technically in replacing the SSD, can I possibly brick my MBA by using an incorrect SSD replacement?
Excellent. I had already been looking at the OWC website- seems solid. I sure appreciate you taking the time answer my tech questions.
you're welcome. I'm happy I could help. :)
SSD upgrade Macbook Air 2017 iOS catalina 10.15
