Apple Time Capsule Dead Hard Drive Swap - 802.11ac (A1470)

[@MatthewReiser123]

Now _this_ is how instructional videos should be created. And I have 30 years in the industry. Clear, detailed, demonstrative, and complete. Thank you!

[@Repair2Renew]

Wow, thank you!

[@allabarra756]

I have just watched this video with sound turned off (to avoid disturbing others)... and it seems one of the best instruction vids I have ever seen. Other I have watch have put me off and I ended up buying a prepared WD disk, which is just plugged in and sits on top of my Time capsule. This is so clear it fills me with confidence to replace the dud original & have the insurance of 2 backups. I might even watch with the sound on.🙂 Thanks.

[@zikarifs]

I just bought a used 2TB Time Capsule today and I cannot thank you enough for this video! Cheers!

[@Repair2Renew]

Glad I could help! Try and use the Seagate Ironwolf range of drives Goodluck

[@stevepollard7107]

Excellent and very helpful video. I took the 'easier' option of a straight swap with a 4TB Seagate Barracuda HDD so I had no requirement to trim the rubber bumpers. My Time Capsule is now up and running again. Thank you. Having done the exercise once, I'd feel more confident about tackling it again and using a larger capacity disk and trimming the rubber to fit the Time Capsule.

[@vejko]

I used a Seagate IronWolf Pro 12TB in my Time Capsule upgrade and it works perfectly fine.

[@Repair2Renew]

Wowwwww Zsolt, that is HUGE. Good on you for giving the larger drives a crack. Hope the video made it a bit easier. Cheers Shane

[@vejko]

MBK Upcycle Thank you, Shane, your video definitely did help. We have a water damaged Macbook Air, I might give it a try to fix it as well based on your other videos.

[@woogaloo]

Great video! I quit using my TC awhile back just because 2TB wasn't enough for all of our computers. Finally upgraded to a 6TB WD Red and your video was perfect for it. I did have to also snip some of the large rubber piece that goes on top (same spot opposite of the SATA connectors) for it to go back in correctly.

[@Repair2Renew]

Good stuff Matthew, I prefer to use the Seagate drives these days as you do not have to snip back the rubber piece/buffer.

[@redensalpacas8975]

Excellent video. I replaced disc in my time capsule. Really straight forward.

[@michaelwoods1414]

This video saved my bacon. My Time Capsule lives (and now works) to fight another day. Very many thanks!

[@Repair2Renew]

Glad it helped Michael !!

[@charleslark8508]

Thanks mate, you made the swap very straightforward.

[@juanjobeltran3]

I replaced the hard disk by a 2 Tb SSD and the change is great. The copies are very fast and very stable. I had replaced twice the hard disk but it worked only for one or two years and then out. I hope now a long time for the Time Capsule. And it works, of course without any sound.

[@Repair2Renew]

Great to see 2Tb SSD worked, well done.

[@johnbruno3545]

Thank you so much for your video. I was able to fix and upgrade my Time Capsule.

[@Repair2Renew]

Glad it helped John. Next time you need to upgrade, I would look at a little synology NAS. Run 2 seagate iron wolves in a strip set, turn on bonjour protocols on NAS. You can backup 200Gb an hour.

[@DayswiththeLyons]

Watching from the Philippines. Thanks, mate! Cheers!

[@Repair2Renew]

Thanks for watching!

[@robertreinink2507]

For those who are curious. I swept the drive with a 4TB WD red HD. Time Machine is working Flawless with a Mac Mini M1 Big Sur, Mac Mini 2012 Catalina and a Macbook Pro 2011 High Sierra. Automatic copy is off. Copies are managed with TimeMachineEdit app. A copy every 3 day's. The M1 Sparsebundle is APFS. Thank you Shane for this tutorial.

[@Repair2Renew]

Thanks for the feedback Robert, I prefer the seagate drives, especially the "Iron Wolf" series, as you do not have to cut back the rubber corner mounts on the HDD. Seagate Iron Wolf 6Tb, is also a good choice. Good value for money.

[@briancrouch4389]

Thanks for this, i followed it to replace my failed disk.

[@michaelleahy8536]

Fabulous content, very thorough and well depicted especially regarding the small connections.

[@Repair2Renew]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheRealGros]

Best tutorial so far, thank you!

[@Repair2Renew]

Glad it was helpful, Martin.

[@haroldm8435]

Thanks so much. My disk died over the weekend and 3 days later I was up and running again thank to this video.

[@Repair2Renew]

Hey thats great Harold, and the best part, you did it yourself. Cheers MBK

[@haroldm8435]

@@Repair2Renew Thanks again Sir!

[@SQUID_Road_Glide]

It is horrifying to watch some of the other techniques. Thank you for illustrating the right way. I have an 8T waiting for me to do the swap. But as a Navy Micro-Miniature Repair Technician, there was just know way I would go at it pulling cables and ripping at rubber. Subscribed USN, Ret.

[@Repair2Renew]

Cutting the rubber mounts is only necessary if you are NOT using a seagate drive. I would utilise using a seagate drive to avoid cutting rubber mounts. In later time capsule video's, you will see me using seagate drives.

[@SQUID_Road_Glide]

@@Repair2Renew I went with the WD Red 8T. Cutting the mount was intuitive, the reset switch was easier from the housing mount side on my model. I tried to configure four accounts but it times out after three. Maybe it is looking for the cloud. I’m still down after Hurricane Ian. Next surgery is on my 2012 Mac Mini and my white Mac Mini with the optical disk drive for two more access points and entertainment system managers.

[@shamhosni6313]

Awesome tutorial, just finish replacing my dead HD and now it work great

[@Repair2Renew]

EXCELLENT Sham, now you have a reliable Time Capsule for the next couple of years. Cheers MBK

[@eschatonhemera]

Wonderful walk-through. Needed this to replace TC drive. Thank you.

[@Repair2Renew]

Glad it helped Eschatonhemera, We also have a Apple Time Capsule "Teardown" video which is a little bit more updated. kzbin.info/www/bejne/epysZ4Kagrqfptk Also go for the Ironwolf seagate drives, the 6Tb is good value for money. Cheers MBK

[@bigblueocean77]

Thank you! This helped me swap my dead hard drive. I ended up using a 2.5 inch SSD and taped it since I had an old one laying around and I didn't plan on using it for big backups.

[@Repair2Renew]

Well done Glenn !!! Whatever works for you is best. Be interesting to see the performance from a SSD? Cheers MBK

[@thimfp]

Hi, did it work well with SSD?

[@bigblueocean77]

@@thimfp seems to work well. I gave it away to a friend since he needed it

[@linuxxxunil]

came here looking to see if i can roll my own time capsule with an airport express. I may just seek out one of these and swap the hdd. I hate throwing old stuff away. THEY STILL WORK!

[@MFEeee]

Great video!

[@Repair2Renew]

Hi GenTech Mike. Glad you liked the video. We have also done a teardown/clean video on the apple time capsule as well. That should be in the description of the Apple Time Capsule video. cheers MBK

[@vmooreg]

Excellent video, thank you so much for putting this on here!

[@Repair2Renew]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thats what we are here for Hags. The everyday common person fixing their own apple stuff. Cheers

[@hawkforce3109]

Nicely done!

[@Repair2Renew]

Thanks!

[@ianfrancis.c]

Thanks for making this video, this will be a useful reference since I am considering to get a pre-owned time capsule and do the upgrade myself!

[@Repair2Renew]

Glad it was helpful!

[@andrewramos5743]

Any advice/thoughts on swapping the hard drive with a solid state? If so which would you recommend? There were mixed responses regarding this. People said it did make a difference while others argued that it didn't make sense because the speed was based on your internet strength.

[@Repair2Renew]

Good question Andrew. If you were restoring by wireless, a SSD would most like likely not make a substantial difference. But if you were restoring via ethernet then A SSD might make a impact, as the ethernet interface, on the time capsule, is rated at 1Gb network speed. But at the end of the day it comes down to the speed of the "Sata controller" in the Time capsule. So if controller chip (in time capsule) supported SATA3 speed, then SSD would work quickly. But if apple just engineered time capsule for a mechanical HDD, the sata chip could be rated at SATA2 (slower). Also it comes down to expense. 1Tb SATA (samsung 860) would cost roughly $100 - $150 USD. But for that price you could get a 4Tb Mechanical HDD (more storage) So the question is: Do you want speed or more storage? Cheers

[@JesusMorales-sh2jy]

amazing, thank you

[@marcvandersteen3235]

Worked for me! Thank you

[@Repair2Renew]

You're welcome!

[@Mabidakun]

Thanks for this video. I figured I'd take a chance and do mine, as if I failed, it was going in the bin anyways.... it now works like a charm. Thank-you. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@Repair2Renew]

Thats fantastic Mike. Most importantly you gave it a crack, and did it yourself !!! You can now use your Time Capsule for the next 3 - 4 years. Cheers MBK

[@Seeker.of.Warrior.Goddesses]

Does the the Router only model A1521 have the internal wiring in place to add a HDD or a SSD to turn it into an Time Capsule.

[@Repair2Renew]

Yes it should.

[@Seeker.of.Warrior.Goddesses]

@@Repair2Renew I have not opened the A1521 model to know if it is pre-wired with the male plug to connect to a Storage drive, though you may have try to add a drive to one, I do have a A1521 model I could open up to find out.

[@kevinjackson7539]

Do you need the rubber corners can you just put a piece of foam in the bottom?

[@Repair2Renew]

You try some foam, see what happens

[@kevinjackson7539]

@@Repair2Renew what does the rubber actually do?

[@gbass7328]

Thx! Worked out. Put in a Samsung SSD with a modified HHD case bracket.

[@glentaybow]

Wow! Great tutorial on HD replacement for A1470. I see on many of the comments here that some opted for SSD replacements. Other than fit issues, are there any downsides to this option? Solid state drives would last longer, right? Just want to get your opinion on this before I click on something. Thanks again for outstanding video.

[@Repair2Renew]

Yes SSD is a great option. It's a little bit faster. BUT ! If you need in excess of 6-8Tb of storage, look at the Synology NAS's (much faster over ethernet)

[@fasjackson3588]

@@Repair2Renew Absolutely! I upgraded my TC with a 2TB SSD for time machine and actually iTunes server of sorts (iTunes "looks" at it and streams the music stored on it. There's no streaming built in to the TC of course but you can point Plex, iTunes etc to read from it and it works great!) and that's it. My Snyology NAS with 12TB Iron Wolfe NAS drives in it is my heavy hitter for ALL my backups and media server etc. I just wanted to keep music separate (no real purpose other than just something to do lol) This is why I used a 2TB SSD, fetching media of any kind would be very slow from a regular HDD, but it works quite well for simply music and it's small enough to take with me when I go and visit family I can take my Backup and music etc with me just for fun. I wouldn't want to put my NAD in my backpack, it' s much heavier , so I use it for the "big stuff" just got my 2x12TB drives 3 days ago and it took about 10hours each to re-image them in my DSM but alas it went perfectly so I have my NAS and my everyday tM with iTunes server running off of it as well. Fun tinkering indeed +1 GREAT Video!! Especially the zooming in for us on those cables! thank you!!!

[@kdcarver]

At 2:50 it would have been helpful to have a close-up of the clips and mating slots so that we can see how they disconnect.

[@Repair2Renew]

Thanks for your feedback Kirk. For this shot I was more concerned with the orientation of the time capsule. Also it was levered from the correct position in between the locks. Sure shot could have been zoomed in a bit tighter, but most people can figure it out from current shot.

[@Chris4ord]

Any tips on clearing the overheating error?

[@Repair2Renew]

Try blasting out with compressed air kzbin.info/www/bejne/epysZ4Kagrqfptk

[@kathyhodgins5161]

your tools, the plastic pieces and the small hand drill......what are they called. Can this be used just as a backup drive now without being a base station or modem?

[@Repair2Renew]

Hi Kathy, I will make a list of tools in the “description“. Give me a couple of days. :)

[@PianoRecitalOrg]

A word of thanks to @MBK Upcycle, for I have just successfully replaced the failed hard disk drive (HDD) in my Apple Time Capsule (A1470) with a solid state drive (SSD) using this video as a reference. Since I replaced the big 5.25 inch HDD with a small 3.5 inch SSD, I did not have to worry about positioning the two rubber bumpers to support the new drive. I just used two small strips of painter's tape to hold the small SSD in place while I put the rest of the Time Capsule back together; it needed to hold only until I flip the Time Capsule right side up.

[@Repair2Renew]

Well done for giving ssd a crack. I will have to do a video.

[@kindredforest2422]

It appears you can pop off the bottom rubber cover easiest by inserting a screwdriver into the large openings around the circular area and quickly lifting upward on each of them.

[@Repair2Renew]

Great tip!

[@jenniferw8963]

I have a spare 8tb hdd and this time machine capsule with a 2tb hdd. Can I upgrade it to 8tb? I wonder how long time machine on mac os will work with the airport in the future. It's working great currently with Mac OS Ventura on my Mac Mini M2 Pro.. restored an 8gb folder pretty dang fast from an encrypted save volume.

[@chriscampbell6719]

Hi, fantastic tutoria giving me the confidence to swap out a drive with errors on my time capsule to a new WD 4tb purple (when it arrives tomorrow.) Do i need to do anything with the disk first such as format it or can i pooped the new one straight in.?

[@Repair2Renew]

Pop it straight in, then format with Airport utility on mac

[@jenniferw8963]

Thanks a bunch for this video. Will this a1470 work with an 8TB WD/SEAGATE NAS drive?

[@Repair2Renew]

It should, but the seagate "ironwolf" drives are a little better, because the rubber mounts fit on the end of the drive neatly.

[@biko331966]

very clear. The best tutorial for HHD swap for A1470 so far! Thank you.

[@Repair2Renew]

Hey thanks dude, much appreciated. We try to make it clear and simple.

[@gbass7328]

So was that WD40PURZ an SSD or optical drive?

[@gwenlingfelt5683]

Thx very helpful

[@Repair2Renew]

Glad it helped

[@gbass7328]

How about HDD to SSD. Same thing with brand new SSD? What about connector type?

[@Repair2Renew]

SSD will not be much quicker due to the limited speed, of the sata interface chip, in the Apple time capsule

[@gbass7328]

@@Repair2Renew The speed won’t be the reason for swapping, it would for the long term reliability. Questions still stand.

[@LG-cq4dy]

You're a genius! I wonder if you can recover info from an old MacBook 2004 (if that is also a skill, of many you have :)

[@grupinfractionalorganizatp5003]

hi I have 3 macbook pro and 1 airport time capsule can save backup of all 3 in hdd? need make partition on hdd?

[@Repair2Renew]

Yes as long as there is room. Follow HDD format in other Time capsule video. You format within the apple Airport App

[@qiuyaxu]

有点类似ipod classic开启方式

[@lLooN3y]

was thinking about switching the HDD thats been around since i dont know for ever... saw all these small cables and discouraged :(. I'm afraid i might just damage/rip the smaller cables.

[@jasond.fdouglas3660]

Is it work with a SSD ?

[@Repair2Renew]

It will. not be much fasted with SSD, as you are limited by the sata chip on the PCB

[@Spoolingturbo6]

thank you

[@Repair2Renew]

You're welcome

[@JulietsDiner]

Does anyone know the max capacity hard drive size ( number of TB) that can be placed inside of these time capsules?

[@Repair2Renew]

You could probably go to about 8Tb, but it takes a long time to backup and restore. Might be better to invest in a Synology NAS and emulate apple backups.

[@drs-Rigo-Reus]

Can I fit a ssd instead of hdd?

[@Repair2Renew]

Yes you can give it a crack. I would suggest testing with a small SSD first before spending the big bucks !

[@valdirjrpv]

Ssd woks?

[@Repair2Renew]

From previous comments SSD seems to work, But the sata controller may not work at those higher speeds for SSD. So you will have a SSD working at HDD speeds. Might be a waste. But you can get some cheaper higher storage HDD from seagate, Ironwolf range are the best. Cheers MBK

[@UstazKreatif]

can airport time capsule use ssd?

[@Repair2Renew]

Good question Ustaz. If you were restoring by wireless, a SSD would most like likely not make a substantial difference. But if you were restoring via ethernet then A SSD might make a impact, as the ethernet interface, on the time capsule, is rated at 1Gb network speed. But at the end of the day it comes down to the speed of the "Sata controller" in the Time capsule. So if controller chip (in time capsule) supported SATA3 speed, then SSD would work quickly. But if apple just engineered time capsule for a mechanical HDD, the sata chip could be rated at SATA2 (slower). Also it comes down to expense. 1Tb SATA (samsung 860) would cost roughly $100 - $150 USD. But for that price you could get a 4Tb Mechanical HDD (more storage) So the question is: Do you want speed or more storage? Cheers

[@Obeyscreek]

Can I replace the HDD with an SSD instead?

[@Repair2Renew]

You can try, but you will be limited by the sata controller in the apple time capsule itself.

[@RedEyrisFilms]

im a put an 8tb ssd in mine

[@Nicebug444]

I did not know that one of these have an hard drive cuz I have one lying around.

[@Repair2Renew]

Yes, it makes the clunky noise inside.