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Ever wonder how to install more/new random access memory (RAM) or main memory on your Macbook?
It's fairly straight forward, and Apple has allowed made it fairly easy to do so. You can look at their tutorial, but their tutorial isn't very descriptive. This "how to" will outline how to install RAM into your Macbook and also provide tips to overcome some common problems. Before you increase the RAM in your Macbook you must know a few things. The Macbook has two SODIMM slots, and can hold a maximum of 2 Gigabytes of RAM (1 GB in each slot). Macbooks come stock with two 256MB sticks, totalling 512MB of RAM. With so many different types of RAM out on the market, you must make sure that you get RAM that works with the laptop. You should buy PC2-5300 SODIMM RAM, and make sure you get 512MB or 1GB sticks so that you increase your total main memory. In this example, I've used a 1 GB stick of Mushkin PC2-5300 SODIMM RAM.
Step 1: Remove the battery from the bottom of your computer. a. Flip your Macbook, with the front side facing down. b. Use a coin to unlock the battery, turning it clockwise. c. Pop the battery out by lifting the left side up first. The rest will soon follow.
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Step 2: Remove the metal L-Bracket. a. Unscrew the 3 screws with a mini Phillip's screwdriver.
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b. Remove the L-Bracket, by pulling the long side towards you. The rest of the bracket will follow.
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Step 3: Remove the RAM. a. As you can see there are two RAM slots. Eject one of the RAM sticks by moving the latch to the left. If you do not see a latch, it is probably tucked inside. Use a flat screw driver to pry the latch out.
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Note: With my Macbook, one of the slots wouldn't eject when I moved the latch to th left. I got around this by pulling the latch towards me while I also moved the latch to the left.
b. With the stick of RAM released, take out the RAM by pulling it out of the slot.
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Step 4: Install the new RAM.
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a. Insert the RAM into the slot and push it all the way in. Be sure to pay attention to the picture for the direction you should insert the RAM. Note: This was very difficult to get in for me. The notches on new RAM are a little tighter, so extra force is required to fully insert the RAM into the slot. To get more leverage, try putting your Macbook vertical, so that you can push down on it. When the Macbook was flat on the table, I could not insert the new RAM. The RAM must be flush to the frame. If it's sticking out a tiny bit or a little bit crooked, OSX may not be able to read the memory.
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Step 5: Replace the L-Bracket. a. Insert the short end of the L-Bracket first. The rest should easily follow.
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b. Again, tilting the Macbook so that it is vertical will make it easier for you to screw the screws back in straight. If the screw doesn't seem to go in any more, unscrew it a little bit so that it straightens back out, and then screw it back in. Note: If you installed the RAM correctly, the L-Bracket should not be bulging out in certain spots. It should be the way it looked when you first took it out. Also, you can use a mini flat head screwdriver to tuck in the foam padding to help make the L-Bracket flush with the frame. Step 6: Place the battery back into the Macbook. a. Insert the battery back into the Macbook by putting the right (outer) side in first, and then the left (inner). And then lock it in with a coin. To make sure that you've properly installed the RAM, boot up your computer, and click the Apple icon in the top left, and then click About This Mac. It should now say your new RAM amount.
Youre' done!
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