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updated2026-10-04 23:40

 
Macintosh Classic II Hard Drive Removal
DeviceMacintosh Classic II
DifficultyModerate
Time5 - 10 minutes
Steps8
This guide is by oldturkey03 on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>

Tools: T15 Torx Screwdriver; 6mm Philips Screwdriver

Parts: 40 GB Hard Drive


Step 1
[step 1 photo] [step 1 photo] [step 1 photo]
• Here is one of the vintage computers in my possession. It is a Macintosh Classic II M4150. Apple considers this obsolete and " information about these products is no longer updated as of 9/1/98 "
• On powering it up, It originally greeted me with a checkerboard pattern that quickly converted into this pattern. The checkerboard pattern is/was commonly caused by bad Ram memory. Considering the age of this computer, leaking capacitors are a strong possibility. Time to check.
• CAUTION: This computer contains a CRT. That means there are some high voltages involved when working on this. Use proper CRT safety while working on it.
• The cover is held in place by four (4) T-15 screws. Two (2) on the bottom

Step 2
[step 2 photo] [step 2 photo] [step 2 photo]
• and two (2) under the top (handle)
• The bottom ones are easy to remove
• The top ones are a bit of a challenge due to the depth of the holes.

Step 3
[step 3 photo] [step 3 photo] [step 3 photo]
• There was just not enough room to get a good grip on the driver.
• Luckily this iFixit driver has a hole on the top part. I used a tool to gain some mechanical advantage. While applying downward pressure on the driver, turn the tool to the left to loosen the screw
• Once loosened, the iFixit extension that came with my set, works perfectly to remove the screw,

Step 4
[step 4 photo] [step 4 photo] [step 4 photo]
• Here are the four (4) screws. The two bottom screws are M4X15mm The top screws are those typical found in plastic to sheet metal joints.
• With the screws removed the cover will slide off.
• BEst practice is to lay it down and pull the case straight up. It may take some force due to the tight fit and years of storage etc.

Step 5
[step 5 photo] [step 5 photo] [step 5 photo]
• Here is what the inside looks like.
• CAUTION: Remember the High Voltage. Do not touch anything with bare hands etc. Right now it's look but don't touch
    • Power supply (Sweep Board)
    • Flyback Transformer
    • Video card
    • CRT
    • SCSI Hard drive
• Hard drive on top with the Floppy drive on the bottom

Step 6
[step 6 photo] [step 6 photo] [step 6 photo]
• Here is the Hard Drive. It is actually mounted upside down. You are looking at the drive controller board
• Remove the power cable
• Next remove the data cable. The red stripe always connects to pin 1 of the connector

Step 7
[step 7 photo] [step 7 photo] [step 7 photo]
• To remove the cable, simply pull it toward the back. No locking tabs etc. on these.
• There are two (2) Philips head screws that hold the HDD caddy. Remove those
• The screws are M3 by 8mm machine screws

Step 8
[step 8 photo] [step 8 photo]
• With the two (2) screws removed, simply remove the Hard Drive with caddy out of the chassis.
• The drive is a Quantum ProDrive LPS 42S 40GB SCSI Hard Drive - Apple 940-40-9404

Conclusion
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Credit
This guide is by oldturkey03 on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>
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