MacBook Air Q&A
Update Published August 11, 2019
Testing conducted by Apple in October 2018 using preproduction 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-based MacBook Air systems with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. The wireless web test measures battery life by wirelessly browsing 25 popular websites with display brightness set to 12 clicks from bottom or 75%.
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How do you replace or upgrade the battery in the MacBook Air? Is it even possible or is it glued in place?
The battery in all MacBook Air models is 'integrated,' which means it is not designed to be replaced by end-users, and it certainly is not easily 'swappable' like the battery in 'pre-Unibody' MacBook and MacBook Pro models.
The MacBook Air battery is replaceable, though. Thankfully, no soldering is required and Apple did not secure the battery in place with adhesive, either.
https://ninreg.netlify.app/mcculloch-power-mac-6-manual.html. Official Replacement Option
Officially, when the battery life of any MacBook Air drops enough to justify replacement -- and it is no longer under warranty -- one is required to provide Apple with the entire MacBook Air for service.
Additional information is available from the company website -- and the price varies in different countries -- but as of the date last updated, it costs US$129 in the US, C$149 in Canada (originally C$209), £99 in the UK (originally £159), and A$199 in Australia (originally A$229) to have Apple replace the battery (including the battery itself).
If you live close to an Apple Store, you can opt for same-day service with an appointment. If you do not, you may alternately have the battery replaced by mail, which takes 3-4 days.
Self-Replacement Option
Although it might be a bit of a stretch to refer to battery replacement as a 'hack' per se, as it is rather straightforward, it is entirely possible to replace the battery yourself.
Replacing the battery yourself not only saves a bit of money, but it also can save time, and it can be much more secure as you are not required to turn your entire notebook over to a third-party, either. However, be very certain to purchase a quality battery. A low quality battery may not hold a charge for as long as a quality one, but it also may leak or even cause a fire.
AnandTech was the first to tear into the original MacBook Air and found that it is not difficult to replace the battery, although it does require the removal of a whopping nineteen screws.
Image Credit: AnandTech (Original MacBook Air -- Bottom Panel Removed)
The battery replacement procedure is quite similar for subsequent models. However, starting with the 'Late 2010' series, Apple uses five-point 'Pentalobe' screws (which some refer to as 'Security Torx' screws) on the exterior to more seriously discourage end-users from 'tinkering' with their computer. The battery assembly likewise is attached with T5 Torx screws. It's not really any more difficult to replace the battery in these models, it just requires a more obscure screwdriver.
Identification Help
Not all MacBook Air models use the same battery, so it is critical to identify your MacBook Air correctly in order to purchase a compatible battery.
The MacBook Air can be identified by the Model Identifier 'closely enough' to an exact match for the purpose of replacing the battery. In turn, each model can be uniquely identified via model identifier and one or more secondary identifiers (like processor speed and/or processor type).
EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature -- as well as the EveryMac app -- also can uniquely identify these models by the Serial Number, which is listed on the bottom of the notebook in small type toward the hinge and within the operating system alongside the model identifier. More details about specific identifiers are provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.
To locate the model identifier in software, select 'About This Mac' under the Apple Menu on your computer and click the 'More Info..' button. If the MacBook Air is running OS X 10.7 'Lion' or later, you will need to click the 'System Report' button after clicking 'More Info..' as well. EveryMac.com has carefully hand documented each model identifier for your convenience.
The model identifiers for each of these models follows:
MacBook Air | Subfamily | Model ID |
Original | ||
Original | ||
Late 2008 Warning: Outlook data will be removed when you move the three folders listed in this step to Trash. You should back up these folders before you delete them. Click the back arrow to go back to the Library folder and open Group Containers. Microsoft word for mac manual. On this page you find the Microsoft Office 365 manual. Please read the instructions in this operator manual carefully before using the product. If you have any questions about your that are not answered in the manual, please share your question in the troubleshooting section on the buttom of this page. Microsoft Word For Mac Manual Find answers to FAQs, tips and how-tos along with news about Microsoft Office for Mac 2011. We'll include links and some help for older versions of Office. Microsoft office 2011 manual free. Download our free Office for Mac Quick Starts to get up and running quickly. Tip: To view, you may first need to first download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software. Word for Mac Quick Start. Mar 20, 2016 Microsoft Word 2016 for Mac: Any Easy Beginner’s Guide. Office 2016 for Mac Quick Start Guides. Office 2016 for the Mac - The Missing Manual. Learning Microsoft Word 2016 for Mac Training Video. Courses at lynda.com (there is a free trial offer, so you may be able to take one of these for free: Up and Running with Word for Mac 2016. | ||
Late 2008 | ||
Mid-2009 | ||
Mid-2009 | ||
Late 2010 | ||
Late 2010 | ||
Late 2010 So I went with the lubbo fancontrol and changed the config option as suggested above.I'm running windows 7 pro on my macbook pro retina late 2012, 2.6 i7.One thing you can do regardless of an extra fan controller is drop the CPU power.Go to Power Options Change plan settings (starting from Balanced) Change Advanced power settings.Then in the Power Options popup window, I went to: Processor power management Maximum processor state, and set my On battery and Plugged in percentages to 90%.Got a bout a 20 deg C drop in temperature. Manual fan adjust on mac computer. | ||
Late 2010 | ||
Mid-2011 | ||
Mid-2011 | ||
Mid-2011 | ||
Mid-2011 | ||
Mid-2011 | ||
Mid-2012 | ||
Mid-2012 | ||
Mid-2012 | ||
Mid-2012 | ||
Mid-2013 | ||
Mid-2013 | ||
Mid-2013 | ||
Mid-2013 | ||
Early 2014 | ||
Early 2014 | ||
Early 2014 | ||
Early 2014 | ||
Early 2015 | ||
Early 2015 | ||
Early 2015 | ||
Early 2015 | ||
2017 | ||
2017 |
Battery Replacement Instructions
For the original, 'Late 2008,' and 'Mid-2009' MacBook Air models you essentially have to remove the bottom case (ten screws), unscrew the battery (nine screws), and finally, just unplug the battery and remove it.
The procedure is slightly different for the original model and the 'Late 2008/Mid-2009' models and a bit different for the 'Late 2010' and subsequent models, too.
Site sponsor Other World Computing both provides quality, compatible batteries (complete with the correct screwdriver) and has precisely documented the replacement steps for each, as well:
Original MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir1,1)
Late 2008/Mid-2009 MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir2,1)
Late 2010 11' MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir3,1)
Late 2010 13' MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir3,2)
Mid-2011 11' MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir4,1)
Mid-2011 13' MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir4,2)
Mid-2012 11' MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir5,1)
Mid-2012 13' MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir5,2)
Mid-2013/Early 2014 11' MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir6,1)
Mid-2013/Early 2014 13' MacBook Air Battery Replacement Video (MacBookAir6,2)
As of the date last updated, quality batteries are few and far between for the 'Early 2015' and 'Mid-2017' MacBook Air models, but these models should not need to have their batteries replaced yet, either.
After watching the video for your model, it should be clear that replacing the battery is simple. When you remove the screws, though, pay careful attention to where each screw goes. In particular, some screws are longer than others.
However, if you do not feel comfortable doing the work yourself, hiring a professional is a good idea.
Battery Replacement Summary
Ultimately, those with modest technical skills can easily replace the battery in the MacBook Air models themselves should they choose to do so. Replacing the battery requires nothing more than a compatible, quality battery and the correct screwdriver or screwdrivers.
It cannot be stressed enough that it is very important to purchase a quality battery. Low quality batteries may not hold a charge for as long as a quality one, but even may leak or cause a fire.
Battery Purchase Options
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor OWC offers quality batteries for nearly all MacBook Air models.
In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells OWC batteries with free shipping. Mac ht 165 instruction manual 2016.
In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells OWC batteries with fast shipping and no customs duties.
In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit is a local distributor of OWC batteries and provides a 30 day money back guarantee as well as affordable flat-rate shipping across the country.
In Southeast Asia, site sponsor SimplyMac.sg sells the entire line of OWC batteries for the MacBook Air series with free delivery -- and optional upgrade service -- in Singapore and free shipping to Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
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Like any computer, a Mac is prone to serious problems over the course of its life. A wide variety of things can go horribly, horribly wrong. From a complete failure to start to that terrifying kernel panic screen, here's how to troubleshoot (and hopefully fix) what's plaguing your Mac.
For the most part, the problems you run into on a Mac are pretty universal across all versions of OS X, but we'll stick to the most modern operating systems here: Lion and Mountain Lion (most of these tips should also work with Snow Leopard though). If you're still covered by Apple's warranty or AppleCare, the easiest solution is to walk into the Apple Store and have them fix everything for free. If you don't want to waste time or you're not covered anymore, you can do a lot of the troubleshooting yourself.
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The Problem: Blue or Grey Screen on Startup
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When you turn on your computer and get a grey or blue screen (or it gets stuck at the Apple logo) that never loads OS X, it's a pretty good cause for concern. This can happen for a number of reasons, so it's one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a Mac, and troubleshooting it is no easy task. So, let's break it down into a few steps you can take to figure out what's going on.
Step One: Disconnect All Peripherals
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One of the main causes of a grey or blue screen on startup is incompatible hardware connected to the machine. This might be a printer, an external hard drive, or even a USB hub. So, disconnect everything except the mouse and keyboard, and restart your computer.
If your Mac starts this way, then it's an issue with one of those peripherals. You have to trial-and-error your way through to figure out which one, so connect them back into your computer one by one, and restart. If one of them causes your computer to hang on the grey screen again, you've found your issue.
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If you figure out the problematic peripheral, it's time to do a little research. Head to the manufacturer's web site and see if others are reporting the same problem. You might be able to fix it with a software update or a firmware update to the device.
If no devices are causing problems, and your Mac still won't boot, then it's time to dig a little deeper.
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Step Two: Perform a Safe Boot
Safe boot makes your Mac boot up with the minimum amount of drivers needed to make it work, and it checks your hard disk in the process (it might take a bit longer to boot up). Do do this, start up your computer while holding down the Shift key until the Apple logo passes. If your Mac starts up with the safe boot, go ahead and restart the computer again and see if it boots up normally (as odd as it sounds this fixes the problem a surprising amount of the time). If not, it's time to give the hard drive a closer look.
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Step Three: Run Disk Utility
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If you still can't boot up OS X normally, it's time to run Disk Utility and check out your hard drive:
- Boot up your computer while holding down Command+R (if you're running Snow Leopard or earlier, find your OS installation disc, put it in the drive, and reboot your computer holding down C). This will boot you into a diagnostic mode.
- Select the Disk Utility Option.
- Select your hard drive, and click 'Verify.' Wait for Disk Utility to finish running.
- If problems pop up, click 'Repair Disk.'
- If nothing pops up, click 'Repair Permissions' and wait for Disk Utility to scan your hard drive again.
- If Disk Utility finds and repairs some problems, go ahead and reboot.
In a lot of cases, running Disk Utility will catch problems with startup issues. Sometimes a single file with the wrong permissions can cause the whole system to collapse, or if something's not in the right place it won't boot. If this doesn't work, you have a lot more problems to look into.
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Further Resources
If the above solutions don't work, it's time to dig a lot deeper into your system. Your problem could range from a bad hard drive to a faulty logic board. Here are a few more steps that should help you single out the problem:
The Problem: Persistent Beach Ball
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Ah yes, the spinning beach ball that refuses to go away. Sometimes it's a small, application-specific problem that's easy to solve, but other times it's part of a much bigger mess. If your Mac is tossing up the spinning beach ball consistently, it's time to figure out the exact cause.
Step One: Check Activity Monitor
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Your Mac will usually get a spinning beach ball when it's somehow overloaded. More often than not, this just lasts a few seconds and goes away, in which case you can ignore it. If it doesn't, the best way to figure out what's going on is to launch Activity Monitor and pinpoint which program is causing the problem.
- If you need to, force quit any programs that are potentially causing the beach ball (Command+Option+Esc).
- Launch Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities).
- Now go about your daily usage. If the beach ball comes up, switch over to Activity Monitor and see which app is taking up the biggest CPU load (oftentimes this will spike at 100%).
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If it's a powerful piece of software like Photoshop that's causing problems, then it's a good chance you need more RAM in your computer. RAM can help with multi-tasking issues, and if the beach ball comes up when you're running a few programs at once additional RAM will help (this is very easy to install yourself). If not, and it's something lightweight like a file syncing service like Dropbox or an instant messenger client like Adium, then it's probably a problem with the software itself. Try quitting the app and seeing if the problem persists. If the beach ball doesn't return, then you have your problem. Check the developer's web site to see if they've issued an update, run Software Update (Apple Logo > Software Update), or get in touch with the developer if no update is available.
Another possible problem is that your hard disk is getting close to full.
Step Two: Reclaim Hard Drive Space
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When your hard disk is full it can cause spinning beach ball problems. For a lot of us, this just means cleaning up two folders: your trash and your downloads folder:
- Right-click the trash can icon and select 'Empty Trash.' If you have a lot of stuff in there or you haven't done this recently you might get enough space to save your file.
- Now head to your downloads folder (Users > Your Name > Downloads). Go through and delete any files you no longer need.
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In a lot of cases, doing the above two steps can free up enough space to continue working. That said, you might still need to free up even more space. To make this process easy, we likeDisk Inventory X. With Disk Inventory X, you can look at your hard drive and find the biggest space hogs quickly so you can delete them and move on. It takes a little time, but if you follow our guide you'll have your hard drive cleared out in no time. Of course, it might also be time to just upgrade the size of your hard drive.
Further Resources
A few other oddball things can cause the spinning beach ball. If none of the above work, here are a few more resources that will help you troubleshoot the problem.
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The Problem: Kernel Panics
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If you've ever experienced the black and grey kernel panic screen above, then you know how scary and completely unhelpful it is. When one application has a problem, you get the spinning beach ball mentioned in a previous section, but when multiple programs fail—or the operating system itself—you get a kernel panic. Thankfully, it's not (usually) as big of a problem as it seems.
Step One: Reboot and See If It Happens Again
In most cases, a kernel panic will force you to reboot you computer. Let this happen, and if you load right back into OS X, continue working on your computer as usual. In a lot of cases, the issue resolves itself and you can move along. If not, or if it happens only when you use specific programs, it's time to figure out what's going on.
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Step Two: Update All Your Software
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Running Software Update can often fix kernel panic problems because more often than not, it's a software issue. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner, and select 'Software Update.' Let it look for and install new software to see if it fixes the problem.
If for some reason the kernel panic happens when you're starting up and you can't load OS X, then you'll need to try and start up in safe mode. Reboot the computer and hold down the Shift key until the Apple logo appears. After a little while, you'll load up safe mode, a stripped down version of OS X. Here, you can still run Software Update the same way as you usually would.
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It's also worth visiting the developer's web site to see if other people are having a problem with a recent update or release. If it's one specific app that always causes the kernel panic, it's best to not use it until an update is issued.
Step Three: Check Your Login Items
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If no software needs updating and you can't get your computer to start without a kernel panic then it might be an issue with one of the programs you have loading up automatically on startup. That means its time to clear out your login items. While you're still in safe mode you can remove any apps that start automatically:
- Open up your System Preferences (Applications > System Preferences).
- Select 'Users and Groups' and select your user ID.
- Select the 'Login Items' tab.
- Select each of the applications you have and click the minus sign to remove them from the list.
- Reboot and see if you can start without a kernel panic. If so, one of those apps is causing the problem. Try loading up each to see which one causes it again.
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Further Resources
If the kernel panics keep happening and no specific app seems to cause it, you might have a bigger problem. Things start to get really tricky if you're getting kernel panics and you can't isolate the issue with any of the above methods, so here are a few guides we've found helpful for pinpointing the problem with more advanced measures.
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Problem: Your Display Isn't Working or Is Distorted
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This one hit me recently on an iMac. Out of nowhere, the screen turned a crazed green and yellow, and then the computer shut down. After several attempts to reboot (and trying just about everything listed above) it eventually refused to turn on. In my case, my graphics card was toast, and I had to get it replaced, but that's not always the problem. Here are a few things you can do to troubleshoot and figure out exactly why your video card or display is freaking out.
Step One: Reset the PRAM/VRAM and SMC
This doesn't always do that much good, but it's the easiest thing to do and only takes a few seconds. Turn on your Mac and hold down Command+Option+P+R until the computer reboots. This resets the PRAM / VRAM, which is where things like startup disk selection, screen resolution, and speaker volume are stored. Sometimes this can correct display issues, and if so, continue using your Mac as you did.
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The other option is to reset the SMC (System Management Controller). This controls everything on your computer ranging from the power to the fans. Every Mac has a slightly different process for doing this, so head to Apple's official SMC Reset page, find your model, and follow their instructions (this usually involves unplugging the power cord on a desktop, or removing the battery on a laptop). Once you reset the SMC a lot of your setting are restored to factory defaults and your display problems may get solved.
Step Two: Boot Into Safe Mode
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The next step to figure out what's going on with your graphics card or display is to boot into safe mode to see if the problems persist. Power on your Mac and hold down the Shift key until you get past the Apple logo. This boots into a stripped down version of OS X.
Here, you can see if the display problems are persisting. This might be screen glitches, pixelated graphics, or large black squares everywhere. If they are, it's probably a hardware issue and you should move on to the next step. If not, it's likely a software problem, and you have a few different options for troubleshooting:
- Restart the computer again in normal boot mode to see if the problem resolves itself (this does actually happen).
- If not, go back into Safe Mode and check for software updates (Apple logo > Software Updates). If you get an update for your graphics card or logic board, install it.
- Double-check your display options by going into System Preferences (Applications > System Preferences). Choose 'Displays' and make sure the resolution and refresh rate are correct.
- If you've recently installed a software update that possibly caused the issue, it's also worth checking out Apple's recently released updates and downloading and installing the most recent combo update again. Sometimes a simple re-install can fix strange issues that might have cropped up with display drivers.
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If none of those work, it's time to run the Apple Hardware test to see if it's a hardware issue.
Step Three: Run Apple Hardware Test
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Hydra mac skid steer service manual. A lesser known feature of Macs is the Apple Hardware Test. Like the name suggests, this is a way to test for hardware failures on your computer. It's not foolproof, but it might help you troubleshoot your issue moving forward.
- Reboot your Mac and hold down the 'D' key until the Apple Hardware Test starts (if you're on Snow Leopard or earlier you need to put in the install disc first).
- Select your language, and then select the 'Basic test' option. Let it do its thing. If an error occurs, the Apple Hardware Test should tell you which piece of hardware is failing and you've found your problem. If not, select the 'Perform Extended Testing' option. This might take an hour or two to complete.
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While a hardware failure is never fun, hopefully the Apple Hardware test will actually show it so you can get the faulty hardware replaced. If it is a hardware problem, you can check out iFixit's Mac Repair Guides to see if you can fix it yourself.
Further Resources
Mac Airbook Manual
If none of the above tricks work, you can try a few other things:
As with any computer troubleshooting, sometimes you'll need to go through all kinds of tests and experiments to figure out what the heck is going on. If you're lucky, the above tips will get your Mac in working order in no time.
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Mac Air Book Reviews
Photos by Hendrick Dacquin, Jamie McCall, Paul Donway, mroach.