Einleitung
Wenn du die Festplatte austauschen willst, musst du zuerst das Display vom Rahmen trennen und den linken Lautsprecher entfernen.
Bei dieser Reparatur wird in einigen Schritten beschrieben, wie du die Festplatte durch eine SSD aufrüsten kannst. Insbesondere wird gezeigt, wie der Temperatursensor der SSD installiert wird, so dass der Lüfter des iMac mit der richtigen Drehzahl arbeitet.
Bevor du am iMac arbeitest: Ziehe den Netzstecker und drücke den Einschaltknopf mindestens 10 sec lang, um die Kondensatoren des Netzteils zu entladen.
Sei sehr vorsichtig und berühre keine Anschlüsse der Kondensatoren und auch keine der Lötstellen auf der Netzplatine.
Werkzeuge
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Reparaturen sind relativ schwierig, wenn der iMac aufrecht steht und man keine iMac Reparaturhilfe verwendet. Man kann den iMac zwar auch für Reparaturen hinlegen, jedoch ist es einfacher und schneller den iMac in aufgerichtetem Zustand zu reparieren.
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Wenn du die Reparaturhilfe aus Karton von iFixit hast, dann baue sie erst mit Hilfe dieser Anleitung zusammen.
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Beginne an der linken Seite des Bildschirms, auf der Seite der Ein-/Aus-Taste, und schiebe das iMac Opening Tool zwischen Bildschirm und Gehäuse.
Would a heat gun make this step easier? Or damage the iMac?
A heat gun wouldn’t help you here as you still need to cut though the adhesive. You also risk damaging the display with the excessive heat.
Dan -
Removing the original adhesive is easier than removing newly applied adhesive (e.g., if you have to reopen iMac). If you should happen to need to reopen the iMac, please use extreme caution and highly consider my suggestions below.
When using the pizza cutter tool, do the first few steps in reverse starting with step 8. Starting on the left side is better since this is where the adhesive is narrowest. The right side has two antennas and the top right has one, see the pictures for step 18-21, they are the brass colored metal rectangles near the edges. The adhesive on these pieces are wider and therefore have more holding power. The thickness of the pizza cutter tool is enough to crack the glass.
Continuing from my previous comment. To remove the adhesive on the right side you’ll need to create a very slight gap to give the pizza cutter some more room. Do this by cutting the adhesive on the left side up and around to the camera. Before attempting to cut the right side. Carefully slide the plastic cards (I purchased two sets) to ensure the adhesive on the left top and side is completely free. Now slowly move towards the right side. After every inch or two of removing new adhesive, slide the card over to create this slight gap. Be careful to not move the card too close to where the adhesive has not been cut. You want to create a very slight gap without creating too much pressure. Use extra caution with approaching the areas where the antenna are since the adhesive is stronger here and will need some additional cutting. Follow this approach all the way around the right side. Be careful to not create too much pressure at any one time. Good Luck!.
I can confirm with Walter - trying to remove freshly applied adhesive is WAAAAY harder! My pizza cutter didn’t work correctly (the circle became a rectangle!) and I ended up with a small crack on the left of my screen. Dang it!
I would highly, highly, highly recommend AGAINST doing this at home. I followed these instructions to a T, and still somehow managed to have the screen not be able to turn on after the hard drive replacement. Then, once you’ve opened your Mac yourself, Apple will refuse to fix anything on the computer, and even other third party, Apple-authorized repair facility will refuse to repair it for you, and you will have to locate a non-authorized Apple repair facility. There, I am having to pay ~$600 to fix things that got screwed up, even though I followed the instructions here to a T, step by step, and did everything slowly and methodically.
Beware, if you’ve never done this before, that be locked out of ever being able to use an Apple repair facility, or Apple-authorized repair facility, if you mess things up here now.
I performed this on a Late 2015 iMac and there weren’t any significant differences to these steps, but I did find the repair to be nerve-wracking. My model cost nearly $3,000 and about 10 steps into this guide (which I did fully read ahead of time) I was thinking, “what have I got myself into?” But I didn’t rush and happily I’m typing this on my repaired iMac! I found a video from OWC that was more useful than the photos in this guide for certain steps: https://vimeo.com/139364064
Don’t know if you are still around, but THANK YOU for posting this video! The video made it seem SO NOT SCARY and, in conjunction with the photos and comments and tips on this guide, was a lifesaver. Big thumbs up.
First impressions so far: yes it can be a bit nerve wrecking if it is your first time doing this sort of thing and even with lots of experience with a 2011 model it’s still a bit unsettling haha (nervous laughter).
What I recommend: use a guitar pick to start cutting the glue. You’ll need a bit of pressure so do just the tip.
Once you’ve done the whole perimeter (minus bottom) do it again but now it should be easier to go deeper so go very slow and careful. Then get the old suction cups used to open older models and start lifting the display very carefully to see where it’s still glued and cut those as well.
Then you should be done and now the real fun begins! :D
It’s ridiculous. Apple should pay for doing this. Like glue parts together to block a repair / make difficult. I smashed my iMac. FU Apple. Seriously, every product I owned had hardware issues. For example, bad solder joints. Never again Apple. I’m happy with Windows and in 2018 / 2019 there are many other manufacturers with high quality stuff. Apple is dying, if they do not change …
NOTE: I followed every step word for word, but the adhesive strips supplied are as bad as double sided tape. Within 48hours the screen had slipped off and cracked. Now I need to fork out for a new screen and try again.
Not sure what to try next time with strips? Perhaps a bit of glue to help hold it??
Where do i get the “iMac Opening Tool?” its neither in the list of tools nor could i find it on the tool page.
Hi @snappadoodle! The opening tool is included in the adhesive kit included in the tool list, but you can purchase it separately here.
After disconnecting the power cord and before cutting the panel adhesive, push and hold the power button for 10 seconds. This will discharge the power supply capacitors. In case you accidentally touch the solder joints on the board, you won't be shocked and drop the panel.
Bottom line: This repair seems to have worked (so far no more intermittent shut-downs). Thanks iFixit!
As a novice who fully expected to destroy the display or worse, I make the following recommendations: (1) Before you start, read the steps several (many) times; visualize doing them and imagine how things could go wrong; (2) Read all the comments—there were some really helpful tips—like simply displacing the left speaker rather than fully removing it; (3) Get the recommended tools*; and (4) take your time—if you start to feel frustrated—seriously, stop and take a calming breath. Time is your friend. Failure is not an option.
*I would add a 3-prong parts puller to the tool list—it’s great for pulling and starting loose screws so you don’t drop them down into the chassis like I did. It’s also great for retrieving the screws you’ve dropped into the chassis.
Hi brad, what exactly did you repair to stop the shutdowns? I’m having the same issue
merinian -
Thank you very much for the instructive tutorial. I just successfully replaced the hard drive on my 2012 iMac 27. I used a disposable surgical scalpel 15 blade, and locked the blade extending 9 mm from the scalpel shaft using office tape. I used regular double sided tape to reattach the screen. I cut the strips using the scalpel. I have no previous computer experience and this is the first time I replaced a computer part. This was easy and fun.
Filip Dolatowski - Friday 11th Dec 2020
You are very lucky! I’ve had three systems come in which someone did the exact same thing! All three cut the display ribbon cables. Please don’t use surgical knifes or any other knife! Use the proper tool the special pizza cutter wheel designed for the task.
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You likely spent more on the knifes than what the wheel cost with the correct tapes. You make the next time doubly hard to open not using the correct tapes! Hows the built in microphone? You may have messed it up.
Dan -
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Benutze das Werkzeug wie einen Pizzaschneider - rolle es entlang des Schlitzes zwischen Bildschirm und Gehäuse und es wird den Kleber durchschneiden.
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Fahre mit dem Werkzeug entlang der linken Gehäuseseite.
In my experience the cutter also worked very well for cutting the original adhesive. Unfortunately when I was reinstalling the display with the new adhesive strips, somehow the display power connector came loose. I had to open the display a second time and the cutter was not as effective against the new adhesive. I managed to break the cutter tool plastic wheel and cause a few small cracks in the edge of the displays glass as I worked! Be careful and go slowly!
The cutting tool worked great until I accidentally twisted it a bit while rounding a corner. A chunk of the wheel snapped off, making the rest of the job quite a bit more challenging. Just make sure you are keeping the tool directly parallel with the screen.
I concur, opening the screen a 2nd time is considerably more difficult because the adhesive strips are thinner than the original, which makes getting the cutting tool inserted much more difficult….as a result unknowingly I elongated a small crack to a much longer crack and somehow, the LCD now has a wide grey strip from top to bottom….The first time opening was easy, second time resulted in a ruined screen.. The cost of. a replacement LCD is the same has replacing the entire computer….I would recommend anyone attempting to remove the screen for any reason, do not use the aftermarket adhesive strips if you ever intend to open it up; again, or cut the strips much shorter, or possibly use a few pieces of scotch tape or similar to hold the screen in place….since the screen tilts back, this should not be a problem…Good luck…
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Schneide den Kleber entlang der oberen linken Gehäuseseite durch.
The pizza cutter will sink in all the way to the tool handle when the adhesive is full cut, but don’t feel you have to do this in one motion. Some parts cut easier and some require a lot (like 20x) of gentle back and forth.
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Zerschneide den Kleber weiter entlang der oberen Gehäuseseite.
I measured a depth several positions.
- About 6 centimeters near iSight Camera center, you must no use iMac opening tool, because iSight element exists.
- iMac opening tool has a 9mm radius, so it may break iSight camera element.
- Making a plastic card stacking 2 or 3 to 3mm, under the iMac opening tool, that makes inserting a gap 5~6mm like below.
@. iMac opening tool
====== plastic card3 (credit card 1mm)
====== plastic card2 (1mm)
====== platic card1. (1mm)
———————————————— isight camera element (total 5~6cm) ————
In my case, i got a display problem where lcd display yellow connector was torn without care.
Be helpful.
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Schneide den Rest des Klebers an der rechten Seite des Gehäuses bis ganz nach unten durch.
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Lege den iMac mit dem Bildschirm nach oben auf einen Tisch.
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Beginne an der oberen rechten Seite des iMacs und schiebe eine Plastikkarte zwischen Bildschirm und Gehäuse.
I actually DESTROYED my display (black vertical strips) by pushing the card in a bit TOO DEEP. So it is REALLY important to insert the card only a bit (1-2mm) more than the cutter wheel, in particular at the top side, where many flat cables connect the panel with the PCB. These can be damaged very easily!
Same thing with me…. Pushed cards to far…. new panel needed…€600…..
i think ifixit needs to place a bigger caveat, as I have missed it the first time
i successfully upgraded two imacs. one opened with ifixit pizza knife and another with a regular paper knife. however, when i had to open the first one once again i broke its screen glass. it seems ifixit adhesive strips are too strong. next time i’ll try to use heater to weaken glue tension.
I broke one too. And even if you think you did it correctly, you’ll not be able to see where you might have gone too far. You would think it’s very protected behind that metal plate, but no. Take special care with this offence to “right to repair” This should have been designed WAY better. I mean replacing a hardrive that is very likely to fail over the course of time, or even a simple desire to upgrade to an ssd!.
Bummer
HINT: If you turn the card and use the blue part of it, then you can avoid going to deep: no further then the blue part …
On the cards I got with my iFixit kit, the blue part was way bigger than 9.5mm — closer to 20mm!
I made a line 9mm from the edge of each of my cards and used that as a guide.
I’m thinking I might just use vinyl tape to keep the screen in place for at least a little while after an upgrade. The extra strength of the replacement tape sounds scary.
I wrapped two layers of vinyl electrical tape around the short side of an old gift card 3/8” from the edge. This “stop" prevented the card from going in too far. The card really helps to break the panel free.
This is a good tip!
Great idea! Wish I had read this before doing it. My less then optimal solution was to draw lines 3/8” around the cards, not as safe as your fix, but fast.
surely the card should have been designed such not to go further than certain distance with a barrier band.
The cards don’t have any means to control the depth, its your skills which control it. Its no different from how you use a knife to cut your chicken up when you serve it for dinner.
Dan -
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Verdrehe die Plastikkarte leicht, um den Abstand zwischen Bildschirm und Gehäuse zu vergrößern. Trenne allen Kleber in der Nähe der Ecke auf.
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Zu viel Kraft kann das Display zerbrechen. Arbeite vorsichtig. Versuche nicht, den Spalt mehr als 6 mm breit zu machen.
My children tend to collect cards like this from hotels, Disneyland, old IDs, iTunes cards, gift cards etc. They came in handy for this step. After wedging in the first card into the left corner, I wedged the left corner, then added cards along the bottom edge. Finally I continued to push in additional cards to existing cards and found that this created a smooth even pressure along the display top. At 2-3 card-thickness the last of the adhesive let go, gentle as a baby.
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Schiebe die Karte in Richtung der Bildschirmmitte, um den Rest des Klebers durchzutrennen.
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Schiebe die Karte zurück in die Ecke des Bildschirms und lasse sie dort stecken, um zu verhindern, dass der Kleber den Bildschirm wieder festklebt.
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Schiebe eine zweite Karte zwischen Bildschirm und Gehäuse an der oberen linken Seite.
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Drehe die Karte leicht, um den Abstand zwischen Bildschirm und Gehäuse zu vergrößern.
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Schiebe die Plastikkarte in Richtung Mitte und höre wieder vor der Mitte auf, um die iSight Kamera nicht zu beschädigen.
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Wie im Bild gezeigt, inseriere die Karten zwischen Bildschirm und Gehäuse und fange an, diese leicht zu drehen, um den Abstand zwischen Gehäuse und Bildschirm zu vergrößern.
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Wenn Teile des Bildschirms sich nicht zu lösen scheinen, dann nimm eine weitere Karte, um in diesen Bereichen den Kleber ein weiteres Mal durchzutrennen.
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Beginne, die obere Seite des Bildschirms nach oben vom Gehäuse zu entfernen.
I would recommend using suction cups at this stage to lift the display.
I would strongly recommend using suction cups
Agreed about the suction cups. An extra pair of hands might be good here as well.
The stickiest location on my iMac was the mid-to-lower section of the right side. There are a couple of thicker areas that needed attention from the plastic cards.
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Während du den Bildschirm mit einer Hand nach oben hältst, trenne mit der anderen Hand das Stromkabel, welches zum Bildschirm führt.
Mark all cable connectors with a spot of white correction fluid before removal. This will remove the risk, when reinserting them later, of getting them the wrong way round. Yes - I know they will only plug in one way round, but it does make life easier if you are not in perfect lighting!
At this step, if you mess up anything with these 2 cables, especially when plugging them back in, even if you think you’re following the instructions here to a T, then you’re screwed.
I would highly, highly, highly recommend AGAINST doing this at home. I followed these instructions to a T, and still somehow managed to have the screen not be able to turn on after the hard drive replacement. Then, once you’ve opened your Mac yourself, Apple will refuse to fix anything on the computer, and even other third party, Apple-authorized repair facility will refuse to repair it for you, and you will have to locate a non-authorized Apple repair facility. There, I am having to pay ~$600 to fix things that got screwed up, even though I followed the instructions here to a T, step by step, and did everything slowly and methodically.
Beware, if you’ve never done this before, that be locked out of ever being able to use an Apple repair facility, or Apple-authorized repair facility, if you mess things up here now.
The display cable, the wider one, has a lock on it , usually a plastic tape lift tab to release it, once thats flipped it should come out fairly easily, if your experiencing resistance and the cable isn’t coming out then check for this lock/latch, the power cable just pulls out, just don’t rush it everything should go fine, fairly easy to do with the end result a working iMac
Is it possible to replace the power cable if its damaged? I can’t seem to find anything about this.
After finishing my hard drive replacement I reconnected these connectors to test my display before using new adhesive. Everything was working beautifully. But then when I applied the new adhesive and went to seal the display on for good - the display power cable somehow became disconnected! I had to reopen the Mac for a second time which was far more difficult with new adhesive. When reinstalling double and triple check that the cables are securely inserted before the final seal. Sounds obvious but it’s quite the annoyance if something goes wrong at this point.
Very difficult to work with these connectors.
Power cable very difficult to unplug - data cable veeeeery difficult to plug in.
I noticed that working with the iMac positioned vertically (and with a proper support for inclination) makes this step slightly easier…
Interesting comments.. personally, I didn’t find the cables particularly difficult to detach and reattach. You do have to be patient and gentle. Personally, I found that a rolled up beach towel gently wedged between the unit and back of the display helped keep the glass up. Also, a small flashlight can be helpful to see the cables and connectors if you’re lighting isn’t perfect.
I’d agree to John - not overly difficult. My workaround was to prep the screen for re-installation and then place it in front of the standing machine. The cables are long and flexible enough to be put in place even in this state. You can easily attach the cables and continue with fixing the screen to the housing.
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Klappe die Metalllasche am Anschluss des Bildschirm-Datenkabels um.
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Trenne das Kabel vom Logic Board.
I replaced HDD to SSD and assembled parts again. When I boot up the iMac, I found black lines on display (looks partly not broken).
I searched Internet, and some says graphic card problem, but I didn't touch anything but cable to lift up.
Could the damaged display data cable cause this situation? I hope I could fix this by just replacing the cables..
Sorry, Black lines is a damaged display assembly ;-{ In the process of removing it you either pushed the tool into deep or you torqued the glass severing the tiny wire traces.
Dan -
Same trouble here, is it cable trouble or connector trouble?
Sorry damaged display
Dan -
I think whenever words like "...is a delicate connection that can be broken. Be sure to pull the [cable in a certain direction] ANYTIME.... It is worth either a closeup or 2, maybe one with annotations or insertion directions and maybe a motion direction arrow with the something like and 'X' char or a circle division slash over the wrong one.
I agree! +1
Yes, John is absolutely correct on this one. I damaged the display cable trying to get it back in. A close up would have helped and now my computer might have actually been fixed.
[|There are 2 cables to disconnect on my Mac (?). Also, I don’t see a metal retaining bracket. I can take a picture, but cannot attach. I got the glass loose with no problem, but am worried about damaging the cables]
Hi Jim! You can go to our Answers Forum to post some better images of your situation!
At this step, if you mess up anything with these 2 cables, especially when plugging them back in, even if you think you’re following the instructions here to a T, then you’re screwed.
I would highly, highly, highly recommend AGAINST doing this at home. I followed these instructions to a T, and still somehow managed to have the screen not be able to turn on after the hard drive replacement. Then, once you’ve opened your Mac yourself, Apple will refuse to fix anything on the computer, and even other third party, Apple-authorized repair facility will refuse to repair it for you, and you will have to locate a non-authorized Apple repair facility. There, I am having to pay ~$600 to fix things that got screwed up, even though I followed the instructions here to a T, step by step, and did everything slowly and methodically.
Beware, if you’ve never done this before, that be locked out of ever being able to use an Apple repair facility, or Apple-authorized repair facility, if you mess things up here now.
First: During reassembly, I highly recommend you connect these cables and do a test boot BEFORE you remove the protective tape on the adhesive strips. That way you can fix any issues(like a damaged cable) if something is not right and you have not re-glued the screen back down which will cause a problem. If you have a second person and everything is working after test boot, you can just leave the cables connected, lift the bottom of the screen and have 2nd person pull the protective tape on the adhesive strips and you can set the screen in place. Second I damaged the video data cable during reassembly on my late 2015 iMac- I did not get the connector straight and I damaged the wires on the cable. I recommend you have someone else hold the screen while you attach the cables - they are fragile. Luckily, the data cable was easily replaced for only about $20. If you must do this by yourself, just be careful I highly recommend have 2 people at this step during reassembly.
At least on my “late 2013” model, the smaller display cable connector has tiny, tiny clips on the outside edges. These must be squeezed to unlatch it. Don't pull on the cable itself or the wires can be pulled out. Even with my small fingers, it was hard to grip the clips. When reconnecting, the connector will lightly snap into place.
I managed this step without any problems, but I had my wife hold the screen up while I disconnected/connected the cables. I STRONGLY encourage another pair of hands here so you can focus your full attention on being ultra careful with the cables.
On the 2015 there are 2 cables.
1. Once the display is loose use the Mac foam block sold from Ifixit to keep the display from rocking to hold open the glass
2. Blow out dust with canned air
3. Get a flash light and small flat edged screw driver
4. Use the screw driver to slow pry loose the connector from the socket by gently inserting it in the gap on the left and then on the right slowly easing the connector from the socket towards the top of the glass
5. The more center connector has a pull tape and a wire loop. Lift pull tape and the wire loop will raise up.
6. Pull the wire loop towards the top of the glass to slide out the connector from its socket
Have a late 2013 model and went to do the SSD upgrade. When going to remove the display we cracked the bottom left corner of the glass (just the glass frame part - not part of the screen that displays anything). We were also having difficulty putting re-attaching the display flex cable. Whenever we finally went to test it before re-sealing the screen back on with new adhesive it would sound like it is turning on as it makes boot-up noises and the fans start running, but the screen would just remain black. Just wondering if the crack in the bottom left-hand side of the glass/display would have damaged a part of the display assembly or if it would be more likely that we just damaged the display flex cable (which can be replaced for $26)?
does anybody know how the Display Cabel pin assignment is? I want to try if I can attach the Panel to another grafic card
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Hebe den Bildschirm bis in eine fast senkrechte Position an.
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Entferne so viel vom Klebstoff wie möglich. Fasse ihn dazu an den Außenkanten an und ziehe oder rolle ihn nach innen.
Thanks Stef, this has saved me! Simple yet very effective.
Yep, I cracked the lower corner of the display as well. I failed to work the adhesive enough to loosen it sufficiently. Be careful, I just had to buy my customer another screen!
There seems to be missing a step or two. As I was removing the old display, there are two wires that need to get transferred to the new replacement display. There is not note about these two wires located at the top of the display. The 1.128-inch ribbon cable and then this other 4-inch long, two-wire cable that goes to a very small circuit board that is 1/4 by 3/8 of an inch and seems to be adhered to the panel.I have not been able to get this cable off the old display. There is a port for it on the replacement display.
Note: When ordering this screen, and plastic cards as noted tools, ifixit.com did not list the pizza cutter or the new replacement adhesive strips. So now I’m not sure how to get the new one on and secure.
The adhesive strip along the bottom is designed with a pull tab on each outer end. Rather than lever and pull the screen simply carefully pull the tab which removes that half of the lower adhesive strip and frees up the screen.
Niemals den unteren Klebestreifen mit einem scharfen Gegenstand wie Rasierklinge oder so versuchen zu trennen, davon geht die Beschichtung des Displays kaputt und man hat hässliche Streifen unten hinter dem Glas. Stattdessen lieber versuchen, das Display nach oben zu klappen und abzuziehen.
translation from Bas Ti because this is very important:
Never try to separate the bottom adhesive strip with a sharp object such as a razor blade or something, the coating on the display will break and you will have ugly strips at the bottom behind the glass. Instead, try to flip up and pull off the display.
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Wenn nötig, kann eine Plastikkarte helfen, den übriggebliebenen Kleber zu lösen.
Would have been helpful to box the same red area when using the plastic card to separate the glue. Since the red blocked picture is inverted, if someone doesn't pay close attention it may not be obvious that the area of concern is at the right top of the graphic pictures in which the plastic card use is being demonstrated..
you don't need to cut the bottom part as the bottom tape is stuck on each side and you can easily pull it out
[|I opened up my iMac and there’s no HDD or SSD in that spot. its just empty.]
You probably had just an SSD installed and no HD, which is on the opposite side of the motherboard (and quite a bit more work to access).
Please update the picture to include the RED BOXED IN AREA that you refer to on all three pictures in this step. I have had a few zaps from these supplies and it is not pleasant.
J’ai réussi à intervenir dans l’iMac sans décoller l’ensemble de l’écran. Je l’ai ouvert en laissant la dernière partie collée (vers le logo Apple) et qui sert comme une charnière. Bien calé et assuré l’écran n’a pas bougé et j’ai pu changer mon disque dur facilement. Le grand avantage et d’avoir l’écran toute suite juste quand on le recolle par la suite.
Well, I of course touched a soldering point in the red area as my hand slipped. I heard and felt a tiny “click” and after replacing the HDD with SSD etc I can not power the iMac up anymore. Not a sign of life :-( I suppose I broke the power supply. Can someone confirm? Or could something else have broken too?
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Hebe den Bildschirm aus dem Rahmen nach oben und entferne ihn anschließend aus dem iMac. Lege das Display auf eine flache und weiche Oberfläche mit dem Bildschirm nach unten.
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Möglicherweise musst du an einer Seite anfangen, den Bildschirm langsam anzuheben, um den Rest des Klebebandes zu lösen.
You really should be using film handling or surgical type gloves to handle the screen to minimise finger grease on any of it. Even if it’s possible to clean most of it off, it can be corrosive over time.
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Wenn sich ein Kabel oder ein Draht unter einem Klebeband befinden, dann ziehe das Klebeband immer vorher ab.
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Wenn das Kabel am Rahmen festgeklebt ist, dann musst du erst die Klebestelle mit einem iOpener oder einem Haartrockner erwärmen. Du kannst dann ein Plektrum unter das Kabel schieben und es ablösen. Ziehe niemals direkt an empfindlichenh Steckern.
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Schiebe ein Plektrum unter die Schaumstoffformteile, um sie vom Display abzulösen und ziehe sie vorsichtig ab. Eventuell musst du sie mit doppelseitigem Klebeband am neuen Display befestigen.
Be extremely careful removing the LCD Temp Sensor from the rear of the screen. If you pull the wire, you run the risk of severing the metal wire from the connector but not notice it because the surrounding plastic insulation may still be intact. Use a razor blade so “shave off” the sensor under the adhesive. I just had the screen replaced by a local shop and, upon boot, the fan was running full-speed and the Mac’s speed was miserable; Excel took 30 bounces in the Dock to launch rather than the expected 4-5. Novabench showed the Mac running at 4% of its expected speed (overall). The tech examined the sensor carefully, found the broken connection, soldered it back into place, and all was fine. Note that the (partially disconnected) sensor actually showed up when I ran Macs Fan Control in an attempt to work-around this. No problem controlling the fan speed then but the iMac’s running speed was awful until the disconnected sensor wire was fixed.
Hi barryjaylevine,
I’ve had my LCD replaced on my iMac 27 / 2013 and there is no LCD Temp Sensor cable on the replacement screen.
I’m experiencing the same performance issues.
I’ve ordered a new sensor, do you have any pointers as to how to install it?
Thanks,
Simon
UK
hey Simon, I used 2-sided tape….this is assuming the new sensor doesn’t already come with an adhesive surface already applied.
a roll of kapton tape for your own peace of mind will make sure nothing detaches from thermally-induced adhesive crystallization
make sure you position it in such a way that you can easily plug the lead back into the mobo….not a lot of length to that wire
Howdy folks,
Thanks for all the tips, LCD sensor fitted and iMac back in action.
Never again!
Simon
Hello all. So I’m trying to pinpoint my backlight issue on my 2015 retina 5k - I noticed I’m missing my thermal sensor on the LCD. Would this help with the backlight? I’m sure it will keep my fans from going crazy. Any help would be appreciated! Note: I have LEDs except the 4th one. Thanks!
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Ziehe das linke Lautsprecherkabel aus dem Anschluss heraus. Achte darauf, den Stecker gerade aus dem Anschluss auf dem Logic Board zu ziehen.
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Entferne das Kabel aus der Lücke zwischen der Festplatte und dem Logic Board.
I didn’t unplug and de-route this cable. Later, Step 29, has you remove the left speaker. This isn’t necessary. If you can just move the speaker over to expose the hard drive mounting screws, so if you’re not going to remove the speaker, you don’t need to unplug it.
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Verwende einen Spudger, um den Netzstecker aus der Buchse auf dem Logic Board zu trennen.
there is no need to disconnect the speaker, just unscrew it and move aside slightly to reach the HDD screws (about 5mm) - if you want to replace just the main HDD
Take note of exactly what direction this tiny little wire was.
If I leave my iMac unplugged for an extended period, say 24 or 48 hours, is it still possible to get an electric shock from the PSU? Do the capacitors eventually discharge?
make sure you’ve actually unplugged the mac when running this cable, and not had it plugged in to test the diagnostic LEDs, because one of those wee silver spots is carrying 230v, and its 6mm away from the place the cable runs, So if you have fat fingers like mine, that’s a free wake up zap
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Hebe den linken Lautsprecher gerade nach oben hoch, bis das Kabel zur Einschalttaste frei liegt (ca. 13 mm).
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Schiebe das Netzkabelkabel vorsichtig aus der Nut des linken Lautsprechers.
Pay attention: if pulling out the loudspeaker tear off the wire of the power button, Apple have not any service parts except for the whole rear housing!
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Hebe den linken Lautsprecher gerade nach oben und entferne ihn vom iMac.
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Ziehe an das Ende vom Konnektor während du den Lautsprecher entfernst, um den Kabel unter der rechten Abdeckung der Festplatte zu ziehen.
I found it wasn't necessary to remove the speaker from the left side to remove the hard drive. You can remove the screws, and then slide it over to the left — giving more than enough room to access the hard drive.
me too. don't need to remove it if you only want to change the hd
Agreed, wast of time to fully remove the speaker.
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Ziehe das SATA Daten-/Stromkabel gerade nach oben, um es von der Festplatte zu trennen.
Is the WD hard drive an Apple Special with some internal rom or other thing? Planning to put in a Seagate Firecuda 2TB. Is there some special plug or temperature sensor requirement? Seems like there is only the SATA connector. Will I encounter fast fans? (can load the software to stop that). Think it’s a swap and is “easy”.
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Entferne die beiden 7,3 mm T10 Schrauben, die die linke Festplattenhalterung am Gehäuse befestigen.
Thank you iFixit for sending a T10 with magnetic tip. You saved me!
The bracket screws are T10. The screws on the left side of the SILVER hard drive itself, are T8. If you seem to need a T8, you are actually trying to remove the wrong two screws. Look immediately to the left of the hard drive & you will see the BLACK bracket frame with two screws that use T10.
mine were T8s
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Fasse die Festplatte und linke Festplattenhalterung zusammen.
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Kippe die linke Seite nach oben und weg vom Gehäuse und schiebe die ganze Einheit nach links.
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Entferne die Festplatte und die linke Festplattenhalterung vom iMac.
Two notes here: If you are using OWC’s Thermal Sensor HDD Upgrade Cable, be sure to tuck the cable under the hard drive slightly. You cannot allow the connector to sit near the top edge since this will not allow the monitor to sit flush with the chassis when it is reattached. Additionally, the SATA connector does not seem to fit together as snuggly as when it was connect to the HDD, so tape or a plastic cable tie to keep the connection tight may be good insurance to prevent it from coming loose.
If you are planning on dual booting with Windows 10, the Windows 10 installed failed when the SSD and HDD were both connected at the same time. I had to disconnect the HDD until Windows 10 was installed. Note: I did a fresh install on a new SSD not configured as a fusion drive. If you are planning on doing this as well, use packing tape (or something similar) to hold the monitor in place until after installing the OSs. Then reconnect the HDD and apply the adhesive to the monitor for a permanent seal. Good Luck!
Hi Walter, i’m looking to replace the broken fusion drive with a SSD, do i have to get the OWC’s Thermal Sensor HDD Upgrade Cable?
Full removal of the speaker is unnecessary - just very carefully unplug the two-conductor power button cable, which is routed through the groove along the edge of the speaker enclosure. Next, unfasten the two large torx screws holding the speaker enclosure to the chassis. Now you can easily scoot the speaker away from the drive mount - move it over just enough to reach the drive mount’s 2 torx fasteners beneath the edge of the speaker (a CM or two). There’s now enough room to easily remove and replace the drive assembly .
Just wondering if the HDD 3.5 (3TB) in my 2015 27’ 5K iMac case are the ones with the temp control firmware onboard. Just got quote from Auhorised repair centre for 2x the normal price of a 3TB drive. They say I can drop in one i source myself if I like but I don’t want to get it back and have the fans run all the time. Thanks in advance :)
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Entferne die linke Festplattenhalterung.
This step is unnecessary. Just leave the bracket in place and set the assembly aside.
On Late 2015 27” iMac I found that after removing this speaker, and the Right side one, I could reach under the motherboard and squeeze and disconnect the SATA data connector with a needle-nose and then remove the SATA power connector and slide the cable out from under the logic board without removing the board. The new cable slid in from the hard drive side with little effort.
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Entferne die vier 8,1 mm Torx T8 Einschraubstifte von der Festplatte und übertrage sie auf die neue Festplattenhalterung.
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Drücke die Raste an der Frontplatte des Käfigs mit dem Finger herunter. Halte sie gedrückt und klappe die Frontplatte heraus.
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Entferne die Frontplatte.
Ich denke die Frontplatte hätte anschliessend auch wieder eingesetzt gehört - bin die Anleitung Schritt für Schritt durch gegangen, und mir ist leider gar nicht aufgefallen, dass dieser Schritt fehlt. Nun ist der iMac bereits wieder verklebt und beim Aufräumen ist mir die übrig gebliebene Frontplatte untergekommen.
Aber halb so schlimm, die SSD ist angeschraubt, kann sich also eh nicht bewegen.
My enclosure doesn’t look like this. All I received was a black back plate. Where is the rest of it? Oh boy
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Richte den kleinen SATA Stecker so aus, dass die kurze Seite des SSD Steckers auf die kurze Seite am Stecker des Käfigs passt.
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Schiebe das Laufwerk durch die Vorderseite des Käfigs ein, bis der SATA Stecker richtig verbunden ist.
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Wenn du willst, kannst du die SSD mit den beiden im Kit mitgelieferten Kreuzschlitzschrauben #1 im Käfig festschrauben.
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Setze die Frontplatte wieder ein.
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Stecke das mitgelieferte, für den Sensor vorbereitete SATA Kabel in den entsprechenden Anschluss am Käfig.
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Ziehe den Schutzstreifen von der Rückseite der kleinen Platine des Temperatursensors ab
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Klebe die Platine des Temperatursensors so nahe wie möglich am SATA Stecker an eine gut zugängliche Stelle auf der Metalloberfläche der SSD.
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Falte die überschüssigen Kabel zum Temperatursensor aus dem Weg, so dass du den Käfig gut einbauen kannst.
Does the small temperature sensor board have to be purchased separately for a 2015 iMac or is there one already attached to the HDD?
Hi Richard, our upgrade kit does come with a temperature sensor, but a hard drive bought by itself will not come with one.
The enclosure that came with my kit is all plastic, does the sensor have to be connected to metal? If yes, where would it go given the all-plastic enclosure?
Hi Lynne,
It does not have to be connected to metal. However, the sensor should be stuck on the drive and not on the enclosure so that it can sense the drive’s temperature.
My iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) (Model Identifier: iMac14,2) (EMC: 2639), had a Seagate Barracuda 1.0TB HDD installed. There was no temperature sensor on the HDD. I have the Fan Controller that is pictured in this manual on Steps 39, 40 and 41. The photos do not show a small two-conductor cable connected from the Fan Controller circuit board to the logic board. There is usually a cable that connects the small circuit board, where the drive’s temperature is measured, to a connector on the logic board, but not in this iMac. For now, I have installed the Samsung 860 EVO 500GB SSD without a fan controller and it has been running for over two hours without a hint of the fan ramping up. Should I still install the Fan Controller and not worry about connecting the controller sensor to the logic board? Thank you for creating an excellent manual!
Hello, what if I don’t buy the temperature sensor? Could I break my computer or the SSD? Thank you in advance for your answer.
You can use Mac Fan Control as a software solution. You won’t break your computer as it will slow down and throttle itself to protect it. More than anything, your SSD will run warmer than usual, which could shorten its lifespan.
I just did this procedure with an A1419 (EMC # 2806) and didn’t buy the temperature sensor. I didn’t experience any loud fans afterwards. The machine was originally ordered with 3TB Fusion Drive. After installing the new 2TB SSD (WD Blue WDS200T2B0A) the Disk Utility showed an original 128GB PCI drive in addition to the new SSD. I ignored this PCI SSD and reinstalled OS X on the SATA SSD. All is good here! Oh, also I didn’t use any fancy 3.5” to 2.5” drive adapter, but a simple 3-dollar eBay adapter (can be found with this title, “2.5" to 3.5" Bay SSD Metal Hard Drive HDD Mounting Bracket Adapter”). I keep these laying around just in case. I did have to re-thread the screw holes to re-use the iMac’s HDD screw-posts (used tap & drill set, size 6-32 NC).
I just upgraded my late 2015 iMac with a 1TB Samsung 860 EVO and did not use a sensor. No fan or heat issues over the last week of use. Please note this Samsung drive is not the primary workhorse on the machine as I also upgraded my PCI ssd and use that as the primary drive. I have read on other sites that this model iMac does not need the sensor but I am not 100% on that.
une fois la sonde collé sur le ssd ou est ce que celle ci ce branche ? sur la carte mere ?
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Übertrage die Einschraubstifte der alten Festplatte an die Seiten des Käfigs.
This was an understatement for my drive adapter. The adapter had threads that I believe were M3 threaded whereas the mounting pins are what I believer are 6-32 screws. The mounting pins are not threaded well for self-tapping, so I recommend finding an old screw that used to be used for mounting optical drives into PC cases and using those to thread the holes. You can make sure you have the correct size by screwing the sacrificial screws into the old hard drive where they should fit easily before using them to cut new threads into your 2.5” drive adapter. After that, the mounting pins went into the adapter with very little effort.
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Bringe jegliche Halterungen, die von der alten Festplatte entfernt wurden, am Käfig an.
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Verbinde das SATA Kombokabel des iMac mit dem neuen Temperatursensor-geeigneten SATA Kombokabel.
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Verlegte die SATA Kabel so, dass sie nicht mit anderen Bauteilen ins Gehege kommen.
How much time after gluing the screen can we use it?
A few hours should be fine. I suggest checking the screen after a week and after a month to make sure the adhesive is still fully bonded.
Ensure the glass lines up with the edge of the iMac
After replacing the adhesive strips with new ones and the screen connectors have been reconnected, place the lower edge of the screen on the bottom shelf” to take the weight, but don’t press it back in the shelf too much.
At this point if you’re careful you still have the ability to ensure the edges of the glass line up with the aluminium edges. As soon as the adhesive strips make contact with the glass you will quickly lose the ability to adjust this to line up.
What position should the iMac be in before doing this final comment related to setting the display on the “shelf”?
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Um deinen iMac wieder zusammenzubauen, folge den Schritten in umgekehrter Reihenfolge, und benutze die Anleitung für Klebestreifen, um das Display wieder festzukleben.
Bitte entsorge deinen Elektroschrott fachgerecht.
Hat die Reparatur nicht ganz geklappt? Versuche zuerst einige grundsätzliche Lösungen. In unserem Forum findest du Hilfe bei der Fehlersuche.
Um deinen iMac wieder zusammenzubauen, folge den Schritten in umgekehrter Reihenfolge, und benutze die Anleitung für Klebestreifen, um das Display wieder festzukleben.
Bitte entsorge deinen Elektroschrott fachgerecht.
Hat die Reparatur nicht ganz geklappt? Versuche zuerst einige grundsätzliche Lösungen. In unserem Forum findest du Hilfe bei der Fehlersuche.
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52 Kommentare
I did successed this. But after just turn on, main fan spins faster than ordinary status. About 1600 rpm. Ordinary rpm is just 1200.
How can I fix it? Not by software solution(i.e., fan control app), help me by hardware solutions, plz.
*Replacement HDD : WDC WD40EZRX-00SPEB0
*iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
*3.5 GHz Intel Core i5
*AMD Radeon R9 M290X 2048 MB
Dear Changwon, i also own a Retina imac (i7 Radeon 295). Harddisk has been changed by the distributor – they sell customized "Edition iMacs". Now i have the same problem as you subscribed - from day one. Fan speeds up to 1700 / 1750 rpm after a few seconds after power on. Next week my Apple certified distributor will check my iMac and hopefully fix that "noisy" problem. I will inform you, when we will be successful ... Have a great time so long. Greetings, Markus (mr@i-map.de)
Markus -
Did you use a original HDD with apple Firmware or a normal HDD? If u use a nomal HDD with non apple Firmware, you have the Fan Problem.
Klausi -
This may work:
So is it possible to replace the harddrive with an SSD drive?
I was surprised to read that the iMac has an SSD and a HDD?
I guess that is how the Fusion Drive works? "In software"?
I thought the Flash would be part of the HDD case and not seperatly on the logic board?
same problem , now have dual drives, not the fusion drive. been looking online for the last few days but all of the how to's don't actually help. I can't unmount the GD original drive to fuse them
Anyone know of a GOOD how to on using the terminal to make this a fictional Fusion Drive? I can't get mine to unmount, been trying for 2 days
I've used this twice to rebuild the core storage and create the Fusion drive::
http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions...
It requires you to wipe/reinstall but its worked fine for me running Yosemite and El Capitan.
If your 5k Imac only came with an SSD will the mounting brackets for a standard HDD be available when I open it up?
I too have this same question. Can I ADD a HD to an iMac Retina if factory configured with SSD? Is the bracket in there? Or the SATA cable? If not, does ifixit sell a kit to do this?
+1 on this. Any teardowns of a SSD-only 5K iMac yet?
I have some good news everyone. i have the late 2015 imac that was purchased ONLY with a 512 SSD WITHOUT fusion drive. i was also wondering the same thing and i can happily report that the new late 2015 iMACs DO HAVE THE BRACKETS IN PLACE. the more challenging piece was to find the custom SATA cable. i was finally able to get one used from powerbookmedic. the apple part number you need is 923-00092. another challenge was finding the hard drive mounting pins that go into the hard drive. After all however i installed a 5tb drive and i am waiting for my thermal sensor to reduce fan speeds. this is great news since i've been trying to find an answer for this myself FOR MONTHS!!
JDoes -
I talked with Apple Forum official Apple store in
Sweden today, and a seller there agreed that it was
possible to do an after sales custom modification
of a newly delivered Retina 27 Imac (512 GB or
1 TB) flash-PCIe-SSD only with (for example) an
additional 2 TB eSATA-SSD - but that this was
likely to cost like twice as much as buying the
additional SSD yourself ... .
So the implication is that a new Retina 27 Imac
with (512 GB or 1 TB) flash-PCIe-SSD as only
storage has a free eSATA-storage slot ... .
Anyone knows what's different between normal HDD and this apple HDD? I also want change my 1T HDD with larger ones (2T etc) due to current one was almost full. If changed it does the fan speed become high? Where can I buy apple HDD? Has anyone intalled that OWC In-line Digital Thermal Sensor with normal HDD?
If you are using that much storage, a sensible solution would be a standard massive, HDD in an external caddy connected by Thunderbolt
coplan -
Made the same mistake of going to with the FUSION Drive, the limited SSD compare to the previous version is really noticiable.
I maxed out my ram to 64gb and it felt slower than my macbook Air.
The reason why APPLE charge double is to cover replacement charge of a new display.
Even though I am some techie, I have broken my share of apple display screen. I took it to an certified Apple repair shop for an upgrade on my late
2015 imac, tech must of had issue with step 18-19. Came in for a hard drive replacement, came out with 3 inch grey vertical line.
I can't find where to purchase an Apple Authentic HDD. Additionally, I'd like to put a higher capacity HDD in my iMac anyway.
<p>
At the top of this article, under the parts section, there is an "iMac Intel 27" 5K Late 2014 and Mid 2015 Hard Drive Cable" for $19.95 listed. Does this cable eliminate the high revolution fan problem? Or does one need to use OWC's "In-line Digital Thermal Sensor"?
<p>
Anyone have experience with these cables? Has anyone replaced their HDD with a 2TB or 4TB drive and not had fan problems without getting such a cable?
I have the identical question and browsing on this site and other sites couldn' find an answer.
What exactly besides the tools for the replacement I have to have/buy in order to avoid fan issue if I upgrade HDD with "non-Apple" HDD on my 2015 iMac 27 Retina?
Hi All.
Can someone pls help clarify the firmware situation for me pls? I have a 27 inch 5K late 2014 iMac and the 3TB fusion drive has failed.
I have managed to determine that the conventional drive is the part at fault and I want to change it, but I am reading about custom firmware's. Is this true? or am I able to just swap out for a new "off the shelf" Western Digital 3TB drive?
If it is true about the firmware how do I get a compatible drive and how do i install the custom firmware.
If I buy an identical drive to the 3TB Seagate drive, Can i just swap over the circuit board from the dead drive? Would that contain the custom firmware?
Thank you for any advise you can offer.
I've just successfully finished this. I bought iMac 27" 5K Late 2014 with an SSD, without any HDD / Fusion drive.
First of all, big kudos to the author, I can't imaging doing it without the detailed steps including high resolution images.
As I struggled to find some details when ordering the parts here's for anyone looking for more information:
- Buy all the recommended tools, they are life-savers. Also buy the Adhesive Strips set.
- If you are adding an SSD drive to the SATA bay (Crucial in my case), you won't need the thermal sensor cable. At least I can't see that the fan would be going any high after installing the drive. (I'm on macOS Sierra.)
- If you don't have a HDD in your iMac yet (like me, I only had the PCIe SSD), you will also need the iMac hard drive cable as it is not in. It is the one that they are selling here on iFixit. (I had to order it from elsewhere as it was sold out)
!!! To attach the SATA cable, you will need to disassemble everything including the mother board.
To install the hard drive SATA cable, you will need to follow this (longer) guide: iMac Intel 27" Retina 5K Display Blade SSD ersetzen
One more thing you will need to order: the 4 hard drive pins / screws. Some websites sell them.
We don't have guides yet for the 2017 version, but from what I can tell the procedure is very nearly identical. You should be able to perform the swap using this guide and a little extra caution, especially if you have any past experience with iMac repair.
Also if replacing the hard drive with a ssd drive are there any cables or enclosure that should be purchased? Trying to put in an evo 850.
Depends on the iMac you have. For 2017 iMac you dont need any extra cables.
I'd like to replace my drive (I believe it has malfunctioned). What brand/make of drive should I buy to replace it so that it functions as it did prior to the drive failure? I don't want to break the Fusion capability nor the any other functionality. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
I just completed this on a mid-2017 iMac & all went well except for the fact that even though I replaced a Seagate with another Seagate (1TB to 3TB), the fan was constantly on full blast. So, I had to buy the OWC dongle and open up the iMac again to install it. Just completed that & now all seems well, nice & quiet!
Hi Matthew, can u explain to me what was wrong with a new 3TB (SSD?) hd, and what is it OWC dongle? cheers Tom
Would like to add one more point. Just completed it today but then the foam tape is no longer sticky enough to hold the screen. I almost broke the screen because of this. So it may be useful to add some double-sided tape on the edges of the case after the operation.
Hi Colin! This is precisely why the guide ends with “To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse and use our adhesive strip replacement guide to reattach the display glass.” You’ll need to get new adhesive, remove the old adhesive, apply the replacement, test the device, and seal it back up! Best of luck!
Hello all, I know this is quite old but I just replaced the drive to my 27 5k iMac 2014 and I didn’t need the SATA enclosure OR the expensive OWC Temp sensor! I was concerned cuz it was $40 and seemed like a rip-off. I bought a Samsung 860 Evo 1TB and decided to plug it and try it. If it gave me a jet engine fan I’d bite the bullet and buy the sensor. To my surprise fans were fine and I just used double sided 3M tape to tape the drive to the rear casing. So far no issues!
after having reassembled the monitor a white halo appears in the lower left corner, perceptible only when the monitor transmits a black image, from what can it be depended?
Probably what I just commented below
PLEASE NOTE !!!
DO NOT PUSH THE CARDS IN MORE THAN 1CM!!!! IT WILL DAMAGE THE FRAGILE RIBBONS FOR THE LCD.
I did just that, and found my way to the many threads with this issue.
all of which, including myself, needs to cough up $500 for a replacement lcd assembly.
FFS!
Thank you Sam very much for the guide. I bought the 1TB SSD replacement kit from Ifixit for my late 2015 iMac after my iMac’s drive gave up the ghost. To the best I can tell, I followed the instructions correctly. When I boot up my iMac I heard the familiar startup jingle but then unfortunately I only get a flashing ? on the screen. I completely uninstalled and reinstalled the SSD drive, again following the instructions, same thing. I can’t find any tutorials that address how to deal with this issue. I can’t afford a new iMac so I’m praying I can get this to work. Any advice greatly appreciated, thank you!
In order for anyone to be able to help, I think you’ll need to provide more context. The flashing “?” on the screen means the system cannot find its boot drive.
You said “after my iMac’s drive gave up the ghost”. What does that mean? To me, that implies the drive was dead, and the system wouldn’t boot anyway. It was probably already giving you a flashing “?”. So simply installing a new blank drive wouldn’t change anything.
Did the system boot before, even with a dead drive? If so, how? Did you install an operating system on the new disk before installing it, and it booted off of it before, but does not boot now with a new drive installed?
The more detail you can provide, the more likely it is that someone will be able to understand what the issue might be in your specific case.
@ Reid thank you again for responding the other day. Turns out after the SSD installation when I rebooted I didn’t realize I had to “erase” the new drive in order for OS Catalina to load from the Ifixit external drive included in the kit. I emailed Ifixit support and they sent me a link to that tutorial that I didn’t find on my own searching. All good, fully functioning and loving it…like having a better than brand new 2015 iMac now!
Thank you Reid, I sincerely appreciate your thoughtful response. I’m tied up with work but will return with a more thorough description! (And working on my Surface Pro, sadly not my iMac!)
This was a really daunting prospect for me, tearing into a system that seemed utterly inaccessible. Computer repair, either hard or soft is miles from my metier, but this guide and the 2TB SSD replacement kit I got from iFixit made the the process go very smoothly. My iMac was running pretty rough, particularly after upgrading to Catalina, and I decided that since I was going to downgrade back to Mojave anyway, why not replace the 1TB hard drive with an SSD with twice the storage? So glad I did. It is honestly like having a brand new computer. Thanks for the great guide and the all in one replacement kit.
Success! Replaced a dead fusion drive in our iMac 27” 5K Retina (Late 2015) with a brand new 2TB SSD. One comment after going through this ourselves: you really don’t need to take out the whole speaker. You can just loosen the two screws and move it aside to access the drive/put the new one in. Saves a bit of effort on that step. Otherwise, this was flawless. Thank you so so much for the guide and the link to necessary tools and making it as painless as possible. Couple of notes to anyone reading through these comments for tips: 1) You do NOT need to take out the whole speaker. You can just loosen the two screws and move it aside to access the drive/put the new one in. Saves a ton of effort. Don’t do it! 2) Watch this video: https://vimeo.com/139364064 - it makes it all seem so much less intimidating and I think the video in conjunction with this guide will get you to the right place. Good luck. :)
I have a 2015 imac 5k. It has 32gb or ram with a 1 Tb ssd and it runs mega slow!
The ssd is clean with only the operating system on it. My read/write numbers on Blackmagic are very low ( in the early 200’s)
I know the ssd was installed recently but I do not know if the machine came with a fusion or conventional hard drive.
It did have the noisy, long running fan issue but I did the software hack to correct this.
Does anybody have any idea on how to fix this?
Hi all,
If I need replaced only HD 3TB fusion drive configuration with SSD 2TB what can I use for accomplish this step (copy the content from 3TB old HD drive to 2TB SSD) witch software/tools can I use??
Regards:
Massimo
I had the exact same issue. The fusion drive got slower, and slower… I was able to ‘erase’ the SSD 2TB in disk utility and used MacOS extended as the file system, then restore from a time machine back up, after I installed the SSD in the imac. Little nerve wracking to fire up disk utility, before sealing the iMac back up, but it was seen by disk utility. Then sealed the display back to iMac, and then did the restore. Totally back in business now- and sooo much faster!
I have been reading elsewhere that recent firmware updates means that Apple are now reading SMART data direct from the hard drive, negating the need for the OWC sensor cable. Does anyone have any experience of this?
I’m particularly interested in Late 2015 iMacs.
Great guide - “successfully” installed a Crucial 1000GB MX500 SSD following these directions. It “worked” but there have been so many bugs and glitches, I am reverting back to the original HD. I was never able to upgrade the OS after upgrading the hard drive - kept getting error messages and crashes. Tried wiping, reinstalling, etc the only thing that brought me back was a Time Machine restore. I think that I must have done something wrong on the software side of things - yanking out the HD and installing the SSD without doing any prep on it - and screwed it up in there somewhere.
Again, this guide is great, and has walked me through the HD replacement twice now :)
Any thoughts on where I went wrong with the SSD upgrade - software/OS wise?
Incomplete guidance . Does not say how to transfer cables such as thermal sensor .
Yuan - Antwort
La traduction française est tronquée : “…plus faciles avec une cale de maintien pour iMac”
(https://eustore.ifixit.com/fr/Outils/Org...)
Pierre-Aurélien - Antwort
My $12.99 iMac Service Wedge looks like a $0 soft pillow from the guest room…
;-)
John Fisk - Antwort