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A2115 / 2019 / Processors from 3.0 GHz 6-core i5, up to 3.6 GHz 8-core i9. Released March 19, 2019.

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iMac SSD went bad. Can I remove and install 2.5 SSD?

The onboard SSD on my iMac went bad and I need to replace it so my mom can use it. I bought this kit here https://www.ifixit.com/pg/IF174-029?stor... thinking it's all I need but I was surprised to find no SATA drive in my iMac just a big empty spot ... Whoops... It's an M.2 on the logic board.

So can I just pull it out and use the kit to install the 2.5 SSD I got with the ifixit upgrade kit? Will the Mac boot to recovery mode and allow me to restore my time machine backup to the new drive? I'm worried removing the M.2 will make all heck break loose.

Normally I would give up and get my mom an M3 iMac but I already have this iMac torn down to the logic board. I'm committed!

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First off the Apple SSD is not a M.2 SSD so don’t go down that path as that won’t work as the interface is different.

So… you will need to remove the SSD if it’s bad. You may only need to reformat it and install a fresh OS on it.

If you have access to a second Mac I would create a bootable OS installer USB thumb drive with the macOS you are currently using. See if booting up under it you should be able to rebuild your current drive.

If not… you’ll need to pull it and then put in a new SSD using this kit iMac Intel 27" (Mid 2017-2019) SSD Blade Upgrade Bundle and here’s the guide iMac Intel 27" Retina 5K Display 2019 Blade SSD Replacement

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iMac Intel 27" (Mid 2017-2019) SSD Blade Upgrade Bundle

$99.99

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How do I plug power into the new SSD. The kit only came with an adapter and I can use a standard SATA data cable with it... But the power appears to be for a small ribbon cable.

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@sangiewolf - You’ll need to get a SATA cable assembly if you want to use the SATA SSD iMac 27" Retina 5K Hard Drive Combo Cable (L15/17/19


I was recommending going with the Blade SSD (Blue link) but that’s after you check the drive.

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