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iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement

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  1. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement, Access Door: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Lay your iMac front side down on a table with the lower edge facing yourself.

    • Loosen the single Phillips screw in the center of the access door.

    • This screw is captive in the access door.

    • Remove the access door from your iMac.

    The grid won't fall off by itself. You'll have to help it. Use the smallest screwdriver you have; the Torx 6 worked fine for me. It should enter in one of the many holes composing the grid. Use it as a lever to ploy the grid a little bit. You may catch it with your fingers and that's it.

    Be carefull not to damage the hole by a too strong leverage.

    Laurent - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    much more safer to use duct tape, instead of torx 6. (glue it along the length of the grid and pull). it will loose instantly and smooth;)

    Hofmann78rus - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Anyone know a guide to replace the plastic piece this screw connects to? I accidentally forgot this step - went to remove the front bezel and bent the plastic piece the access door connects to.

    Jason Augustin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  2. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement, Glass Panel: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement, Glass Panel: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    crwdns2935267:0crwdne2935267:0
    Heavy-Duty Suction Cups (Pair)
    $14.95
    crwdns2942207:0crwdne2942207:0
    • The glass panel is fixed onto the front bezel with fourteen magnets around its perimeter.

    • Stick two suction cups to opposing corners of the glass panel.

    • To attach the suction cups we sell, first position the suction cup with the movable handle parallel to the face of the glass panel. While lightly holding the suction cup against the glass, raise the movable handle until it is parallel with the other handle.

    • If your suction cups refuse to stick, try cleaning both the glass panel and the suction cup with a mild solvent.

    A good alternative to the two heavy duty suction cups is a regular household plunger.

    Russell Knight - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Also, 2" wide packing tape. Maybe a 6 or 8" piece, folded in the middle to give you say, a 1-2" "handle". Make a pair of these. They look like a capital T but with a short vertical part (the handle), and a wide top I the sticky wings). Get the good 3M tape, it's strong, and it peels off clean without leaving any glue from the screen.

    Barry Coyle - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    for me one household plunger did the trick!

    Ronald Huygen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  3. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Gently pull the glass panel straight up off the iMac.

    • The glass panel has several positioning pins around its perimeter. To avoid shearing these pins off the glass panel, be sure to only pull straight up during removal.

    • Be meticulous about cleaning the LCD and the inside face of the glass panel before reinstallation, as any fingerprints or dust trapped inside will be annoyingly visible when the display is on.

    • When replacing the glass, be sure there's nothing between the glass and the frame. Stray cables could be damaged or crack the glass.

    Another approach that worked for us was to get 4 small plastic wedges (the kind used in iphone screen replacements). Working one corner at a time you can use a cheap suction cup to pry just that corner up enough to slide the wedge in. Then proceed to the next then next, etc. Once all 4 have the wedges under them the glass should be away from the body all the way around, then just carefully lift it the rest of the way up.

    A___K - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  4. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement, Front Bezel: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the following 12 screws securing the front bezel to the rear case:

    • Eight 13 mm T8 Torx.

    • Four 25 mm T8 Torx.

    • On the 24" iMac Intel Model A1225, the bottom center two screws are long (26mm), four on sides (two left, two right) are medium (18mm), and the remaining 6 (four top, two bottom corners) are short (14mm).

    I would strongly suggest taping the screws down on a piece of paper towel or cloth in the same order you take them out, as there are different lengths in no particular order and they don't all fit into just any hole. Unless you keep track of which hole each screw belongs, there is no other way of knowing. I stress taping because I didn't tape mine down and after bumping the table I was working on they scattered, leaving me to guess.

    Len - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Even better, use an ice cube tray to keep the screws from each step together.

    maccentric - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    how about using the magnets near the screws to keep their positions?

    Andy - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I use an 18 count egg carton (or two) and label each egg slot with a Sharpie. Works great.

    airira - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    As a rule with iFixit repairs, for years I've been printing the guides, applying scotch magic tape near each picture (which allows me to reutilise the paper prints in the future), neatly putting the appropriate screw next to their picture and taping them down with scotch magic tape.

    Even if I have to wait for spare parts, this allows me to neatly file the guide + screws in a copy safe and a binder (or in a cardboard filing box together with the rest of the parts) for later reassembly. Hardly any mistake possible...

    Bart Van Dessel - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I think the caption on the picture is wrong here for 24" iMacs - it says: "On the 24" iMac Intel Model A1225, the bottom center two screws are long (26mm), four on sides (two left, two right) are medium (18mm), and the remaining 6 (four top, two bottom corners) are short (14mm)." I think actually bottom centre two are long, then all the rest are medium apart from the two either side of the CD/DVD drive

    HBloomfield - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I print out the steps. Get a roll of scotch tape ready. Every screw, or set of screws I remove, I lay on some tape, and then tape them to the number on the directions. Then you have each screw labeled, with direction, and in order, or reassembly. Just working backwards in the directions.

    Barry Coyle - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I agree with @HBloomfield’s comment overall, but to add to that comment, mine was a little different.

    (2) Long: bottom center

    (4) Medium: bottom left and right; on either side of the CD/DVD drive

    (6) Short: everything else

    Jake Thornberry - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Yes Jake I found the same with my iMac Model A1225.

    Andy - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Be careful with the thermal sensor wire so that it won't get under the second bottom screw from the left.

    Sami k - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  5. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • The front bezel is still attached to the iMac by the microphone cable.

    • Gently lift the front bezel from its top edge off the rear case.

    • Once the top edge of the front bezel has cleared the rear case, rotate the front bezel toward the stand and lift it off the rear case.

    • Rotate the front bezel away from the rest of the device and lay it above the top edge of the iMac.

    • When reinstalling the front bezel, start at the lower edge and make sure it is flush with the rear case before lowering the top edge onto the iMac.

    Contrary to the pictures, to lift the front bezel off, start at top of the computer screen lifting up while apply a little bit of pressure to the foam in the upper corners of the screen. This will give you the leverage needed to get the bezel to lift up. Be careful to not pull to fast, as the camera cable is still attached.

    armand - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    you'll need to add this step in all the other tutorials about iMac 20" EMC 2210, where it is missing ; they all jump from step 5 to step 6, which is a little annoying...

    Armel h - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Easy way to remove bezel, insert the longest screws a quarter turn into the two top most edge screw slots. Use the screws as anchors to press against as you pull the bezel toward you. Then a simple twist to remove the screws, and the rest of the bezel comes off easy.

    armand - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  6. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:06crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Disconnect the microphone cable connector, removing tape as necessary.

    • For the front bezel to sit properly, be sure to tuck the microphone cable and connector into the void next to the camera board.

    During reinstallation of the LCD panel, be sure that the iSight microphone cable does not become trapped behind the panel.

    Ocean Yamaha - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I actually didn't have to remove the cable. With the iMac laying on its back, just rotate the front bezel (bottom edge rotating around top edge) so that it's laying upside down, above the iMac. When reassembling, just rotate back into place.

    Brian Tsai - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  7. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement, Display Panel: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull the LCD temperature sensor connector straight up off its socket on the logic board.

    • (located at the top of the logic board on the 24")

  8. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the two T6 Torx screws securing the display data cable to the logic board.

    • Use the attached black tab to pull the display data cable connector straight away from the logic board.

    I found this to be the most frustrating thing to remove out of everything under the hood. I had to have my wife use her skinny, smaller fingers to jimmy it up, but the tape kept pulling up and separating from the connector. I was worried that I was pulling in the wrong direction (what do I know about logic boards?) and that the tab was going to come off as it is slick tape. She eventually got it, but she did have to use some force. If you don't have a set of skinny fingers, just be patient and use a little force. I think the instructions should tell you to pull straight UP on the black tab, rather than 'away from the logic board', for those of us that don't really understand the technical components/guts of a computer. Honestly, my wife knows less than I do, but she could have done this as easily as me.

    Len - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  9. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the eight T8 Torx screws securing the display panel to the rear case.

    • Lift the display panel from its left edge and rotate it toward the right edge of the iMac.

    Some extra tools I found to be invaluable in this whole process was canned air (used for keyboards and office dust), a microfiber cloth (preferably the one that came with your iMac if you still have it, but you can get these almost anywhere these days)and one of those soft foam monitor covers to put over the monitor while your friend is holding it up (a soft sheet or towel might work too). If your computer is a few years old like mine, there will be a considerable amount of dust that you will want to clear out (and will fly everywhere anyway). Once you cleared that out and replace the hard drive, wait until you've got the bezel and screws back on before using the canned air and microfiber cloth to make sure all dust and lint is clear of the monitor. This is where the second person will come in handy again. They can wipe while you spray. Get your glass top with suction cups still attached ready and wipe that with the cloth and air as well. While your friend does one last wipe of the glass and then the monitor, put the glass on as soon as possible so no more lint or dust falls onto the monitor. I did this and the monitor looks as beautiful and clear as the day I bought the iMac. It is truly a brilliant and beautiful design by Apple and LG.

    Len - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    In this step, as I lifted the display, there was also a small cord in the front, near the fan, that was connected from the display to the inside panel. As I lifted, it unplugged. Anyone know what this is and where it goes when I put it all back together? Pic of the cord I'm referring to: http://i68.tinypic.com/keubkg.jpg

    shauhncy - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  10. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • With the display panel still lifted, disconnect the four inverter cables.

    • During reinstallation, place the four inverter cable connectors in voids between components attached to the rear panel so the display panel will sit flush on the edges of the rear case.

    • (combined into one plug in on the 24")

    • Be sure to keep track of the cables, as they do not have proprietary sockets. Mismatched cables can cause screen issues.

    I did a HD replacement on my 24 inch iMac. It's mostly the same, but it does not have disconnectable inverter cables. Instead, there's a single cable that can't be disconnected. It sits too tight to rotate the display to the degree that you can lean it against something, so the only way to get the job done was to call in an extra set of hands to hold the display while I took out the hard drive.

    Marijn - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I'm almost sure by HD you meant HDD (Hard disc drive).

    Charles Hess -

    As Marijn said, there are no disconnectable inverter cables on the 24" iMac, just a single thick cable in the middle of the back that is heavily taped with black electrical tape. I imagine you could remove that and retape, but it seems like it would be more trouble than it's worth. There is definitely enough clearance for someone else to hold the monitor up and away from the hard drive. For this reason, I would not attempt to replace the hard drive on a 24" without another person to help. The monitor is not heavy, and it doesn't take a ton of time to remove the old hard drive. It would also help if one of you has skinny fingers ;-).

    Len - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Mark them before unplugging so you can reconnect them the right way when reinstalling!

    Dirk Simons - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    On the 24" iMac, the single inverter cable can be easily disconnected from the back of the LCD panel after peeling back some of the thin black plastic film. It is not necessary to disconnect the panel if you have four hands, but sure makes the job easier.

    Geoff Shepherd - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    sh******t I didn't mark the connectors and now I don't know how to plug them back. I'm doomed ! any trick to identify them ?

    cheers

    Julien Waroux - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Same here. What did you do? Try them both ways?

    Leon Wagner -

    hold the led with my head lmao

    b12amyh - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You have to mark the Cables so you can reassembly them in the right order.

    If you don't (like me) and go with trial and error you probably have a purple screen.

    If so, you might also have been close to a heartattack… do a PRAM Reset by pressing command-Option-P-R at restart.

    My iMac works fine now.

    Pascal - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    OMG, Thank you for this comment. I didn't initially label the inverter cables either. I did a fan replacement and RAM upgrade on a friends 20" iMac and had staticy, purplish screen. I thought I'd damaged the LCD. The PRAM reset fixed the display issue. Thank you so much for this!!!

    gwarren -

    I have the purple screen. :( I tried the pram reset. Do I switch the inverter cable connectors first?

    jaredrod - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I didn't mark the cables either, and now have a gray screen. I´m doing trial and error but can't get it to work. Any tips on finding the right cables?

    Marcus Svensson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    There should be a “star” at the beginning of this step to mark the wires as they are not color coded. Wish I read these comments first. Hope it works when I turn it on,

    John Rosati - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Of course I mismatched a pair and colors were distorted. After a trial by error switch of cables it worked perfect. MAKE SURE YOU LABEL THE CABLES AS NOT TO MIX THEM UP.

    John Rosati - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  11. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • To remove the hard drive bracket, squeeze the middle against the side of the hard drive while rotating the top left edge toward yourself.

    • After the left edge has been freed, rotate the bracket toward the right edge of the hard drive.

    • Lift the hard drive bracket straight up off the chassis.

    Prying the plastic bar that locks the HDD into place was probably the most difficult part of the operation, for me. It just didn't want to let go, and until you've actually removed one, it's not exactly clear how it's holding on. The left side basically has a thin wedge on the back that wedges in between the rubber grommet and the mounting bracket

    modsolok - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Thank you for this tutorial. I tried and tried and could not get the drive out. Found this tutorial and this comment too and it was a tremendous help! My iMac 24 (March 2009) hard drive was quite stubborn to remove but I finally got it!

    TAPTRONIC - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Actually this step is quite easy, provided you follow exactly the instructions presented here. :)

    Marius Zota - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  12. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:012crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • If present, remove the small piece of tape covering the hard drive and optical drive temperature sensor cables.

    If there is some clear tape holding the excess play in the HDD thermal sensor wire, against the body back, peel it up to free the wire and give yourself as much free play as possible. When reassembling, tape back to the body.

    Brian Tsai - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Mine was completely different. There was some black foam with the sensor underneath, held in with a plastic bracket that is attached (glued?) to the hard drive.

    Joey Johnston - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  13. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull the hard drive temperature sensor cable straight away from its socket on the logic board.

    • When removing this connector, it is helpful use your thumbnails to push the ears on either side of the connector toward the top of your iMac.

    I found it was not necessary to do this step if you do step 20 first - i.e disconnect the temperature sensor cable from the hard drive, but not the logic board

    HBloomfield - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    As HBloomfield said, you do NOT have to remove the sensor from the iMac body. Instead, remove the sensor from the HDD while it is still connected to the body.

    If the sensor is covered with a 4mm black foam square, use your index fingernail to scrape off one of the corners where there is adhesive. If you pull on just the foam part, it will tear the foam.

    Brian Tsai - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  14. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Rotate the top of the drive toward yourself, then lift the hard drive straight up off its lower pins.

    • The hard drive is still connected via the SATA cables.

    • When reinstalling your hard drive, be careful not to push the rubber grommets through the openings in the chassis with the lower hard drive pins as retrieving them may require logic board removal.

  15. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Insert the flat end of a spudger between the SATA data cable and the edge of the hard drive.

    • Twist the spudger to separate the SATA data cable from the hard drive.

    • Disconnect the SATA data cable from the hard drive.

    • Repeat this process for the SATA power cable.

    • Lift the hard drive out of your iMac, minding the thermal sensor cable that may get caught.

    I honestly didn't find the spudger to be necessary for most of this replacement. It is a nice little tool that makes one or two steps easier, but it is far from necessary. I imagine an old stylus you may have laying around would do just as good a job. I would definitely suggest putting the iMac on it's stand straight up to remove the hard drive bracket from it's post, as it sits very tightly in there. I found it popped out a LOT easier on it's stand than laying down, which was next to impossible. You do have to do some careful manuevering with your partner in order to accomplish this, but it's worth it. Take it slow.

    Len - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    When replacing, the SATA data cable did not extend to the new drive.

    Nathan Suri - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    THIS. A hundred times THIS. I wanted to put in an SSD, and was miffed to see that the SSD was to be placed in the middle of the 2.5" to 3.5" adapter. Unfortunately, that means that the SATA cable did not reach. I tried three different adapters, all the same. I even tried to BUILD an adapter myself from flat pieces of metal (I wouldn't recommend it). In the end, I got a SATA extension cable and simply taped the SSD into the case where the HDD used to be. We'll see if any problems crop up. Since it's very light though and doesn't produce much heat I don't think there should be a problem.

    Wolf Dapp -

    You will need a dock that puts the connectors in the same place if you want to use an SSD. I've had decent luck with the Icy Dock.

    maccentric -

    I have stopped using brackets for most SSD replacements. I bought some circular hook and loop dots with strong adhesive and merely velcro the drive to the case. The cables are long enough to allow the drive to sit flat against the case if you turn the drive upside down after attaching it. Otherwise, the data cable is too short. SSDs are so light that there is no reason for over-engineering the attachment. Most tape is not strong enough but two velcro dots work great.

    Greg Worrel - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  16. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement, Hard Drive: crwdns2935265:016crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the two T8 Torx screws and their attached rubber grommets from the hard drive.

    replacing the 3.5” hard-drive with a 2.5” ssd - needed to use a 2.5 to 3.5 chassis and discovered that the existing sata cables are too short (in particular the sata data cable). purchased an 8” extension ($7) and squirreled the excess behind the chassis. worked fine.

    pprod - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    One of the screws came out easily but the other took a great deal of convincing. To get it out I tightly wrapped a medium-thick rubber band around it to improve grip. I then applied downward pressure with my palm, and with my other hand, rotated the screwdriver. If at first you don’t succeed, try taking a break for a few minutes to let your grip strength return. You’ll get it eventually!

    Jake Thornberry - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  17. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:017crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the two T8 Torx pins from the side of the hard drive nearest the power and data connectors.

  18. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:018crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Peel off the piece of foam tape covering the hard drive thermal sensor.

    There was no tape on the drive you sent me...

    andymcdonell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    crwdns2936937:0andymcdonellcrwdne2936937:0

    There was no tape on the drive you sent me...

    Transfer the piece of foam tape from the old drive to your new drive. If it is no longer sticky, it is fine to use a strip of electrical or duct tape to hold the foam tape down against the drive.

    Andrew Bookholt - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  19. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:019crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:019crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • To remove the hard drive thermal sensor, use the sharp end of a spudger to lift the center finger of the thermal sensor bracket while applying slight tension to the thermal sensor cable.

    • If the thermal sensor is stuck to the hard drive, skip to the next step.

    I found these instructions to be a little unclear. What you are looking at after removing the foam, is a bracket that is basically holding down the thermal sensor at the end of those wires coming out(which you can't see because it's UNDER the bracket). I found the bracket to be fairly easy to just pull up and off. The spudger (or even a tiny flathead screwdriver) can easily accomplish this if it's glued on tight. Once the bracket comes off, the thermal sensor is freed, and in my case fell away from the bracket. Just try to keep those pieces together in the order they came off. Fortunately, as easy as the bracket came off, it was easily pushed back onto the new hard drive with no trouble at all. The foam was pretty sticky still as well, although I had to double tape one side of it to secure it over the bracket.

    Len - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  20. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:020crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive thermal sensor bracket up off the adhesive securing it to the hard drive.

    • If the adhesive gets dirty or will not stick to your new hard drive, place some double-sided tape under the two semicircular ears of the thermal sensor bracket.

  21. iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Hard Drive Replacement: crwdns2935265:021crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a spudger to remove the small piece of EMI foam from the top of the hard drive.

    • Don't forget to transfer this to your new hard drive.

    • If you are installing a new hard drive, we have an OS X install guide to get you up and running.

    Make sure you don't forget this step! I forgot this step, got everything back together, then had to take it all apart again to affix this! Not fun. That said, the second time went MUCH faster, and I found myself appreciating this design a lot more. It is much less daunting now, and is much easier than upgrading the RAM in a Mac Mini.

    Len - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I followed this to replace hard disk with an SSD. These instructions and comments pretty much cover it. Only had to disconnect #7 cable and a little cable near the center of the system board; flipping/rotating bezel/screen avoided other disconnects. I used a permanent marker to label bezel holes "L" and "VL" (long and very long) to put those screws back properly.

    My main problem: I expected a 2.5" hard disk but found a 3.5". Micro Center talked me into an IcyDock 2.5" --> 3.5" adapter, defective (ended up just taping the SSD down). Between that and not loading OS on the SSD before installing (basically: attach SSD via USB, boot while pressing command-R) meant I got to do this disassembly/assembly several times.

    Worth it to buy a bottle of air to blow out dust, a 3.5" external enclosure (for the former internal hard disk), and maybe a CR2032? coin battery while you're at it. Group permissions on the hard disk's user files will be broken afterwards, easily fixed.

    David Menges - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    i can not install osx on the new disk

    don't assume the usb pen i have to install the osx can you help me?

    djactomicoutblast - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    What is the purpose of this piece of foam and is it necessary when replacing the hard drive with an SSD?

    Greg Worrel - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Is this really needed? I have changed HDD to SDD on my old iMac 2009 and cannot install OS from bootable USB because after clicking on the selected bootable device I see a white screen with a picture of the directory and a question mark in the middle. Could it be related somehow?

    Eugene Kopaev - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I suspect you experienced the same issue I had. I had to extract the hard drive I put in, format it for mac use, and reinsert it. Transmac is useful for that on any WIndows machine assuming you don’t have another mac to work from.

    (I know this response is waaay late but I figured better late than never.)

    Thomas Keats -

crwdns2915888:0crwdne2915888:0

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

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Walter Galan

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Because there are no instructions for the 24", I used these and they worked fine. I shelled out $10 for the suction cups ifixit provides, but honestly the glass is really thin and lightweight, so cheapo suction cups from Home Depot should work just fine.

Len - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I couldnt agree more. The "Glass" is of couse plastic. I bought some whimpy suction cups in multi pack from Target and after i stuckem to the glass, it came off almost to easy. I was expecting a fight, i didnt get one.

Scott Mutterer -

I am about as untechnically proficient as you can imagine, yet replacing the hard drive was not as daunting as it first seemed when following these FANTASTIC step by step instructions. I was forced to do this because of a lack of money, but having done it, I'm glad I did. Even if I had the money, it's not worth the $500 it costs to have an Apple dealer or Apple themselves replace the hard drive. Just take your time and don't force anything, and you should be done in no more than an hour. Kudos ifixit!

Len - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

On my 24" iMac, I only needed to disconnect the first LCD Cable (before removing the LCD's torx screws), then I was able to pivot the LCD up 90 degrees, to get access to the hard disk. It was nice not having to disconnect (and reconnect the 2nd and 3rd cables. Now I have 3TB! (Seagate Barrracuda ST3000DM001). Note: I first tried putting the 3TB disk into an SATA USB enclosure, so I could transfer the data before opening up the iMac, but I found out the some of the older USB enclosures don't work with >2TB disks.

Jeff D - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I followed the guide, and it worked fine. The new HD is working without problems. But now my Mac has a buzzing noise on it's top left part. What should I do?

Paulo Cesar - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hi everybody,

I followed this guide, step by step to replace the former HDD by a brand new SDD.

Unfortunately, since my iMac is reassembled, I've been facing an issue with the display.

It shows like statics in from of the image. We see the desktop, icons and system in background but there are glittering red and grey points in front of it. i've tried to disassemble, check the different cables and plugs, but nothing... Could you help me, please ?

Fred - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Ok, just for you to know. I solved the problem by zapping the PRAM (apple-alt-p-r)

Fred -

I think that worked on mine as well. Instantly saw the flickering go away and the sound was way louder.

jjdperryman -

Great tutorial, works for the 20inch iMac as well. MAKE SURE TO LABEL YOUR CABLES!

Zach - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Awesome like always! Practical, concise and didactical! I've done well. Very satisfied.

Five stars and congrats to you at ifixit. I love this website!!!

PaTo

pgomezddv - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I just replaced my 20" iMac hard drive with a Solid State Drive (SSD) using these instructions. The only difference is that you need to buy a 2.5" to 3.5" hard drive bay adapter/converter, and mount the SSD drive onto the adapter with screws. Everything else is the same.

Dennis - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hello Dennis,

What brand 2.5" to 3.5" hard drive bay adapter/converter did you use?

Thanks! Tedd L

Tedd Lupella -

Dear people, thank you for this great guide. It worked good. We replaced the Hard Drive for a SSD in a bracket. This speeds up the iMac very much! I recommend to do the work with 2 persons. We found out that the spudger wasn't neccessary.

Arnold - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

The glass is glass Scott. It will shatter if you don't take it straight off. If you lever it open like a door, you will either break off the metal pins that are bonded to the glass, or crack the screen or both.

If you can get a pick in the edge, you can remove it without Suction cups, though they do help to remove it straight off without bending the pins.

If you are just doing the drive, then you can do it all without taking off the Screen completely. You just need to unplug the Inverter cables to lean the screen back then you can remove the drive, replace the drive and close it all up again.

Be aware the drive cables are very short in the 20" model. You will need a drive carrier that places the SSD data and power connectors in a similar location to a 3.5" drive (which these carriers are quite rare). Or get an SATA+Power extension cable for a couple of bucks.

You could do away with a bracket and use double sided foam tape or strong double lock velcro blocks to position a SSD on the back of the iMac.

Charlie Nancarrow - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I wish I would have read some of the comments, especially about needing a particular kind of adapter to install a 2.5" SSD. A note at the top about this would be the only way to improve these most excellent instructions. I found a stainless steel, vented adapter that has one open side, and a connector for the SSD. The outside of the case has the SATA connectors in exactly the same place as a 3.5" HDD, so the lack of slack in the SATA cables is no issue. The metal is thick enough to properly seat the mounting pins. I don't want to violate any iFixit TOS, so I'll just say that the unit I bought, a 3.5 Inch SATA Bay Adapter Converter Bracket Mounting Kit, is very, very cool. Freezing cool, a perfect dock for your new SSD.

modsolok - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

i used the suction cup on my GPS...it worked and it was FREE

Rich Glunt - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Great, clear instructions. I had no trouble removing the hard drive from my damaged A1224. Instead of the suction cups, I simply used balled-up duct tape, which I learned from a related YouTube video.

ralph.h.earle - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I used the guide to replace the original 250 Gb hard drive with a SSD. Worked great! While in there I replaced the CR2032 because why not. The guide was thorough and made a big difference to me as I had never disassembled this Apple iMac before. Thank you!

Roger Edwards - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Ok, I just replaced the HDD in my iMac Early 2008. The conversion kit containing the new SSD was not a perfect fit, but I managed to use the holes closer to the connectors, ignored the remaining holes, and the end result was acceptable. Overall a very good guide.

Jan van Rendek - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

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