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Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

26

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

6

  • Access Door
  • 2 steps
  • Front Bezel
  • 7 steps
  • Lower EMI Shield
  • 2 steps
  • Display
  • 7 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 5 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 3 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Access Door
  • Orient the iMac face-side down on a table with the bottom edge facing yourself.
  • Remove the two Phillips screws securing the access door to the bottom grille of your iMac.
  • The screws are captive in the access door.
  • Before beginning the repair, unplug the computer and press and hold the power switch for 20-30 seconds, to discharge internal capacitors.

Orient the iMac face-side down on a table with the bottom edge facing yourself.

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the access door to the bottom grille of your iMac.

The screws are captive in the access door.

Before beginning the repair, unplug the computer and press and hold the power switch for 20-30 seconds, to discharge internal capacitors.

1024

Step 2

  • Remove the access door.

Remove the access door.

Step 3

              Front Bezel
  • Remove the three T8 Torx screws securing the front bezel to the rear case along the lower edge of the iMac.

Remove the three T8 Torx screws securing the front bezel to the rear case along the lower edge of the iMac.

Step 4

  • Turn the computer over.
  • Use your thumbs to press both RAM arms in past the front bezel for enough clearance to lift it off the rear case.

Turn the computer over.

Use your thumbs to press both RAM arms in past the front bezel for enough clearance to lift it off the rear case.

Step 5

  • While holding the RAM arms in with your thumbs, lift the lower edge of the front bezel enough to clear the rear case.

While holding the RAM arms in with your thumbs, lift the lower edge of the front bezel enough to clear the rear case.

Step 6

  • Re-orient your iMac so it sits upright on the stand.
  • Insert a plastic card up into the corner of the air vent slot near the top of the rear case.
  • Push the card toward the top of the iMac to release the front bezel latch.
  • Pull the front bezel away from the rear case.
  • Repeat this process for the other side of the front bezel.
  • It may be necessary to apply several layers of duct tape to the top of the access card to aid in releasing the latches.
  • If the bezel refuses to release, try pressing the lower edge back onto the rear case and repeat this opening process.
  • Alternatively, you can use a strong magnet by holding it to the front top left/right corner of the display. You will hear a snapping sound when the hatch is released.

Re-orient your iMac so it sits upright on the stand.

Insert a plastic card up into the corner of the air vent slot near the top of the rear case.

Push the card toward the top of the iMac to release the front bezel latch.

Pull the front bezel away from the rear case.

Repeat this process for the other side of the front bezel.

It may be necessary to apply several layers of duct tape to the top of the access card to aid in releasing the latches.

If the bezel refuses to release, try pressing the lower edge back onto the rear case and repeat this opening process.

Alternatively, you can use a strong magnet by holding it to the front top left/right corner of the display. You will hear a snapping sound when the hatch is released.

Step 7

  • Lay your iMac stand-side down on a table.
  • Lift the front bezel from its lower edge and rotate it away from the rest of your iMac, minding the RAM arms that may get caught.
  • Lay the front bezel above the rest of the iMac.

Lay your iMac stand-side down on a table.

Lift the front bezel from its lower edge and rotate it away from the rest of your iMac, minding the RAM arms that may get caught.

Lay the front bezel above the rest of the iMac.

Step 8

  • If necessary, remove the piece of kapton tape wrapped around the microphone and camera connectors.

If necessary, remove the piece of kapton tape wrapped around the microphone and camera connectors.

Step 9

  • Disconnect both the camera and microphone cables.

Disconnect both the camera and microphone cables.

Step 10

              Lower EMI Shield
  • Peel the lower EMI shield off the lower edge of the iMac and off the two vertical 4" sections on either side of the iMac.
  • It is not necessary to peel the lower EMI shield off the display.

Peel the lower EMI shield off the lower edge of the iMac and off the two vertical 4" sections on either side of the iMac.

It is not necessary to peel the lower EMI shield off the display.

Step 11

  • Tape the lower EMI shield up against the face of the display to keep it out of the way while you work.

Tape the lower EMI shield up against the face of the display to keep it out of the way while you work.

Step 12

              Display
  • Remove the two T6 Torx screws securing the display data cable connector to the logic board.

Remove the two T6 Torx screws securing the display data cable connector to the logic board.

Step 13

  • To disconnect the display data cable, grab its connector’s black tab and pull it away from the face of the logic board.

To disconnect the display data cable, grab its connector’s black tab and pull it away from the face of the logic board.

Step 14

  • Peel back the two EMI tape strips from the left and right edges of the display.
  • During reassembly, it is helpful to use several small strips of tape to hold the EMI shielding along the left and right edges of the display footprint out of the way before lowering the display into the rear case of your iMac.

Peel back the two EMI tape strips from the left and right edges of the display.

During reassembly, it is helpful to use several small strips of tape to hold the EMI shielding along the left and right edges of the display footprint out of the way before lowering the display into the rear case of your iMac.

Step 15

  • Remove the four recessed T10 Torx screws securing the display to the rear case.
  • Bit drivers tend to be too short to reach these screws. Be sure to have a magnetic thin-shafted T10 Torx screwdriver on hand.

Remove the four recessed T10 Torx screws securing the display to the rear case.

Bit drivers tend to be too short to reach these screws. Be sure to have a magnetic thin-shafted T10 Torx screwdriver on hand.

Step 16

  • Lift the lower edge of the display slightly out of the rear case.
  • Disconnect both inverter cables (shown in red) by pulling their connectors toward the bottom edge of your iMac.

Lift the lower edge of the display slightly out of the rear case.

Disconnect both inverter cables (shown in red) by pulling their connectors toward the bottom edge of your iMac.

Step 17

  • Lift the display until it is nearly perpendicular to the rear case.
  • Disconnect the remaining two inverter cables (shown in red) by pulling their connectors toward the top edge of your iMac.

Lift the display until it is nearly perpendicular to the rear case.

Disconnect the remaining two inverter cables (shown in red) by pulling their connectors toward the top edge of your iMac.

Step 18

  • While holding the display perpendicular to the rear case, pull it upward to peel off the EMI shield stuck to its upper edge.

While holding the display perpendicular to the rear case, pull it upward to peel off the EMI shield stuck to its upper edge.

Step 19

              Hard Drive
  • Disconnect the hard drive thermal sensor from the logic board by pulling its connector toward the top edge of your iMac.

Disconnect the hard drive thermal sensor from the logic board by pulling its connector toward the top edge of your iMac.

Step 20

  • Remove the two T10 Torx screws securing the hard drive bracket to the inverter.

Remove the two T10 Torx screws securing the hard drive bracket to the inverter.

Step 21

  • Lift the left edge of the hard drive slightly, then pull it toward the left edge of the iMac.
  • When reinstalling your hard drive, make sure not to push the rubber grommets through the chassis with the hard drive mounting pins as retrieving them may require removing the logic board.

Lift the left edge of the hard drive slightly, then pull it toward the left edge of the iMac.

When reinstalling your hard drive, make sure not to push the rubber grommets through the chassis with the hard drive mounting pins as retrieving them may require removing the logic board.

Step 22

  • Rotate the hard drive out of the rear case.
  • Disconnect the SATA data cable by pulling its connector away from the hard drive.

Rotate the hard drive out of the rear case.

Disconnect the SATA data cable by pulling its connector away from the hard drive.

Step 23

  • Disconnect the SATA power cable by pulling its connector away from the hard drive.
  • Remove the hard drive from the iMac.

Disconnect the SATA power cable by pulling its connector away from the hard drive.

Remove the hard drive from the iMac.

Step 24

              Hard Drive
  • Remove the two T8 Torx screws securing the hard drive bracket to the connector side of the hard drive.
  • Remove the hard drive bracket.

Remove the two T8 Torx screws securing the hard drive bracket to the connector side of the hard drive.

Remove the hard drive bracket.

Step 25

  • Remove the two T8 Torx pins from the side of the hard drive.

Remove the two T8 Torx pins from the side of the hard drive.

Step 26

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive thermal sensor off the adhesive securing it to the hard drive.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive thermal sensor off the adhesive securing it to the hard drive.

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

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                    Andrew Bookholt

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Ruth - May 11, 2016

Reply

Step 15

When I removed the 4 screws, my bit wasn’t magnetic enough to pick them out and they fell in. I could only find 2 of them. Luckily, I was only using this guide to help me remove the hard drive before I recycled my old computer. Make sure to have a strong magnetic bit!

JESSICA - Nov 20, 2017

Reply

if feels great to know there is people like you that instract and others really understand thanks for your help

Mike Kurtz - Dec 7, 2017

Reply

Awesome instructable!

nzsteelersfan - May 3, 2018

Reply

Used this same guide to replace the HDD on an A1207 iMac.

Almost identical except for the positioning of the display cable which is on the right hand side of the logic board.

Only problem was the four Torx screws holding in the display. They are so deeply recessed that I had to buy a set of Torx wrenches with long shafts as the Torx heads in the iFixit kit I have are too short.

Good guide.