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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

24

Time Required

                          45 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

5

  • Glass Panel
  • 2 steps
  • Display
  • 7 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 3 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 3 steps
  • SSD (2011)
  • 9 steps

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Introduction

This guide also includes steps to upgrade your iMac’s hard drive with a SSD. It describes how to install the SSD’s temperature sensor so that the Mac’s fans will operate at the correct speed.

Before beginning any work on your iMac: Unplug the computer and press and hold the power button for ten seconds to discharge the power supply’s capacitors.

Be very careful not to touch the capacitor leads or any exposed solder joints on the back of the power supply.

What you need

Step 1

              Glass Panel
  • Before beginning, unplug your iMac and lay it on a soft surface as shown.
  • Stick a suction cup near each of the two top 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.

Before beginning, unplug your iMac and lay it on a soft surface as shown.

Stick a suction cup near each of the two top 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.

1024

Step 2

  • Gently lift the glass panel perpendicular to the face of the LCD enough to clear the steel mounting pins attached along the underside of the top edge of the glass panel.
  • Pull the glass panel away from the lower edge of the iMac and carefully set it aside.
  • During reinstallation, be sure to meticulously clean the inside of the glass panel and the face of the LCD as any dust or fingerprints trapped inside will be annoyingly visible when the machine is turned on.

Gently lift the glass panel perpendicular to the face of the LCD enough to clear the steel mounting pins attached along the underside of the top edge of the glass panel.

Pull the glass panel away from the lower edge of the iMac and carefully set it aside.

During reinstallation, be sure to meticulously clean the inside of the glass panel and the face of the LCD as any dust or fingerprints trapped inside will be annoyingly visible when the machine is turned on.

Step 3

              Display
  • Remove the eight 8 mm T10 Torx screws securing the display to the outer case.
  • The last two pictures are detail shots of each side of the display.

Remove the eight 8 mm T10 Torx screws securing the display to the outer case.

The last two pictures are detail shots of each side of the display.

Step 4

  • Slightly lift the top edge of the display out of the outer case.
  • Do not lift it too much. There are several cables attaching the display to the logic board. Twisting or pulling the display assembly with the cables attached will damage your iMac.

Slightly lift the top edge of the display out of the outer case.

Do not lift it too much. There are several cables attaching the display to the logic board. Twisting or pulling the display assembly with the cables attached will damage your iMac.

Step 5

  • Pull the vertical sync cable connector out of its socket on the LED driver board near the top left corner of your iMac.

Pull the vertical sync cable connector out of its socket on the LED driver board near the top left corner of your iMac.

Step 6

  • Rotate the display out of the outer case enough to disconnect the LED backlight power cable from the LED driver board.
  • Disconnect the LED backlight power cable by depressing the locking mechanism while pulling the connector away from its socket (toward the bottom edge of the iMac).

Rotate the display out of the outer case enough to disconnect the LED backlight power cable from the LED driver board.

Disconnect the LED backlight power cable by depressing the locking mechanism while pulling the connector away from its socket (toward the bottom edge of the iMac).

Step 7

  • Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it towards upwards.
  • Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.
  • Do not lift up on the display data cable, as its socket is very fragile. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it towards upwards.

Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.

Do not lift up on the display data cable, as its socket is very fragile. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

Step 8

  • Disconnect the LCD thermal sensor cable connector from its socket on the logic board.

Disconnect the LCD thermal sensor cable connector from its socket on the logic board.

Step 9

  • Carefully pull the display toward the top edge of your iMac and lift it out of the outer case, minding any cables that may get caught.

Carefully pull the display toward the top edge of your iMac and lift it out of the outer case, minding any cables that may get caught.

Step 10

              Hard Drive
  • Remove the two 9 mm T10 Torx screws securing the upper hard drive bracket to the outer case.

Remove the two 9 mm T10 Torx screws securing the upper hard drive bracket to the outer case.

Step 11

  • Slightly rotate the hard drive out of the outer case and lift it up off its mounting pins toward the top edge of the iMac.
  • Be careful not to contact the AirPort card as you lift the hard drive out of its recess.

Slightly rotate the hard drive out of the outer case and lift it up off its mounting pins toward the top edge of the iMac.

Be careful not to contact the AirPort card as you lift the hard drive out of its recess.

Step 12

  • Disconnect the SATA data cable and SATA power connector from their respective sockets by pulling each connector away from the hard drive.

Disconnect the SATA data cable and SATA power connector from their respective sockets by pulling each connector away from the hard drive.

Step 13

              Hard Drive
  • Remove the two T8 Torx screws securing the upper bracket to the hard drive.
  • Remove the upper bracket from the hard drive.

Remove the two T8 Torx screws securing the upper bracket to the hard drive.

Remove the upper bracket from the hard drive.

Step 14

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

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

Step 15

  • Carefully peel off the piece of EMI foam attached to the front of the hard drive.
  • Don’t forget to transfer this to your new hard drive.

Carefully peel off the piece of EMI foam attached to the front of the hard drive.

Don’t forget to transfer this to your new hard drive.

Step 16

              Replace the hard drive with an SSD
  • Follow the next steps if you are replacing your hard drive with an SSD kit.
  • If your SSD enclosure looks like the first image, follow this guide instead.
  • Line up the SSD connectors with the metal enclosure’s sockets.
  • Press the drive against the enclosure sockets until the SSD is firmly seated.
  • The SSD connects with the enclosure in only one direction. If the connectors don’t line up, rotate the SSD and try again.

Follow the next steps if you are replacing your hard drive with an SSD kit.

If your SSD enclosure looks like the first image, follow this guide instead.

Line up the SSD connectors with the metal enclosure’s sockets.

Press the drive against the enclosure sockets until the SSD is firmly seated.

The SSD connects with the enclosure in only one direction. If the connectors don’t line up, rotate the SSD and try again.

Step 17

  • Use a Phillips screwdriver to install the four silver screws (two on each side) along the edges of the SSD to secure it to the enclosure.

Use a Phillips screwdriver to install the four silver screws (two on each side) along the edges of the SSD to secure it to the enclosure.

Step 18

  • Plug the included sensor-enabled SATA power cable into the enclosure’s port.
  • The cable is keyed to connect in only one orientation. If you can’t connect the cable, rotate it 180° and try again.

Plug the included sensor-enabled SATA power cable into the enclosure’s port.

The cable is keyed to connect in only one orientation. If you can’t connect the cable, rotate it 180° and try again.

Step 19

  • Peel the white liner off the back of the small temperature sensor board in order to expose the adhesive.
  • Adhere the temperature sensor board to an exposed, metal surface of the SSD, close to the SATA connector.
  • Fold the excess temperature sensor wires so that they are out of the way while you install the enclosure.

Peel the white liner off the back of the small temperature sensor board in order to expose the adhesive.

Adhere the temperature sensor board to an exposed, metal surface of the SSD, close to the SATA connector.

Fold the excess temperature sensor wires so that they are out of the way while you install the enclosure.

Step 20

  • Use a T8 driver to install the mounting pins from the old hard drive onto the sides of the enclosure.

Use a T8 driver to install the mounting pins from the old hard drive onto the sides of the enclosure.

Step 21

  • Attach any mounting brackets removed from the old hard drive onto the enclosure.

Attach any mounting brackets removed from the old hard drive onto the enclosure.

Step 22

  • Connect the iMac’s SATA power cable to the other end of the new sensor-enabled SATA cable.

Connect the iMac’s SATA power cable to the other end of the new sensor-enabled SATA cable.

Step 23

  • Connect the iMac’s SATA data cable to the enclosure.

Connect the iMac’s SATA data cable to the enclosure.

Step 24

  • The images used in this step come from a 2017 iMac. Your cables may look slightly different, but the procedure remains the same.
  • Slide the SSD enclosure into the space previously occupied by the hard drive.
  • Route the SATA cables so that they will not interfere with any other components.
  • Try to keep the cables free from any sharp bends, and route them such that they are not pinched.

The images used in this step come from a 2017 iMac. Your cables may look slightly different, but the procedure remains the same.

Slide the SSD enclosure into the space previously occupied by the hard drive.

Route the SATA cables so that they will not interfere with any other components.

Try to keep the cables free from any sharp bends, and route them such that they are not pinched.

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

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                    Walter Galan

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tholst - Nov 12, 2012

Reply

Hi guys, the tools arrived today and I did already chage the default harddisk against the WD Velociraptor 500GB. For now everything is working fine. The iMac is in the middle of restoring the time maschine backup. Everything worked out as described. Excellent! I was just a little surprised by the magnetic forces which one needs to overcome gently…

Funkpolvo - Oct 28, 2013

Reply

Is there a temp sensor that monitors the HD? I did the upgrade but now my fan is always on. I must’ve done something wrong.

Scott Dingle - Oct 28, 2013

Did you use the same brand hard drive? Did check the instructions about cable orientation on the hard drive? Did you double check the LCD thermal sensor cable?

Jo Campos - Oct 29, 2013

Take a glance at this page for full explanations:

http://www.hddfancontrol.com/imac-hard-d…

I had the same issue here (after replacing the original HDD by a 1TB WB Caviar Blue) and it has been fixed by this utility.

HTH,

Scott Dingle - Oct 30, 2013

In response to the software, that does work, however, it can be taken care of hardware wise if our recommendations are followed.