Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

19

Time Required

                          1 - 2 hours

Sections

5

  • Access Door
  • 1 step
  • Front Bezel
  • 5 steps
  • Display Assembly
  • 6 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 4 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 3 steps

Flags

1

This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

  • BackiMac Intel 24" EMC 2111

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Access Door
  • Loosen the two Phillips screws securing the access door to your iMac.
  • Both screws remain captive within the access door.
  • Remove the access door.

Loosen the two Phillips screws securing the access door to your iMac.

Both screws remain captive within the access door.

Remove the access door.

1024

Step 2

              Front Bezel
  • Remove the following screws along the lower edge of your iMac:
  • Three 6 mm T8 Torx screws
  • One 8 mm T8 Torx screw

Remove the following screws along the lower edge of your iMac:

Three 6 mm T8 Torx screws

One 8 mm T8 Torx screw

Step 3

  • Lay your iMac stand-side down on a flat surface.
  • To lift the front bezel off the iMac, simultaneously:
  • Use your thumbs to press in the RAM arms and hold the iMac down.
  • Use your index fingers to pull the small bridge of material on the front bezel toward yourself.
  • Pull the front bezel up with your index fingers.
  • Once the small bridge of material has cleared the RAM arms, lift the front bezel by its lower edge just enough to clear the bottom edge of the rear case.

Lay your iMac stand-side down on a flat surface.

To lift the front bezel off the iMac, simultaneously:

Use your thumbs to press in the RAM arms and hold the iMac down.

Use your index fingers to pull the small bridge of material on the front bezel toward yourself.

Pull the front bezel up with your index fingers.

Once the small bridge of material has cleared the RAM arms, lift the front bezel by its lower edge just enough to clear the bottom edge of the rear case.

Step 4

  • Lift the front bezel off the rear case and rotate it away from the bottom edge of the iMac, minding the camera and microphone cables still attached to its upper edge.
  • The third picture shows the top front bezel brackets and their slots cut into the top edge of the iMac’s rear case.
  • Do not completely remove the front bezel, as it is still attached by the camera/microphone cables.

Lift the front bezel off the rear case and rotate it away from the bottom edge of the iMac, minding the camera and microphone cables still attached to its upper edge.

The third picture shows the top front bezel brackets and their slots cut into the top edge of the iMac’s rear case.

Do not completely remove the front bezel, as it is still attached by the camera/microphone cables.

Step 5

  • If necessary, remove the strip of tape covering the microphone cable connector.
  • The microphone connector is located near the inside of top edge of your iMac.

If necessary, remove the strip of tape covering the microphone cable connector.

The microphone connector is located near the inside of top edge of your iMac.

Step 6

  • Disconnect the microphone cable.
  • Disconnect the camera cable by pulling its connector away from the socket on the camera board.
  • The camera cable connector and socket are delicate and easily bent. Remove with caution.

Disconnect the microphone cable.

Disconnect the camera cable by pulling its connector away from the socket on the camera board.

The camera cable connector and socket are delicate and easily bent. Remove with caution.

Step 7

              Display Assembly
  • Peel the two highlighted EMI shield tabs off the frame of the LCD.

Peel the two highlighted EMI shield tabs off the frame of the LCD.

Step 8

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

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

Step 9

  • Pull the black plastic tab attached to the display data cable connector to disconnect it from the logic board.

Pull the black plastic tab attached to the display data cable connector to disconnect it from the logic board.

Step 10

  • Use your fingertips to pull both sides of the wide inverter cable connector out of its socket on the logic board.
  • De-route the inverter cable from its location next to the CPU fan.

Use your fingertips to pull both sides of the wide inverter cable connector out of its socket on the logic board.

De-route the inverter cable from its location next to the CPU fan.

Step 11

  • Before attempting this step, we recommend laying your iMac stand-side down on a table to avoid the display falling down.
  • Remove the eight T8 Torx screws securing the display assembly to the rear case.
  • It is helpful to use a thin magnetized screwdriver to remove these screws.

Before attempting this step, we recommend laying your iMac stand-side down on a table to avoid the display falling down.

Remove the eight T8 Torx screws securing the display assembly to the rear case.

It is helpful to use a thin magnetized screwdriver to remove these screws.

Step 12

  • Remove the display assembly from the iMac.

Remove the display assembly from the iMac.

Step 13

              Hard Drive
  • Disconnect the SATA data and power cables by pulling their connectors away from the hard drive.

Disconnect the SATA data and power cables by pulling their connectors away from the hard drive.

Step 14

  • Disconnect the hard drive thermal sensor cable from the thermal sensor attached to the side of the hard drive.

Disconnect the hard drive thermal sensor cable from the thermal sensor attached to the side of the hard drive.

Step 15

  • Compress the plastic hard drive retainer by pushing it toward the bottom edge of the iMac.
  • Pull the top edge of the hard drive slightly away from the rear case.

Compress the plastic hard drive retainer by pushing it toward the bottom edge of the iMac.

Pull the top edge of the hard drive slightly away from the rear case.

Step 16

  • Lift the hard drive off its bottom retaining posts and remove it from the iMac.

Lift the hard drive off its bottom retaining posts and remove it from the iMac.

Step 17

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

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

Remove the hard drive bracket.

Step 18

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

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

Step 19

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to remove the thermal sensor from the side of the hard drive.
  • Hard drive remains.

Use the flat end of a spudger to remove the thermal sensor from the side of the hard drive.

Hard drive remains.

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

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      118 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 9 other contributors 


                    Andrew Bookholt

575,478 Reputation

                                      618 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       47







                                                        +44 more badges

Evan Lewis - Jun 20, 2012

Reply

Does the T8 Torx have to be security type? In the guide it only says remove T8 torx screws. But never says if they are security type or not.

David Medrano - Jul 13, 2018

Not necesary to be secured

Jelle V - May 22, 2013

Reply

Is it possible to replace it with an SSD? If yes which are compatible and what about the termal sensor?

Giles Dickerson - Jan 21, 2014

Reply

Watch that LCD temp sensor cable guys, it’s a !@#$% to repair or replace. It runs around the monitor housing and can get severed by a bezel screw if not hidden carefully before attaching the outer housing of the iMac. If you tear it, here’s the part number and discussion of this very issue: https://discussions.apple.com/message/24… Apple Part Number: 922-8236

WT Kwok - Feb 2, 2014

Reply

The T8 Torx does not have to be security type. However it is critical to have a long, thin, dedicated T8 screwdriver, not one that is part of a kit with interchangeable tips (and thus a thick collar that won’t fit into the narrow slot). I got the kit, it didn’t work, returned it and got an unmagnetized T8 with 2.5" length. I then magnetized it with a strong refridge magnet (which didn’t work well), so better yet after I removed the 8 screws (Step 11), I magnetized the screws themselves, which worked great.