# Intel iMac hard drive replacement



## mr.steevo (Jul 22, 2005)

Hi,

My sister in law is thinking of getting an iMac but is very price conscious. I think I have talked her out of getting the 1.83 and up to the 2.0, however, I am wondering if the hard drive is replaceable or if she will eventually have to get an external. The original G5 iMac was very easy to replace the hard drive. How about the Intel?
Are there any sites that show the process?

s.

ps. Happy New Year EhMac-ers.


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## Apple101 (Jan 22, 2006)

mr.steevo said:


> Hi,
> 
> My sister in law is thinking of getting an iMac but is very price conscious. I think I have talked her out of getting the 1.83 and up to the 2.0, however, I am wondering if the hard drive is replaceable or if she will eventually have to get an external. The original G5 iMac was very easy to replace the hard drive. How about the Intel?
> Are there any sites that show the process?
> ...


Hi! Happy new years to you too! 

Well the first generation iMac G5's definitely were a wonderful machine from a service stand point of view however the latest generation of iMacs (iSight) are a slightly different story. You can replace the hard drive however I am going to recommend that a technician (such as my self) at an Apple authorized service provider or if you live near an Apple store that you take the unit there because there are certain things that you could easily damage such as the EMI shielding or the latches if you do-not have the correct tools to work with. Also it is imperative that you follow ALL of the ESD safety guidelines.


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## mr.steevo (Jul 22, 2005)

Hi,

When you refer to the safety guidelines, are they to stop people from keeping their Mac's going for a little longer and not purchasing a new machine, or is it that I will probably blow my finger off if I touch the blue wire?

Thanks 101

s.


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## Apple101 (Jan 22, 2006)

mr.steevo said:


> Hi,
> 
> When you refer to the safety guidelines, are they to stop people from keeping their Mac's going for a little longer and not purchasing a new machine, or is it that I will probably blow my finger off if I touch the blue wire?
> 
> ...


Hi!!

Well in general ESD safety guidelines when dealing with any type of computer equipment recommends that you work in a static safe environment. You can help prevent electro static discharge by using an anti static mat under your chair, wearing an static discharge wrist strap, and so on. Thats the type of safety that I was referring to. 

For things other than memory with the newer iMacs (iSight) I am going to recommend taking the unit to either an Apple authorized service center or the Apple store because as stated before there are certain things that can be easily damaged if the proper tools are not used, and unfortunately these tools are only for use within the Apple service network. Apple stopped the do it your self service program with the newer iMacs (iSight).

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to let me know! I would be more then happy to be of assistance for you!


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## mr.steevo (Jul 22, 2005)

Hi,

Good to know.

Thanks for the info. I guess it will be an external drive for her should she need the extra space.

s.


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## Apple101 (Jan 22, 2006)

mr.steevo said:


> Hi,
> 
> Good to know.
> 
> ...


Hey! No need to thank me! If her hard drive ever fails, what was stated before, shouldn't discourage you from getting the drive replaced. I would be more then happy to replace it for you, as I am authorized to do so, and if its still under warranty then by all means get it replaced.

Have a safe and happy holiday!


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## jdurston (Jan 28, 2005)

Any idea on how much time a Apple Certified tech would require to do the job? Just wondering what the cost would be.


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## Apple101 (Jan 22, 2006)

jdurston said:


> Any idea on how much time a Apple Certified tech would require to do the job? Just wondering what the cost would be.


Hell hardly any. If I am just replacing the drive it would only be about 15 minutes. Because I can get those things cracked open in no time  However I always after doing any sort of repair run the Apple hardware test to ensure everything is ok before the unit is given back to the customer. So in total lets say around half an hour (30 minutes).


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## Darien Red Sox (Oct 24, 2006)

If you are brave you could do it yourself. If you are instrested E-Mail ([email protected]) me and I will E-Mail you a PDF with infomation. It looks prity streight forword for me at least. The problem is there is a tool that you cannot buy that is needed. You could inprvise and use somthing else though.


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## ChemicalRefugee (Aug 30, 2008)

Apple101 said:


> Hi! Happy new years to you too!
> 
> Well the first generation iMac G5's definitely were a wonderful machine from a service stand point of view however the latest generation of iMacs (iSight) are a slightly different story. You can replace the hard drive however I am going to recommend that a technician (such as my self) at an Apple authorized service provider or if you live near an Apple store that you take the unit there because there are certain things that you could easily damage such as the EMI shielding or the latches if you do-not have the correct tools to work with. Also it is imperative that you follow ALL of the ESD safety guidelines.



I am an old time computer hobbyist and apple lover (and have put together many PCs and worked on laptops as well). I am thinking about picking up an iMac G5 1.8 MH computer (still in the box) which has never had an OS put onto its drive. How do I go about installing the OS completely fresh on a machine of this type? I am usd to installing mickey-sloth and various forms of unix, but I have yet to install the mac os from scratch on a G5 (they are so very thin these days too...honesty they look more like a large digital picture frame than a home computer..kind of cool actually).


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

ChemicalRefugee said:


> How do I go about installing the OS completely fresh on a machine of this type?


You will need either the original discs that shipped with the unit, or a Mac OS X retail disc version 10.4+ or later. Pop the disc in, restart the computer, and hold down the "C" key until the gray Apple logo appears. Once the unit boots up completely from the disc, follow the on-screen instructions. The simplicity of a Mac OS install allows anyone to do one, even those who have never done so in the past.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

If it's "still in the box" the computer may well have an OS on it, since that's how they are shipped. Still, it's worth upgrading the system on that computer to 10.5 Leopard.




ChemicalRefugee said:


> I am an old time computer hobbyist and apple lover (and have put together many PCs and worked on laptops as well). I am thinking about picking up an iMac G5 1.8 MH computer (still in the box) which has never had an OS put onto its drive. How do I go about installing the OS completely fresh on a machine of this type? I am usd to installing mickey-sloth and various forms of unix, but I have yet to install the mac os from scratch on a G5 (they are so very thin these days too...honesty they look more like a large digital picture frame than a home computer..kind of cool actually).


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## danimir (Jan 4, 2008)

*Photo guide on upgrading iMac 2007 and 2008 to 1TB hard drive*

*There is a detailed photo guide on upgrading the iMac hard drive outlined at this web site:*

Upgrade iMac - models 2007 and 2008 to 1 TB hard drive

:clap:


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