iMac: replace hard drive - how it works

Replacing the hard drive can be expensive, especially with Apple devices such as the iMac. In this practical tip, we will show you how to replace the storage medium yourself.

iMac: replace hard drive - the preparations

Of course, replacing the hard drive is not only useful if it is defective, but also if the storage space is to be increased. In any case, some preparation is necessary.

• You should plan between 30 minutes and an hour to replace the hard drive.
• In addition, of course, some tools are required. This includes two suction cups, a paper clip, a T10 screwdriver, a T8 screwdriver and tweezers.
• You also need a new hard drive, of course. A modern SSD is recommended because it offers much higher data rates and works silently. We explain the difference between an HDD and an SSD in more detail in another practical tip.

iMac: replace hard drive - the exchange

After all the preparations have been made and all materials have been purchased, you can now start with the actual replacement of the hard disk.

1. To do this, first lay your iMac with your back on a flat surface and then attach two suction cups in the upper corners of the display.
2. Then lift the display panel off the display so that metal pins on the underside of the top edge come loose.
3. Pull the glass panel away and carefully place it in a safe place, for example in the original packaging of the iMac. After you have put the disc down, you should loosen the suction lifters, otherwise the permanent tension can destroy the display.
4. Then loosen the eight T10 screws that connect the display and housing.
5. After the screws have been loosened, you can take the paper clip and bend it apart a little. Then lift one of the top two corners of the display slightly with the paper clip.
6. When one corner is raised, hold it and also slightly raise the other corner. But be careful not to move the display and housing too far apart, because the two are still connected by cables that could otherwise damage you.
7. Now the tweezers are used. Use this to pull the vertical synchronization cable at the upper left corner of the iMac and remove it from the LED board. It is also possible that there are four thin cables instead of one. In this case, you have to disconnect these cables from the board, but be more careful because these cables can easily break.
8. Now you have to lift the display out of the housing so that you can disconnect the LED backlight cable from the LED board.
9. You can then remove the display cable from the logic board. Simply press the pins of the cable slightly together and then pull the plug out of the connector. The following also applies here: caution is the top priority, because both the connector and the connector are very sensitive.
10. Now lift the display a little further to separate the temperature sensor cable from the logic board.
11. Now that all cables connected to the display have been removed or disconnected, you can lift the display yourself out of the housing by pulling it towards the upper edge of the housing and then lifting it out.
12. It is important that you remember the orientation of the temperature sensor you have just removed. If you later installed it the wrong way round, this would lead to problems with the fan.
13. You can then expose the hard drive by pulling and unplugging the temperature sensor, SATA power cable and SATA data cable from the hard drive connectors.
14. Now it is time to loosen the T10 screws that connect the housing and the hard drive.
15. Now that the hard drive is exposed, you can easily turn it away from the housing, lift it off the two lower brackets and then remove it.
16. On the removed hard drive, loosen the two T8 screws that connect the bracket and hard disk, and then remove the bracket.
17. You can also remove the pins from the other side of the hard drive.
18. Finally, you should remove the EMI foam from the front of the old hard drive.
19. Then grab your new hard drive and carry out the steps described in exactly the reverse order to install the hard drive in the iMac, reconnect the cables and finally reconnect the display to the housing.