intel iMac HD install

[TheHonoraryCullen]

Respond to this video... Hi, I have this exact imac. Anyway, I was having some problems and took my imac into the Apple store and they said my internal hard drive is starting to go bad. I am not tech savvy and was wondering what internal hard drive you would recommend. Also, the mac rep said I need to purchase an external hard drive and back up everything prior to installing the internal hard drive. So basically I need two recomendations for: an external and internal hard drive. Thanks.

[gregsb100]

Thanks for the help! Good job

[Billmister]

@gregsb100 I really appreciate your comment!

[mulacnostrebor]

This is great, I was able to install a new hard disk in my iMac 17" with ease by following this tutorial.

[Billmister]

@mulacnostrebor I'm glad i was able to help out. Thank you for your comment

[MiGeeish]

Is that the Mid 2007 24" model? What is the hard drive that should be used, SATA, SATA II or SATA III ? Im out cant find it anywhere..

[Billmister]

@MiGeeish Hello. Only differences between SATA and SATA2 is the amount of speed they can give. Go for SATA 2... you'll be good.  Good luck.

[MiGeeish]

@Billmister OK thanks a lot!

[datafreak667]

heres what it says on the processor

WARNING: warranty void if removed

so just to let you know

[twiggyzappa]

What western digital drive did you use?

[jtkconsulting]

Awesome video. I have a 160 barracuda 7200.7 that went bad. What drive do you recommend using to replace it with.

[Billmister]

@jtkconsulting Well seagate is pretty good. A lot of people have mix review's on Western Digital (WD). I like WD. I have external and internals made by WD and it's working great.

[Billmister]

@Billmister I like JTKCONSULTING suggestion.  Both are great! i only use western digital with zero problems. seagate is also really good. Good Luck

[Kyiakhalid]

Great tutorial, but still too complicated. Bending over for the computer shop now...

[Elune137]

@Kyiakhalid

Me too XD

Just writing from the old, crappy windows notebook (I call it auxiliary heating...) I actually considered to dump, but now, while my Mac is on strike (irreparable file system errors, failing installs) I'm happy to have a Windows system :-( mooommmmy!

[fiftyfourforty]

2 things: other vids recommend turning the screen 90 degrees as you lift to avoid damaging the wire. Secondly, on startup, no need to press the C key on startup. Mac OS X will actively search for another startup folder if there is none to be found on the connected drive. Die hard Mac users will know this from OS 9 days (friendly ribbing). Great vid. Thanks.

[softdev1]

More difficult to disassemble than the aluminum. By the way, you don't have to hold the C button when you put the disc in. That's just for overriding the boot, which it has already done. I'm considering do it in my White iMac. Have you noticed the heat increase at all?

[Billmister]

@softdev1 No, i have not noticed an increase in heat from the upgrade. I put in a Western Digital hard drive at the same 5400 rpm speed. Prior to changing, make sure to make note of your temperature by either touch or app. Therefore if the computer gets hot after the change, you will know if it was the hard drive or just you. Good Luck

[tks989]

i must say this is a far worse design than the G5

[doathrin]

Great tutorial! I need to do this and your vid gives me the confidence to tackle it!

Thanks

[greysmoke321]

wow, this is cool to see the process of inside a iMac... 

[horseattack]

5 stars, many thanks, just followed your instructions and waiting for snow leopard to finish installing. 250GB -> 2TB, now that's an upgrade.

[Billmister]

@horseattack great to hear! congrats

[acsounds]

thanks alot this was perfect...swapped HD flawlessly. props to you my man

[Billmister]

@acsounds no problem. Glad everything worked out great for you.

[6CA73]

Great!

[saltek1a]

God love Apple-they go out of their way to make it as difficult as possible, to upgrade ANYTHING but the RAM. All Apple products, as good as as they are, leave something to be desired. God forbid, they should allow you to change the battery in your iPhone or iPod Touch. No USB, SD card slot or camera in the iPad, You get the picture-total control.

Great job on the video. 'm brave and pretty good, but I'll think a day or two about the HD!

[dompascarella]

well I guess I'm going to have to pay someone replace my hard drive..

[ferrari24680]

god id never have the confidence to do that

well done man...

[ka22dy]

It is alot easier to keep the iMac on its screen the whole time. That way the frame doesn't come off when you lift the light back off rather than the heavy front. It is actually very easy to work with.

[twistedmacVIDEO]

This is a great video but I would like to point out to everyone that you should not just pull up from the bottom to fully pull the panel off. removing the four screws is just one step. You also need to disconnect the metal fingers on the inside of the panel from the iMac or you will risk breaking something.

I did uploaded a video that shows the steps but YouTube does not allow for links so please visit my profile and checkout "iMac Take Apart - Part 1 (Remove Front Panel)"

[zcar187]

Also great video and information.

[zcar187]

You used a ata hard drive correct. I need to replace my hard drive and operating system on a 2.0 ghz intel core duo and i have never done something like this on a mac. If you could message me or post any advice on current hard drive models. Thanks

[alanstarkie2001]

This is really useful - thanks. I was just told by Apple that they refuse to repair my 2008 Intel iMac under warranty because the user is a smoker and the repair guy will not touch it because it is a bio-hazard!!

[hewboltinvention]

so I did all that and got the new hard drive in but when It asked me to select the destination volume It does not show my new hard drive to select some how its not reading it, do I need a different install disk for a new hd?

[Billmister]

Hey, thank's for watching. First, don't panic, it means your Hard Drive was not formatted. turn on computer and put in your ORIGINAL install disk 1. Turn off your computer then ON, as SOON AS YOU PRESS THE POWER BUTTON hold the "C" BUTTON. AFTER A MINUTE, you will get a language screen, choose your language, then WAIT until the top menu's come up and select i think utilities, then DISK UTILITIES. Select your HD and click "ERASE" after that's done, exit the screen and then continue with install.

[Billmister]

good luck and let me know if you have more questions. Erasing your HD means it will format it in macintosh extended journaled HFS (mac compatible).  Then u will see it available for installation of your Os(operating system)

[hewboltinvention]

Thanks, It works now, I wish I saw this video before I took my computer apart, Now I have missing screws torn black paper, whatever thats for and super glue holding the top of my cover on, oh well i hate macs anyways lol

[jdawz1985]

Doesn't opening it void the warranty?

[Billmister]

YES. This VOID'S your warranty if you are withing your AppleCare warranty. If you are over your 3 year extended warranty, then it's all good.

[siliton]

Great job, very helpful!

One thing to note: if you've got a screw driver with an interchangeable bit you may have problems fitting it in to unscrew the screws holding in the monitor, I highly recommend buying an actual torque screw driver before starting.

[Billmister]

Good Call, thank you Siliton = )

[rynomuncher96]

has anyone noticed that the newer macs get the harder they are to open? obviously apple really doesnt want people doing repairs themselves

[Billmister]

It is 3.5 size

[yardsale92]

IS that a 2.5" hdd or a 3.5"

[joseisamacgeek]

You opened it upside down. If you'd flipped it over and then lifted you would have saved most of this video. Nice though.

[HardwareGamingFREAK]

what the..?! how you can open such a beautiful iMAC?

It seems to be toally destoyed... MAAANNN? WHAT ARE U DOING??

[Billmister]

here are the answers to your questions in order...

I showed in the video how to open this beautiful imac.

It seems to be working by the end of the video just fine.

yes i'm a man. as shown in the video i'm swapping my HD.

[MrOrgineel]

Go chew on a penis, cant u read te description ?

[FlaAlfa]

Thanks for posting your informative video.

[Billmister]

No problem, take your time when doing anything like this.

[Musician890]

Thanx for mentioning the size of the torx screwdriver.

[Billmister]

No problem, glad it helped = )

[ralph4e]

Thanks for making the video you had great tips!

[Billmister]

I really appreciate your comment. Thank you for taking your time to watch.

[Fwuzeem]

I'm at the hard dive bit at the moment, but I can't see what's going on in the vid. Are you meant to pull the black bit up next to the hard drive? I'm a little freaked out as you said this is a hard part, and I don't wanna destroy anything. H'm, I'll probably end up finding a way.

Anyway, couldn't have got this far without the tutorial, nicely done.

[Billmister]

when ever doing anything, don't pull to far from the computer. you never know if there is a cable attached to it. Good Luck and take your time.

[Fwuzeem]

Thanks man, I managed to do it in the end and installed a huge hard-drive in the old one's place. Only problem is that a few months on and my iMac has started getting coloured lines going vertically across the screen. This may having nothing to do with the hard-drive swap, but it but might be related.

Anyway, thanks again, F

[Billmister]

Hey, the lines on your computer screen means it's your monitor failing. I see that and it does not effect your Hard Drive. Thanks

[Fwuzeem]

Yeah, I thought that it might have something to do with taking the computer apart. I might have touched a connection on the monitor that I wasn't supposed to. Can't remember doing that, but yeah, hope it is just the monitor failing, which is a damn nuisance. Anyway, was just wondering whether it could have been something to do with the hard-drive swap, so everyone else who wants to try it, er on the side of caution :-)

[jc062477]

@Fwuzeem:

It is not the display. I just fixed mine by placing a non metalic object to hold the FoXXCONN cable that connects the display to the cable.

[Fwuzeem]

@jc062477 You fixed it? How man? Is there a tutorial for this? This would be awesome to get fixed

[jc062477]

@Fwuzeem

I was able to resolve the screen from having vertical lines.

(After getting shocked)

I found that when we take apart the the LCD it pulls on the black FoxCONN cable connection going to the LCD. I've tried with tape to hold it in place but that didn't take. I found a flat non metallic plastic case and placed it between the hard drive and just behind the cable connection to the LCD.

[jc062477]

@Fwuzeem

I didn't tape it down. I used the pressure from the screws holding the display to keep it in place.

Warning: If you don't look where your fingers are going you can get a really bad shock!! I speak from experience.

[Fwuzeem]

@jc062477 Cheers man, but all this talk of nasty shocks is putting me off slightly. That would be awesome though as I've got loads of lines down my monitor, and it's obviously a real nuisance. I'll give it a go, one of these days :-)

[georgewiel]

@Fwuzeem The additional heat from the HD may be damaging the video card. I've gotten this symptom on both machines that I've upgraded the HD to larger one.

[Fwuzeem]

@georgewiel Hey that's a damn good point actually :-) Wise words, I'm pretty sure that that's the reason actually.

[111olbap]

These' that look like these little rubber things that hook to the side'.

Dude. You tube garbage. You are non descriptive, blurry shitty video... you suck.

[Billmister]

Mike thanks for that comment I'm sure people here will use that advice when doing this upgrade.

You are right I did not go to college. I am not the smartest out there in this and u posted a true fact on grounding yourself before hand. But saying it with the way u did was not necessary. Anyway thanks man.

[ehTSeekeRThe]

kind of a smart idiot im afraid.

[deanichikawa]

Nice video, the hard drive just died on mine, this will be really helpful. Thanks!

[Billmister]

People buy iMac's for the reasons they want. Not everyone is willing to blow a $2000 on a tower when all they need is to store pics and music. A library can get bigger within the years, and this is a good mod. If you have negative comments save it for someone who wants to listen. .... Herb

[mikesdav]

not negative its informing

[natelake1nate]

Ya, save it for someone who wants to listen! we, around here dont want to

[mikesdav]

take off the watch and ground gerself before you even touch any wires dumbass an imac isn't meant for high storage get a tower ... or even a laptop :o

[ivanandprincess]

mikesdav mate, save your neg comments or post them elsewhere as this is actually really good post.....

Billmister, excellent video, my HDD just died and with your video I have saved myslef a lot of dosh.... Great job and thanks!

[mikesdav]

negative lol you need to ground yrself you may have some static in you and watches just arn't safe to have on when working with electronics lol i doubt anyone went to collage for this

[chocolate632]

This is a 17" right? is there any sig diff in the sizes and upgradability?

[serginietor]

well in the actual models the bigger the screen the more powerful the processor..

speak spanish right??? hehe

[monkeyinapopesuit]

really nice video man really clear and easy to understand

5 stars for the dog

[Pqiao2008]

Urgent. I have installed the hard drive. But my computer (intel 17) doesn' have led on after I heard a start sound and a quick led light on. The computer is warm so I know its on. What did I screw?

[arzama1]

wait... Did you originally have Mac OS X Tiger or Leopard as your OS?

[Billmister]

This computer came with Tiger Os. I purchased Leopard Later on

[nlamanna]

This was excellent! I was able to follow each step....worked like a charm!

[Billmister]

Glad it worked out for you!

[Billmister]

umm no you incorrect. It is a Intel core 2 duo imac. Shows that on the box and also more info within about this mac. In any case enjoy the video

[arzama1]

THAT IS NOT AN INTEL CORE DUO 2 iMAC, UNLESS U SWAPED IT.

[rwagoner]

Yes, it is. They made the Core 2 Duo in that design before they went to the aluminum models.

[arzama1]

oh wow, I didn't know that. Because I have the same thing as he has, only that I have an Intel Core Duo (not 2)

[Billmister]

To be honest i don't know what would be the biggest hard drive that can fit on a iMac sorry

[adambaine]

i have the same imac as you and I'm planning on upgrading to a better drive, you wouldn't happen to know the maximum size HD that it can take, would you?

[Andybadtothebone]

You can get a 1 terabyte hard drive for about $100 bucks and they're easy to find.

that's 1000 gigabytes so that's probably more than you would ever need.

[outdoorz101]

Hey GREAT VIDEO THanks postig I am about to crak my brand new Imac 24 open is there much difference from thr one used in the Video I have an Aluminum case ??

Also Did you do any homework on the best DRIVE to use ??

and Sources to buy , with the best deal ?? thanks for any suggestions

[mikewebkist]

Thanks for putting this up! The only trouble I ran into was lifting the actual drive up -- I couldn't get the plastic clip back far enough to clear the latch. I unscrewed the thing and was fine.

[hilato]

what imac is that a 20 inch screen

[Billmister]

No it's the 17 inch

[libbyc1962]

Cheers for the video.. you made it look so easy..... I don't know where I went wrong... mine doesn't boot up.. So I will go through your steps again... Once again.. thank you for the detailed video... you have done a good Job..

[Billmister]

if it does not go on, open it up and make sure you have everything plugged in correctly. Also before that make sure the electrical outlet has power going thru. Also in back of the computer make sure it's securely plugged in. Good luck and keep us posted

[ViceJesusChrist]

Thanks a lot for making this video! It's nice to see it being done before I try to do it myself. I don't really know much about hard drives. What specs do I need to look for to make sure the new hdd will work in my 20" Intel iMac? BTW, I found a guide that said you need a phillips #2 screwdriver, a "black stick" and an access card to replace the hdd? Did you really only need the torx screwdrivers? Sorry about all the questions, but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[ViceJesusChrist]

Nevermind my questions, I successfully replaced the hdd using your video as a guide. It was kind of scary, but it all worked out. Only problem is the case isn't closed quite right so I have to squeeze the case together a bit to insert and eject cds and dvds. Should be easy enough to correct that, but I'll live with it for now. I'm just glad it's working at all after I ripped it open.

[jzang9]

lol you called the question mark a comma gg

[Billmister]

just take your time and use the magnetic screwdriver.. you'll be fine.. REMEMBER take your TIME. and stay calm. you'll be fine

[ZeroOut7]

Yikes! I dropped a screw into from the lower right of the back side. Any tips on how to find it?

I just removed my failed disk to run DiskWarrior from an enclosure to salvage my files. It was the ONLY tool that could look into the unit and do anything.

I am geting ready to button this thing up and take it in for disk replacement with 3 Months remaining on my extended warranty.

[Billmister]

Hello. Yes i am using a Magnetic screw driver. The brand name is Craftsman. I purchased it at my local sears hardware store. It is not a set size. I can change the tip to be flat head or start, etc... The sizes come in a little black box with torx, star, flathead, etc.... But it is magnetic. Good luck and TAKE YOUR TIME. No rush. Get things done the right way the first time around.

[bakwaasvideos]

Hello,

How did you remove the monitor screws. I have no problem unscrewing them but having trouble getting them out inspite of using a screwdriver with a magnetic tip. If you are just using a screwdriver with a magnetic tip can you please mail me the brand of the screw driver you are using

Thanks

[bros555]

nice..i just change the screen of my imac for the 2nd time koz it had got vertical lines appearing on it..

[Billmister]

if it's out of warrenty the genius bar will not replace hard drives. Or at least from what i know.

[mark4life92]

the hard drive on my 20 inch intel imac is starting to break, and its out of warrenty, can someone give me a basic idea of how much it would cost to take to a mac genius bar and for them to replace it?

Thanks

[demac209]

i'm a long time pc/network tech. This is such a pain. I wouldn't do this unless my internal drive was dead, other then that I'd use an external drive this is such a pain in the rear.

[gemsroadwarrior]

Apple sure made it a lot more difficult to change the hard drive in this version vs. the previous non-iSite version.

[a1alspach]

great video!!

[gotpunk00]

mmm... look hard i use better a ext hd

[chazhacker]

Brilliant Video man, we had a failed hard drive in one of our mac's in the office, and though it would be silly to fork out money for someone to come and replace it (since it's out of warrenty) your video inspired me to save the cash and attempt it my self.

only difference was we have the 24 Inch version, which is quite different inside, and a bit harder to remove the LCD screen, my advice to anyone trying it with the the 24" one, is to remove the speakers as well, peice of cake

[xirons]

nice vid. thanks for this

[naturedude315]

wow, your smart with this

[NorCalExplorer]

Wow, that took some nerve and a steady hand to get it done. I am use to working on my old G3 imac, but it is nothing compared to what you did. Thank you for showing it.

[Billmister]

I am a big fan of Western Digital. There are mixed reviews but i have 2 WD internals (imac and macbook pro) and 2 externals. They are al great!! You can't go wrong with seagate and western digital i believe. As for limit, i think 500gig on our imac... 1 terabite on the new imac is max you can go. I think after 500 your imac wont detect the rest... I "THINK". as for apple care, YES it will void it. only if they can proof it made a damage and obvious imac version didn't come in 500g i think

[Mode1Bravo]

I upgraded my 17in iMac myself and replaced it with a WD 1 Terabyte drive. It works just fine and the Mac recognizes the entire drive. The only thing you have to be sure of when replacing your drive is to make sure there is a fan temperature connector on it. If not, your iMac will run the cooling fan continously which will make the machine very noisy.

[Biker11005]

I believe i have the same intel based imac that u used in ur video.(20") I would like to no if there is a limit to the amount of space on the harddrive and which ones u recommend.

[Biker11005]

And does doing this violate the Apple Care protection plan

[Billmister]

Tha mac pro is the price that it is for a reason. Graphics card, upgradable to amazing space and speed, etc... Overal apple hardware and software are reliable, powerfull, great products.

[jadetraveler]

I wish it was easier to upgrade the hard drive in these. If you want a Mac desktop that's easy to upgrade, you have to pay about twice as much for the Mac Pro.

[intelpentium5]

why you install anotherjust nosy

[intelpentium5]

i like it and i dont even own one

[intelpentium5]

god thats why macs are so complicated

[jackpierce10]

Well its because thats an all in one machine. Meaning its not meant to be upgraded, the powermacs and mac pros are just as easy as theyre the same sort of case.

[intelpentium5]

yeah. But they are nice computerrs

[jackpierce10]

oh hell yes, im just saving up for a new version, my MacBook is rather slow these days with all my stuff bogging it down

[kgbonline]

Hi and thanks for the video , What i am looking to do is install a new Matshita D.V.D. drive in my Mac OS X 10.4 Core duo i guess i could now do it following your vid are there any pointers you can give me to help me , Looking at the Apple forum there are many many people out there with Drive problems so your help will be greatly appreciated , Thanks once again

[unlokia]

Good video, but I suggest losing the "typewriter" style titles at the beginning. VERY annoying - I was saying 'just GET ON with the video for goodness sake - we don't care about slow paced titles, spelled out a character at a time!!". Otherwise excellent, but SEVERELY let down by stupid and unnecessary titling effect.

[Billmister]

Wow, ok didn't know it would effect you that much, but i will loose it when i make new video

[ElliottMediaGroup]

Awesome video, i have been thinking about upgrading the HD in my iMac. Your video was very helpful!

[Billmister]

Thank you very much for your response! I'm glad i'm able to help out mac members with their upgrade.

[mysty0]

Mate.. You are a legend with Duke Nukem's balls of steel!! I would have been shitting myself every second of that, but them im a PC person and never had much to do with Mac's but am considering one and this is why i am looking to see just how much I can play with one.

Can the CPU be upgraded too and if so can I put a quad in there?

[TechDeckMaster4Life]

I Can not believe how EASY it is to open a iMac. All you have to do on a PC is take the cover out, and some wires. But Mac's have better programs than PC's, but PC's are easier to Operate. Linux computers are preety cool because they incorporated Mac and Linux styles, they have more Mac features than PC, but it isn't that popular. So I would definetly go for a PC, with a good processor, like Intel Xeon, or Quad or even Dual Core Processor.

1. PC

2. Mac

3. Linux

(haha, the dog is sleeping)

[2moonsFan]

PCs and MACs are both Personal Computers. i bet your just talking about Windows.

[gemsroadwarrior]

Computers that are not Macs or Linux are commonly referred to as "PC's". Even Macs can now run Windows, so to refer to them as "Windows" would not work, either.

[xxtrustxx]

I have an imac and it has a 250 GB hard drive in it. I've opened by imac because my optical drive won't eject my cd. I removed the cd, but now it wont read cd's at all. Do you know of a website or a shop where i can purchase another one? Secondly, does any hard drive work with the imac? I'm thinking of upgrading. Thanks alot for the in-depth info.

[simonddavies]

how did u remove the cd?

the cd eject problem is usually fixed with a good reboot. did you have to force it out of the drive?

Ebay for replacement drives, there are companies in Taiwan that supply them nice and cheap, you might as well get a better spec'd drive while you are at it too.

HDD, make sure its a SATA drive, most should work, but always good to check the apple support forums for compatibility. 1TB drives are cheap now so u might as well load one in.

[kaoskev]

I suggest: Buy biggest HD available, I wouldn't want to outgrow and have to do again.

[carlbach]

Great video. I have the 24 and wonder if it is similar. I still have 2 yrs left on AppleCare though, so I will just be a spectator for now.

[simonddavies]

HDD is user replacable and will not void your warranty, check out the apple support forums for confirmation of that fact

[Col3man01]

wow any computer tec knows that u should never take apart any computer on a bed static electricty can ruin ur computer

[Billmister]

Really?.... wow, i was lucky = ) Thanks for the heads up though, i will def keep that in mind.

[simonddavies]

Depends on if u have crappy polyester sheets, or nice cotton sheets.

[MacNerd1239]

Jesus. I hope the new iMacs are easier than that. Or, I hope my HD never fails. lol

[satansam]

Thanks for the video! I'm planning on buying a nice hefty drive to replace my original 160gb one and this guide will be on my Powerbook as I install :)

[Billmister]

Glad to hear this video will help. GL on your future install!

[NpManny]

dude great video if i had that imac and needed to swap the hd id go to u you go into it with extream detail

thanks manny

ps jacecore is also right lol

[Billmister]

Thank you very much.. Your comments are much appreciated. LOL i tried to go into detail because i hate getting info online and they don't go into detail and I'm always stuck finding out things when it's to late. Hope it helped you! Again Thanks for the feedback

[jacecore]

nice video man i don't know how you have the balls to do that but you done it

congratulations

[Billmister]

LOL, thanks man. No problem anything to help out a mac member. I must admit i was scared as Hell before i did it, but once the opening part was done, it was simple swap.

[maVerick12346]

billmister im proud of u, honestly this guy had the balls to open up a i mac u make me proud

[Billmister]

Thank a lot! I'm glad i can help out mac members out there who have intel imacs. Your comments are greatly appriciated!

[debramster]

Hi nice video!!

I tried to open my intel iMac a couple of months ago to just look under the hood. But when I screwed it open, the top plastic case was to tight on top, so I was to afraid to damage or break something (wires on top etc.)

What type of hard drive do you need for an Intel iMac?? ATA, SATA, SATA2?

[Billmister]

What i installed was a Western Digital SATA 2. The tightness from the top is normal, i thought i was going to break something as well. It's ok, keep lifting slowly but surly. And don't use to much force, there is the web cam wire attached. Go slow you won't mess up. Good Luck. I'm prety intel imacs use SATA, SATA2

[Billmister]

Thanks RoosterBoys. One thing I think i forgot to say was. To remove the black screen there's also tape on the sides of the black screen that you have to peel off. That's why in the end i was sticking the sides back. Good luck and thank you for your comment.

[RoosterBoys]

hi thank you so much for sharing this information i wish there more people that did this. and posted it.

again thank you

Jason