Just a thought: Possible to replace HD in iMac?

[Thrash911]

Hey people,

If I could get to the internal HD, is it simply possible to replace the HD with a new bigger one? Or do the HD's in iMacs also have "special firmwares" or something else..?

 

[Blue Velvet]

Yep. The major problem is getting the iMac open. They just use stock SATA hard drives... nothing special.

 

[Thrash911]

That's great, thank you! This is good to know.

 

[orangezorki]

Do remember, though, that if you do it yourself, it voids the warranty. Only RAM is user-replaceable.

David

 

[Thrash911]

Yes I know that. And I don't plan on doing it just yet..

 

[gnasher729]

Do remember, though, that if you do it yourself, it voids the warranty. Only RAM is user-replaceable.

David

No. If you break it by replacing the harddisk, that is your problem. If you replace the harddisk, without damaging the Mac in any way, and later it breaks down for a reason that has nothing to do with the harddisk, you will be covered.

 

[gnasher729]

Yep. The major problem is getting the iMac open. They just use stock SATA hard drives... nothing special.

I always find the problem is to close it again with all parts _inside_ the case and none outside

 

[Blue Velvet]

I always find the problem is to close it again with all parts _inside_ the case and none outside

Hope you're not a surgeon in your day job.

 

[jsw]

I'd highly recommend finding a take-apart guide for your 24" before even buying a new HD. The older G5 versions were at least somewhat reasonable to open up. The newer ones so far - haven't seen the 24" - are nightmares.

 

[orangezorki]

No. If you break it by replacing the harddisk, that is your problem. If you replace the harddisk, without damaging the Mac in any way, and later it breaks down for a reason that has nothing to do with the harddisk, you will be covered.

Are you sure that's correct? That's pretty much the line for the user-installable parts of a Mac. Apple really doesn't intend the end user to get into an iMac, and I wouldn't be surprised if they refused a repair just because they knew someone had got into it. Opening it up, not breaking anything, and not telling Apple is a completely different thing...

David.

P.S. - I'm not saying this is a perfect situation, as I myself have just had a 24" iMac DOAed becuase there was a fan rubbing - and of course I wasn't allowed to anything about it myself.

 

[topgunn]

How can Apple deny you when they don't know anything was done?

Scenario: You replace the hard drive. Everything works great. Months later, the logic board goes bad. You re-replace the new hard drive with the Apple labeled hard drive. Everything else is in place and no damage has been done. Will Apple have any grounds to deny the warranty claim?

Speedbump: To get to the hard drive, you have to remove the LCD. To remove the LCD, you have to remove the EMI shielding tape on both the left and right sides of the display. Since the tape tears so easily, you are not likely to get it back on after you remove it so you will need to find a roll. If the tape is missing, it is a telltale sign that someone has been in there. Although you could plead ignorance and say that it must have come from the factory like that.

 

[Kurlon]

RE warranty status after upgrading the HD: Apple can TRY to say that upgrading bits like the HD, etc voids the warranty, but legally they cannot void it. At most, they can only refuse claims that can be proven to be the result of the hardware you added, or damage you caused during the change. So, if you put a new HD in, and 5 weeks later the screen dies, Apple has to honor the warranty unless you really fumble the install. If the HD lets go, well, you get to chase that with the maker of the HD.

 

[0010101]

If you open your iMac, you void the warranty.

Dosen't make a difference if you open it and just look around, or open it up and replace the hard drive.. if you open it, you void the warranty.

Let's say for example, you open it up, replace the hard drive, and put it all back together again.. everything works smoothly for 6 months.

Then, all of a sudden, you find your logic board is toast. You send it back to Apple, they get it open, and find a hard drive in there that wasn't factory installed, or even a brand they carry.

Now, that's clear evidence that somebody has been under the hood.. how do they know you didn't smoke the logic board while poking around in there? Maybe a little ESD action? Who knows.. maybe you left a screw rolling around inside loose?

Having been a bench tech for many years, I can tell you that opening up a computer (or most other electronic devices) instantly voids your warranty.. for any reason.. 'naturally occouring' or your own incompetence.

Sometimes it's difficult to tell if a customer has been snooping round inside, tho.. so my advice is to keep the stuff you replace.. so if you ever have to return the machine for factory service, you can put the 'stock' stuff back in.

That way, the bench tech won't have any obvious clues that you'd had it's pants off.. unless, of course, there is a warranty seal on the case somewhere.

 

[Kurlon]

If you open your iMac, you void the warranty.

That's illegal, at both the state and federal level, and has been for quite some time.

Thr Magnuson-Moss Act of 1975 specifically prevents companies from requiring tie in sales of products to maintain a warranty on consumer goods and products. In other words, Apple can not require that you purchase Apple RAM or Apple HDs for your machine as an upgrade if you want to keep the warranty in tact. In practice, this has been interpreted in court to allow third parties or owners themselves to open machines to make the upgrades without voiding the warranty.

As the imac takes standard RAM and HDs, Apple cannot void your warranty if you upgrade them.