Replacing a HHD in an iMac

Atnevon · Jun 5, 2009, 01:36 PM

Hello Everyone,

So one of my friends came to me the other day with a request to upgrade their HD in their iMac. Sounds reasonable.

Now, the tricky part is that I have not work on macs very much. From what I can tell, they use a 2.5 drive instead of a 3.5. Here is what I think I might get:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136278

Here is a trickier part, how do I make a copy of that drive, and put the OS and everything else on the new one, pop it in, and let em go? Well, how would you do that on a PC for that matter as well? Just a skill I never got to looking into.

Thanks for any help you can offer,
-At

EDIT: They told me it was a G5 aged one. Not sure, but its of the previous generation.

farlex85 · Jun 5, 2009, 01:41 PM

The tricky part to me would be trying to open the imac, especially if it is one of the later ones. I'm not real sure how you would even go about that. As for copying the data I'm always fond of starting fresh when possible, so I'd just re-install Mac OS X and whatever software he wants and move data files over after backing up on a external or something. If you want though you can use various disc imaging software to make a complete image, such as Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image. You may need special mac versions of this software to make sure it will handle HFS+.

newtekie1 · Jun 5, 2009, 01:49 PM

I believe the older G5 based iMacs used a standard 3.5" drive.

I used this guide the last time I did it: http://www.dtgeeks.com/index.php/fea...e_replacement/

Atnevon · Jun 6, 2009, 03:36 AM

Thank ya'll for the replies. That guide made it pretty easy to get an idea of what is coming to me. Now would there be any instance this could be a 2.5 drive, instead of a 3.5? I just want to make sure before we order one drive, and have it turn out to be another.

(tugs throat)

newtekie1 · Jun 6, 2009, 03:44 AM

I haven't come across a G5 iMac that didn't use a 3.5" drive, in fact I think even some of the Intel iMacs use 3.5" drives, if not all of them.

Of course, you can always pull the computer apart before ordering the drive just to make sure.

Jun 5, 2009, 01:36 PM	#1
Atnevon Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 430 (0.21/day) Thanks: 81 Thanked 29 Times in 25 Posts System Specs	Replacing a HHD in an iMac Hello Everyone, So one of my friends came to me the other day with a request to upgrade their HD in their iMac. Sounds reasonable. Now, the tricky part is that I have not work on macs very much. From what I can tell, they use a 2.5 drive instead of a 3.5. Here is what I think I might get: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136278 Here is a trickier part, how do I make a copy of that drive, and put the OS and everything else on the new one, pop it in, and let em go? Well, how would you do that on a PC for that matter as well? Just a skill I never got to looking into. Thanks for any help you can offer, -At EDIT: They told me it was a G5 aged one. Not sure, but its of the previous generation. __________________ \|\| \|\| “I'm not angry. Just tired of the yuppie schmucks blogging every time they take a dump on their mackbooks. And acting like they are 1337 cause they have a Mac.” -Steevo "Design is the only field where Science and Art merge" - Lucille Tenazas

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Jun 5, 2009, 01:49 PM	#3
newtekie1 Semi-Retired Folder Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 17,766 (6.48/day) Thanks: 780 Thanked 5,121 Times in 3,710 Posts System Specs	I believe the older G5 based iMacs used a standard 3.5" drive. I used this guide the last time I did it: http://www.dtgeeks.com/index.php/fea...e_replacement/ __________________ Rig1: System Specs. Rig2: A8-5600K@4.4GHz / AsRock FM2A75 Pro4 / 8GB Corsair DDR3-1600 9-9-9-24 / HD7560D / Samsung DVD-Burner / 1.5TB WD Green + 3x3TB WD RED in RAID5 Rig3: Athlon X2 4200+ / M4A79 Deluxe / 4GB G.Skill Pi DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 / GT430 / Sony DVD-Burner / 500GB WD Rig4: Phenom II x6 1605T @ 3.6GHz / Asus M5A99X Evo / 8GB PNY DDR3-1600 9-9-9 / GTX470 & GTX470 / Samsung DVD-Burner / 1.5TB Seagate

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Jun 5, 2009, 01:41 PM	#2
farlex85 Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,114 (1.83/day) Thanks: 369 Thanked 647 Times in 612 Posts System Specs	The tricky part to me would be trying to open the imac, especially if it is one of the later ones. I'm not real sure how you would even go about that. As for copying the data I'm always fond of starting fresh when possible, so I'd just re-install Mac OS X and whatever software he wants and move data files over after backing up on a external or something. If you want though you can use various disc imaging software to make a complete image, such as Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image. You may need special mac versions of this software to make sure it will handle HFS+.

Jun 6, 2009, 03:36 AM	#4
Atnevon Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 430 (0.21/day) Thanks: 81 Thanked 29 Times in 25 Posts System Specs	Thank ya'll for the replies. That guide made it pretty easy to get an idea of what is coming to me. Now would there be any instance this could be a 2.5 drive, instead of a 3.5? I just want to make sure before we order one drive, and have it turn out to be another. (tugs throat) __________________ \|\| \|\| “I'm not angry. Just tired of the yuppie schmucks blogging every time they take a dump on their mackbooks. And acting like they are 1337 cause they have a Mac.” -Steevo "Design is the only field where Science and Art merge" - Lucille Tenazas

Jun 6, 2009, 03:44 AM	#5
newtekie1 Semi-Retired Folder Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 17,766 (6.48/day) Thanks: 780 Thanked 5,121 Times in 3,710 Posts System Specs	I haven't come across a G5 iMac that didn't use a 3.5" drive, in fact I think even some of the Intel iMacs use 3.5" drives, if not all of them. Of course, you can always pull the computer apart before ordering the drive just to make sure. __________________ Rig1: System Specs. Rig2: A8-5600K@4.4GHz / AsRock FM2A75 Pro4 / 8GB Corsair DDR3-1600 9-9-9-24 / HD7560D / Samsung DVD-Burner / 1.5TB WD Green + 3x3TB WD RED in RAID5 Rig3: Athlon X2 4200+ / M4A79 Deluxe / 4GB G.Skill Pi DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 / GT430 / Sony DVD-Burner / 500GB WD Rig4: Phenom II x6 1605T @ 3.6GHz / Asus M5A99X Evo / 8GB PNY DDR3-1600 9-9-9 / GTX470 & GTX470 / Samsung DVD-Burner / 1.5TB Seagate

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