Thank you a million times for this video. I took my 2017 iMac apart...replaced the SSD...put it back together...created a boot drive to get it going....and it worked! Who knew?! Tremendous video.
The most difficult part is lining up the screen once you've peeled all the adhesives. If you want a flush fitting then I would strongly suggest you affix the screen in an upright position so that the bottom part has no gap. Unfortunately I followed the method in this tutorial (with the screen flat) and the bottom part of my screen has a small gap and the glass sticks out along the top - it's only the width of a finger nail but still annoying. Had I affixed it with the screen in an upright position, the bottom base would be sitting flush with no gap. The tape does seem very sticky but I've since bought more adhesive and will try again. If you're worried about the screen tilting whilst upright then just jam a lunch box behind it and the stand.
Hey! I just upgraded my 2013 27" iMac to SSD using your kit and THIS video and it was a perfect install! Everything works great. It took about 55 minutes, and saved me $300 that a local shop told me it would cost! (minus parts) You know, I just might start advertising this service on my own! haha Thank you!
Well I broke the screen and probably the motherboard… my point is simple while I wont blame OWC if this were medicos advice somebody would be going to prison.. I loved my iMac but talk about a shit design even experienced techs want nothing to do with replacing the PCIe .. this is not an easy DIY install and you saying it was don’t make it so.. Might wanna mention that if you break the screen you might as well throw the fucking computer way pretty much much so anyways I appreciate your checking in with this success story.. Do you know what a shill is? Anyway I got my max studio coming in a week so I’m not gonna miss my iMac or hearing from you for that matter ciao
Thank you for the detailed video. I successfully replaced the Hard Drive in my Late 2015 iMac. The only thing I didn't realize was the SSD portion of the "Fusion Drive" was a separate part. Not sure if that was failing too, might have removed it if it wasn't too much trouble. All good. Purchased the kit from OWC, was delivered to Canada quickly.
Thank you so much Shafiq Shamji. We are glad to hear that you were able to successfully install the SSD upgrade and that our installation video was very helpful in the process. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions, comments, or concerns. eshop.macsales.com/Service/
On my 2017 27 inch, I just added an external SSD and in the system settings had the start-up disc placed on the formatted SSD. Not a barn burner, but better than the fusion drive.
Hey Reecce, glad to hear the SSD had sped your computer up a bit, distance from the board matters when considering an external drive for booting, generally internal drives are faster than external but it isn't always the case, like with your fusion drive. If you ever are looking to replace your drives feel free to give us a call at 1-800-275-4576 we'd be happy to assist!
Help!!!!! I am a long-time OWC customer who upgraded the HD in a 2009 iMac. However, when I learned that the 2017 iMac display is affixed with tape, which can make removing the glass without cracking it dicey, I took my iMac with the upgrade drive and OWC kit to a computer repair tech, who then used his own tools to remove the glass. Never did I imagine I might end up with a damaged exterior. Apparently his tool slipped and he sliced through the center of the aluminum front. Then, the next day, I came to appreciate that the internal mic no longer hears anything (except if I tap on the case). Presumably, the adhesive tape in the OWC kit covered my mic port, so now the entire thing has to be opened up a second time to fix it! So I'm curious: Are these known risks of this kind of work? Confused because I the only thing you ever hear about is the risk of cracking the glass while prying it loose. As for the slice through the Apple logo, the video shows the display being opened up like a book after the top and right and left sides are released. The remaining portion is released from the *inside* along the bottom edge where there is no access to the front of the case. (Regardless, I can't see how this could have happened with a plastic tool. Looks more like razor blade damage :-( It occurred to me to look up skins like people apply to their phones or laptops to cover the front of my iMac, but I can't seem to find any real choices for the 27" iMac that aren't super expensive and/or ugly. (Even the mega-site Amazon comes up empty except for 24" iMac skins. Mine is a 27", which I only bought new in a box less than two months ago, which is another reason why this situation has left me kicking myself.) Anybody have any suggestions? For example, is there something out there that can fill the aluminum scratch and make it less obvious? Feedback for OWC: An instructional video of this nature should *begin* by summarizing the risks up front - ideally within the first two minutes of the video. Besides the install kit, this TH-cam video was shared with the tech but either he didn't feel he needed it, or the video was just too long to watch to pick up the relevant FYIs along the way. After the initial "disclosures' are out of the way, the next part of the video should summarize key differences among the 2012-2019 models. For example, on some models within this group Apple put the mic at the bottom of the display instead of at the top near the camera. Another variable exists between iMacs that have the screen affixed with magnetic display clips vs. adhesive tape. Yes, we know that there are risks to doing upgrades of this type - but if you've done one iMac you might be tempted to think you can do them all. It's NOT ENOUGH to simply say at the outset of a video to watch it all the way through. OWC and similar How-To videos should summarize any special considerations or risks *before* proceeding to the instructional component!
I took my 2017 27" iMac for repair five weeks before the three-year AppleCare warranty expired in 2020 due to an insect visible under the display. I was pleased that they replaced the display without question at no cost. However, I didn't use the microphone much, but about a year after the repair, I noticed the microphone no longer picked up sound except when tapping on the case. I didn't think it was related to the repair since it was done by an Apple-approved service. My main drive finally failed this week, so I will be replacing it with an SSD. While researching how to do this, I discovered that the adhesive tape can cover and muffle the mic. Hopefully, when I clean up and apply fresh tape carefully, the mic issue will be resolved too
Great instructional video sir. Is it possible to upgrade the graphics card on this 2012 model? If so, is there any possibility of you showing us how? I'm sure alot of us are hoping so.
I watched the OWC videos several times and ordered the OWC kit and installed the OWC 2TB SSD and then installed Monterey. Well, Monterey would not recognize any of my external SSD, or USB drives. So I reverted to a clean install of Big Sur and all was well but my iMac boots up very slowly and takes nearly 5 minutes to get to the log in screen. I can live with a slow boot-up but it’s weird reading about other people having speedy boot-ups. I just chalk it up to my machine being a late 2015, 27” w/32GB ram external.
Keep in mind that the logic board firmware needs to have an OS installed first with an OEM Apple drive before it can be installed with a Third-party drive. This could be what was causing the issues with your Monterey install.
@@poweredbyowc My original apple drive died so I was unable to use it at all. I purchased a WD hard drive with Monterey pre installed but I couldn't get it to boot up. So I installed the OWC SSD and installed Monterey from the Apple site. But I couldn't use my other external USB SSD's I reverted to Big Sur and then had access. I have seen a lot of complaints online about Monterey but being friendly with external USB sSSDs. The only problem is the slow boot up time. Is there a way to improve the boot time? After watching other peoples boot times improve so much on TH-cam I'm jelous. I have to admit that I'm no computer dude but this has all been interesting. OWC has brought my iMac back to life and that's a good thing. Thank you for responding to me. George
Boot time is not solely dependent on the operating system; it's also influenced by the contents and configuration of the boot drive. To optimize boot times, it's recommended to keep the external boot drive as lean as possible. The amount of data and the configuration on the drive can impact how quickly the machine goes through the data during the boot process. If you have further questions or need assistance with optimizing your system, feel free to ask!
@@poweredbyowc My original (Seagate) apple OEM drive died (not repairable). I removed it and installed a 1TB OWC ssd using the kit I ordered from you. The install went well and then I installed Monterey by the Apple online download service. After the download and start up I realized that I had no access to my external ssd's and booting up from the internal OWC SSD took 6-7 minutes. I found several articles online about how Monterey had problems addressing external SSD's so I erased the internal OWC SSD and installed Big Sur and regained access to my external SSD's. I don't boot from an external drive, I boot from the OWC drive I installed. My Mac works perfectly after it boots up, it's just the wait that's nerve racking. So, what do I need to do? Should I see if I can find a working Apple hard drive, remove the OWC SSD, install the Apple drive, boot up, remove the Apple drive and then reinstall the the OWC SSD? There has to be a work around for this situation. Any suggestions appreciated.
OWC should highlight the microphone coverup issue in the video. It is in the instructions with the adhesive tape, but not very obvious to the average user. The tape is quite difficult to attach across the bottom edge of the screen anyways the tabs are in the wrong direction. Hard to get it flush.
David, Thank you for your feedback! We appreciate your input regarding the microphone coverup issue in the video. We'll definitely take this into consideration for our future updates.
Not that bad with patience. The benefits of having a faster SSD drive far outweigh the alternative of having a slow outdated drive. I’ve done 4 of these and it’s pretty easy now.
@@artincorona i did a SSD replacement shortly after that comment on a late 2013. screen was tricky and you really need to get the kit. runs like a beast now. short of hardware failure It will last me a few years now.
To try and avoid headache, I wanted to get a replacement drive running externally before installing internally. It was suggested that APFS was the format I should use for the replacement SSD for my late 2015 27" iMac running Mojave. However, it would not allow me to modify it or install an OS on recovery mode boot. With my drive failing and seizing up when trying to run disk utility, I had use another newer computer to keep reformatting it. When I formatted into Mac OS extended journal it would accept it. For some reason, as it was about to be done installing the OS out of recovery mode, it would go to a black screen with a spinning white loading circle that would go on forever. When I did a alt/option boot and selected the new drive, it said it was prohibited. Then after a bunch of attempts, I did a command-shift-R and that seems to have done the trick. Weirdly enough, sometimes I still get a prohibited startup. Don't know if anyone else had problems but I though I'd share.
I will just say unfortunately...sometimes computers are both tricky and special in how they like to "misbehave" here and there. I'm sorry that you had to go through such an adventure just to be able to do that, but hopefully it won't happen again. Reach out to us directly anytime you have any issues.
very important missing step, about to be very careful lining up the screen on the tape glue, otherwise you'll open it again ...weird and not acceptable how OWC missed to inform you this important step, but they wish you mess it up, so you buy the owc kit again.
Thank you for your feedback on our upgrade kit! It is never our intention to provide miss information. The videos we provide are carefully put together with our customer's in mind. Please let us know if you have any further questions or feedback.
HDD/SSD can be replaced without your kit on any iMac, no full power fan blow, soon will reveal how. Just did it on iMac mid 2009 and late 2013. So no more paying for the cables
The OWC Mac hard drive kit and instructions are MOSTLY good. I found the problem is the adhesive tape that is supplied with the kit. Following the instructions precisely, the screen fell off (fortunately, nothing was damaged). The adhesive tape just isn't sufficient, so be warned. For myself, I waited 3 weeks with painter's tape holding the monitor screen on (around the outside) before removing the painter's tape...three days later the screen fell off. Disappointing that OWC didn't do testing of the product.... :(
We apologize for the inconvenience you encountered with the adhesive tape. Your feedback is valuable, and we will ensure to share it with the relevant team for improvement. If you ever face such situations in the future, please don't hesitate to contact our support team. They are always ready and willing to assist you
I'm a little confused. as to why I was sold the AURA X2 Memory for my iMac 18.3 All the info was conveyed to the salesman by clicking on the small Apple icon at the uppermost left of the screen (about this mac)and giving this info to the salesman..It verifies I have 2017 5k from mid to late 2017. This is an 18.3 and thus I believe not available for this type of memory why was I not informed about this before I have had to go to all this trouble?
Thank you for reaching out to OWC. We are sorry to hear about any confusion that was caused. You can upgrade the imac 18.3 with an SSD as long as the machine was issued with an SSD. If you machine only came with a standard HDD then you would need our Mercury Electra or Extreme SSD kit. Please reach out to our team and we can assist you further with your order. Please see this link ( eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/K27IM12HP2TB/ ) for the kit you would need.
Do you confirm that all 27-inch iMac wether late 2012 late 2013 up to late 2019 are really the same regarding their overall sub-systems ? Here I mean that once we remove the LCD display glue then only two connectors then when removing the left side speaker, easy access to the HDD which would then host say a SSD ? Can we re-use the PSU (power supply unit) from any model to repair another one ? How about the LCD display, is it intercgangeable through all models from late 2012 to 2019 ? By the way, when installing a Crucial SSD to replace the HDD on my late 2013 iMac, I did not need to add any temperature sensor, it just worked fine. Thank you, Albert
Do you confirm that all 27-inch iMac wether late 2012 late 2013 up to late 2019 are really the same regarding their overall sub-systems ? - Yes, all 27" iMacs share the same model number, A1419, indicating they have the same sub-system. Can we re-use the PSU (power supply unit) from any model to repair another one ? -Yes, you can use the same PSU provided there is no damage to it. How about the LCD display, is it interchangeable through all models from late 2012 to 2019 ? - Unfortunately, not all share the same specifications, such as Retina, 5K, or none at all. The Thermal Sensor is responsible for controlling the fan in the iMac. We highly recommend installing it. While a drive replacement will function without it, the fan may not detect the drive, causing it to run faster than necessary. If you're comfortable with this, the sensor may not be necessary in that case.
And what about the data? Do you clone the drive before installation? Or after installation copying from the original drive? I’m missing that step in this video.
It is up to you. You can clone the drive before installation or after it is a personal preference on what is easier for each person. Most of our Drive DIY kits have the option to come with an external enclosure to make this process easier for the customer.
We are sorry you feel that way and/or if you have had a bad experience. We work to meet and/or exceed with our products, and that is screen adhesive included. If there is ever a time you need help and/or assistance, let us know and we would be happy to help.
Indeed, Apple incorporates a thermal sensor cable within the original hard drive itself. Consequently, when you replace the original drive, the thermal sensor cable is removed along with it, rendering it non-reusable.
After the installation, booting into Internet Recovery Mode should walk through the steps of installing the current OS, there should be no fees included. For more information, we would recommend reaching out to our support team on the link below. eshop.macsales.com/Service/support
Great guide and kit! The installation was fairly easy. However, the big issue now seems bring able to use the computer afterwards. After installing it again, it can't update the OS, so I'm stuck on Mavericks from 2013. No update is available, and Safari can't load any webpages, due to security. Can't install other browsers, as the OS is too old. I'm completely lost. Has anyone experienced the same or have a solution?
So NVMe is an SSD. Now there is different types of SSD's. Now this specific iMac of this video you can install either SATA or NVMe. Now the NVMe SSD is faster than the SATA SSD. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions, comments, or concerns. eshop.macsales.com/Service/
@@poweredbyowc thanks . I installed external nvme ssd samsung 970 1TB with usb c casing … after cloning booting is not happened , I did fresh os 13.2 copy in to external , here were result Under default inbuilt Fusion Drive , boot time was 33 sec Under external ssd , boot time is 53 sec !!!! Totally confused how other are claiming faster boot in external ssd nvme in iMac 27inch 5k retina i5 2017 !!!
Earlier in the comments we still do recommend having the drive be internal as it will be faster internally than external as you may get mixed performances when going the external route. However if you need help, I would contact us directly as that way one of our Techs can look into this more directly alongside you to help you get the best performance.
Regrettably we can not answer that the question because we are not sure what other videos you are watching. The thermal sensor cable is needed because the original thermal sensor in installed in the original drive so when you remove the original drive the iMac will constantly run at a high speed.
While I'm not certain what an iMac 2pp7 is, I will say if it is an iMac 2007 with ModelID of iMac7,1.....here would be some possible options: eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/imac/2007
This might be a possibility, The PlayStation 3 is designed to run with 9.5mm high, 2.5-inch SATA hard drives. The same models found in most modern laptop computers. Give us a call and we can discuss. OWC Phone 1-800-275-4576
What I know about such things is you have to know what the sensor is doing or how it's working, or your cooling system can malfunction. I almost missed it on this one, because apparently the original sensor is hidden in the original drive and wiring harness.
We apologize, but this video was only intended to cover the hardware installation. For information on installing the Operating System, please use these instructions: support.apple.com/en-us/102655.
Some people don't necessarily need speed, they just want to increase the storage to a larger amount as typically it is cheaper to get more space via a HDD than an SSD. Regarding the tape however, if you have had any issues, or currently having issues with our adhesive, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly (eshop.macsales.com/Service/). We would be glad to listen and hear what's going on.
Thank you a million times for this video. I took my 2017 iMac apart...replaced the SSD...put it back together...created a boot drive to get it going....and it worked! Who knew?! Tremendous video.
We are pleased to hear. Thank you for your feedback!
I'm about to do this to mine, did you need to put a thermal sensor on your SSD to stop the cooling fan from staying on?
The most difficult part is lining up the screen once you've peeled all the adhesives. If you want a flush fitting then I would strongly suggest you affix the screen in an upright position so that the bottom part has no gap. Unfortunately I followed the method in this tutorial (with the screen flat) and the bottom part of my screen has a small gap and the glass sticks out along the top - it's only the width of a finger nail but still annoying. Had I affixed it with the screen in an upright position, the bottom base would be sitting flush with no gap. The tape does seem very sticky but I've since bought more adhesive and will try again. If you're worried about the screen tilting whilst upright then just jam a lunch box behind it and the stand.
Great tutorial. Took me an hour to replace my hard drive for an SSD drive.
Now my 2012 iMac runs quick!
We're glad to hear that your installation process was great with our installation video and that your iMac is now running better than ever.
Hey! I just upgraded my 2013 27" iMac to SSD using your kit and THIS video and it was a perfect install! Everything works great. It took about 55 minutes, and saved me $300 that a local shop told me it would cost! (minus parts) You know, I just might start advertising this service on my own! haha Thank you!
We are happy to hear. Thank you for your feedback :)
How did the adhesive hold up considering OWC's adhesive is thin tape and not foam like Apples and it seems to be a big issue with screens falling off?
Well I broke the screen and probably the motherboard… my point is simple while I wont blame OWC if this were medicos advice somebody would be going to prison.. I loved my iMac but talk about a shit design even experienced techs want nothing to do with replacing the PCIe .. this is not an easy DIY install and you saying it was don’t make it so.. Might wanna mention that if you break the screen you might as well throw the fucking computer way pretty much much so anyways I appreciate your checking in with this success story.. Do you know what a shill is? Anyway I got my max studio coming in a week so I’m not gonna miss my iMac or hearing from you for that matter ciao
Good video. I wish you folks had included a look at what it would take to remove a fusion drive's SSD component as well.
Hey moeskido,
We have a whole separate video for the blade SSD.
eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/imac-27-inch-5k-2019-pciessd/
@@poweredbyowc Thank you for that! Small wonder the shop that replaced my failed fusion drive didn't go after the SSD without specific instructions.
As I mentioned on the other video, replacing the flash blade in a Fusion Drive support.apple.com/HT202574 is not for the faint of heart!
Thank you more making this video; it will help me decide how to salvage an old iMac.
Thank you for the detailed video. I successfully replaced the Hard Drive in my Late 2015 iMac. The only thing I didn't realize was the SSD portion of the "Fusion Drive" was a separate part. Not sure if that was failing too, might have removed it if it wasn't too much trouble. All good.
Purchased the kit from OWC, was delivered to Canada quickly.
Thank you so much Shafiq Shamji. We are glad to hear that you were able to successfully install the SSD upgrade and that our installation video was very helpful in the process. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions, comments, or concerns. eshop.macsales.com/Service/
Dude has a great voice for these kinds of videos lol
I want to hear him do joke instructional videos
On my 2017 27 inch, I just added an external SSD and in the system settings had the start-up disc placed on the formatted SSD. Not a barn burner, but better than the fusion drive.
Hey Reecce, glad to hear the SSD had sped your computer up a bit, distance from the board matters when considering an external drive for booting, generally internal drives are faster than external but it isn't always the case, like with your fusion drive. If you ever are looking to replace your drives feel free to give us a call at 1-800-275-4576 we'd be happy to assist!
Help!!!!! I am a long-time OWC customer who upgraded the HD in a 2009 iMac. However, when I learned that the 2017 iMac display is affixed with tape, which can make removing the glass without cracking it dicey, I took my iMac with the upgrade drive and OWC kit to a computer repair tech, who then used his own tools to remove the glass. Never did I imagine I might end up with a damaged exterior. Apparently his tool slipped and he sliced through the center of the aluminum front. Then, the next day, I came to appreciate that the internal mic no longer hears anything (except if I tap on the case). Presumably, the adhesive tape in the OWC kit covered my mic port, so now the entire thing has to be opened up a second time to fix it!
So I'm curious: Are these known risks of this kind of work? Confused because I the only thing you ever hear about is the risk of cracking the glass while prying it loose. As for the slice through the Apple logo, the video shows the display being opened up like a book after the top and right and left sides are released. The remaining portion is released from the *inside* along the bottom edge where there is no access to the front of the case. (Regardless, I can't see how this could have happened with a plastic tool. Looks more like razor blade damage :-(
It occurred to me to look up skins like people apply to their phones or laptops to cover the front of my iMac, but I can't seem to find any real choices for the 27" iMac that aren't super expensive and/or ugly. (Even the mega-site Amazon comes up empty except for 24" iMac skins. Mine is a 27", which I only bought new in a box less than two months ago, which is another reason why this situation has left me kicking myself.)
Anybody have any suggestions? For example, is there something out there that can fill the aluminum scratch and make it less obvious?
Feedback for OWC: An instructional video of this nature should *begin* by summarizing the risks up front - ideally within the first two minutes of the video. Besides the install kit, this TH-cam video was shared with the tech but either he didn't feel he needed it, or the video was just too long to watch to pick up the relevant FYIs along the way. After the initial "disclosures' are out of the way, the next part of the video should summarize key differences among the 2012-2019 models. For example, on some models within this group Apple put the mic at the bottom of the display instead of at the top near the camera. Another variable exists between iMacs that have the screen affixed with magnetic display clips vs. adhesive tape. Yes, we know that there are risks to doing upgrades of this type - but if you've done one iMac you might be tempted to think you can do them all. It's NOT ENOUGH to simply say at the outset of a video to watch it all the way through. OWC and similar How-To videos should summarize any special considerations or risks *before* proceeding to the instructional component!
I took my 2017 27" iMac for repair five weeks before the three-year AppleCare warranty expired in 2020 due to an insect visible under the display. I was pleased that they replaced the display without question at no cost. However, I didn't use the microphone much, but about a year after the repair, I noticed the microphone no longer picked up sound except when tapping on the case. I didn't think it was related to the repair since it was done by an Apple-approved service. My main drive finally failed this week, so I will be replacing it with an SSD. While researching how to do this, I discovered that the adhesive tape can cover and muffle the mic. Hopefully, when I clean up and apply fresh tape carefully, the mic issue will be resolved too
Great instructional video sir. Is it possible to upgrade the graphics card on this 2012 model? If so, is there any possibility of you showing us how? I'm sure alot of us are hoping so.
Regrettably, it is not possible to upgrade the graphics card on any iMac model.
@@poweredbyowc thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it. Looks like I'm gonna have to build myself a PC.
I watched the OWC videos several times and ordered the OWC kit and installed the OWC 2TB SSD and then installed Monterey. Well, Monterey would not recognize any of my external SSD, or USB drives. So I reverted to a clean install of Big Sur and all was well but my iMac boots up very slowly and takes nearly 5 minutes to get to the log in screen. I can live with a slow boot-up but it’s weird reading about other people having speedy boot-ups. I just chalk it up to my machine being a late 2015, 27” w/32GB ram external.
Keep in mind that the logic board firmware needs to have an OS installed first with an OEM Apple drive before it can be installed with a Third-party drive. This could be what was causing the issues with your Monterey install.
@@poweredbyowc My original apple drive died so I was unable to use it at all. I purchased a WD hard drive with Monterey pre installed but I couldn't get it to boot up. So I installed the OWC SSD and installed Monterey from the Apple site. But I couldn't use my other external USB SSD's I reverted to Big Sur and then had access. I have seen a lot of complaints online about Monterey but being friendly with external USB sSSDs. The only problem is the slow boot up time. Is there a way to improve the boot time? After watching other peoples boot times improve so much on TH-cam I'm jelous. I have to admit that I'm no computer dude but this has all been interesting. OWC has brought my iMac back to life and that's a good thing. Thank you for responding to me. George
Boot time is not solely dependent on the operating system; it's also influenced by the contents and configuration of the boot drive. To optimize boot times, it's recommended to keep the external boot drive as lean as possible. The amount of data and the configuration on the drive can impact how quickly the machine goes through the data during the boot process. If you have further questions or need assistance with optimizing your system, feel free to ask!
@@poweredbyowc My original (Seagate) apple OEM drive died (not repairable). I removed it and installed a 1TB OWC ssd using the kit I ordered from you. The install went well and then I installed Monterey by the Apple online download service. After the download and start up I realized that I had no access to my external ssd's and booting up from the internal OWC SSD took 6-7 minutes. I found several articles online about how Monterey had problems addressing external SSD's so I erased the internal OWC SSD and installed Big Sur and regained access to my external SSD's. I don't boot from an external drive, I boot from the OWC drive I installed. My Mac works perfectly after it boots up, it's just the wait that's nerve racking. So, what do I need to do? Should I see if I can find a working Apple hard drive, remove the OWC SSD, install the Apple drive, boot up, remove the Apple drive and then reinstall the the OWC SSD? There has to be a work around for this situation. Any suggestions appreciated.
OWC should highlight the microphone coverup issue in the video. It is in the instructions with the adhesive tape, but not very obvious to the average user. The tape is quite difficult to attach across the bottom edge of the screen anyways the tabs are in the wrong direction. Hard to get it flush.
David, Thank you for your feedback! We appreciate your input regarding the microphone coverup issue in the video. We'll definitely take this into consideration for our future updates.
go through all that just to put back in a spinning hardrive seems counter productive.
Not that bad with patience. The benefits of having a faster SSD drive far outweigh the alternative of having a slow outdated drive. I’ve done 4 of these and it’s pretty easy now.
@@artincorona i did a SSD replacement shortly after that comment on a late 2013. screen was tricky and you really need to get the kit. runs like a beast now. short of hardware failure It will last me a few years now.
To try and avoid headache, I wanted to get a replacement drive running externally before installing internally.
It was suggested that APFS was the format I should use for the replacement SSD for my late 2015 27" iMac running Mojave. However, it would not allow me to modify it or install an OS on recovery mode boot. With my drive failing and seizing up when trying to run disk utility, I had use another newer computer to keep reformatting it. When I formatted into Mac OS extended journal it would accept it. For some reason, as it was about to be done installing the OS out of recovery mode, it would go to a black screen with a spinning white loading circle that would go on forever. When I did a alt/option boot and selected the new drive, it said it was prohibited. Then after a bunch of attempts, I did a command-shift-R and that seems to have done the trick. Weirdly enough, sometimes I still get a prohibited startup.
Don't know if anyone else had problems but I though I'd share.
I will just say unfortunately...sometimes computers are both tricky and special in how they like to "misbehave" here and there. I'm sorry that you had to go through such an adventure just to be able to do that, but hopefully it won't happen again. Reach out to us directly anytime you have any issues.
Bought the kit .. I’m watching the video before I start
That is a great idea, please do not hesitate to let us know if you need any assistance whatsoever.
very important missing step, about to be very careful lining up the screen on the tape glue, otherwise you'll open it again ...weird and not acceptable how OWC missed to inform you this important step, but they wish you mess it up, so you buy the owc kit again.
Thank you for your feedback on our upgrade kit! It is never our intention to provide miss information. The videos we provide are carefully put together with our customer's in mind. Please let us know if you have any further questions or feedback.
Incredibly useful and well presented.
Thank you! We do our best to provide all the necessary info, as the more info our customer's have, the easier it can be to repair and/or upgrade. :)
HDD/SSD can be replaced without your kit on any iMac, no full power fan blow, soon will reveal how. Just did it on iMac mid 2009 and late 2013. So no more paying for the cables
Hi. Can an ssd be put into an imac without a thermal sensor?
@@hang-sangitch thermal sensor is not a problem, it should be attached the same way as the original drive, BIOS is the one who causes the problem
The OWC Mac hard drive kit and instructions are MOSTLY good. I found the problem is the adhesive tape that is supplied with the kit. Following the instructions precisely, the screen fell off (fortunately, nothing was damaged). The adhesive tape just isn't sufficient, so be warned. For myself, I waited 3 weeks with painter's tape holding the monitor screen on (around the outside) before removing the painter's tape...three days later the screen fell off. Disappointing that OWC didn't do testing of the product.... :(
We apologize for the inconvenience you encountered with the adhesive tape. Your feedback is valuable, and we will ensure to share it with the relevant team for improvement. If you ever face such situations in the future, please don't hesitate to contact our support team. They are always ready and willing to assist you
I'm a little confused. as to why I was sold the AURA X2 Memory for my iMac 18.3 All the info was conveyed to the salesman by clicking on the small Apple icon at the uppermost left of the screen (about this mac)and giving this info to the salesman..It verifies I have 2017 5k from mid to late 2017. This is an 18.3 and thus I believe not available for this type of memory why was I not informed about this before I have had to go to all this trouble?
Thank you for reaching out to OWC. We are sorry to hear about any confusion that was caused. You can upgrade the imac 18.3 with an SSD as long as the machine was issued with an SSD. If you machine only came with a standard HDD then you would need our Mercury Electra or Extreme SSD kit. Please reach out to our team and we can assist you further with your order.
Please see this link ( eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/K27IM12HP2TB/ ) for the kit you would need.
Do you confirm that all 27-inch iMac wether late 2012 late 2013 up to late 2019 are really the same regarding their overall sub-systems ?
Here I mean that once we remove the LCD display glue then only two connectors then when removing the left side speaker, easy access to the HDD which would then host say a SSD ?
Can we re-use the PSU (power supply unit) from any model to repair another one ?
How about the LCD display, is it intercgangeable through all models from late 2012 to 2019 ?
By the way, when installing a Crucial SSD to replace the HDD on my late 2013 iMac, I did not need to add any temperature sensor, it just worked fine.
Thank you, Albert
Do you confirm that all 27-inch iMac wether late 2012 late 2013 up to late 2019 are really the same regarding their overall sub-systems ?
- Yes, all 27" iMacs share the same model number, A1419, indicating they have the same sub-system.
Can we re-use the PSU (power supply unit) from any model to repair another one ?
-Yes, you can use the same PSU provided there is no damage to it.
How about the LCD display, is it interchangeable through all models from late 2012 to 2019 ?
- Unfortunately, not all share the same specifications, such as Retina, 5K, or none at all.
The Thermal Sensor is responsible for controlling the fan in the iMac. We highly recommend installing it. While a drive replacement will function without it, the fan may not detect the drive, causing it to run faster than necessary. If you're comfortable with this, the sensor may not be necessary in that case.
And what about the data? Do you clone the drive before installation? Or after installation copying from the original drive? I’m missing that step in this video.
It is up to you. You can clone the drive before installation or after it is a personal preference on what is easier for each person. Most of our Drive DIY kits have the option to come with an external enclosure to make this process easier for the customer.
Thanks for the video.How much is a ssd drive 1 TB?
Since the price varies between the SSD options we have, you can check out the pricing here: eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/imac-27-inch/2013-2019
It os just a shame that OWC does not provide OEM adhesive strips, the screen falls after a while because the adhesive strips are not thick enough.
We are sorry you feel that way and/or if you have had a bad experience. We work to meet and/or exceed with our products, and that is screen adhesive included. If there is ever a time you need help and/or assistance, let us know and we would be happy to help.
hello, is removing the ssd necessary?
Why do you need temp sensor to install when the orignial drive didn't have it?
Indeed, Apple incorporates a thermal sensor cable within the original hard drive itself. Consequently, when you replace the original drive, the thermal sensor cable is removed along with it, rendering it non-reusable.
I have a question. If I upgrade my 27 2020 ssd to a 2tb. Will I have to purchase a brand new OS ??
After the installation, booting into Internet Recovery Mode should walk through the steps of installing the current OS, there should be no fees included. For more information, we would recommend reaching out to our support team on the link below.
eshop.macsales.com/Service/support
Great guide and kit! The installation was fairly easy.
However, the big issue now seems bring able to use the computer afterwards.
After installing it again, it can't update the OS, so I'm stuck on Mavericks from 2013. No update is available, and Safari can't load any webpages, due to security. Can't install other browsers, as the OS is too old.
I'm completely lost.
Has anyone experienced the same or have a solution?
Put Mint Linux on it. That is what I did and its flawless.
I use OpenCore Patcher and am up to Sonoma.
Utilisez OpenCore Legacy Patcher et vous pourrez ajouter le système que vous souhaitez, peut-être même Ventura…
5:45- thermal sensor location on SSD
Which is better ssd or nvme?
So NVMe is an SSD. Now there is different types of SSD's. Now this specific iMac of this video you can install either SATA or NVMe. Now the NVMe SSD is faster than the SATA SSD.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions, comments, or concerns. eshop.macsales.com/Service/
@@poweredbyowc thanks . I installed external nvme ssd samsung 970 1TB with usb c casing … after cloning booting is not happened , I did fresh os 13.2 copy in to external , here were result
Under default inbuilt Fusion Drive , boot time was 33 sec
Under external ssd , boot time is 53 sec !!!!
Totally confused how other are claiming faster boot in external ssd nvme in iMac 27inch 5k retina i5 2017 !!!
Earlier in the comments we still do recommend having the drive be internal as it will be faster internally than external as you may get mixed performances when going the external route. However if you need help, I would contact us directly as that way one of our Techs can look into this more directly alongside you to help you get the best performance.
@@iosuser1174 the OS is already on a ssd that is a subset of the "fusion drive" that is already inside your computer.
Can that make it faster?
If you choose to upgrade to an SSD drive it will be faster than the HDD that is previously installed into the unit.
Why do other videos about changing to an ssd on a late 2012 27" imac don't mention anything about needing a thermal sensor? Thanks
Regrettably we can not answer that the question because we are not sure what other videos you are watching. The thermal sensor cable is needed because the original thermal sensor in installed in the original drive so when you remove the original drive the iMac will constantly run at a high speed.
I hate engineers with the passion of a thousand suns.
I have imac 2pp7 and hard drive is broken what would you recommend me buying
While I'm not certain what an iMac 2pp7 is, I will say if it is an iMac 2007 with ModelID of iMac7,1.....here would be some possible options: eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/imac/2007
@@poweredbyowc sorry yeah imac 2007
Can i put my ps3 hardrive inside imac27
This might be a possibility, The PlayStation 3 is designed to run with 9.5mm high, 2.5-inch SATA hard drives. The same models found in most modern laptop computers. Give us a call and we can discuss. OWC Phone 1-800-275-4576
Do they always need to buy a new sensor?
On the 27" Late 2012 yes, on later models IDK
@@MovieViking thanks!!!
What I know about such things is you have to know what the sensor is doing or how it's working, or your cooling system can malfunction. I almost missed it on this one, because apparently the original sensor is hidden in the original drive and wiring harness.
It's not needed. Don't waste money.
@@MrEd-qg8td thanks
TIP: for easy future access, do not put adhesive on.
How did you secure it without adhesive?
a couple of small pieces of clear tape@@laginvancouver
No instruction on how to install the operating system WHY?
We apologize, but this video was only intended to cover the hardware installation. For information on installing the Operating System, please use these instructions: support.apple.com/en-us/102655.
OWC sensor cable is not needed. Waste of money!
Does the iMac fan run at full speed without it?
@@SurfSailKayak Interested on that question too.
Me too! Don’t know why need a thermal sensor cable even with new HDD or SSD !
@@benqhk I didn’t mount one and it works fine 👌🏻
If I knew this is how complicated using a mac would be, I wouldnt have bought it. And I will never buy a mac anymore. This is ridiculous.
Not trying to hate or anything this is hella easy
@@goddyfame3424 alright be carful with the display cables
Why replace it with ANOTHER hard drive? And your shit tape adhesive. Are y’all dense?
Some people don't necessarily need speed, they just want to increase the storage to a larger amount as typically it is cheaper to get more space via a HDD than an SSD. Regarding the tape however, if you have had any issues, or currently having issues with our adhesive, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly (eshop.macsales.com/Service/). We would be glad to listen and hear what's going on.
You’re here watching a video on how to replace a drive in an IMac yet you don’t know why you would do it? Who sounds like the dense one?
@@artincorona
😅