Introduction

Use this guide to install a hard drive in your iMac Intel 24" EMC 2134 or 2211.

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    • If necessary, remove the pieces of tape securing the hard drive/optical drive thermal sensor cables to your iMac.

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    • Disconnect the hard drive thermal sensor by pulling its connector upwards toward the top of your iMac.

    • When removing this connector, it is helpful use your thumbnails to push the ears on either side of the connector toward the top of your iMac.

    This is unnecessary since the other end of the heat sensor is removed from the old drive.

    dkulp -

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    • Pressing the top of the hard drive bracket down to release it from the rear case requires a substantial amount of force. We recommend laying your iMac stand-side down on a table to avoid knocking it over.

    • Press the hard drive bracket down toward the bottom edge of your iMac to free it from the rear case, then rotate the top of the drive toward yourself.

    To avoid the pain on my finger tips in applying enough force, I used a bit of microfiber towel as padding under the sharp plastic edge and it was then easy.

    Magnus Dalen -

    I found out that the black plastic bar is a lever, which swings up outwards left side — away from the backside of the casing — and then drops off of the right side, which releases the rubberized bolts, that hold the hard drive! The hard drive then could be lifted easily out of its hinges. Mind the cables!

    KönigT -

    Using a trigger clamp to compress the black retainer was the easiest method to remove the drive. Move the sensor wires out of the way then position the clamp in such a way that one jaw is on the drive and the other is on the black plastic. Compress it just enough to clear the metal support. Then to reinstall reverse the process.

    capt_ir8 -

    DON’T do this! you’ll likely hurt yourself. I tried doing this way and it just required more force than i was comfortable applying. just unscrew the HDD off the black “lever” piece. The HDD will just come right out. The side opposite of the black “lever” are secured with pins, don’t bother trying to unscrew from there.

    yamaoka01 -

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    • Rotate the hard drive toward yourself, then lift it up off its mounting pins.

    • The hard drive is still connected via the SATA cables.

    • When reinstalling your hard drive, be careful not to push the rubber grommets through the openings in the chassis with the lower hard drive pins as retrieving them may require logic board removal.

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    • Insert the flat end of a spudger between the SATA power cable connector and the edge of the hard drive.

    • Twist the spudger to separate the connector from the hard drive.

    Please define "spudger"??

    Ken L -

    Here is a Spudger

    dkulp -

    This is the hard part if you're gonna use a bracket for 2.5 to 3.5 via SSD. I had to modify this one thrice. It's now all fit in nicely.

    xa0s -

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    • Pull the SATA power connector away from the hard drive.

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    • Disconnect the SATA data cable by pulling its connector away from the hard drive.

    This cable was not long enough to reach the SSD connector for me. The adapter I used, and I suspect many used, puts the SSD centred, thus the data and power connectors a bit further away from where the original drive's connector were. The power cable had enough give to plug it in, but not the data cable. I knew the data cable had more give from the other end of it, so I careful pulled it with, ashamed to say, force. I heard tape giving away, so I figured it was taped down underneath. I managed to get just enough length to plug it in.

    Sccoaire -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Brittany McCrigler

Member since: 05/03/12

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