How to Replace a Hard Drive in a 2006/2007 White iMac

I recently had the hard drive fail in my late 2006 iMac that I use as a server. Since I had to replace the drive, I thought I would share how to swap it. I decided to use an SSD or Solid State drive as a replacement, which greatly improves performance.
Please be aware that if you decide to try this yourself you could void your warranty if you have one, and could potentially damage the iMac. I, Aaron Zollo and/or Zollotech will not be help responsible for any damage to the iMac, yourself or problems you may run into while attempting this repair.
If you have any suggestions or if you attempted this yourself and would like to let us know about your experience, please place those in the comments below.
Thanks for watching!

[@ParthaDey97]

Some extra tips; I originally couldn't find a torx driver that would take off the display connector on the logic board so I decided to leave it on and remove the small piece of clear tape attaching the cable onto the back of the display housing, worked great for me; just be extra careful. Many will start the iMac up only to experience a symphony of garbled fan noise. Many HDD's don't have a thermal sensor as found on the original drive so the iMac assumes a worse case scenario and belts the fan up to max RPM. To fix this I installed 'SSD Fan Control' which uses S.M.A.R.T protocol to monitor the drive and adjust the fans as appropriate. Hope this helps 😊

[@alexgieder9107]

Picked one up for $10, it just needs a new drive. This looks fun. Thanks for the video. Don’t worry y’all I have a Cisco cert 😂

[@thisincarnation3735]

Thank you for this! Putting the screws back in to hold the monitor was the biggest challenge!

[@supersquid166]

Thank you SO much! We recently purchased an older iMac w/ a bad HD. Replaced it and now the kids have a new computer!

[@wallywilly1000]

I want to replace the hard drive on my old 2006 IMAC. My question is once i purchase a new soild state drive like in this video, will i need to put an IOS on the drive and how? Also where do i get the needed software?

[@zollotech]

You would need to replace the display or logic board to fix that.

[@dudenamecharlie]

Thanks for that, I was wondering if I could use an SSD with this particular iMac. Great video.

[@roadworrier666]

Just what I needed for a successful hard drive swap between two white iMacs. Thank you.

[@melvinklassen]

Good practise for any computer: after disconnecting the AC power (and, for a laptop, removing the battery), press the ON/OFF button, to drain any residual voltage, before you touch any of the "insides" of the computer. P.S. A "late-2006" iMac, with 2GB of RAM and its "Core 2 Duo" processor, can run OS X 10.7 (Lion). Purchase/download Lion ($19.99 US) from Apple Store.

[@CrassMufumbu]

Thanks ya saved me some cash, it was frustrating as hell and I lost one of the monitor screws..and the monitor wouldn't turn on missing that one screw at least on my 2006 model but I found another screw that would fit and the new drive is running perfect, thanks again You are awesome.

[@davidAll5]

nice vid, thanx i would have been useful to know what torx has been used

[@zollotech]

They should work fine.

[@zollotech]

you need to replace the logic board or display as it can be either one.

[@Grenplen]

I have a 2006 imac A1207 20" 2006 . that have a hard drive issue. I took it out and put in a 2.5 drive. It's not seeing the drive after I restart and press on the option key. and by the way which mac os should I use for ther fresh install. Please help. Need to solve this asap. Thanks so much

[@richardwernst]

Tried and tried and tried and tried to open top with credit card. Tried double credit card, tried card with some duct tapeon end to make it thicker, seems to be opening the latch but nothing comes loose. Is the bezel spring loaded to case at all, meaning if I DO get the latch to release (not sure I am), will it usually pop open as yours did, or does it take some force once the latch is released? All that said, any way of knowing where I might drill the top corners to access the latches to release them? Hate to mar the case but this system isn't worth a lot of $ so don't want to pay someone $50-$100 just to release the two latches. I'm thinking drilling thru case, then drilling and tapping the latches, putting a machine screw thru and pulling to open the latch. Thanks again for excellent video and all your videos. RichE San Diego, CA

[@googleplusisdead]

Wow, quite old, no idea if any answer, but you sort of skimmed over the heat(?) sensor setup for new drive. Looks like you have some sort of board attached to the cable, or did you just glue (what glue?) the sensor to the SSD itself? Thanks.

[@zollotech]

Just press it back on the drive. It already had enough adhesive left on it

[@googleplusisdead]

@@zollotech Ah, cool, thanks, and thanks for quick reply to OLD video... :) I replaced the drive in my girlfriend's iMac (2011) with SSD and had to get a special cable with sensor to put with the SSD. I thought the sensor the cable plugged into was inside/attached to the old hard drive (apparently is/was on hers).

[@josecavalcante3079]

Hi Aaron. I've just bought an iMac like the one you showed it the video. I'm having problems to take the LCD out, because I think that there are some screws attaching the display to the rest of the ensemble. Do you know what kind of screws are these ones? Do I need a special screwdriver to remove them? I need to take the display out because the iMac came with a defective power button that is giving me a hard time when I am trying to use it. Thanks for your help.

[@zollotech]

The glass is held in magnetically If it’s the same type that I show in the video. The display has screws, and you may or may not have them. Apple uses Phillips head and torx screws

[@theprohax]

You whipped out your "preloaded" SSD but how did you "preload" it?

[@robpfaffmann7891]

need long torx sizes and o info about tape remover…most torx DRIVERS arent long enough

[@anewhope2550]

You made this video look easier than what it is. Thanks sir, this was some great content.

[@aiu3573]

I have a 21" iMac, it is a 2006 era, 250GB hard drive. It is working ok, but I battle keeping a couple of GB free, so rather than replace the iMac I was thinking of upgrading the hard drive. What do you suggest? I would like at least a 500GB hard drive, and 1TB would be nice. What is the cost, and could I simply restore from a time machine back up once I put the new hard drive in? Thanks!

[@Metal-Possum]

Since when was a Torx bit a philips head? Also, you remove a screw that was a little bit longer, then pointed the wrong hole for its wherabouts.

[@doomer37]

Turns out while sticking a credit card into the vent on the back I somewhat damaged one of those clips holding the front bezel on. The metal they're made out of has been bent slightly and now even though the clips do clip back into place the front bezel is no longer flush with the back of the iMac. I wish Apple made these Intel iMacs just like the iMac G5s were made. Those were very easy to service. :(

[@mgl576]

I'm going to remove my HD following your instructions --I will not make your responsible if I mess up, :). I want to transfer the files to a newer computer. What drive adapter do you recommend that it is inexpensive and reliable?

[@zollotech]

+Luis Gutiérrez any really. They are basically the same.

[@inkmartyr]

I'm going to be replacing my hard drive with a Seagate 7500rpm 1TB and I totally appreciate the tutorial! Thanks! :)

[@zollotech]

It could be a sign, but you should run a diagnostic to find out. There are multiple way, but search for it in the Apple forums and they will tell you how.

[@els1f]

Thanks for the video, this really helps. I just have a quick question. If I use a hard drive cloner and put the new cloned HD into the mac, does the OS see it exactly as if it was the old one? It seems like that's what you did, and that is what "clone" should mean; I've just never actually done it before. Also, how's that velcro holding up? Thanks again.

[@CesarGamino]

it DOES see it perfectly and run

[@g0erwt]

What kind of rubber cement do you use to replace the temperature sensor?

[@nauticalsean6840]

What size torx screwdriver do you need to remove the screen

[@neygularte]

T10

[@janicephillips1828]

Very helpful. Thank you. I have a 24 inch 2006/iMac. What size hard drive do you recommend? I will purchase a SSD

[@TimurTripp2]

I just put a 240 GB SSD into mine today. A loss of only 10 GB compared to the original mechanical drive, and with much better performance.

[@zollotech]

The display is faulty and that is why I use it as a server.

[@lionreb]

If you try it with an external screen and it works ok then it might be just the inverter, not the display.

[@oluwaseyiojuri5092]

Sir, do iMac uses the same USS HDD as other computers. Or what kind of HDD do I need to get for replacement. Thanks in anticipation

[@JackDoonerMusic]

Is that a fault with the display? (At the end when you boot to the new ssd). Great, informative video and even though I don't have this particular iMac, the video has helped me expend my knowledge, so thanks! ;)

[@Voivrenetwork]

Just got a free a1207 imac from my girlfriend, it just has a dead hard drive issue. I have several spare hard drives I'm not using, so I hope to get this thing up and running sometime this week. :)

[@BatteryGeekReviews]

Which OS do you have ? I have a late 2006 20" iMac, with the 2.16 ghz core 2 duo. I have 2 gigs of ram and it is currently running 10.6.8. I know it won't run mavricks, but can it be upgraded to 10.7 0r 10.8 ? Thx!

[@zollotech]

You should be able to upgrade to Lion I believe. You would need to have at least 2GB of RAM per Apple. 10.7 is not compatible with core solo or core duo processors, but should work fine with core 2 duo.

[@deanrivers6200]

zollotech Wouldn't recommend upgrading to Lion on these machines. S leopard is the last OS that will work WELL. Do you know about this?

[@deanrivers6200]

Dean Rivers That will work well on the white machines, and even on later machines in fact. This, from personal experience and from hearing the same from tech's.

[@kileftko]

hi, i could need some help. I have a 2006 IMAC and just replaced my solid HDD with an SSD. The snow leopard installer does not find the SSD for installing :/ How to fix this? is the SSD (Samsung 850EVO) not the right kind for the old SATA

[@zollotech]

+kileftko you need to first go into disk utility and partition the solid-state drive

[@michaelursu]

Hi there, thanks for the vid. Having trouble getting that mechanism opened with the credit card. Is it imperative that the screws be unscrewed before that process happens? All I'm trying to do is get the hard drive out for all the files on it, then I'm trashing the computer (it's burnt out).

[@danieldemayo6209]

Nice vid man thx! I just bought one of these on Craig's for my mom haha ever come across any problems as far as hard lagging/freezing in the browser or while in the settings menu? I'm using the os before snow lep currently. Early 06 1.8g 512ram. It's a fresh install. Thought maybe this is ram or hard drive dying?

[@philippblucke9743]

are this trips because of the replacement or did the display get it bevore ?

[@nathanmabry2991]

I want to do this, but then replace the OS with a mac friendly linux, Lubuntu. Shot in the dark, and not really related, but would you have any advice on this?

[@mandykiwi]

Where can you get a screwdriver small enough to get the screws out? I have everything I need but can't find one that will fit them

[@Hernan527]

Hello, I removed de HDD of an iMac G5 late 2006. It's damaged, this isn't the first time that I had trouble with it, so I have an external firewire HD with OS X ready to run in this cases. So now I have the iMac without HDD, I am trying to run with the external one, but the screen stay black. Is this a problem of the screen, that I broke it, or that is what happen normally un this cases. I have now the HDD in the freezer , before I buy one, and for rescue the data, if I can. Thank for read it.

[@mikehausner3116]

Nice video, especially the audio. I have friend that has an imac like this, and the folder with the question mark that appears for about the first 30 seconds of boot-up; then contines to load the OS. They say that has an "intermittent video problems" I think the hard drive is starting to fail. Is this the first tell-tale signs of the hard drive starting to "go"..?

[@johnkrack]

what do you mean by preload the hard drive? what with and how did you pre-load? thanks

[@heldermartinovsky]

Hi!!! Very nice video!!! I know this is an old video, but maybe you still can help me. I have an old white imac just like yours. The problem is that the screen shows several colored squares and nothing else happens. Technical assistance does not fix this model anymore. I have a good knowledge of hardware and repair skills and are going to try fixing it by myself. But I wonder if you have any idea what this problem might be? Video card, hard drive, bad electrical contacts, etc? We have another model just like this at the University where i work and the screen of that one just died (is black). But we can still use it normally connected to an external monitor. Thanx for your attention! Helder

[@zollotech]

If it works fine with an external monitor, it’s most likely the LCD inside, or a bad connection to that LCD panel

[@heldermartinovsky]

@@zollotech Thank you. But unfortunately this one is not working with an external monitor.

[@uriel-heavensguardian8949]

Thank you for this video!!! I have to do this same procedure. It’s not so bad.

[@henderman672]

Would this process be the same on a late 2006 24 inch model? This hard drive is really slow and loud. (Using said computer/hard drive to type this)

[@wantsomecoffe]

Can you make tut on how to replace the power supply. Ive got one old imac A1207 from my uncle. He said it was the power supply that had broke down. The imac wont power on. Not even with another power cable. Please? :)

[@prettyh8ter]

Thanks man! Just a replaced an old hdd with samsung Windows 10 - based ssd, works fine

[@IronTiger58]

One issue I have… there isn’t a hard drive. The layout of the computer is different so I can’t seem to find it.

[@juggernaut8647]

how did or do you improve the web browsing?, since the operating system can only be upgraded automatically so far how do u get the system to be up to date

[@mystic316]

are those two fans the only ones on the computer? I have one of these and I want to clean the fans to prevent it from GPU failure due to heat.

[@zollotech]

Yes

[@MELL09494]

I want to get a 1tb hdd standard for this computer. Which one do you recommend? I want to go with a 7200rpm one.

[@zollotech]

Get an SSD if you can. If not 7200rpm

[@funnypranker34]

do you have issues with the fan running at max speed?

[@jlsnetwork3271]

I have an intel core duo if there is a way to change to intel core 2 duo? If is possible a tutorial?

[@gald4540]

Awesome instructions, followed carefully and worked beautifully

[@EMANUELE997]

hi friend.. the first video that replace HD iMac 2006 with a SSD, congratulations! I live in Italy and I have a question: I have a iMac early 2006 4,1 with a 250gb. I have see on a desk of a market street a SSD OWC 480 GB ELECTRA for 170 euro. Do you think that this SSD fits good on my machine? If it fits good tomorrow I'll buy it. Thanks you so much and have a nice we.

[@vanpeerrobbert4328]

Hi, My computer is making a funny noise during the start up. (Sounds like a bouncing ping Pong ball) It ends in a white screen showing a blinking folder. Is this due to the harddrive?

[@TheDragonballboy]

Seems like you have a corrupt install, bad hdd or you need to set the startup disk. Follow Apples guide here support.apple.com/en-au/HT204323 You can try to boot with the cd that came with your Mac into to Mac OS X recovery disks by holding the option key on start up and then to select the disk. From there launch disk utility and repair disk permissions. I hope this helps. :)

[@wesleycurrier13]

this is my first time replacing a hard drive in this machine. after installing the new ssd, the machine shows an error code saying failed to install mac os x, even though i know the ssd is visible to the computer using disk utility

[@ConnerReinhardt]

Can you tell us where to find that model of SSD? What are the specs on the SSD that you used?

[@raulvelez740]

I am confused on how to upgrade my mid 2007 iMac (silver one). Do I upgrade the ram, sad or simply by an external drive to save my thousands of pictures which I believe it's what's mostly occupying space. I would like to salvage this computer if possible. I'm not computer savvy but I willing to try upgrading it but first I want to secure the photos.

[@raulvelez740]

*ssd

[@coolexton]

How did you do the downloading part

[@DodgeCharger251]

The hard drive on my Mac has just broke down and I am about to install a new one. My question is, do I have to install a new OS X disc or something like that?

[@zollotech]

Yes, you will need to install OS X on the new one using the disc that came with it or a USB key or if it is a new Mac, you can use internet recovery.

[@DodgeCharger251]

ok thanks

[@scab14]

love this tutorial, so clear and easy to see

[@abdulmuiznaeem4595]

What's that white line on the screen when you on it

[@marklaurence8458]

Hi just watched your video which was very informative.One question if I may my computer which looks the same as the one you were working on just went pop when I turned it on the nothing would you have any idea what that might be. Thanks in advance.Mark

[@TimurTripp2]

Something blew in the power supply would be my guess.

[@projectchannel8435]

A capacitor would be my guess. They do expand over time.

[@jdmayle3468]

whats the max size chard drive i can install? and max ram chips?

[@femalefishingadventures]

Not all 2006/7 iMacs have the top clip some just have a hinge mechonisim I spent an hour trying to depress the clips only to find there were fixed hinge latches

[@mufastang9576]

So, i want to replace the harddrive in my late 2006 imac, but i have 2 questions, firstly, this looks very scary, and i'm not the most careful person, is this the only way to get to the harddrive? Also, when i do eventually replace it, how do i get the os and files from the current harddrive to the new one?

[@zollotech]

Yes this is the o my way to replace it on this Mac. You can clone the drive using a tool like superduper.

[@mufastang9576]

zollotech Okay, thank you very much for the quick reply, also this is probably a silly question, but is there any way you know of to update this iMac past 10.7.5 lion?

[@zollotech]

No problem. No, due to graphic card limitations Apple doesn't allow it. There is a third party app you can do it with, but it's a pain and not worth it. It may be time for a new Mac.

[@mufastang9576]

+zollotech I was thinking about building a new computer around January, was just wondering if I can get some extra jice out of this until then, but one last question (I promise) if I were to upgrade the ram since its at 2.5gb at the moment, what ram should I get, I did a little researching and fromcehat I can tell Andy 667mhz ddr3 sdram will work, I think?

[@zollotech]

No that won't work. If it is an early 2006 iMac then 2GB is max. If it is late 2006 then you would use 2 x 2.0GB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz 200 Pin according to OWC at macsales.com.

[@CraigSnyderWorks]

What hard drive did you purchase for this? Any recommendations for 2018?

[@zollotech]

I would buy an SSD today. So much faster.

[@CraigSnyderWorks]

@@zollotech I was just wondering what you would buy today to put in a late 2006. Any recommendations? And thanks for this video, too.

[@CraigSnyderWorks]

Brand recommendations, to be more specific.

[@zollotech]

Craig Snyder crucial like the one linked here or Samsung. amzn.to/2Ff9pS8 also you’ll want this. amzn.to/2AVJ2MQ to adapt it

[@puertoricanboy2008]

This video is for late 2006 iMac but I have an early 2006 iMac not a late one. So how do I change the hard drive on this? I want to download the latest Mac OS X which is Yosemite but I can't afford to buy a new iMac and my iMac is so old it does not support Yosemite so I need to get a new hard drive that works with my iMac that can support Yosimite but I am not sure how to do this or what hard drive I should get for this. Any help?

[@zollotech]

Swapping the hard drive would not allow you to use Yosemite. The only way to do that is buy a newer Mac.

[@puertoricanboy2008]

Thank you all for the responses. I will look into the CPU and flash to see. I know my dad has an older Macbook pro and a buddy of his who works with computers was able to upgrade the hard drive to a newer one without any problems. So I'll see if he thinks upgrading the cpu and flash would do the trick. Thanks again.

[@1melahat]

Hi guys, My friend just bought a 2006 iMac 5,1 2ghz cpu/1gb ram from eBay for $130 with a few vertical lines always showing on the screen but he's not complaining. He noticed the os10.6.8 he has running on it is full of bloat software he does not need so he wants to do a fresh install of 10.6.8 but the iMac did not come with a install disc so my question is does he have to buy a physical snow leopard disc or is there another way to reinstall the OS like Mavericks with its recovery partition. Thanks for any help

[@els1f]

Thumbs up or Aphex Twin :)

[@jcornelius2]

Snow leopard doesn't have a recovery partition, that is only in 10.7 and newer.

[@Cello69.]

Arron, I have a 20" Intel core 2 duo, serial# Last 4 is 5VUV, EMC# 2118. Originally it ran Tiger then I upgraded to snow leopard and yes I have the original disks. I still have the original HD installed and it almost full so it's time for an upgrade. I also have a newer MacBook Pro. The new HD I want to install is a WD 2TB. I've come across a lot of situations where someone has installed a new HD and then installed the Install Disk and got nothing - they wasn't pressing the the keys or what not. My problem or question is how did these people format their new HD to begin with? I don't think they arrive mac formatted. As far I know the only way to format a drive is by using Disk Utilities, well how can this be accomplished if the new drive is unformatted and has no OS. Help thx

[@zollotech]

You can boot with an install CD or USB drive and use disk utility from there. Also, if you have a newer Mac you can just do an internet recovery and then boot into the install which will allow you to format the drive.

[@Cello69.]

Arron thanks for the reply. Okay so I installed the 2T HD. I launched Disk Utility from the install disk. Then I go to erase I choose Mac OS Ext(journaled) then Erase. I get a message - Disk Erase Failed, disk erase failed with error: Input/Output error. Am I cooked?

[@Cello69.]

Arron, instead of using the original startup disk which was OS 10.4.8 I used a 10.6 and it worked perfectly. Thank you.

[@Drizzy012]

is it worth getting this computer now in 2016 for 40 bucks?

[@chrislufc]

Armani Torres I'm using one now with Windows 10 64bit installed. Runs great!

[@NateNate60]

It's worth more than $40 in parts. Core 2 Duo = $15 500GB HDD SATA = $30 4GB RAM = $25 Total: $90, not counting some parts

[@johnl5753]

Yes. I have one in 2018. It is great.

[@Alexander-ix2jp]

Armani Torres Sure, just put Ubuntu on it and it will be good for the next 5 years featuring regular security updates and up to date software.

[@CesarGamino]

@@johnl5753 What's the latest OS you can run on it with a SSD hard drive?

[@近江聖-o2j]

Thanks a lot . I will try to change it HDD.

[@squidsquid5287]

would it matter if i dont put the EFI shield back on it or does it have to be there

[@coolexton]

How did you preload the ssd

[@mrmortermie3296]

Why do they have to make the tape so sticky

[@JacksTop10]

could an external hard drive work.

[@NatashaJohnBaptiste]

Thank you, A very good tutorial

[@jdaywork2693]

Very Good! Yay for velcro! :)

[@tintin5741]

is it sata 2 or 3?

[@ParodyStuff242]

I feel the spring of the latch when I insert the credit card, but it's still holding tight

[@Febo80s]

Thanks zollotech, great video.

[@99domini99]

Did you haxor Lion onto this? Lol Btw such a shame of the display, maybe it's fixable. Could be one of the connector tabs usually located at the top of the display

[@3281997]

Thank you . !

[@MELL09494]

Also whats the max amount of RAM and mhz this sucker can take?

[@zollotech]

What is the model number?

[@mesayovitz]

Well done sir

[@dancoffey8412]

Thanks.

[@cigarobsession]

No, it's the new Zebra edition of OSX :)

[@bing2010able]

From 2020 to collect antique mac😆

[@TaprobanaOrg]

💙💙

[@googleplusisdead]

Update, any chance of getting a good/higher resolution picture (or video?) of the top latch of the bezel? As already posted, can NOT get it open but if I could see just how it's supposed to work (from inside bezel itself), I might be able to figure how to get it open after all, and without drilling/cutting/breaking anything... :) Anyone have one of these and have the bezel off and could send me a close up, high resolution pic, or video of how it works/where card would/should catch it to release and just where the catch is and how it works when releasing??? Reply here and I'll get you an email address that'll work for corresponding, thanks. Frustrated RichE San Diego, CA

[@danielgartin6993]

A lot harder to replace the hard drives in here than on the Mac Pro

[@muertomaniaco]

LOL

[@inchicago]

no shit