I bought 14 broken iMacs! Can we fix them?

[@z0bi_]

Loved the guy with the Powerbook, such a creative idea to take a photo with content creators you like.

[@dominikfulop7188]

it was in so vanilla condition... amazing

[@ahsanm.5905]

He looks like young Jack Black 🤪

[@libertylandsforall4689]

I thought that part was so awesome too.

[@whyjordie]

Awww he was a sweetheart

[@Stop4MotionMakr]

Those bezels have really slimmed down over the years 😂

[@monikabrauer6847]

Hey Luke, just wanted to let you know that I love your videos. I actually started to do some of my own repairs and fixes. Lately I have been given a few older 21.5 iMacs and also a mid2012 MacBook Pro i7. I have managed to put 2 iMacs out of 3 together, upgraded the ram and just gave one to a 12 year old student who really needed one. Another laptop went to a very deserving lady and lastly I kept the MacBook Pro. It didn’t work at first but all it took was a new hard drive. I chose a Samsung 500 G SSD and while I had it open, I also upgraded the RAM from 8 to 16 G. I should tell you, I’m a woman in my sixties and never had any kind of computer tech training. Your videos have taught me lots and have given me the confidence to at least try to fix something. Thanks for doing a great job!

[@englishruraldoggynerd]

Just read your post Monika and I’m in awe.... you’re fantastic. Hope your well, and ok with the for once non computer virus running amok. Take care, and keep repairing stuff!

[@robert_kotula]

Well done! I’m so glad that some older people are willing to try and learn about technology!

[@trbnrb2529]

Next time: „I bought 16 Mac Pros“

[@ridersk1220]

No the entire Ebay website

[@iMadrid11]

I’m expecting the Trashcan Pros would be flooding the market soon. Once everyone gets the new cheese grater Pros

[@chloedegurechaff1941]

@Andi LP Just upgrade a 2012 mac pro with 5690s and a rx5700. you'll have the same amount of power XD. In a better overall machine.

[@domchapp]

Check out my series :) 12 Faulty Macs | Repair | Diagnostics | Testing | Can i Make a Profit? | Part 1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/raGviqCmopp_aLs

[@woodant1981]

F*cking heavy then😂 especially for the old tower ones

[@chrizzz]

The fact that he gave them all away was surprisingly uplifting. Like at the end of this 20 minute video, there was some actual human connection that benefited people.

[@hello2jello4mellow34]

Good comment!

[@techleaks-12]

broo you spoiled me

[@AJUSA1]

@Luke Miani You can remove the EFI lock by removing a chip on the logic board, reprogramming it with the TL866II Plus EEPROM Programmer, and soldering it back on. There are instructional videos on YT explaining the procedure.

[@transitengineer]

This video was A+, truly outstanding from start to finish. Have been learning how to upgrade and repair some of the vintage apple desktops in my collection which, include an all-in-one G3 5500, G5 20 inch imac, white Intel 24 inch imac, and 2010 mac mini (the last model with a built-in DVD super-drive).

[@savagepro9060]

when you say "This video is A+" are you referring to CompTIA?🤔

[@MichaelBordenaro]

Luke, this was an awesome video. I loved that you showed you can buy these macs, and get a good portion of them in working order. Then the fact that you decided to donate them to people who could really use them was very cool. Plus the interaction with your fans. Nice job man 👌

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Luke, if you would have sold them I would have thought what a cool business move. But you gave em away??? That's just straight classy Luke. You have more of my respect now.

[@rifki_rizkulloh]

11:57 i don't know it's so meme-able

[@BehradDavoudi]

yes it looks like a sitcom intro

[@rnj4209]

😂 so true

[@filmsnat3428]

@@BehradDavoudi Now you said that I can't stop hearing the "too many cooks" song for some reason xD

[@LordJames753]

Well you can certainly turn it into a GIF.

[@ecemcicek5417]

It became one on Reddit

[@EdgyShooter]

Can you contact the university you bought them from? Somewhere the IT department probably has a spreadsheet with the serial numbers and their respective EFI passwords

[@NoahRubinCoding]

EdgyShooter we gave them a call but they were unwilling to help 😔

[@EdgyShooter]

@@NoahRubinCoding Ah I'm very sorry to hear that. Depending on distance you might be able to talk to them in person? As from experience sometimes the person on the phone is not actually connected to the person with the information! It's how I got so many things sorted with my department

[@NoahRubinCoding]

EdgyShooter unfortunately, they were too far away to see in-person. Luke and I actually briefly considered taking a road trip down there, but it just wasn’t worth it.

[@EdgyShooter]

@@NoahRubinCoding That is a shame, but thanks for the additional details, hope it was a fun project!

[@libertylandsforall4689]

That's a great suggestion, Thanks so much for commenting this...

[@Ivan_Romero]

I'm a PC guy that started working for a school district. I have little to no experience with Macs. I was tasked with going through the district's stock of iMacs that were sitting unused in a storage building. I have been watching your videos to get some ideas on how to get these refurbished for sale to district employees. They are mostly 27" 2009-2011 iMacs with a few 21.5 inch black back and aluminum back models in the mix. The EFI password lock was a problem until the IT director found his password stash from when he was a tech and I am now able to get into those and load High Sierra on them. A few of the 27" iMacs are newer (2012??) and thinner than the CD/DVD versions, Catalina is installing just fine on those. It has been a great learning experience and I decided to set a couple of the 27" models aside for myself (Core i5 model). I just want to say thanks for all your videos, it has made my job just a little bit easier and I can appreciate going through so many computers trying to get them to a usable state.

[@alienwaregameralx1874]

Years ago you had great Ideas but were a little naive, now i m actually learning from your video. Congrats man for your improvements in tech!

[@Eevnos]

This is so great man. I’m glad you got so many of them working and wish I was closer so I could have come to hang out with you guys for the day.

[@libertylandsforall4689]

I think that would be a great experience as well...

[@PatriciaMuirMaestroQ]

“Scary fan(s)”. I’m glad you diagnosed so quickly as a fan problem. I would have been concerned it was about to blow up. So glad that these Macs found new use in a second life to teach young people about building and repairing computers. The return on investment was higher than the bottom line $$. Congratulations on a successful exercise.

[@RT-by4xr]

I purchased a 2015 i5 Imac on ebay. It arrived in a box that was way too big with a corner of the machine poking through the box with the display panel chipped. It was also EFI locked. I paid close to $800 for this machine and the quotes for repairing the display were close to $450 and I would still have an EFI locked Mac. I was about to return it but I had an idea. What if I could just repair the machine myself? I contacted the seller and he was willing to cover the $450 display repair cost so I took that money and bought the tools and parts I would need to repair the display, remove the EFI chip, re-write the EFI chip and upgrade the hard drive to a larger drive that was SSD. I found a laptop motherboard at a thrift store and started practicing removing and re-installing chips using my new re-flow station. It was fun and now if I ever run across a smoking deal on a decent Mac that has this issue, I have all the tools and the experience to handle it.

[@MattHalpain]

good on you Noah and Luke for donating the iMac's you restored to charity. You could of made a profit but instead you gave to others, noble of you two.

[@lilpopism]

Subscribed. As an electrical engineering student I’m loving watching these videos.

[@kHRISl33t]

I did not expect that ending, so nice of you guys! Keep up the great work ;)

[@FOBob-sr1fd]

"We got a screen! That's refreshing!" I see what you did there. 😂

[@NoahRubinCoding]

Can’t believe I got to meet THE Luke Miani in person 😮 too bad I didn’t get an iMac though...

[@joeplavin]

Hey Noah

[@itemushmush]

noah you are a cutie

[@pfpvita]

James gae

[@eeeeeeeee9381]

@@pfpvita fr

[@pfpvita]

@@eeeeeeeee9381 ya

[@RandyRydberg]

Nice video! I had a 2009 24" iMac for a long time, then my dad had it for years, and currently my aunt is using it. It's been great! I upgraded the RAM to 6GB from the highest amount, which was supposed to be 4GB, but it turns out that RAM technology keeps going after a computer has been produced, so this is a thing that can happen. The hard drive died about halfway through my use of the machine, but thanks to Time Machine, it was an easy fix (with a new hard drive). What a great value, even though I paid full price for the thing! I'm familiar with the connector that they didn't put back into place from when I had to replace the hard drive. It's amazing how the screen comes off with just a few suction cups, what a great design! Currently I'm on my second Mac Mini since the iMac, but I'm using three 30" Apple Cinema Displays, the same one you did a video on, and they work great, although once in a while I have to jiggle the connection to the white brick. Anyway, I enjoyed your video, keep up the good work!

[@cjsebes]

EFI locks didn't seem to be disclosed in the listing. Unless the seller told you that some may have EFI locks, I'd ask for a partial refund from the seller. Escalate to eBay if they don't offer any compensation. Also, anyone who got an iMac can look into seeing if the DosDude1 patch works to bump those up to a newer OS.

[@JoeTourist]

That was a fun video to watch! You did better with the deal than I initially thought you would...

[@ralfseiler9887]

Louis Rossmann got rid of his ancient stockpile of iMacs he couldn't fix.

[@linhtuong7908]

Lol true

[@DerFliegendeMocca]

Louis Rossmann cant fix connecting a cable ? what kind of joke even is this. Louis Rossman microsoders the tiniest connectors with a microscope, with full diagnosis. if he cant fix it, shit is really fucked. and not just efi locked or with disconnected display cable xD

[@martinnash007]

Take the motherboard out and change the fan. Its not hard to do and its easier if there are 2 of you. Just be aware of the power supply as there is no cover on the front of it. Just ensure that the big capacitors have discharged before you attempt to remove it.

[@adventureridergirl]

The firmware password is super simple to bypass on those newer iMacs, you just need the firmware password utility. Takes like two minutes to fix.

[@kingneutron1]

Ebay: Yo Luke, how many iMacs u want fam Luke: YES!

[@OskarBlomkvist]

Great video! I know you've already given most of the machines away but here's a tip for future purchases: I suggest you getting a BIOS-flashing tool, there are really cheap ones like the CH341 (which costs like $10) that work very well to remove BIOS passwords with. You don't even need to solder off the chip If you also buy either cables that plug into the JTAG connector (only works on Retina MBP/Air/MacBook 12 seeing as older models don't have soldered on JTAG connector) There are also cables that you clip onto the BIOS-chip legs which works for most iMac & older MacBook Pro's) The process of removing the password is extremely simple aswell, all you need is a software to read the BIOS-file (CH341 does ship with the software) and a HEX-editor such as HxD :-)

[@kharakim]

Well done! Gave me a new appreciation for the couple of "old" iMacs we have stored in our apartment.

[@DPPOfficial]

Man, You're underrated, really! Why just 150.000 Subs?! You really deserve over a Million!

[@nathanlopez5610]

Coming up: Luke Miani teaches KZbin how to clean packing peanuts.

[@KevinOrzel]

I'm so happy you gave them away! What a wholesome end to a great video :)

[@pyroslavx7922]

You can "save" a loud/ceasing fan by injecting a drop or two (just fil that MoFo up;-) of oil into bearing, if it has soft/rubber cover and you can reach it with hypodermic needle and injection, just use regular light oil for bicycles/powertools/sewing machines/workshop tool sleeve bearings, or ANY engine oil if else is not available. It will run for another year or two.

[@PoliBohoGlam]

This is really sweet. Love that you chose to give back.

[@iWhacko]

for those EFI locked, you could replace the chip, or reprogram them. But maybe that's outsidde your skill range? If you learned that, the yield from this would be much higher. And totally doable as well

[@corpse74]

hey luke, i’m very curious to know how exactly a EFI lock happens on a macbook and if it’s preventable? a long while ago i bought a macbook pro from 2012 and it gave me a flashing folder with a question mark on it and i had no idea what to do so i bought another one. however i later learned it had to do with the hdd(i don’t know much about computer hardware just how to properly use one) so i’m curious if you(or someone in the comments) could let me know how you get EFI locked and what to do to prevent it, if you can. thanks in advance.

[@GolfSidekick]

12:25 Sneaky yawn

[@kushalchapagain241]

First pile of mackbook pros and now imac wonderful content you are superb luke keep it up...love from Nepal❤❤🗻🗻

[@imagesinla8575]

Very informative. Gives me the courage to buy a used iMac. Thanks.

[@Frank-in-NY]

Nice job guys! Very good of you to give them away. Keep up the the great work.

[@Aldertonartco]

The second guy is a natural presenter....so charismatic! haha

[@Garrettdx1988]

"That's what MKBHD says." "Ya very good." 😂😂😂

[@LifeWithJames93]

Great video Luke! Your so genuine it definitely shines through on your content 😃

[@thesurfingprospector6345]

That was AWSOME Luke nice gesture mate Crouch

[@sauravmarri7786]

Next video: I bought a broken Amazon, can we fix it?

[@gjmob]

The EFI Lock is usually removed by holding down the power button with the iMac unplugged and then removing all Ram and reinstalling them one at a time. Has worked every time for me with iMac's.

[@lukemiani]

We addressed that in the video, that only works on pre-2011 Macs

[@michael5743]

Pretty easy to fix the locked ones. Re-install OS, if firmware is still locked then take RAM out try to boot, turn off, and put back in. ^^

[@DanDan-fu6sd]

Love love love micro center. Good job Luke thank you for your service.

[@iFix43]

I remember seeing that lot of iMac on eBay

[@alexlextar9270]

For the 2011s you can reprogram the EFI chip using a raspberry pi, flashrom and a SOIC-8 CLIP :)

[@jscorpio1987]

Do you have a link to a guide for this?

[@alexlextar9270]

@@jscorpio1987 search the web for: macbook efi bios programming flashrom

[@jayl8994]

You're the reason I have a MacBook. I watched your video on how to get one on eBay in the for parts section and got mine for $160. Your videos have been so inspiring to me, much love all the way from Jamaica.

[@raymondkymsuttle]

So amazing that you gave them away. Especially glad the charity/non-profit guys got one.

[@CosmicEpiphany]

17:20 OMG those bezels!

[@charlifennell9327]

This isnt really the place to ask but you would probably know so that’s why I’m asking. When you completely reset a 2009-2011 iMac does it update and re install a fresh version of it?

[@Newinceptions]

Nice work, Luke! From a guy who used to run a Mac hardware interest group in college (Anyone want to work on a G3, G4 or G5?) I really appreciate what you're doing. Now you just have to meet another KZbinr like Louis Rossman who actually likes doing Mac hardware repair (he gets more than he'd like it seems) and you got a 3rd leg to this creative team!

[@saskiavanhoutert3190]

Nice that 14 I-Mac's are refurbished again, they look great,. There is also one standing in the social workplace where I worked, Perhaps now there are more, kind regards.

[@richardlane1130]

HELP! My iMac mid-2011 SSD upgrade took a LEFT turn ... what went WRONG? Background: - I used can air to blow the dust off the inside. The can was new and cause a little frosting on the metal parts. - I did NOT use a grounding strap. I live in Florida with HIGH humidity. I also touched the case many times and should have been at the same electrical potential. - I used a USB/Drive adapter and pre-installed High Sierra (your suggestion) on the SSD and booted off the external drive for operational test - The iMac booted off the internal HDD in 54 seconds I followed OWC's and YOUR videos for removing the HDD and installing the SSD. With the SSD installed the iMac ends with a BLACK screen: 0:02 Audio chime 1:18 WHITE screen 1:54 Apple Logo appears (sometime with the status bar ONLY going to ~50%) 2:05 BLACK screen and nothing else appears on the screen With NO Drive installed the iMac finishes with a question mark (?) inside the icon folder: 0:02 Audio chime 1:48 WHITE screen 2:24 FLASHING folder with (?) question mark Troubleshooting: - Replaced the SSD with the original HDD ... same results :( - Attached HDD via USB/HDD adapter and enabled the boot OPTION screen ... same result even with recovery selected I am NEW to iMac repair. With that said, the following is deduced: - 4 cables/connectors must be connected otherwise the monitor would NOT function - iMac system see the HDD and/or SSD (based on booting from optional source) - The system is SLOWED way down based on boot time data YOUR THOUGHTS are HIGHLY APPRECIATED!

[@taotuhao5969]

Detailed answers to your questions are available on the Apple website. Here is a brief solution : 1. The new drives must be correctly partitioned and formatted into a format that Apple uses ( Ex. Mac OS Extended Journaled) 2. You need installation media, the installer can help with easily formatting. I would suggest making one, you can Google for instructions on how to do this. 3. Question marks means that a Hard Drive has not been selected. : With Mac's you can resolve most issues in recovery mode. Recovery Mode includes all of the tools that you will need to solve problems such as yours. However, You must own at least one licensed copy of Mac OS to be able to install free OS upgrades. For this you can buy a Installation CD or official USB installer, you will also need to create an Apple iCloud ID, and be sure that you memorize the password, or you could end up with a whole new headache. Finally, everything you need is available on support.apple.com/ Once you learn the basics of Mac OS you will grow to love it. While I love the value of inexpensive hardware with PC's, nothing can compare to the software experience provided by a Mac.

[@misspotential]

I love these bulk mac videos 😩

[@jwchavez]

Once upon a time I bought a retina MacBook Pro with a an EFI Lock, I returned back and then bought another one without any problems. However, I started to do my research and somewhere in the internet I found that using an Arduino board and some basic electronics, the Arduino can be used as a keyboard for trial and error in order to unlock the EFI, sure, it will take around a couple of weeks, but, in theory it can be done. The other workaround was to unsolder and reprogram a surface mounted chip, and without the expertise I felt that it was too risky, however I think that the hack with the Arduino may work. Nice video as always, I´ll be looking forward for your "I bought 50 Mac pros' video =). Regards from México ! Happy New Year!

[@iMadrid11]

Buying in lots is the best way to refurbish iMacs. As long as you could get them cheaply. You could salvage parts from several broken iMacs to build a working iMac.

[@fabiolazzaroni]

Nice to see Noah back again on the channel! Great video guys

[@CompuKonstantin]

Next time: I bought eBay

[@johnrheybustarga9085]

More power to you Anakin!

[@WhittyPics]

You are on your way to being an Apple reseller. I can relate to the difficulty of plugging those display cables back in. They are a pain in the ass. I am too old for that

[@soccerjonesy]

I have a late 2012 iMac that's in amazing condition and fully specced out. I was debating selling it and use the funds to put towards a new computer in the works. How much do you think I could sell it for? A lot of those websites quote me as $400-550 for them to buy it, however, I know they just plan to resell it after they inspect it, despite it already being in a like new condition (literally, no scratches, cracks,no performance issues, nothing whatsoever negatively impacting it). Was planning to use the funds for either a new mac, or for a custom built PC. Kind want it for some gaming now, so leaning towards the custom built PC.

[@robertdunsmore]

Lovely gesture fellas!

[@ChrisEpp]

The EFI trick worked for me with my old pre 2011 iMac! Thank you. Loved the video and would have loved to come out and meet you (:

[@BigBussin365]

I have a 2009 iMac 27, it used to work fine but recently I tried using it and nothing happens when I power it on, does that mean my power supply is dead?

[@diedonner299]

I can’t part with my mid 2007 iMac that still runs. Can’t upgrade past 10.6.8 but it still connects to most internet sites and is functional. The original hard drive died 10 years ago and it has been running on externals ever since. One power replacement last year and this past week i installed a replacement LCD panel from eBay. At this point for me it’s all about how much longer I can keep it running.

[@AlexElectronics]

1:50 Clint's worst nightmare

[@charlesduzzie9811]

You are a good men Luke and Noah......

[@AstralPhnx]

Awww it's really sweet seeing these computers go to good homes!

[@asfrflagcommunity966]

Every time I hear November I get severe World War flashbacks

[@tlowee]

Thanks for putting a chuckle in my day, shout out to Noah. 😁

[@kaydenoshaughnessy1306]

Try to Reset or Disable with Firmware Password Utility. Reboot the Mac and hold down Command+R to enter recovery mode. At the Utilities screen, go to the Utilities menu bar item and choose “Firmware Password Utility” Select to turn the Firmware Password to OFF.

[@billfuller1]

that was awesome giving those imacs away like that well done mr. miani

[@Ys-fo5gd]

Totally off topic but wanted to get your opinion...I was thinking of going phone-less for like a month and just use an Apple Watch...you think series 5 is worth it? Or should I just wait for the 6?

[@Nielsjan9]

the table in the beginning makes me so nervous

[@mp3playerrr]

You could probably use the i7's on the EFI locked units for the working ones if they're socketed..

[@MuhammadNiz007]

Intro Is Classic 🥰🥰🥰

[@DJTechYT]

Things that Luke hates: EFI locks Unplugged LCD cables AND *PACKING PEANUTS*

[@yousufahmed1418]

you forgot unplugged lcd cables

[@marcusnzchab971]

never had a mac os can you not install linux on efi lock ?

[@allansh828]

you guys should come visit Shenzhen. In some stores refurbished Mac computers pile up like mountains.

[@hello2jello4mellow34]

Faith restored in humanity (the last segment). Thank you!

[@flamingkillermc2806]

*You can use Dosdude1’s Mac OS Catalina Patcher to install Mac OS Catalina on unsupported macs*

[@FOBob-sr1fd]

No big deal to pull the Atmel security chip if you're good with a soldering iron and a chip puller.

[@Jamez01]

It’s sooooo easy to remove a firmware password Press command-option/alt and R and P before turning on. Keep holding till you hear the chime 5 times. Hold power button to turn off... Boot back into internet recovery or your recovery drive I really hope this helps anyone. Jay.

[@Jamez01]

@D. A. I fix apple products and this has worked countless times. Jay.

[@Jamez01]

D. A. 🤔what Mac are you trying to fix. Jay.

[@Jamez01]

@D. A. so, your not trying to fix an imac or macbook firmware lock?

[@jamesw6484]

I love that u helped people

[@Lamprod48]

Hello good night I have a problem with my 27 inch imac, mid 2011 Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro The AMD Radeon HD 67970M 124 MB HD Graphics card no longer works can you help me which model of graphics card to change

[@DavidStahlOLDHAPPyMACs]

Great Job Luke Thanks For Being So Generas

[@armanimelendezjr.9227]

My partner & I love it when you incorporate terrible acting with your guests. 😂

[@cwelty1164]

I am looking to upgrade my 21.5 inch iMac EMC 2428. I have decided on the first run to go with a CPU and a new SSD. My question is about the CPU. Do I have to use an Intel I7 2600s, or can I use an I7 2600 @ 3.4Ghz? I would like to go with the latter just because of the clock speed, but I realize that it is also a bigger power draw on the system. If I use the larger 3.4 will it eventually burn up my power supply because it is pulling too much, or is the iMac able to handle that?

[@highvoltage12v]

It's moderately easy to remove EFI lock. Buy a CH341A+CLIP find the bios chip underneath the audio flex cable. Connect the clip onto the EEPROM, dump the firmware using CH341a Black edition. By NSC. Open with a Hex editor and search for "$SVS" and if you are unsure about replacing the exact amount. You can copy and paste the area from an unlocked Bios. Dosdude1 has a video on this.

[@amdintelxsniperx]

with the net boot one take all ram out plug it in power it on let it beep a shit ton then pull the cord pluig ion 1 stick of ram and an official apple keyboard and hold pram

[@andrewwichman7303]

I live in Chicago. I saw right when you posted on Twitter about the meet & greet, I really wanted to go but unfortunately couldn’t make it work out. I don’t even want an imac, I already have too many macs/macbooks because of your videos, I just really wanna meet you some day.

[@43Technetium]

Tbh the older iMacs make pretty decent external monitors, along with the Thunderbolt Display

[@justnoo]

EFI locks can't be removed without soldering and such. Working ones of that age aren't worth $200, and nonworking ones definitely aren't worth $100 - I've sold fully Catalina supported fully working 2012 slim models on eBay and they barely broke $100

[@mattbuffo9967]

next Luke fixes 14 imacs

[@BruceNitroxpro]

Nicely done! Good job.

[@libertylandsforall4689]

Awesome Video, Thanks so much... Please keep doing what you do...

[@WalterKnox]

I thought on these older macs you could do something with the RAM and the battery to remove the EFI lock? I have done it before, but it was a 2011 27 inch, so i don't know if it is different or not.