Hard drive replacements in 2011 iMacs

[Bread]

So the 2011 iMacs apparently have this issue where the internal drive
has to have Apple-specific firmware. Or at least that was the case as
of May 2011 when they came out. It has to do with temperature sensing
and managing the cooling fans.

I've googled and looked up and down the various forums and haven't seen
anything newer than that stuff from about a year and a half ago.

Has anything changed? Can one buy an off-the-shelf internal drive and
replace the internal drive on one of the 2011 iMacs?

Given that I was unable to find any any news since then, I'm guessing
that the answer is no - either deal with Apple to get a new drive, or
do one of the fan hacks (no thanks), or just forget the internal and
plug in a Thunderbolt or FW800 external.

I realize that the vast majority of folks never swap drives in these
kinds of machines, but having replaced the internal in my 2006 iMac
twice due to drive failures (and having vastly increased the space when
doing so, since drives got a lot bigger and cheaper over the years),
I'm a bit concerned about future options on our 2011 ones.

[Alan Browne]

On 2012.11.16 13:36 , Bread wrote:
>
> So the 2011 iMacs apparently have this issue where the internal drive
> has to have Apple-specific firmware. Or at least that was the case as
> of May 2011 when they came out. It has to do with temperature sensing
> and managing the cooling fans.
>
> I've googled and looked up and down the various forums and haven't seen
> anything newer than that stuff from about a year and a half ago.
>
> Has anything changed? Can one buy an off-the-shelf internal drive and
> replace the internal drive on one of the 2011 iMacs?

Yes - but you also need to go to iFixIt (I think) and get a cable kit to
bypass the Apple idiocy.

> Given that I was unable to find any any news since then, I'm guessing
> that the answer is no - either deal with Apple to get a new drive, or do
> one of the fan hacks (no thanks)

I would have no issue with that. A bit of software, configure it and
monitor for a few weeks and forget about it. Keep the disks at the
"Google" temperature and they'll last a long time. (Google discovered
that the manufacturer recommended temp was too low and running HD's a
little hotter resulted in longer lasting drives. Google run hundreds of
thousands of drives...).

http://www.hddfancontrol.com/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6376021.stm

https://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/research.google.com/en//archive/disk_failures.pdf

, or just forget the internal and plug
> in a Thunderbolt or FW800 external.

If you have a failing drive, by all means replace it - but you'll need
the appropriate kit.

If it isn't failing then go with more external storage.

If I ever buy an iMac that has special parts needed to replace the HD
I'll buy the kit up front.

HD failure is not an "if" it's a "when". And yes, some drives go
remarkably long.

My iMac (2007) drive died in less than 3 years.

One of my PC system disks went many years before failing (well over 5 I
just don't remember anymore) - and that guy took a serious beating most
days.

>
> I realize that the vast majority of folks never swap drives in these
> kinds of machines, but having replaced the internal in my 2006 iMac
> twice due to drive failures (and having vastly increased the space when
> doing so, since drives got a lot bigger and cheaper over the years), I'm
> a bit concerned about future options on our 2011 ones.

Apple are assholes for not following the off-the-shelf standard. I look
forward to the next iFixIt teardown on the late 2012 iMacs to see what
idiocy they've been up to this time - and hope that iFixIt illuminate
the way forward.

--
"There were, unfortunately, no great principles on which parties
were divided – politics became a mere struggle for office."
-Sir John A. Macdonald

[Alan Browne]

On 2012.11.16 17:00 , Lewis wrote:

>> Has anything changed? Can one buy an off-the-shelf internal drive and
>> replace the internal drive on one of the 2011 iMacs?
>

> Yes, but you will need a kit to replace the sensors.
>
> <http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIYIM27HDD11/>

Thanks - I was looking for that.

>
> It is a difficult process,

No it isn't.

It does require reasonable intelligence, a modicum of patience and the
appropriate tools (listed at iFixIt). This includes smallish torx drivers.

and requires removing the screen glass.

BFD. The biggest issue is actually making sure it stays clean on the
inside of the glass and surface of the LCD screen.

[Bread]

On 2012-11-16 22:00:52 +0000, Lewis said:

> In message <k8613b$hrd$1...@reader1.panix.com>

> Bread <BreadW...@Fractious.net> wrote:
>
>> So the 2011 iMacs apparently have this issue where the internal drive
>> has to have Apple-specific firmware. Or at least that was the case as
>> of May 2011 when they came out. It has to do with temperature sensing
>> and managing the cooling fans.
>

> Not Apple specific firmware, that was never the case. They required
> temperature sensors.

>
>> Has anything changed? Can one buy an off-the-shelf internal drive and
>> replace the internal drive on one of the 2011 iMacs?
>

> Yes, but you will need a kit to replace the sensors.
>
> <http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIYIM27HDD11/>

That says it's for an SSD, not an HD replacement. I wonder if that
just means that the sensor simply always says "ok" since an SSD likely
doesn't need the level of cooling that an HD needs?
>
> It is a difficult process, and requires removing the screen glass. It
> should not be done by anyone who is not 100% positive they can do it
> without fucking up.

I watched part of the video they have for installing a *second* drive
in place of the optical, and it required getting at the SATA port on
the back of the motherboard - a big pain in the butt.

The main drive, though, shouldn't require pulling the motherboard -
it's right there up front. The only issue is that of bypassing the
temp sensor.

And re firmware, at last report, OWC just seems not to know:
http://blog.macsales.com/10206-further-explained-apples-imac-2011-model-hard-drive-restrictions


"We have done other testing with external options, but it’s so far
inconclusive – so can’t say anything is 100% definite yet other than:
either Apple has custom firmware in its drives that enables something,
or Apple has firmware on the drives that it looks for to use what is
there anyway."

I was just hoping that in the year and change since OWC wrote that,
some better answers had come forth. I couldn't find anything.

I'm just going to plan on an external when the internal drive eventually dies.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Alan Browne]

On 2012.11.17 02:01 , Lewis wrote:
> In message <atCdnQFf6OltIDvN...@giganews.com>

> Alan Browne <alan....@FreelunchVideotron.ca> wrote:
>> On 2012.11.16 17:00 , Lewis wrote:
>
>>>> Has anything changed? Can one buy an off-the-shelf internal drive and
>>>> replace the internal drive on one of the 2011 iMacs?
>>>
>>> Yes, but you will need a kit to replace the sensors.
>
>>> <http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIYIM27HDD11/>
>
>> Thanks - I was looking for that.
>
>>> It is a difficult process,
>
>> No it isn't.
>

> For most people, it is very difficult.

For anyone willing to ask the question and look at the procedure and who
has the tools, it is not "very difficult". It is not even "difficult".

If one is able to replace a drive, card or power supply in a PC tower,
they are able to do this - it just takes more time.

>
>> It does require reasonable intelligence, a modicum of patience and the
>> appropriate tools (listed at iFixIt). This includes smallish torx drivers.
>

> It also requires a large clean area and the price for failure is steep.
> If you are confident, then fine, but saying it is not difficult is a
> diservice to anyone else reading this.

Making it sound like a more difficult task than it actually is is just
as bad. A kitchen table is all the large clean area one needs.