iMac G5 20" Model A1145 Hard Drive Replacement
Featured Guide
This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.
Replace the hard drive in your iMac G5 20" Model A1145.
- Author: Andrew Bookholt
- Difficulty: Moderate
Upgrade your hard drive for more storage space.
Sections
- Access Door 2 steps
- Front Bezel 7 steps
- Lower EMI Shield 2 steps
- Display 7 steps
- Hard Drive 5 steps
- Hard Drive 3 steps
Tools
Shop these parts and tools-
Orient the iMac face-side down on a table with the bottom edge facing yourself.
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Remove the two Phillips screws securing the access door to the bottom grille of your iMac.
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Remove the three T8 Torx screws securing the front bezel to the rear case along the lower edge of the iMac.
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Turn the computer over.
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Use your thumbs to press both RAM arms in past the front bezel for enough clearance to lift it off the rear case.
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While holding the RAM arms in with your thumbs, lift the lower edge of the front bezel enough to clear the rear case.
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Insert a plastic card up into the corner of the air vent slot near the top of the rear case.
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Push the card toward the top of the iMac to release the front bezel latch.
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Pull the front bezel away from the rear case.
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Repeat this process for the other side of the front bezel.
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If the bezel refuses to release, try pressing the lower edge back onto the rear case and repeat this opening process.
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Lay your iMac stand-side down on a table.
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Lift the front bezel from its lower edge and rotate it away from the rest of your iMac, minding the RAM arms that may get caught.
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Lay the front bezel above the rest of the iMac.
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If necessary, remove the piece of kapton tape wrapped around the microphone and camera connectors.
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Peel the lower EMI shield off the lower edge of the iMac and off the two vertical 4" sections on either side of the iMac.
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Tape the lower EMI shield up against the face of the display to keep it out of the way while you work.
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Remove the two T6 Torx screws securing the display data cable connector to the logic board.
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To disconnect the display data cable, grab its connector's black tab and pull it away from the face of the logic board.
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Lift the lower edge of the display slightly out of the rear case.
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Disconnect both inverter cables (shown in red) by pulling their connectors toward the bottom edge of your iMac.
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Lift the display until it is nearly perpendicular to the rear case.
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Disconnect the remaining two inverter cables (shown in red) by pulling their connectors toward the top edge of your iMac.
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While holding the display perpendicular to the rear case, pull it upward to peel off the EMI shield stuck to its upper edge.
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Disconnect the hard drive thermal sensor from the logic board by pulling its connector toward the top edge of your iMac.
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Lift the left edge of the hard drive slightly, then pull it toward the left edge of the iMac.
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Rotate the hard drive out of the rear case.
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Disconnect the SATA data cable by pulling its connector away from the hard drive.
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Disconnect the SATA power cable by pulling its connector away from the hard drive.
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Remove the hard drive from the iMac.
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Remove the two T8 Torx screws securing the hard drive bracket to the connector side of the hard drive.
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Remove the hard drive bracket.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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10 Comments
Guide
Step 15
When I removed the 4 screws, my bit wasn't magnetic enough to pick them out and they fell in. I could only find 2 of them. Luckily, I was only using this guide to help me remove the hard drive before I recycled my old computer. Make sure to have a strong magnetic bit!
Ruth - Reply
Step 5
you might have more luck by gently leveraging the stand up
Joseph A Borg - Reply
Step 6
If it still does not release try pressing in and out (like an accordion) with the card in one hand and the screen bezel in the other until it pops loose.
rick - Reply
Step 7
My A1145 seems to be attached, somehow, on the top via some silver looking strips. It does not seems to want to come off. Is that the wireless?
Chris Arnold - Reply
NO they are clamps on each of the top inside corners of the outside bezel (frame ) if you use a Heavy Spudger Tool & pry not too hard just slightly between the bezel (side) and the display (side) this should pop each off usually by just popping one or the other sides the second will automatically pop as well.
Mark Meininger -
Step 15
When I removed the 4 screws, my bit wasn't magnetic enough to pick them out and they fell in. I could only retrieve 2 of them. Have a strong magnetic bit! Lucky for me, I was only using this guide to remove the hard drive so I could recycle my old computer.
Ruth - Reply
Step 17
Steps 17 and 18 are not strictly necessary if one simply props up the LCD display into a vertical position while the hard drive is removed and replaced. It worked for me anyway!
I would like to send out a big thank you to Andrew Bookholt for submitting this extremely helpful guide!
Mark Orwoll
Mark Orwoll - Reply
Prop the screen with something soft (plastic or wood) so as not to scratch the screen coating.
Mark - Reply
Step 18
If you are changing the power supply - this is a good point to remove the screws to the old power supply to see if the connectors (both of them) are accessible. If you can gently (but firmly) pull the power connector out from under the chassis, you can install the new unit at this step - saving hours of work.
philaro - Reply
See note to step 44 to easyly remove the power supply without dismantling the whole computer (as also suggested by philaro).
danman - Reply