[TiltAgain]

iMac is terribly slow to do anything - beachballs all the time, apps take long to launch, booting up takes at least 5 minutes if not longer, then to show the after-login sdesktop it takes another ten minutes etc.

Etrecheck said hard drive shows signs of failure. Disk Utility said said all was well.

So, I decided to do a super duper backup.

Now, SuperDuper has been baking up for 26t hours straight (and counting) - it has completed about 40% of the backup.

Please note, I am not doing "Backup All files", I am only doing "Backup User Files".

Problem is, it is very difficult to replace a Fusion drive - even if the drive is split into two different drives.

So, replacing the machine also has difficulties because M1 Macs cannot be upgraded post-purchase and it is prohibitively expensive to get the largest drive from Apple. Plus,, the largest option from Apple still leaves me 1TB short. I need 3 TB and Apple max out at 2.

And I have read how M1 Macs are not always happy with externals unless they are on Thunderbolt etc. So, now I need t spend more money to search for and buy a thunderbolt enclosure and a 4 TB hard drive (SSDs are still way too unaffordable for me).

Ah, good times indeed.

Cheers

 

[pm-r]

So, now I need t spend more money to search for and buy a thunderbolt enclosure and a 4 TB hard drive (SSDs are still way too unaffordable for me).

I would contact an authorized repair facility for some advice and their various update options.


- Patrick
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[TiltAgain]

46 hours and counting - around 50% backup done so far.

Cheers

 

[TiltAgain]

60+ hours and finally it is done.

Cheers

 

[smashedbanana]

With a drive failing this will be typical. System has to read a sector, mark if for skipping (if bad), and over and over.

Replace asap.

 

[TiltAgain]

With a drive failing this will be typical. System has to read a sector, mark if for skipping (if bad), and over and over.

Replace asap.

Thank you for responding

I am afraid replacing is not an option here - I have been reading that the Fusion drive (and generally the HDD in this iMac) is a nightmare to replace because of the difficulty in first splitting a Fusion drive and then basically dismantling the entire machine just to get at the HDD and replace, and then the difficulty in restoring to the4 new drive without using the Fusion component (which again is a nightmare).

Cheers

 

[pm-r]

Thank you for responding

I am afraid replacing is not an option here - I have been reading that the Fusion drive (and generally the HDD in this iMac) is a nightmare to replace because of the difficulty in first splitting a Fusion drive and then basically dismantling the entire machine just to get at the HDD and replace, and then the difficulty in restoring to the4 new drive without using the Fusion component (which again is a nightmare).

Cheers

I haven't had any experience with such a machine, but I wonder if you aren't exaggerating the difficulty a bit. I understand it is not exactly a cakewalk, but is it really as bad as you make out to replace the drive. Of course I'm fairly mechanically inclined and used to be a Fix-It type of guy.

- Patrick
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[smashedbanana]

He's not exaggerating.

I've done it. The imac screen is glued, so you have to run a knife blade all around the display between the glass and frame. Carefully remove the display, disconnecting the ribbons. The 3tb hard drive is easy to access. The 128gb ssd is on the opposite side of the motherboard. Have to remove everything almost to get it to. Installing new ssd and hard drive easy after that. Then reassemble, constantly watching display and protecting it. Then return the glass. Have to buy an adhesive kit, laser cut to match. Have to remove the old adhesive.

I've tried re-using existing adhesive, using alternatives, all no go. Had display fall off after a couple months. Was an expensive learning experience.

 

[pm-r]

He's not exaggerating.

I've done it.

Thanks for your confirmation.

My 2011 27" iMac was almost as bad to replace it's hard drive and one of the speakers which is on the backside of the motherboard, and because I now have gout/rheumatism-arthritis in my hands, I had a Mac service fellow do the work which he did for $100.00. I figured that was money very well spent, even though I had all the tools to do the job.

As I said my fix-It days are over, and so are the days when my daughter would say "... my dad can fix anything"...

- Patrick
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