Hard drive died

[Philipcrolfe]

Hi, I hope someone can help, my hard drive started ‘ticking’ recently after an auto update, this may be a coincidence? And has since died. After some advice from a iMac site I have bought a Samsung 870 EVO 1TB SSD Internal Hard Drive.
I have no back up that I can see via the Time machine or any other device.
I can start the iMac up and put it into safe mode and connect to the internet, on diagnostics it say SMART failure.
The question I have is what do I need to do next, apparently the new SSD needs formatting before I use it, I do have an old windows laptop.
Can I just replace the hard drive and start in Safe mode and get the old hard drive recovered?
Philip

 

[4sallypat]

What year & size is your iMac ?

If your iMac has the SATA port then your SSD (assuming it's a 2.5"), will plug in.

If it's a Mac that can do an Internet restore/recovery then it's the quickest way to get a new OS on it.

Your old drive may need professional disk recovery services if that data is important.

 

[Philipcrolfe]

The iMac is a later 2012, thin edge model, 21.5”.

 

[4sallypat]

Wow, that is going to be tough - that model requires you to cut open the double sided foam tape holding the glass.

There are DIY kits on Amazon and lots of videos on how to...

I have never done that - it's too risky to break glass during the removal and air bubbles and fingerprints on the glass when re-installed.

Check out iFixit procedure:
iFixIt 21.5" iMac glass removal

I am scared of that so I use an external SSD to boot from on my 2012 & 2019 iMacs.

 

[Fishrrman]

If the iMac will still boot to the finder, THE FIRST THING you need to do is get your data backed up to an external drive.

You want to do this BEFORE you open the iMac to install a new drive (if you're going to do it that way).

I'd suggest downloading either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper (both are free to download and use for 30 days), to create a bootable backup of the internal drive on the external drive.

Do you have the new SSD "in hand" yet?
You could get either a USB3 external enclosure for it,
OR
Get a USB3/SATA docking station.

Now you can connect the SSD to the iMac and "clone" the contents of the internal drive to the SSD, and test it that way BEFORE you pry open the iMac.

If the 2012 iMac has USB3 (I'm not sure if they all did), you could boot and run that way if you wish -- from the external SSD.

 

[Philipcrolfe]

I have fitted the new SSD, and put the failed HD into a USB external enclosure, I have tried all the combinations of booting and still can’t get the iMac to instal OS Mountain Lion?
Does anyone have any any suggestion?

philip

 

[Fishrrman]

At this point, your best option is to install ANY version of the OS that will install.
And go from there.

Tell me something:
What happens if you
- power down all the way off
- boot with the option key held down (and KEEP HOLDING IT DOWN until the startup manager appears)
- does the startup manager appear with the icon for the OLD drive in the external enclosure?
- if so, what happens if you click on it and hit return?

 

[Philipcrolfe]

I was thinking of sending for a bootable usb off eBay but unsure which OS to go for, am I right in assuming that any will work because it will auto update after installation?

 

[4sallypat]

You can create your own Mac OS installer - do it yourself if you have access to another Mac:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

 

[Philipcrolfe]

I have asked around and everyone has MacBook Air, no iMac, if I bought a stick is Mountain Lion ok to instal?

 

[4sallypat]

Yes you can use an Air to download the OS and create an installer disk.

As long as the Mac OS that originally came with it is not lower version. You can go up but not down.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote in reply 8 above:
"I was thinking of sending for a bootable usb off eBay but unsure which OS to go for, am I right in assuming that any will work because it will auto update after installation?"

THE VERY FIRST THING that you should do after installing the new OS is TURN OFF AUTOMATIC UPDATES.

You DO NOT want such things being installed "behind your back".

YOU should be the one who controls when and which updates are installed -- NOT Apple.

 

[Philipcrolfe]

Thanks for the tip on auto install I have experience of it keeps messing up my hotmail settings.

 

[Philipcrolfe]

Should I do Mountain Lion OS version and update from there?