Is this repairable damage?

[SlickShoes]

A lecturer at my work decided to move a 2010 27" iMac on his own and promptly dropped it flat on it's face.

I have not had the chance to open it up yet but i wanted to ask if its even worth trying to fix or if it is basically now scrap?

The screen is ruined, smashed and cracked all over. When you boot the machine up it starts to work and then you get multi colored lines everywhere, I assume this is because the display is wrecked and not the GPU, or it could be both?

I know a repair like this won't be easy but I may try it if my work fund it.

 

[old-wiz]

Have you tried plugging in an external display?

 

[SlickShoes]

Have you tried plugging in an external display?

Nah, not yet, that will be my first port of call though. I don't know why that didn't even occur to me to do that!

 

[brian82788]

If you decide not to repair it you can most likely harvest a few hundred dollars for it on eBay. Also, if you wanted to buy another one (same model) used, then you would have many backup parts. But this most likely costs more than the repair, particularly if you don't have to fund the potential repair. But nothing will be more satisfying than repairing it yourself, if the display it your only problem, which I think is the case. Maybe you will have to replace a hard drive (not a difficult task if the computer is already open) but from my experience processors are not the most shock-sensitive parts of a computer. Good luck.

 

[Stan Mikulenka]

Hi brian,
the OP doesn't own the iMac...

 

[alust2013]

Just needs a new LCD/glass. I'd say that's cheaper than buying a new one, so that's how I'd do it.

 

[old-wiz]

Just needs a new LCD/glass. I'd say that's cheaper than buying a new one, so that's how I'd do it.

And if the user tried plugging in an external display and that works, then a new LCD or glass would solve the problem.

 

[SlickShoes]

And if the user tried plugging in an external display and that works, then a new LCD or glass would solve the problem.

Cheers guys! I knew asking here would be the correct thing!

Where would you get a whole new display, glass and LCD?

 

[leman]

I don't understand why you have to repair work computers yourself?

Doesn't the person who broke the machine have any insurance? Just give it to an official Apple repair shop and let the insurance cover the costs....

It is possible to find spare parts for the iMac, but these will be rather expensive and there is no guarantee that you will be able to put them together without further damaging the computer. Also, its possible that the iMac is damaged beyond the screen. My advice: let an Apple technician repair it.

 

[SlickShoes]

I don't understand why you have to repair work computers yourself?

Doesn't the person who broke the machine have any insurance? Just give it to an official Apple repair shop and let the insurance cover the costs....

It is possible to find spare parts for the iMac, but these will be rather expensive and there is no guarantee that you will be able to put them together without further damaging the computer. Also, its possible that the iMac is damaged beyond the screen. My advice: let an Apple technician repair it.

I work as IT Support / Server Admin. I don't have to fix it but I would like to fix it. I certainly won't be paying for it.

Lecturers are not insured for moving equipment and thats who dropped and wrecked it and submitted an official support saying so. My work was just going to bin the computer but I thought it may be worth salvaging.

They won't take it to apple, it was dropped by someone not insured so the work are resigned to that and its just gone down as a loss, i just thought itd be worth fixing if i can.

 

[leman]

Ah, now I get it. Yes, its a stupid situation... I guess that his private insurance won't cover for it as well as its a work-related accident...

Your best bet is to look at ebay and similar platforms, sometimes people sell Apple components there. Also, there is a shop which specializes in mac components (I think its called apple components or similar, but http://applecomponents.com/ seems to be down and I am not sure if its the right one).

Please note that it will be rather expensive. The LCD panel itself will probably cost several hundred at least.

 

[philipma1957]

you realize that you have a headless iMac with a chance to use any lcd of you own choice. The first thing you need to do is figure out it only the lcd/glass is dead. hook it up to a second iMac use this cable



http://cgi.ebay.com/CABLES-GO-3m-Mi...ultDomain_0&hash=item2eb6e78189#ht_1656wt_906

i am looking for a lower price then that


http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-Displaypor...ultDomain_0&hash=item3f0423793d#ht_500wt_1155


this one is lower. once you know the broken machine works with the exception of the glass/lcd look for parts ebay is best.


***************************************************************************************************************

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAKE SURE THE PARTS FIT!!!!!!!!!!!

***************************************************************************************************************
here is a glass front


http://cgi.ebay.com/APPLE-iMAC-FRON...le_Desktops&hash=item1c1795ef76#ht_1709wt_906


here is a lcd

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-iMac-27-L...aultDomain_0&hash=item4aac0dc367#ht_500wt_921



*************************************************************************************************************
THE PARTS ABOVE COST 295 PLUS 75 OR 370!!!

***************************************************************************************************************

The test cable is 20 or so. to be honest if it all works out you are under 400 for a working 27 inch 2010 iMac. that would be tempting to me. to take the shot. I would have to test with the cable to see if only the glass/led is broken

 

[FrankHahn]

You can also find or make a box to house the components of the iMac. You then have a home-made Mac Mini, under the assumption that the components are in the working order except for the display panel.

On the second thought, can you just use a mini tower from the PC world?

 

[SlickShoes]

I have it hooked up to an external monitor now, the computer boots up and i see the leopard background on the external monitor.

I assume this is just an extension of the normal desktop. Since the LCD is dead how do i get it to just display on the external and not the iMac itself?

EDIT: CMD + F1 works to switch it to the external.

Seems like we have a perfectly working iMac with a duff LCD and smashed glass.

 

[SlickShoes]

You can also find or make a box to house the components of the iMac. You then have a home-made Mac Mini, under the assumption that the components are in the working order except for the display panel.

On the second thought, can you just use a mini tower from the PC world?

What about PSU, is everything in the iMac one solid unit that could just be transplanted or would i need to separate the parts out and connect it to a normal PSU?

 

[32gb3gwifi]

What about your hdd. With that kind Of shock if it isn't dead yet it won't be too long.

 

[SlickShoes]

What about your hdd. With that kind Of shock if it isn't dead yet it won't be too long.

So far everything is operating fine other than the LCD.

I think the cheapest thing to do is just have it hooked up to an external monitor. If it dies then nothing is lost because the machine has already been written off as a loss anyway.

 

[FrankHahn]

What about PSU, is everything in the iMac one solid unit that could just be transplanted or would i need to separate the parts out and connect it to a normal PSU?

The parts in the iMac can be surely separated. If you can make use of a machine shop, you can definitely reassemble the parts into a mini tower. The PSU in the iMac is to be used; otherwise, you have to find proper cables and connectors.

If you are lucky, all the cables will be sufficiently long for the rearrangement of the parts in the mini tower; otherwise, you may need to buy some cables.

If you can accomplish the reassembling in a mini tower, please speak out loudly in this forum so that many people, including me, can hear you.