iMac Data Recovery

Spinning disks, Fusion Drives and soldered SSDs — three eras of iMac, each needing a different approach. Every one of them starts with taking the glass off.

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Getting inside an iMac is the first job

Apple products require different tools and skills to repair. Using a tool set designed specifically for this task, it is necessary to remove the glass screen of the iMac in order to access the hard drive — before any recovery work can begin.

Three generations

iMac Storage Types

PRE2012
Spinning hard drives

iMacs pre-2012 use normal spinning hard drives, so that data recovery follows the normal procedures for hard drive data recovery.

Once the glass and panel are off, the drive comes out and every option is available — head replacement, PCB repair, firmware work and imaging around bad sectors.
- 3.5" SATA
- Removable
- Cleanroom work possible
2012– 2020
Apple’s Fusion Drive

An SSD and a hard drive logically combined into a single block device. Convenient in use, and the most awkward iMac configuration to recover from. Full explanation below.
- SSD + HDD paired
- Managed by the OS
- Cannot be separated
POST2020
Soldered SSD

In general the SSDs on later iMacs have the solid state drive soldered onto the motherboard, so that data recovery requires repair of the iMac logic board.

There is no drive to remove. The work happens at board level, which is a different discipline to drive recovery entirely.
- Soldered NAND
- Logic board repair
- No removable module

2012 – 2020

Why Fusion Drives are the hard ones

SSDs and hard drives are logically combined into one block device managed by the operating system, which is independent of file systems and requires no application changes. It hides latencies and boosts write performance by using SSD space as a write-back buffer.

SSDs store data that is frequently accessed, while HDDs store larger, less frequently accessed data. As a result of access patterns, data is usually moved to the SSD by the program controlling the Fusion Drive if it has been on the HDD and suddenly becomes frequently accessed. Data is written during idle periods to achieve data processing performance for users.

SSDFrequently accessed data · write-back buffer

HDDLarger, less frequently accessed data

Combined by the OS

One block deviceWhat macOS shows you

Fusion drives present a unique problem, as the paired SSD and HDD cannot be separated. Both halves have to be imaged and the pairing reconstructed before any file can be read.

Why iMacs lose data

What causes iMac data loss

Identifying the root cause is what determines the recovery plan.

External device failureThe sudden failure of an external device connected to the machine.

Software issuesSoftware incompatibility, or software corruption in the OS.

Permission changesIndividual application changes in permissions.

Improper shutdownImproper shutdown, often after a freeze or power loss.

Malware infectionMalware reaching the system volume.

Battery drainsHardware issues due to battery drains.

Accidental deletionFiles removed and the bin emptied.

Drive degradationBad sectors building up until the machine freezes.

Here at Data Recovery Perth we are familiar with all of the storage technologies used in iMac computers and can recover your data quickly and efficiently.

More Apple recovery

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iMac freezing or not booting?

We do not charge to quote and there is no fee if your data is not recovered.