apb81 wrote:
yup! that's what i'm talking about. i assume i'll have to remove the glass front to see if that is in fact what's causing it?
Yes, but you need to be careful as it is easy to crack the glass. Plus some iMacs have metal hooks along the bottom of the glass which requires tilting the top of the glass first. With older iMacs you must pull the whole glass from the iMac. The magnets holding the glass are very strong. Placement of the suction cups on the glass depend on the exact model iMac (and size) so you can pull the glass free of the magnets without cracking the glass. Definitely check out iFixIt.com to get exact instructions for your exact model iMac. Finding the right location for the suction cups can be tricky and takes some trial and error to get it right.
Be prepared for some frustration on reattaching the glass without leaving any specs of dust on the LCD or the inside of the glass. Those specs of dust are slippery critters ;-)
Before removing the glass, clean the outside of the glass to remove all smudges, dirt and fingerprints. Use water or an LCD screen cleaner if liquid is necessary to remove the grime, but do not spray the glass. Moisten the cloth first and wipe the glass with the damp cloth.
Have several DRY microfiber cloths handy for cleaning the inside of the iMac. Do NOT use any liquids to clean the LCD panel or the inside of the glass. The LCD panel is very delicate and will scratch and smear easily. Using liquids on the inside of the glass will just leave streaks and residue which will be extremely hard to remove. It is much easier to remove dry dust & dirt.
Touch only the edges of the glass so the outside glass remains clean.
Do NOT touch the inside of the glass with your fingers as it will leave oily residue which is difficult to clean off.
Leave the suction cups attached to the outside of the glass, but be careful as they can loosen and fall off.
When reattaching the glass, hold both the suction cups and the edges of the glass so you can control the glass when it gets near the strong magnets. Holding the edges of the glass will help give you control if a suction cup comes loose. It is much easier to use the suction cups to control the glass as it nears the magnets.
Depending on how particular you are about specs of dust on the LCD or on the inside of the glass, you may need to do this multiple times.
You may want to consider having a professional (Apple or an AASP) clean the iMac for you as they can also clean out the dust from the fans and heatsinks.
