My old iMac is broken - I want to get rid of it but dont know how to take all of my personal info off it first as it won't even switch on. Can anyone advise - thank you
iMac 27″, macOS 10.15
Use common sense. If the machine cannot be turned on then there is no way to get your information. You have one, and only one option. You must disassemble the iMac and physically remove the hard drive. Then you must find and purchase an enclosure that can power and mount the drive so you can extract data from it. If the drive is defective you would then need to hire a professional data recovery company to attempt to access it. This can cost hundreds of dollars. Are you getting the picture?
If you had a backup strategy while using your iMac then all of your data is preserved in that backup. If you do not have a backup then you are basically out of luck. Before recycling you should physically destroy the hard drive (using a big hammer or very strong magnetic field). That's the only way to prevent someone from seeing your data.
Use common sense. If the machine cannot be turned on then there is no way to get your information. You have one, and only one option. You must disassemble the iMac and physically remove the hard drive. Then you must find and purchase an enclosure that can power and mount the drive so you can extract data from it. If the drive is defective you would then need to hire a professional data recovery company to attempt to access it. This can cost hundreds of dollars. Are you getting the picture?
If you had a backup strategy while using your iMac then all of your data is preserved in that backup. If you do not have a backup then you are basically out of luck. Before recycling you should physically destroy the hard drive (using a big hammer or very strong magnetic field). That's the only way to prevent someone from seeing your data.
I don’t know exactly what model or year of iMac you have… but on the older ones it is possible to remove the hard drive and put it into a usb enclosure or drive dock. I presume you’ve done the basics first.. reset smc/pmu and then zap pram 3-4x on startup.. try those steps first before considering removing the hard drive..
john b
How do I get my personal data out of a broken iMac that won't switch on before recycling it please ?
