Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
Mid 2011 imac a1312 screen is black. I have tried all the reboot procedures with no luck. I can hear the hard drive crunching along so i know ot workin. Got a replacement screen and installed that...still black. What would be the next thing you would replace? The board for the backlight lcd or the graphics board....or would you suspect more major and deep 6 the unit?
Tia Brian
iMac 27″, macOS 10.13
The only way to find out if it has (a bad Logic Board, a bad Backlight Inverter, a bad GPU, a bad Cable or a bad connector) is to take it to an AASP that has the skill and equipment to test it.
If you have a current Time Machine backup, then there is no need to try and recover anything from the old iMac.
If you do not have a Time Machine backup, then you have two option for recovering your data.
The only way to find out if it has (a bad Logic Board, a bad Backlight Inverter, a bad GPU, a bad Cable or a bad connector) is to take it to an AASP that has the skill and equipment to test it.
If you have a current Time Machine backup, then there is no need to try and recover anything from the old iMac.
If you do not have a Time Machine backup, then you have two option for recovering your data.
Hi Brian,
First, based on similar experiences with an 2010 iMac 27, the overall problem may not be recoverable at a reasonable price.
You can try Target Disk Mode to access the iMacs hard drive if you have another Mac. If the drive is working, it will show up on the desktop of another Mac as an external hard drive.
Transfer files between two Mac computers using target disk mode - Apple Support
That did not work on my 2010 iMac. It seemed the drive controller or other important bit of kit was somehow affected. Fortunately I had two independent backups to external drive so I lost nothing.
If:
the last resort is to open the computer, extract the hard drive and attach it to a universal USB adapter or a drive docking station and access the data from another computer that way.
"Not dead" video cards for 2009-2011 iMac are hard to find, hard to install, and can cost far more than any sane person would pay for a fully-working, minty, working 2011 iMac. I do not see that as a viable option. You can replace the card with an expensive equivalent and still not have a working computer.
Still, I would like to know what the experts feel would be the next logical step. Spending $200-300 is a lot better than $1000-$1700, and I can do the work myself and have plenty of time...that and the fact that I'm a cheap ol' skinflint and don't like spendin' money :P lol
Thanks for the follow-up.
You can try connecting a known-good external monitor. If the image shows normally on the external, that suggests the iMac's internal display assembly, its inverter, or its cable is compromised, but the graphics hardware is OK.
If the external monitor displays black, then thing are far more involved. That's what my 2010 did. Lots of nothing other than normal sounds.
I totally understand where your coming from. The problem is that you easily end up spending $300, $500 or more on a Mac that is only worth maybe $200. On top that off, there is no way of knowing what might crap out next and then it turns into a worse money pit.
Plus your stuck running an out macOS that is no longer supported by new security updates.
Well according to the experts it's the graphics card. Like others have said, he said finding a new replacement would be hard and you're never sure of what you're getting with used replacements or how long they'll last. I may do a little scouring of the internet to see what I can find as any cost of over $350-400 would be taxing our current budget right now. I have a Windows 10 PC (blech) I can use in the mean time.
Thanks again guys!
It’s had a long life and not worth spending any more time or money on.
So what's going to be the easiest way to retrieve all my data on the hard drive...?
never mind the last reply... you already answered it! Thanks :D
Excellent idea there Allan.
I actually ran a 17” Early 2006 iMac that way for a couple of years to get by. I disconnected the internal display and plopped a 21.5” monitor down in front of it.
Thanks guys, I'm going to be dropping the unit off at an Apple Authorized Service Provider that charges $60 to diagnose the problem, I should know more in a day or two.
You’re welcome. Let us know what you find out.
Black screen on mid 2011 27" imac
