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My question is two part 1 how much would it cost to replace hard drive 2, the Mac is 10 years old so does it make sense to get it done
I am a fan of keeping old Macs in service but, in this case, I concur with my wise colleagues. The 2011 iMac 27 had issues with its video hardware and you could spend a bundle on a new internal drive and still original the gfx card go walkabout three weeks later. And your current problem could be something else.
The external drive option should IMHO, only be used as a last-ditch recovery action. The 2011 iMac has only USB-2 ports that transfer data at a max of 480MB/sec. That could be glacially slower; your internal drive bus is SATA 6GB with the potential for doing 6000MB/sec. Apps could time out.
The 2011 Macs were the last to come with bootable system install/restore optical disks. Do you still have yours? They might help show if something other than the HDD is toast.
I am a fan of keeping old Macs in service but, in this case, I concur with my wise colleagues. The 2011 iMac 27 had issues with its video hardware and you could spend a bundle on a new internal drive and still original the gfx card go walkabout three weeks later. And your current problem could be something else.
The external drive option should IMHO, only be used as a last-ditch recovery action. The 2011 iMac has only USB-2 ports that transfer data at a max of 480MB/sec. That could be glacially slower; your internal drive bus is SATA 6GB with the potential for doing 6000MB/sec. Apps could time out.
The 2011 Macs were the last to come with bootable system install/restore optical disks. Do you still have yours? They might help show if something other than the HDD is toast.
Assuming you meant a 2011 iMac, IMO no at any cost. It’s obsolete so you’ll need to DIY. Assuming it’s done successfully, you’ll still be left with outdated hardware and software. Best to recycle and get a new iMac.
(others may view it differently, there’s no one correct answer).
I wouldn't replace the drive. A 2011 Mac can't run any version of macOS beyond High Sierra. You could get an external drive for about $100 to boot from but I think it's time to replace your Mac.
I have a mid 2911 27@ MAC which will not boot up In safe attempt error message ssy @file corrupt” Support says probably a bad hard drive. M
