bargeljiske wrote:
Why not replace the hard disk instead?
iMac hard drives are not user-replaceable. You could take it in to Apple and they could replace it, for a fee. But all that would do for you is allow you to upgrade to Sonoma, which you will almost certainly regret.
I have an 27 inch screen and the new imacs only come with 24 inch screens.
So buy a Mini or Studio with a 27" Studio Display.
Buying a new one would therefore feel like a downgrade.
It would not. Once you go Apple Silicon, you'll never go back. It's like night and day. Your previous, top-of-the-line Intel computer will feel like a museum relic.
A new computer will, of course, run Sonoma, but with Apple Silicon and those crazy fast SSDs, it will have enough performance for Sonoma. You'll get to experience the new Sonoma bugs with great performance, instead of in slow-motion with the old computer.
I do not mind replacing the hard disk, I just wonder whether it is really necessary since the Disk utility app reports no errors. Furthermore, it says " S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified" in the System Information, which seems to indicate that the disk has no errors.
SMART errors, and any kind of hardware failure check, doesn't work that way. There are only two results - failure and undetermined. Once you have any kind of failure, any "OK" or "Verified" results are meaningless.
You've had a failure to install due to a SMART failure. That's a definitive failure. In fact, it is the only time the system ever really checks for a SMART failure. So, yeah, it's most definitely dead.
