change hard disk on imac 27" mid 2010

I think you need to be very careful to attempt this.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-iMac-Intel-27-Inch-Hard-Drive-Repl acement/1634/1

In addition, the drives in these iMacs may have an integrated temp sensor manufactured for Apple. Don't know if they are available except through Apple.

The drive must have the Apple thermal sensor. Few if any 'open market' hard drives have this sensor. Also, you will void your warranty by doing this. You could always add an external FW drive.

As noted above, the replacement drive must have the same built in temperature sensor as the factory drive. Your best bet is to just reinstall the factory drive in the iMac and put that 2GB in a good FireWire 800 enclosure.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/External-Enclosures/
http://www.thefind.com/computers/info-firewire-800-enclosure
http://www.directron.com/35enclosure.html

This appears to be someone's opinion (from 2006), so FWIW

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=232754

If you do a search for "opening mac void warranty" you will get different opinions. It may boil down to how carefully you opened it (and how deeply you went) and put it back together again. Cosmetically, the new iMacs appear to be very complex beasts to open "cleanly." Lots of components and connectors in a very small space. If you didn't actually make an obvious change to or replace a component, then there would be less justification for blaming any future problems on what you did. And, perhaps -- and here I'm only guessing -- if there is no explicit Apple directive to the stores or techs about this, as I gathered might be so from one of the threads I looked at, it may, unfortunately (or fortunately), be left to the discretion of the tech or store manager who first looks at your computer, and you may be at his or her mercy.

I don't know if you will be able to get a "precise" answer here. Why not call one of the Apple Stores and discretely put this question to a manager or tech.

I would recommend carefully reading the AppleCare warranty. It is laid out so it's pretty easy to read and will provide you the information you are seeking.

Roger

I haven't read the entire document, but this passage at the beginning stands out immediately.

b. Limitations. The Plan does not cover:
(ii) _Damage to the Covered Equipment caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse (including faulty installation, repair, or maintenance by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider), unauthorized modification,_ extreme environment (including extreme temperature or humidity), extreme physical or electrical stress or interference, fluctuation or surges of electrical power, lightning, static electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes;

According to that, it would appear you can open it and even modify it as long as you don't cause any damage. Of course, Apple could decide that your "installation, repair, or maintenance" was directly or indirectly responsible for whatever current problem you are experiencing. But it would appear, at least from that language, that simply opening up the computer would not necessarily automatically void the warranty.

Message was edited by: WZZZ

That's what I get too, I think your original assumption that it's up to the store's personnel (or Tech or AASP) to determine is correct.

Your welcome.

Regarding your Apple feedback I would recommend posting that at:




www.apple.com/feedback where you know it will be read by Apple, they do not read these forums.