With the hinge free to move, the iMac will be unbalanced and hard to work on. Repairs are fast and easy with an iMac service wedge, but can be completed without one.
Before beginning any work on your iMac: Unplug the computer and press and hold the power button for ten seconds to discharge the power supply's capacitors.
Be very careful not to touch the capacitor leads or any exposed solder joints on the back of the power supply. Only handle the board by the edges.
Starting on the left of the display, near the power button, insert the iMac Opening Tool into the gap between the glass panel and the rear enclosure.
The hub on the iMac Opening Tool will keep you from pushing the wheel in too far. If using a different tool, insert no more than 3/8" into the display. Otherwise, you risk severing antenna cables and causing serious damage.
You may want to run the tool back and forth through what you've already cut a few times, to ensure you get as much of the adhesive separated as possible.
While the opening tool cut most of the adhesive, the display will still be slightly adhered to the case. A plastic card will be necessary to free up the last of this adhesive.
Set the iMac face-up on a table.
Starting from the top right corner of the iMac, wedge a plastic card between the display and frame.
Be careful not to insert the plastic card more than 3/8", or you may damage internal components.
At this point there is still a strip of adhesive along the bottom of the display that will hold the display to the frame like a hinge. You can loosen this adhesive by working the display up and down a few times.
Lift the display up from the frame and remove it from the iMac.
It may be necessary to slowly lift from one side to peel against the remaining adhesive.
Be very careful handling the display—it's big, heavy, and made of glass.
After the adhesive is cut, it cannot be used to re-seal the display in place. Follow this guide to replace the adhesive strips that secure the display to the rear enclosure.
Gently set the display face-down on a sturdy, flat surface. It may be helpful to put it on a towel or cloth to protect it from dirt or debris that can scratch the front glass.
Use your fingernail or the pointed tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the display data connector.
Can this be done on a late 2015 27” Imac (model MK482LL/A) ? I asked two repair shops and both said that 2015 and later models need the whole front replaced for big bucks.
Hi Claudia! In this case and in the 2015 5K case, the display of the iMac is the “whole front.” The display and glass are all one unit and can be fairly pricey to replace, but the procedure isn’t too difficult. The most challenging part is cleaning the old adhesive off and applying new adhesive, to prevent the display from falling back off. Here’s the display replacement guide for your 2015 5K iMac!
Is there any way to disconnect the display From the logic board, but then reconnect the sensor? I have a 2015 iMac that has a smashed up screen glass which I am trying to use like a Mac mini. But leaving the built in display connected causes some problems, and I can't seem to find a way to force the iMac to disable the internal display.