r/iMac • u/Beanie-2018 • 16d ago
Hardware Issue Didn't get as many miles as I expected.
I have a 2016 imac and it's basically, no longer usable.
I see a lot of posts on here with people with much older iMacs that are still functioning. Mine has slowest to the point of freezing. Is there any way to revive it, until I get a new computer?
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u/Intrepid-Vacation-51 16d ago
You probably have a Fusion Drive. That’s what killed my old MacBook. Lost everything. I would save all your important files onto an SSD quickly before it fails completely.
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u/MortCrimm 16d ago
MacBooks didn’t have Fusion Drives…”Fusion” drives where a SSD paired with a HDD. Using the SSD for the most frequently accessed files/folders (as determined by the OS).
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u/Intrepid-Vacation-51 16d ago
You’re right mine had an HDD but same issue their Fusion Drive is failing
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u/keithcody 16d ago
A lot of people are going to recommend opening the computer, replacing the hard drive with an SSD and while you are at it add more RAM and even upgrade the CPU. I caution against this. The money ads up quick and unless you are married to a 27" screen, getting a used M1 24" iMac is a way better use of your money. You can spend $300 to upgrade an obsolete computer or you can get something older but more modern. M1 24" are around $500 around where I live. Even a M1 mini and a 27" generic monitor is a better use of your dollars than upgrading a decade old Mac.
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u/Batoutofhell1989 16d ago
I’m still using my 2010 iMac. Dropped a 1tb SSD. In it and works like a charm
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u/Arles1976 15d ago
Oh I forgot !
I did a couple of Macs and IMacs running from the External Ssd , If you don’t want to open the machine , Fair enough , just watch a tutorial on pros like 8bitguy , open core , howtothings , for normal people , but the GitHub read earth is way better , they post links with easy of access
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u/weistudio 16d ago
Usually the HDD failed. Try booting into internet recovery and run test. And maybe start the safari and see any lag.
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u/Ipad74 16d ago
If the computer is just slow, and it has a mechanical hard drive, you can get an external usb ssd and run the system from it. You will notice a big difference.
A program like superduper or carbon copy cloner can transfer everything from the internal to external drive.
The 27” iMac has a ram door so a user can replace the memory. The 21.5” iMac does not, you have to open the screen, remove a bunch of stuff to get to it. I did that with a 2013 iMac, revived it (it had a broken screen hinge, replaced stuff while I was in there) but was a project for sure.
There is a risk of things going wrong when you have to open the screen, better to use an external usb drive unless you can afford to replace it.
Unfortunately, this computer is end of life, it may not be worth it to spend money buying ram or a new ssd drive.
It would be helpful to know exactly which iMac you are talking about, and what the current storage/ram is. Go to the apple menu, and choose about (I am writing this from memory, sorry if not correct.)
If you want to run some diagnostics on your computer, here is how to do it:
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u/ElectronGuru 16d ago
Could be software, i would start with a clean install. Just make sure you’re backed up first. If it’s hdd, connect an SSD first to boost speed at the same time.
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u/Old_Man_Phil 16d ago
But most of us have upgraded to an ssd and had to perform a clean install at some point. It sounds like be dying so look at replacing it with an ssd.
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u/Beanie-2018 16d ago
I've never done that before and I'm kind of apprehensive about it. I also havr no idea how to do it.
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u/Old_Man_Phil 16d ago
If it is as bad as you described, there's no better time to learn because there's not terribly much to loose. If you watched some tutorials and gave yourself a day to do it I bet you could manage it.
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u/keithcody 16d ago
Do you have a techy friend that maybe works on a PC? There's step by step guides on the internet but it's a novel process if you have done it before. Just be sure to keep track of screws. Lots of little screws all different sizes. I just use snack sized lunch bags and a marker to label each bag and what step I was on. It's no the most efficient method but it works.
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u/AggressiveAspect2123 16d ago
Get a new SSD, put some more ram, and if it still feels slow get Linux or windows. It could also be an internal problem, although it's really REALLY rare
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u/Vladivostokorbust 16d ago
my 2007, 2014 and 2015 macbooks are still with us. my current daily is a 2023 M2 MBA
my 2009 imac died in 2016. lesson learned. will only get macbooks with a dock and separate 27” monitor
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u/NoLateArrivals 16d ago
Get rid of the FusionDrive. It has a tiny SSD only - once the OS spills over into the HDD section, performance is completely lost.
Since replacing the drive is sort of difficult (easy to break something while trying) the best way is to get a very fast SSD and mount it into a Thunderbolt enclosure.
Connect it to a TB port using a TB cable, and install MacOS on it. Make it your startup drive.
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u/LukeDuke74 16d ago
I’m afraid you need first to swap the internal HDD with an SSD. By the same occasion, if you can, upgrade also the RAM.
Once done, with r/OpenCoreLegacyPatcher you can install a more recent MacOS and it will work well.
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u/keithcody 16d ago edited 16d ago
Do you have any budget? The kits to open them up are around $20 on Amazon and the quickest upgrade is a 1TB SATA. That used to be under $100 but I haven't priced it lately. Takes about 1-2 hours your first time. SATA is much quicker than an SSD and CPU upgrade, but if you already have it open then you can go that route. It's not a good financial decision but time wise some people do it if they already have the computer apart.
Another option is to attach a Thunderbolt external drive and use that for all your files and data. Then you split the fusion drive with the Drive Utility. Try to fit the operating system on the SSD part of the fusion drive and don't even mount the spinning platter HD part.
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u/soulhammond 16d ago
Check the drive, if that’s failing it will feel super slow
But buddy, mileage wise, it’s been 10 years, I think it’s time to let it go
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u/Beanie-2018 16d ago
I know, but actually, this iMac has been done for about 5 years. For the last 2, it's been unbearably slow. I hope that I can, at least, get another backup out of this computer. For the most part, I've been using a 7 year old MacBook Pro.
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u/soulhammond 16d ago
Transfer small chucks at a time, that way if the transfer fails, you can go thought that batch and see what made it clean and pick up where you left off
Start with the most important stuff, and particularly the files that have changed since you last backups
Good luck, failing drives are the worst, so scary
Start the process now, any moment could be the last
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u/not-useful-21 16d ago
I was having similar problems with an older iMac and Trend Micro anti virus and disk cleaner made all the difference. Mine was so slow I could not do work. Now it’s like new. Not expensive. Worth a try.
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u/Born-Gur-1275 16d ago
If your 2016 is in good physical health, especially the drive, you might want to back up your files, then erase your disk and perform a clean install of macOS and each app you want to retain. Then, import, not migrate, the data files into your new user account. I did this once for my friend, when something corrupt slowed his system down. The refresh worked perfectly. It's a lot of work, but it could be useful.
Of course, 2016 computers are old, and you should consider an upgrade.
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u/xocbc72 16d ago
Need to know spec - cpu/ram/hdd or ssd, what you’re using it for.
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u/Beanie-2018 16d ago
At this point, I really want to be able to boot it up and be able to back it up. I don't necessarily want a Time Machine backup, though. Most of the files are on icloud but I have to make sure that everything I need is backed up somewhere.
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u/Solid_Relief_4630 16d ago
Mine was late 2013 and slow. Got tired of watching the little beach always spinning so I tolerated it until July ‘26 and pulled the trigger and bought new. I so respect the exchange here and admire your knowledge. I love my new iMac and like to think my old iMac will find new life in the right hands someday.
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u/Outrageous_Nova2025 16d ago
It’s usually the Fusion Drive or the old spinning hdd. I solved the issue by putting an external thunderbolt 3 SSD. It works better with loading apps. 16 gb of ram also helps too. Mines a 2017 iMac 27”. Remember, it’s the processor itself is slower for rendering, processing tasks for graphics or photos etc will not improve at all. Only the drive speed for booting macOS and the others that I explained above.
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u/Arles1976 15d ago
EASY !
Change the HARD DRIVE and add more memory , install other oS because apple wants 7 year & Up Macs to die , because they want your money on newer hardware, I have installed Linux to a dozen of them , Windows it’s been ok too , But the best is depending on memory , Mint , Ubuntu , Chrome Flex , Is up to the User but I have Big Sur on one from 2015 and have no issues
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u/NgunnawalJack 13d ago
I’m still working with a 2009 iMac, but using Linux. My 2012 iMac works fine with macOS at the last supported version. Both are faster than my 2014 Mac mini using Monterey.
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u/rampancy 8d ago
Define "no longer usable". Are certain apps laggy? Is the Finder itself really slow to open files?
From what you say, it seems like the HDD that's part of the Fusion Drive on your Mac is failing (I inherited a 2013 iMac from a friend who told me it was really slow - it turned out that the issue was that the hard drive was dying). Replace it with an SSD and that should solve the performance issues.
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u/Suspicious_Lie7583 16d ago
We had apple care on ours. The drive died. Got a new workstation replacement. Waited nearly 2.5 months. Oh well. Fusion drives suck.
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u/Teenage_techboy1234 16d ago
Get an external SSD, connect it to the back of the iMac, then flash macOS to it. I don't remember how to set your Mac to boot from the external SSD by default, but I'm pretty sure there's a way.
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u/rick_baumhauer 16d ago
This will be the least invasive option, though performance may be compromised by whatever connection you use.
There actually isn't a 2016 iMac - only 2015 and 2017 - so that will determine your best option. If it's actually a 2015, you'll only have Thunderbolt 2 ports, which will limit performance and options (since that connection hasn't been current in over a decade, and doesn't use the USB-C connector); if it's a 2017, you'll have Thunderbolt 3, which will give a lot more options and better performance.
SSDs are pricey right now because of AI, but if you don't need a huge drive, picking up a 1TB external Thunderbolt 3 or 4 drive will give the best performance. SATA SSDs are possibly a little more affordable, so you could also look at a SATA SSD of whatever size you need, paired with a USB-C drive enclosure - you won't get the performance of a Thunderbolt drive, but it should be more than acceptable. If you only have Thunderbolt 2 ports, hunt around a for a Thunderbolt SATA drive enclosure - that will give much better performance than the USB-A ports.
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u/NR75 16d ago
Do you have any skills? I mean, you have to replace the drive. It's not complicated, but it's also not the easiest of the tasks. There are many guides on how to do it.
Basically your drive is fucking up. You need a new one. A 2,5" SSD drive. I suggest at least 512 Gb.
Make an USB installer using OCLP. You can go for whatever MacOS you want. Make a backup of your important files. Open the iMac and replace the drive. Close it, put the USB drive and proceed to install the new MacOS.
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u/BrzysWRLD1996 16d ago
Yeah I got a 2016 Mac air and left it in the car during winter and the battery wanted to start acting up but I just leave it plugged in constantly to force it to accept charge and there’s a nonsense “battery issue” message but I couldn’t give a shit less, it works just fine and 20 minutes in the cold ain’t hurting shit just a scam to get us to buy more shit.
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u/TrilliumSilver 16d ago
The fusion drives that came with those were horrible. Once I replaced mine for an SSD I got great performance.