iMac & Mac mini Repair in Woodstock, GA
An iMac that has slowed to a crawl or run out of space is not done. Most iMacs from 2009 to 2019, and Mac minis from 2010 to 2018, take a solid-state drive that makes them feel new, and many take more memory. The job depends entirely on the year, which is why the page below is organized that way.
I’m Justin with Woodstock Computer Repair. I upgrade and repair iMacs at your desk, glued screens included, and I tell you plainly when a newer model is soldered shut and the answer is a cleanup or Apple. If the drive has already failed, your photos come first.
TEXT: 770-356-4462
Sound Familiar?
Slow, Spinning Beach Ball
A hard drive or Fusion Drive that macOS has outgrown. The solid-state upgrade fixes it completely.
Out of Space
A bigger drive, everything copied, the old drive returned as a backup.
Won't Start or Flashing Folder
A failed drive more often than anything else. Files come off first, then the drive is replaced.
Lines, Dark Patches, or a Cracked Screen
21.5 and 27 inch panels replaced by size and year.
Mac mini Feels Ancient
2010 to 2018 minis take a drive, and some take memory. Newer ones take an external SSD.
Photos on a Dead iMac
The drive is pulled, read gently, and copied to a new drive or the replacement machine.
Opening an iMac Without Wrecking It
The 2009 to 2011 iMacs open with suction cups and a screwdriver. Everything from 2012 on has the screen glued to the body, and getting inside means cutting the adhesive around the edge, lifting the panel without stressing the cable, and re-sealing it with new adhesive strips afterward. Tape does not hold. I bring the strips.
Once inside, the upgrade is a drive swap and a clone, the same as a laptop: the machine boots to the same desktop, only faster. Fusion Drive iMacs get a blade SSD plus a 2.5 inch drive, or a single large SSD. Memory goes in where the model allows, which on the 27 inch is a door on the back that never needs the screen off at all.
The honest edge is 2020 and newer. Those iMacs and Apple silicon Mac minis have storage and memory soldered to the board; there is nothing to upgrade, and hardware faults on them belong to Apple under AppleCare. On those machines a slow-Mac call is a cleanup, and I say so on the phone.
Turnaround: most hardware repairs are completed within about 24 hours — exact timing depends on the specific issue and, for replacements, parts availability for your model. You’ll always get an honest estimate of both cost and time before any work begins.
Warranty: every repair is backed by a 30-day workmanship warranty, and replacement parts carry their manufacturer’s warranty. If something I fixed acts up within a month, I come back and make it right.
Pricing: the most common repairs are flat fees, and everything else is $85 per hour plus parts, with the estimate confirmed up front. Free diagnostics, free phone consultation, and no trip charge. If it is not worth fixing, I will tell you that too.
Guarantee: if a fix I completed stops working, I come back and make it right. Simple as that.
My iMac is slow or won’t start, and I’d rather upgrade it than replace it
Most iMac calls are about a machine from 2009 to 2019 that is slow, out of space, or has a hard drive on its way out, and the owner would rather keep it. Good instinct: those iMacs have excellent screens and take a solid-state drive that makes them feel new. The catch is the year. Older iMacs open easily; 2012 and later 21.5 and 27 inch models have a glued-on screen that has to be lifted and re-sealed with new adhesive, which is a job for someone who has done it. 2020 and newer machines have soldered storage and are Apple’s territory.
I do this at your home. The iMac stays on its desk, the screen comes off on a clean towel, the drive or memory goes in, and the old drive is copied so it boots to the same desktop. If the drive has already failed, the first job is getting your photos and files off it. Mac minis get the same treatment for the years that allow it.
What it costs
A solid-state drive upgrade is $85 labor plus the drive, copy included; a failed hard drive replaced is the same. Memory is $50 labor plus the memory on models that take it. An iMac screen is $100 labor plus the panel for your size and year. Data recovery from a dead iMac is $85 per hour after a free assessment. Diagnosis is free and there is no trip charge.
How fast
Drives and memory are ordered per model and fitted in one visit, usually within about 24 hours of arriving. Screens ship per size and year; the swap itself is one visit.
The guarantee
30-day warranty on the work and the manufacturer’s warranty on the part. Glued screens go back on with new adhesive strips, not tape.
By year
iMac 2009 to 2011
Magnetic glass, screen lifts off with suction cups, a standard 3.5 inch hard drive inside, and memory slots behind a door on the bottom edge. The easiest iMacs to upgrade and the ones most worth it.
iMac 21.5 inch, 2012 to 2019
Screen glued to the frame, memory soldered on most models, a 2.5 inch drive or Fusion Drive inside. The SSD swap is routine with new adhesive; memory is what it is. 4K models from 2017 on are worth the drive.
iMac 27 inch, 2012 to 2020
Glued screen, but memory slots behind a door on the back that anyone can reach. Fusion Drive models take a blade SSD plus a 2.5 inch drive. The 2020 model has soldered storage but still takes memory.
iMac 24 inch, 2021 and newer (Apple silicon)
Storage and memory are soldered and nothing inside is user-serviceable. Slowness on these is a cleanup job; hardware is Apple’s under AppleCare.
Mac mini 2010 to 2014
2010 to 2012 models take a 2.5 inch drive and two memory sticks. The 2014 has soldered memory and a proprietary blade SSD slot alongside the hard drive; the drive upgrade is still worth it.
Mac mini 2018 and newer
The 2018 takes memory (a full disassembly, but doable) and has soldered storage. 2020 and newer Apple silicon minis are fully soldered; an external SSD is the honest upgrade there.
Have this ready when you call or text
- Model and year, from About This Mac
- Whether it is slow, out of space, or will not start
- Whether the screen has lines, a crack, or dark patches
- Whether there is a backup of the photos and files
- For a Mac mini, what is plugged into it
Why Choose Us
Justin Comes To You
In-home service throughout Woodstock, Canton, Marietta, and the north metro — no drop-off lines, no hauling equipment.
~24-Hour Turnaround
Most hardware repairs are finished within about a day, and many software fixes happen during the first visit.
Honest Diagnosis First
A clear explanation and a real estimate before any work starts. If repair isn’t the smart move, you’ll hear that straight.
FAQs
Can you put an SSD in my iMac?
On 2009 to 2019 iMacs, yes, and it is the best thing you can do for one. 2020 27 inch models have soldered storage; 2021 and newer 24 inch models are fully soldered.
Do you come to the house for an iMac?
Yes. The iMac stays on its desk; I open it on a clean towel right there. No carrying a 27 inch machine to a shop.
Can my Mac mini be upgraded?
2010 to 2014 minis take a drive, and 2010 to 2012 take memory. The 2018 takes memory and has soldered storage. 2020 and newer take nothing inside; an external SSD is the honest answer.
My iMac has lines on the screen. Is it the screen?
Usually the panel or its cable, sometimes the graphics chip on 2011 era 27 inch models. Diagnosed at your home, free, before a panel is ordered.
What does it cost?
SSD or hard drive $85 plus the drive, memory $50 plus the memory, screens $100 plus the panel. Diagnosis is free and there is no trip charge.
MacBook instead? See MacBook repair. Drive already dead? See data recovery. Windows machine? See SSD upgrade.
Ready to Get It Fixed?
Call or text 770-356-4462, or send the form and I’ll get right back to you. Serving Woodstock, Canton, Marietta, and the entire north metro.