Unconventional Wisdom thanks bud! Yeah I’m stoked bc I did it 2 weeks ago and happy to say the iMac 🖥 open heart surgery was a complete success with 💯 recovery! iMac and AMD graphic are doing well!
July 2020. Worked like a charm with my iMac 2011 27" (vertical blue lines). I cooked/baked the graphics card at 180°C for 10mins (preheated and in conventional heating mode without fan). After letting it cool down applied fresh thermal paste to all the board components that were originally covered by a thermal pad. Re-installed everything and the thing runs!! Thank you so much for sharing. This video helps promoting preservation of precious resources through repair.
December 2022 here, your solution helped me fixed 2 of my iMacs. Baked the card at 200 degrees for 8 minutes in conventional oven. Reapplied the thermal. Worked like a charm. I am so glad I found your video. Thank you for your help.
I have no words to thank you... I recently gave my old iMac late 2009 to my daughter and few months later she got those lines in blue/cyan colour. I admit i kept my expectations low on your solution but tried it out as it was the only solution before recycling it. And it worked! It really worked! I'm not putting everything back yet as i didn't have thermal paste for the chips, this will have to wait for Monday but i performed a quick boot and I got to the login screen with no lines or other problems... again thank you so much, greeting from Greece!
I have a mid 2011 27inch Imac, I had the same thing happen half way through editing some of my work as I am a photographer. Tried this technique and it worked! Thank you so much, saved me hundreds!
I'm a believer! Had my 2009 imac with YELLOW lines and spotty pixels in my basement for several years after I got those lines in only a 2-year old machine. Didn't want to invest in a graphics card not knowing how expensive it was or how easy it was to repair (at the time). So did nothing. Kick myself in the butt now. Took 5 minutes to pull out of the machine, preheat the oven, bake at 395F (200c) for 10 minutes, cool off, back in the computer. Everything working perfect. Tested by playing plexing two 3 hour long movies side by side. Perfect results. Don't know if this will last 3 days or 3 years but this ridiculous fix actually worked!
October 2020 : Thank you so much! I tested that on my mid-2011 iMac yesterday and I'm very thrilled that it worked! Only thing is that there were not easy access to the screws to remove only the GPU, and I had to remove the whole motherboard, and putting everything was pretty tricky. But the GPU works fine now. Thanks again!
Sir, I can’t thank you enough, it worked! First I doubt a bit, but then I was thinking: what are the other option I have. The GPU is not working anyway. So I tried your method, after reassemble my iMac 27” when it comes to moment of truth, I literally jumped and screamed. I’m so happy you cannot imagine. You are a Legend!
Did this Jan 2021 on an iMac 27” late 2009. WORKED. Absolute life saver! 8mins at preheated 200c, cleaned the GPU with rubbing alcohol and redid the thermal paste on all needed components. Also cleared the old paste off the metal casing. A bit tricky to do alone so I recommend you have a helping hand. Fingers crossed it will work a little while longer! Many thanks!
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!! Completely solved my problem. Not that difficult compared to replacing logic/motherboards like I have prior. Thank you for making the video as straight forward as possible. Cheers from Florida, United States.
DUDE! Tried it on my iMac, 27inch, late 2009 AND IT WORKED!!!!!.... Indianapolis, USA, Oven pre-heated to 395, placed it in the oven for 8 minutes. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING THIS TRICK....CHEERS!
Thanks mate it worked!! Baked it in the oven and problem gone, unbelievable. Your video saved me a lot of time by not having to unplug the whole logic board
As skeptical as I was I had a mac that was just sitting in the corner with a similar problem and figured why not.......Well it friggin worked lol. Popped it in the oven for 8mins at 200 degrees and put it all back together and no more lines!!! Thanks so much for sharing you are a life saver!
Do you have to reapply that white paste that was on all the other squares other than the middle plate? I bought thermal paste but it doesn’t look like he puts it on the other areas and the directions for the thermal paste also don’t say anything about the other squares.
I thought that was the fix for my ‘11 21.5” iMac. It was something else. I’ll add the details when I get it back. This is a popular fix. It lasts longer for some than others. Thanks for sharing.
ive been a cert tech for the past 10 years, i always have seen this little ( so call trick) on line but never tried. I have to say i gave it a shot on a 2011 imac and the trick fken worked. Next time i come across this issue i will make a video.
Well who ever you are, thank you for the info on taking the card and baking it for 8 minutes. It worked!!! It's bin almost a week and my 2011 IMAC is running fine. We also blew all the dust out while we had it opened. Thanks again. DeeDee from the US
Lockdown 2020! Decided to try this had Imac 2011 packed up for a few years due to the pink lines caused by the graphics card. Took us a few hours can’t believe it actually worked !! Thank you so much 😊
this really works! similar problem, baked the card for 8 minutes and the imac is booting and working normally again. i'm amazed! thank you for sharing!
6/19/2019 Still working!!! Degrees heat: 210 Degrees Durations: Preheat: Oven 10 to 15 mins Baked: 11 Minutes Open Oven and leave for 30 min (Be Patient DON'T RUSH!!!) Reapply Thermal Paste and Assemble. Patiennce is the key. Thanks to this guy... Chow!
October 2020: Yes this really does work. I was dubious to say the least especially when a replacement GPU is very expensive (even on eBay), but this quick cheap fix really does work and I would highly recommend anyone who has this type of iMac to give it a go. iMac Repaired: Apple iMac 27" (had to remove the logic board completely). Thanks for your help
Okay, this just saved me a few hundred dollars - Thank you! The pink lines were the least of my worries, how about the screen suddenly blasting colors like a 60's tie dyed tee shirt then freezing everything. After that no boot but safe boot (apparently it doesn't use whatever part of the video card that causes all the problem but lets you get to the desktop. Anyway I baked a potato after I baked my video card. The potato was just delicious AND the video card WORKS! From another video apparently this issue can come back in a few months (or never) and it's another baked potato and video card. Sweet!
Just so you know, this will not always work for very long, nor does it "fix" the underlying issue. Reballing the GPU to the video board is far more involved and requires a completely different process to repair. However the best and true way to end the stress is to actually purchase a new/used GPU that works. Be sure to have good thermal paste for the GPU chip and new thermal pads (white areas) that connect firmly to the heat sinks. Foxconn, the company which assembles Apple computers provides shoddy thermal components during assembly, not to mention older Apple systems used crappy ATI and Nvidia chips that are designed for end-of-life scenarios like GPU failure. Ensures profits lol.
This is absolutely awesome !!! It actually works with 5 LIGHT BLUE vertical lines as well :-) THANKS A LOT ! I did have 1 screw left when putting it back though ;-)
This worked!, wow! So most difficult parts are safely removing the motherboard, and re-seating the motherboard, just take it all one step at a time. Make sure you have some good thermal paste I used some IC Diamond that I had in my shop. Runs better than ever! Thanks for sharing
Excellent! Just "repaired" a late 2009 27" Imac I bought yesterday for nearly nothing. Your tuto & some others more detailed, iFixit, some white thermal paste for the pads + Artic MX4 paste for the GPU and done. Time will tell if it lasts. Is yours still fine?
Yeah, so this just happened to me this week out of nowhere. I did what you instructed here and YES it worked. But one thing, you skipped a MAJOR part of taking the computer apart. You do have to unscrew several screws and take out the logic board because the screws needed on the GPU is hidden. Plus you'll have to unplug several plugs. VERY TEDIOUS! But thanks though.
Thank you so much! Amazingly this worked. I´ve never taken apart a mac (or pc) before. It took me an hour, and I watched a different tutorial on how to remove the screen. I agree with the others saying it could be a little more comprehensive, as I had to do some guesswork to take out the graphic card itself. But it is pretty straightforward and logical. You just have to hold the motherboard while taking out the 4 screws on the front (on the little cross), and 2 on the back, then use a tiny bit of force to release it. This saved me money....!
Ongelooflijk ik heb 2 IMAC en had het zelfde probleem op alle 2 de IMAC , Ik heb het ook geprobeerd en tot verbazing het werkt perfect ;bedankt voor deze mooie Tip
My 2011 iMac has this problem. Unfortunately all the software won’t update anymore due to the age of the hardware so I’m thinking it’s done for at this point. Love this fix though!
Mate you are awesome! I fixed the pink lines problem in a 27 inches 2011 iMac. I really appreciate your work. In my case I had to take away the entire Logic Board, remove the graphic card, put for 10 minutes at 200 degrees celsius and reassemble everything. Works like a charm since 2 days. May I ask you WHAT really the high temperature for 10 minutes does at the card? Just for my curiosity! Thanks again!!
My 2008 iMac at work did the 5 pink bars of death last week. So rather than call in the IT bods who would have thrown their hands in the air and declared it irreparable... "buy a new Win PC" ... I had a crack at repairing it. (NB I have repaired a several Macs, laptops and Win boxes previously)I did a quick hardware diagnostic. It came up with "hardware test error 4MOT/4/40000003:HD-1230" (which eventually turned out to be an erroneous error message.) I bought a new HD and installed it, managed to install the OS from a USB stick today and voomf... Pink lines came back. Bugga. I ran the diagnostic again and got the same error msg. Derrr not the HD! Ok with nothing to lose, I cracked open the Mac again and found the graphics card screwed on from the reverse side. Good one Apple!! Time was short so rather than tediously remove all the connections and remove the motherboard I cheated and *very* carefully drilled out the three torx screws holding the card onto the MB. I used a couple of tiny strong magnets attached next to the hole to catch the metal shavings (yer dangerous I know but it worked) . I popped out the card, cooked it and I put it all back together again and she works YAAAAA. Many thanks for this YT vid!
i was exceptictical about this video, ive try many diy videos and none of them worked for me, its like i always have bad luck...but today after 4 months of waiting for a new video card i try doing this and it worked...i very surprised, thanks for this video.
I can now confirm that this method also works with YELLOW vertical lines;-) Had identical symptoms on my late 2009 iMac 27". Local Apple pusher informed me Apple no longer provides spares for this model (older than 5 years), so not possible to repair. So figured game plan would be 1) bake the GPU card and 2) off to the bay of E to get a silly priced used replacement card. Put the GPU card in the oven at 200C for 10 mins, resting on 4 foil "buttons" as per video, then leaving it in the oven until cold. As of now, late nigth and a few brewskies into the project, the damn thing fires up nicely:-) Can only hope for long term performance. To the next guys out, when removing the monitor, pay attention to the small vsync cable in the upper left corner and to the main display connect lower rigth center. Fragile. Mine have been taken apart a couple of times before to change HD/SSDs, and both these connections are now in a bad shape. Preferably, use a nose-plier to remove the vsync cable. The main display connect needs to be pushed from the sides to release, dont attempt to pull straight out. I did, and the socket connector came loose. Was able to put it back in place, but it is now just "sitting there" without anything holding it in place, and will probably come loose if the monitor needs to be removed again. Thanks for sharing your video.
+Torgeir Larsen I didn't even know there was a yellow lines fault! Good to know that it works though. As much as I love macs, the planned obsolescence and lack of design for maintenance is a real bummer and sort of makes a joke of their supposed "sustainable approach".
It may. It depends what the problem is, which is almost impossible to determine. The method FutureFab describes assumes there is one or more broken solder points, and heating the card to above the solder melting temperature (typically 183deg C) will cause the solder to melt and "re-solder" itself onto the board/components. If your problem is a bad solder point the method may fix it, if the problem is a broken component on the card it will not be fixed. Be aware that the heating to 200C may cause failures in electric components. Even though it may fix broken solder points, it may ruin the card. You would perform this method only as a last resort, hopefully understanding the risk. Still, there are multiple persons that have successfully performed the fix, and if the graphic card don't work anyway you don't have much to lose (in my mind:-) Your backup plan would be a new or used replacement card. Good luck:-)
Thank you. This worked and helped me a lot. I had yellow and white stripes. First time pulling apart a computer and fixed it! My iMac is a 2011 so used this vid also which was the same model. "Burn the VGA and Fix your iMac" by Evan. It was a fiddle so allow a few hours if you haven't done it before like me. Happy baking!
It seems to work. Removing the GPU from my iMac (EMC 2429) was harder because the heatsink is riveted to the logic board so I had to take out the entire logic board. I then baked at 395F (~200C) for 8 minutes and re-assembled. Initial results are very good, the computer can fully boot and no pink lines.
Amazing!!!!!!!!!! Amazing!!!!!!!!!! The Imac is working properly again! Thanks a lot for this video! The procedures absolutely worked as described. I can tell something: If you follow the steps on this video, you are ok. Once again, thanks a lot! My Imac is working like a charm.
Hi FutureFab...Thank you for your video...So i wanna try it. I don't understand how long it has to stay in the oven at 200C (Celsius?) you say 8minutes?
Worked like a charm for the first hour, then turned off on me, now it doesn't turn on. Even no apple chime in the beginning. I can hear the hard drive spinning tho.
This happen to me and I turned my mac off and left it, 1 month later I tried it again and it now works fine??? !!!! ??? I did nothing but leave it off for a month? Work that one out!
I have green lines on my imac when I start it up. I blamed the upgrade Apple suggested, but after watching this, I am not sure. I've started it in safe mode and I can see the screen but I have green and dark red lines . I can open folders and do everything else, although hard to see. Anyway, thanks for posting this.
Hi great video, I got two thin vertical lines, one red and one blue on the left third of the screen. I have got a mid 2007 20 inch iMac. The lines are there all the time, even when booting, what could be my issue?
Tried this out on a 2011 iMac with blue vertical lines. Worked like a charm! Followed the instructions exactly the same. Not sure how long it's going to last though. Be interested in finding out if the problem came back for anyone later.
Just did that to my 2011 iMac and it worked. Had to remove the motherboard completely, though. The 2011 model has it's GPU underneath the main board. 200C @ 8 minutes did the trick, just let it cool for a hour, don't rush it.
Tried it on my iMac and it works like a charm! I placed a sticker on the base with the date I baked it as a reference. Let's hope it will last for a few years. Thanks!!
I want to use an old 27" iMac late 2009 as an external monitor and occationally for some Mac-only tasks. It has got the pink-lines problem. Will the lines also be visible when I use it with my PC via a DP to miniDP cable? Thanks!
I have a late 2006 imac. It has many single pixel lines (vertical) which don't bother me too much. Occasionally new ones develop. The big problem is a 'solid' band (vertical) sort of in the middle. I say sort of solid because it is made up of hundreds of many colors of pixel lines all packed together solidly and it completely blocks out everything on the screen. Sometimes it changes, like to solid white. or pink or gray, maybe with just a few colored pixel lines. The right edge of this band is exactly on the center of the screen, and the left edge of the band is toward the left side of screen. Have you ever seen this particular problem? Do you think your method would do the trick? Or do you know what else might be causing this problem? Thanks for your video. i subscribed.
Question, apparently the fix for a blank screen in the 2011 is to Reflow the solder also... Have you heard anything about this cuz I'm interested in getting the iMac but I'm scared of the 2011
Hi, very helpful video. You think this method can work for MacBook Pro late 2011? It's showing exact same symptoms: pink stripes, then white screen. Thanks.
You would have to do this to the whole motherboard, but it can work, at least for a little while. Nobody has commented back as to how long this lasted for them, but if it's more than a month I'd be surprised.
My problem is slightly different and I don’t know if I should try this method, my screen has the pink lines but they have varying distances between them, also the background is black not white and the apple logo doesn’t show on start up, the screen just stays black and pink, so I’m unable to use the mac. Is this the same issue or a different one?
Unbelievable but it work really good i saw like 2 videos that say it was not going to work but it did hope is a fix for a long time ✌🏼 thanks for the great video
Im having same issue however the pink lines disappear and blueish green symbols cover the screen, small circles and dashes and arrows and apple logo appears and it stays on that screen. Never boots up. Would this possibly fix it or is it a GPU problem? Thanks for any advice!
+Fabian K Excellent! So happy It worked, if everyone in the world was as resourceful as the people on this thread we'd have a happier planet I think! Well done!
You 'casually' skip disassembling the entire logic board to get to the GPU, yet dozens of guides do it the hard way. How on earth did you find out? Will this work on any 27'' iMac?
Sorry man! I just skipped to the interesting part! Plenty of other guides like you say. Heard a friend say it worked and I had nothing to lose! Not sure about any 27" Mac, I'm afraid.
I think I misunderstood your comment- yes, no need to pull the whole thing apart. Just looked obvious to me when I got my hands on it. No sense in making life hard for yourself!
Thanks for the quick reply. I think your method could save an hour or two of tedious work. Did you leave the thermal paste on the side of the heatsink, or did you clean that before putting the card back on?
september 2019 here ! works 100% thanks for the tutorial
How long does this fix work? I've had it done before from a Tech guy and it didn't last longer than 6 months... :(
Congrats bud! I have the same issue and looking to do this soon. Where and what tools do I need for this? Where did you get yours? Thx v much
Unconventional Wisdom thanks bud! Yeah I’m stoked bc I did it 2 weeks ago and happy to say the iMac 🖥 open heart surgery was a complete success with 💯 recovery! iMac and AMD graphic are doing well!
July 2020. Worked like a charm with my iMac 2011 27" (vertical blue lines). I cooked/baked the graphics card at 180°C for 10mins (preheated and in conventional heating mode without fan). After letting it cool down applied fresh thermal paste to all the board components that were originally covered by a thermal pad. Re-installed everything and the thing runs!! Thank you so much for sharing. This video helps promoting preservation of precious resources through repair.
December 2022 here, your solution helped me fixed 2 of my iMacs. Baked the card at 200 degrees for 8 minutes in conventional oven. Reapplied the thermal. Worked like a charm. I am so glad I found your video. Thank you for your help.
I couldn't find that thing he was talking about.
I put the whole tv in oven.
Waiting
I have no words to thank you... I recently gave my old iMac late 2009 to my daughter and few months later she got those lines in blue/cyan colour. I admit i kept my expectations low on your solution but tried it out as it was the only solution before recycling it. And it worked! It really worked! I'm not putting everything back yet as i didn't have thermal paste for the chips, this will have to wait for Monday but i performed a quick boot and I got to the login screen with no lines or other problems... again thank you so much, greeting from Greece!
Works...it just works!!! After 2 years in storage, just tried this out and my 2009 iMac is alive again. Awesome
Thanks mate. Cheers.
Wanted to say thank you. Your shortcut worked first time, no hitches, and saved my customer $200 for a used replacement board.
I was skeptical at first, but it worked like a charm! No pink lines or squares anymore. Thank you!
(iMac Mid 2011)
So, how long to bake for?
@@JulieAdadjo I believe I baked it for 8 minutes at 400° F.
Hey I seem to be having the same problem. Although, my iMac isn't booting up. Do you think this will fix the problem still?
@@PLOWKING831 May as well give it a shot. Mine wouldn't boot past the Apple logo, but this fixed it.
I have a mid 2011 27inch Imac, I had the same thing happen half way through editing some of my work as I am a photographer. Tried this technique and it worked! Thank you so much, saved me hundreds!
I'm a believer! Had my 2009 imac with YELLOW lines and spotty pixels in my basement for several years after I got those lines in only a 2-year old machine. Didn't want to invest in a graphics card not knowing how expensive it was or how easy it was to repair (at the time). So did nothing. Kick myself in the butt now. Took 5 minutes to pull out of the machine, preheat the oven, bake at 395F (200c) for 10 minutes, cool off, back in the computer. Everything working perfect. Tested by playing plexing two 3 hour long movies side by side. Perfect results. Don't know if this will last 3 days or 3 years but this ridiculous fix actually worked!
October 2020 : Thank you so much! I tested that on my mid-2011 iMac yesterday and I'm very thrilled that it worked! Only thing is that there were not easy access to the screws to remove only the GPU, and I had to remove the whole motherboard, and putting everything was pretty tricky. But the GPU works fine now. Thanks again!
Sir, I can’t thank you enough, it worked! First I doubt a bit, but then I was thinking: what are the other option I have. The GPU is not working anyway. So I tried your method, after reassemble my iMac 27” when it comes to moment of truth, I literally jumped and screamed. I’m so happy you cannot imagine. You are a Legend!
Did this Jan 2021 on an iMac 27” late 2009. WORKED. Absolute life saver! 8mins at preheated 200c, cleaned the GPU with rubbing alcohol and redid the thermal paste on all needed components. Also cleared the old paste off the metal casing. A bit tricky to do alone so I recommend you have a helping hand. Fingers crossed it will work a little while longer! Many thanks!
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!! Completely solved my problem. Not that difficult compared to replacing logic/motherboards like I have prior. Thank you for making the video as straight forward as possible. Cheers from Florida, United States.
DUDE! Tried it on my iMac, 27inch, late 2009 AND IT WORKED!!!!!.... Indianapolis, USA, Oven pre-heated to 395, placed it in the oven for 8 minutes. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING THIS TRICK....CHEERS!
Awesome, well done man!
Thanks mate it worked!! Baked it in the oven and problem gone, unbelievable. Your video saved me a lot of time by not having to unplug the whole logic board
As skeptical as I was I had a mac that was just sitting in the corner with a similar problem and figured why not.......Well it friggin worked lol. Popped it in the oven for 8mins at 200 degrees and put it all back together and no more lines!!! Thanks so much for sharing you are a life saver!
It's ridiculous isn't it! Brilliant feeling though!
This totally worked in 2020 during Corona Virus down time repairs. 🙏
HAILSTONE AERIAL FILMS omg yes hope ! This happened to me today.
Do you have to reapply that white paste that was on all the other squares other than the middle plate? I bought thermal paste but it doesn’t look like he puts it on the other areas and the directions for the thermal paste also don’t say anything about the other squares.
@@rosalindludovici4477 I baked mine and put thermal paste in the squares but didn't fix the problem and you?
@@rosalindludovici4477 it's not a thermal paste, its a termal pad, dont use a thermal paste in the squares
Thank you so much for this wonderful advise. I just baked the GPU of a 2011 21" iMac yielding an again perfectly working device.
I can't believe it worked on my imac....you just saved my $200....kudos!!
Worked! Thank you!
Fixed yellow lines at startup and little yellow squares on desktop when booted...
I thought that was the fix for my ‘11 21.5” iMac. It was something else. I’ll add the details when I get it back. This is a popular fix. It lasts longer for some than others. Thanks for sharing.
Working perfectly. 180 Celsius about 8 minutes. Not much preheated, from 140C. Thanks a lot!!!!! Awesome trick!
ive been a cert tech for the past 10 years, i always have seen this little ( so call trick) on line but never tried. I have to say i gave it a shot on a 2011 imac and the trick fken worked. Next time i come across this issue i will make a video.
What tool is used to remove the bracket so I can get to the card behind the bracket?
Well who ever you are, thank you for the info on taking the card and baking it for 8 minutes. It worked!!! It's bin almost a week and my 2011 IMAC is running fine. We also blew all the dust out while we had it opened. Thanks again. DeeDee from the US
Lockdown 2020! Decided to try this had Imac 2011 packed up for a few years due to the pink lines caused by the graphics card. Took us a few hours can’t believe it actually worked !! Thank you so much 😊
this really works! similar problem, baked the card for 8 minutes and the imac is booting and working normally again. i'm amazed! thank you for sharing!
6/19/2019 Still working!!!
Degrees heat: 210 Degrees
Durations:
Preheat: Oven 10 to 15 mins
Baked: 11 Minutes
Open Oven and leave for 30 min (Be Patient DON'T RUSH!!!)
Reapply Thermal Paste and Assemble.
Patiennce is the key.
Thanks to this guy... Chow!
Ronald Fadrigo what year mac?
@@aegis6310 iMac 2015
Ronald Fadrigo late 2015? I have that model and I really need it fixed😂
Just follow the procedure, it will work unless you messed up. Follow the instructions carefully and I'm sure it will be fixed.
210 degrees F or C?
October 2020: Yes this really does work. I was dubious to say the least especially when a replacement GPU is very expensive (even on eBay), but this quick cheap fix really does work and I would highly recommend anyone who has this type of iMac to give it a go.
iMac Repaired: Apple iMac 27" (had to remove the logic board completely).
Thanks for your help
Okay, this just saved me a few hundred dollars - Thank you! The pink lines were the least of my worries, how about the screen suddenly blasting colors like a 60's tie dyed tee shirt then freezing everything. After that no boot but safe boot (apparently it doesn't use whatever part of the video card that causes all the problem but lets you get to the desktop. Anyway I baked a potato after I baked my video card. The potato was just delicious AND the video card WORKS! From another video apparently this issue can come back in a few months (or never) and it's another baked potato and video card. Sweet!
Just so you know, this will not always work for very long, nor does it "fix" the underlying issue. Reballing the GPU to the video board is far more involved and requires a completely different process to repair. However the best and true way to end the stress is to actually purchase a new/used GPU that works. Be sure to have good thermal paste for the GPU chip and new thermal pads (white areas) that connect firmly to the heat sinks. Foxconn, the company which assembles Apple computers provides shoddy thermal components during assembly, not to mention older Apple systems used crappy ATI and Nvidia chips that are designed for end-of-life scenarios like GPU failure. Ensures profits lol.
Hi can this work on black vertical lines also?
Not sure to be honest but what have you got to lose?! Let me know if it works🙂
How long did the iMac work after the fix?
I'm wondering this also.
Ours lasted exactly one year it’s happened again so we will try this once more
This is absolutely awesome !!! It actually works with 5 LIGHT BLUE vertical lines as well :-) THANKS A LOT ! I did have 1 screw left when putting it back though ;-)
This worked!, wow! So most difficult parts are safely removing the motherboard, and re-seating the motherboard, just take it all one step at a time. Make sure you have some good thermal paste I used some IC Diamond that I had in my shop. Runs better than ever! Thanks for sharing
Excellent! Just "repaired" a late 2009 27" Imac I bought yesterday for nearly nothing. Your tuto & some others more detailed, iFixit, some white thermal paste for the pads + Artic MX4 paste for the GPU and done. Time will tell if it lasts. Is yours still fine?
August 2020 here. It still works. Thank you for posting this.
Yeah, so this just happened to me this week out of nowhere. I did what you instructed here and YES it worked. But one thing, you skipped a MAJOR part of taking the computer apart. You do have to unscrew several screws and take out the logic board because the screws needed on the GPU is hidden. Plus you'll have to unplug several plugs. VERY TEDIOUS! But thanks though.
Thank you so much! Amazingly this worked. I´ve never taken apart a mac (or pc) before. It took me an hour, and I watched a different tutorial on how to remove the screen.
I agree with the others saying it could be a little more comprehensive, as I had to do some guesswork to take out the graphic card itself.
But it is pretty straightforward and logical.
You just have to hold the motherboard while taking out the 4 screws on the front (on the little cross), and 2 on the back, then use a tiny bit of force to release it.
This saved me money....!
Ongelooflijk ik heb 2 IMAC en had het zelfde probleem op alle 2 de IMAC , Ik heb het ook geprobeerd en tot verbazing het werkt perfect ;bedankt voor deze mooie Tip
Could you share if the good lady is in working condition. Or for how long she worked?
My 2011 iMac has this problem. Unfortunately all the software won’t update anymore due to the age of the hardware so I’m thinking it’s done for at this point. Love this fix though!
Mate you are awesome! I fixed the pink lines problem in a 27 inches 2011 iMac. I really appreciate your work. In my case I had to take away the entire Logic Board, remove the graphic card, put for 10 minutes at 200 degrees celsius and reassemble everything. Works like a charm since 2 days.
May I ask you WHAT really the high temperature for 10 minutes does at the card? Just for my curiosity! Thanks again!!
Just used this fix on my 2011 iMac and low and behold, it works. Thanks a lot!
I honestly can’t tell if I’m being trolled to bake my gpu but I’ll give it a shot.
Did it work
Milli Vanilli
I’m about to try this
The Swopedog did it work?
My 2008 iMac at work did the 5 pink bars of death last week. So rather than call in the IT bods who would have thrown their hands in the air and declared it irreparable... "buy a new Win PC" ... I had a crack at repairing it. (NB I have repaired a several Macs, laptops and Win boxes previously)I did a quick hardware diagnostic. It came up with "hardware test error 4MOT/4/40000003:HD-1230" (which eventually turned out to be an erroneous error message.) I bought a new HD and installed it, managed to install the OS from a USB stick today and voomf... Pink lines came back. Bugga. I ran the diagnostic again and got the same error msg. Derrr not the HD!
Ok with nothing to lose, I cracked open the Mac again and found the graphics card screwed on from the reverse side. Good one Apple!! Time was short so rather than tediously remove all the connections and remove the motherboard I cheated and *very* carefully drilled out the three torx screws holding the card onto the MB. I used a couple of tiny strong magnets attached next to the hole to catch the metal shavings (yer dangerous I know but it worked) . I popped out the card, cooked it and I put it all back together again and she works YAAAAA. Many thanks for this YT vid!
I had the same problem and it worked! I am still in shock. I can't thank you enough, it really did save my bacon. Thank you!!
I had to remove the full logic board as the screws were on the opposite side on my model. Just put it back together and it is working so far....
How long did the video card last?
Worked for me! I can't believe it worked, but it worked. No idea how long it will last, but I got some life back in my old iMac.
i was exceptictical about this video, ive try many diy videos and none of them worked for me, its like i always have bad luck...but today after 4 months of waiting for a new video card i try doing this and it worked...i very surprised, thanks for this video.
I can now confirm that this method also works with YELLOW vertical lines;-)
Had identical symptoms on my late 2009 iMac 27". Local Apple pusher informed me Apple no longer provides spares for this model (older than 5 years), so not possible to repair. So figured game plan would be 1) bake the GPU card and 2) off to the bay of E to get a silly priced used replacement card.
Put the GPU card in the oven at 200C for 10 mins, resting on 4 foil "buttons" as per video, then leaving it in the oven until cold.
As of now, late nigth and a few brewskies into the project, the damn thing fires up nicely:-) Can only hope for long term performance.
To the next guys out, when removing the monitor, pay attention to the small vsync cable in the upper left corner and to the main display connect lower rigth center. Fragile. Mine have been taken apart a couple of times before to change HD/SSDs, and both these connections are now in a bad shape. Preferably, use a nose-plier to remove the vsync cable. The main display connect needs to be pushed from the sides to release, dont attempt to pull straight out. I did, and the socket connector came loose. Was able to put it back in place, but it is now just "sitting there" without anything holding it in place, and will probably come loose if the monitor needs to be removed again.
Thanks for sharing your video.
+Torgeir Larsen I didn't even know there was a yellow lines fault! Good to know that it works though.
As much as I love macs, the planned obsolescence and lack of design for maintenance is a real bummer and sort of makes a joke of their supposed "sustainable approach".
Torgeir Larsen you think this method will work on a MacBook Pro 2011? Thanks
It may. It depends what the problem is, which is almost impossible to determine. The method FutureFab describes assumes there is one or more broken solder points, and heating the card to above the solder melting temperature (typically 183deg C) will cause the solder to melt and "re-solder" itself onto the board/components. If your problem is a bad solder point the method may fix it, if the problem is a broken component on the card it will not be fixed.
Be aware that the heating to 200C may cause failures in electric components. Even though it may fix broken solder points, it may ruin the card. You would perform this method only as a last resort, hopefully understanding the risk. Still, there are multiple persons that have successfully performed the fix, and if the graphic card don't work anyway you don't have much to lose (in my mind:-) Your backup plan would be a new or used replacement card. Good luck:-)
Thank you. This worked and helped me a lot. I had yellow and white stripes. First time pulling apart a computer and fixed it! My iMac is a 2011 so used this vid also which was the same model. "Burn the VGA and Fix your iMac" by Evan. It was a fiddle so allow a few hours if you haven't done it before like me. Happy baking!
It seems to work. Removing the GPU from my iMac (EMC 2429) was harder because the heatsink is riveted to the logic board so I had to take out the entire logic board. I then baked at 395F (~200C) for 8 minutes and re-assembled. Initial results are very good, the computer can fully boot and no pink lines.
Amazing!!!!!!!!!! Amazing!!!!!!!!!! The Imac is working properly again! Thanks a lot for this video! The procedures absolutely worked as described. I can tell something: If you follow the steps on this video, you are ok. Once again, thanks a lot! My Imac is working like a charm.
Hi FutureFab...Thank you for your video...So i wanna try it. I don't understand how long it has to stay in the oven at 200C (Celsius?) you say 8minutes?
Worked like a charm for the first hour, then turned off on me, now it doesn't turn on. Even no apple chime in the beginning. I can hear the hard drive spinning tho.
This happen to me and I turned my mac off and left it, 1 month later I tried it again and it now works fine??? !!!! ??? I did nothing but leave it off for a month? Work that one out!
I have green lines on my imac when I start it up. I blamed the upgrade Apple suggested, but after watching this, I am not sure. I've started it in safe mode and I can see the screen but I have green and dark red lines . I can open folders and do everything else, although hard to see. Anyway, thanks for posting this.
Hi great video, I got two thin vertical lines, one red and one blue on the left third of the screen. I have got a mid 2007 20 inch iMac. The lines are there all the time, even when booting, what could be my issue?
Tried this out on a 2011 iMac with blue vertical lines. Worked like a charm! Followed the instructions exactly the same. Not sure how long it's going to last though. Be interested in finding out if the problem came back for anyone later.
Derek Honess it came back for me five months later because my MBP got overheated (even with a cooling pad). I’m wondering if this fix will work again.
Just did that to my 2011 iMac and it worked. Had to remove the motherboard completely, though. The 2011 model has it's GPU underneath the main board. 200C @ 8 minutes did the trick, just let it cool for a hour, don't rush it.
Do you pre-heat the oven? or count 10 minutes from starting the oven?
Tried it on my iMac and it works like a charm! I placed a sticker on the base with the date I baked it as a reference. Let's hope it will last for a few years. Thanks!!
Amazing video...it worked for me & I can't believe it. This video just saved me a load of cash & grief. Cheers!
What size type of screws and how many ?
Worked perfectly fine with my iMac 2009. :) Thank you! BTW: I did fry that thing with 200°C (not Fahrenheit)
+Manuson fantastic! Well done, it's so satisfying!
It really works!! Thank You Soooo Much!!!!! I've save 200$... But i've put it in an oven 4 mins 160 degrees celcius... You're damn good:)))))
+Doğuş Atasoy awesome, well done!
Does it work when there's pinky tint edges instead of vertical lines?
You can also use a soldering torch I've done it maybe 60 times and only maybe 3 failed.
OMG. we got this fault! pink pixelated lines I BAKED IT!! YEP. FIXED!! THANK YOU!!
It really worked %100 for my 17" Late 2011 Macbook Pro.. Thanks a lot man!...
Hi I did this like almost 2 years ago and it works perfectly until today. Do you recommend to do the same thing again?
What have you got to lose! Let us know how it goes
WOW I did it and it works , I cant believe it THANKS
Clive Williams So you’ve done it twice and it works
@@maxsilk The second time I dont know if it works because now im facing an issue with a bipping
I want to use an old 27" iMac late 2009 as an external monitor and occationally for some Mac-only tasks. It has got the pink-lines problem. Will the lines also be visible when I use it with my PC via a DP to miniDP cable? Thanks!
So 200 degrees or Celsius? I'm going to give this a go, thanks.
is the machine still working now? how long did the bake fix work ?
I got the exact same problem, I have to check if I could get a free repair otherwisw I will try it but is it going to last long?
Worked on a 2011 27" for me. 8 minutes at 200! Don't forget to put in fresh thermal compound!!
Curious to know if this is still working 3 years later?
Mate, this is unbelievable! Just did this on my 2011 iMac 27" and i was very skeptic, but it worked! Hahaha I can't believe but it acrually work!
How long did you put the graphics card in the oven for?
Hi everyone, just wanted to know if your iMacs are still running a year later with this fix. Thanks!
I have a late 2006 imac.
It has many single pixel lines (vertical) which don't bother me too much. Occasionally new ones develop.
The big problem is a 'solid' band (vertical) sort of in the middle. I say sort of solid because it is made up of hundreds of many colors of pixel lines all packed together solidly and it completely blocks out everything on the screen.
Sometimes it changes, like to solid white. or pink or gray, maybe with just a few colored pixel lines.
The right edge of this band is exactly on the center of the screen, and the left edge of the band is toward the left side of screen. Have you ever seen this particular problem?
Do you think your method would do the trick?
Or do you know what else might be causing this problem?
Thanks for your video.
i subscribed.
Question, apparently the fix for a blank screen in the 2011 is to Reflow the solder also... Have you heard anything about this cuz I'm interested in getting the iMac but I'm scared of the 2011
How would you go about doing this for the Apple Thunderbolt Display?
Hi, very helpful video. You think this method can work for MacBook Pro late 2011? It's showing exact same symptoms: pink stripes, then white screen. Thanks.
It worked for mine.
You would have to do this to the whole motherboard, but it can work, at least for a little while. Nobody has commented back as to how long this lasted for them, but if it's more than a month I'd be surprised.
I can't believe this actually worked. Thanks a lot!!
Silly question, but does this work with green vertical lines too? they appear to be the same as the ones in the video, just a different colour.
I have same problem so this process after fix this problem but i have no heating device so how i heat graphic card?
My problem is slightly different and I don’t know if I should try this method, my screen has the pink lines but they have varying distances between them, also the background is black not white and the apple logo doesn’t show on start up, the screen just stays black and pink, so I’m unable to use the mac. Is this the same issue or a different one?
Thank you so much for your guide! It helped me much with repairing my father's girlfriend iMac!
Unbelievable but it work really good i saw like 2 videos that say it was not going to work but it did hope is a fix for a long time ✌🏼 thanks for the great video
how many min must it stay in the oven at 200°
Got 1 of these second hand and have this issue. Will definitely give this a try
Im having same issue however the pink lines disappear and blueish green symbols cover the screen, small circles and dashes and arrows and apple logo appears and it stays on that screen. Never boots up. Would this possibly fix it or is it a GPU problem? Thanks for any advice!
Baked my video-card today: 8 minutes at 200C. Up and running, again! Thanks a lot!!! :-)
is that graphics card the same on both 21 and 27" imacs?
Tried this today and it worked. Thankyou for the great advice.
How long in the oven ? 5 min ? 10 ?
Amazing, thank you!
Was about to dump my old iMac11,1.
Convection oven, 200°C. 10 min.
+Fabian K Excellent! So happy It worked, if everyone in the world was as resourceful as the people on this thread we'd have a happier planet I think! Well done!
You 'casually' skip disassembling the entire logic board to get to the GPU, yet dozens of guides do it the hard way. How on earth did you find out? Will this work on any 27'' iMac?
Sorry man! I just skipped to the interesting part! Plenty of other guides like you say. Heard a friend say it worked and I had nothing to lose!
Not sure about any 27" Mac, I'm afraid.
I think I misunderstood your comment- yes, no need to pull the whole thing apart. Just looked obvious to me when I got my hands on it. No sense in making life hard for yourself!
Thanks for the quick reply. I think your method could save an hour or two of tedious work. Did you leave the thermal paste on the side of the heatsink, or did you clean that before putting the card back on?
@@FuturefabOrgUk wouldn't it be easier to use a soldering iron ?
My iMac 2009 freezes with different sort of lines and random pixelated screens would you suggest me to try this option
Thanks