My 2020 iMac 27" is being repaired but I'm very concerned about my files, please help me

[lawlietkm]

Hello, sorry for the dramatic title I wasn't sure how to write it. Sorry as well for the poor english, as a french native I'm not always sure of the syntaxe nor the words that are fitting the best.

I'll be quick: my iMac 27" that was released late August 2020 and that has become my main machine to work, play and use on a daily basis ever since I received it had an issue this Monday. My screen turned to black and I have tried to reboot it without success.

After a call in the next morning, I went to an appointment to the nearest Apple premium reseller/repair store and knowing that I didn't have any backup ever since I started to use this iMac (which means all the relevant files that I will need in the future and that I still need every day for work and many other purposes such as my accounting) I asked them to do a backup for me before to process any repairing work. They charged me 150€ and told me they were able to put into DFU mode and that should be easily done within a day after the Apple approval to start working on my machine.

Today, 3 days after I dropped my iMac without knowing what the issue was, I got a call from that store and they are telling me that they have to replace the motherboard (I haven't asked yet what has caused the issue) and they shall receive it in the day for me to pickup the machine asap after it's fixed (maybe tomorrow or the upcoming Monday). But most importantly they told me that they didn't manage to extract my files and so they couldn't make any save of my datas before to replace the motherboard. I asked if my files would all disappear and they said that most likely my computer would restart empty.

Although I was being told that, I asked friends about it and they said that motherboard doesn't contain my files so there's no reason my data would not be there, unless the repair store actually reinstall the OS and even then the files wouldn't disappear but would be replaced with the new ones.

I'm very confused. What should I expect? I have got very emotional today because it represents a year of many different work, I had scripts, photoshop important documents, all my accounting, all my softwares of course and different local stuff that were never stored to the cloud or saved into my external SSDs.

Also at some point during the call, the guy from the Apple premium reseller that is handling the motherboard replacement said, as an example, that on the iMac Pro (which isn't my machine), at the end of the process of replacing a piece, there's "basically" a script that runs and clear the computer files and reinstall the OS.

Here I am now, very confused as if I can expect to find again my files just by turning on the machine or may I be able to find a part of them datas by digging into the hidden local files or will it just be completely empty and starting fresh new?

I hope it wasn't a pain reading this but I'm so stressed and sad about this, I feel guilty and stupid not having done more backups.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Your friends are wrong. The SSD is soldered to the motherboard.

The sad fact is that You will loose your files, and you should take care to ensure you have backups on the future.

A professional service might be able to recover the files, but it will be very pricey, if the motherboard is dead and they have to remove the SSD.

 

[lawlietkm]

Your friends are wrong. The SSD is soldered to the motherboard.

The sad fact is that You will loose your files, and you should take care to ensure you have backups on the future.

A professional service might be able to recover the files, but it will be very pricey, if the motherboard is dead and they have to remove the SSD.

thanks for clearing this. It's terrible

 

[smirking]

thanks for clearing this. It's terrible

It's already a very bad idea to not have a backup, but to release your machine for repairs when you don't have a backup is insanity. You MUST have backups in the future.

Even if you only brought your iMac in for a screen repair, you need to have a backup before you let go of your computer. I've brought my MBP for a screen and keyboard replacement one time and inexplicably they felt the need to wipe the machine before returning it to me. You cannot take any chances when you only have one copy of your data.

 

[lawlietkm]

It's already a very bad idea to not have a backup, but to release your machine for repairs when you don't have a backup is insanity. You MUST have backups in the future.

Even if you only brought your iMac in for a screen repair, you need to have a backup before you let go of your computer. I've brought my MBP for a screen and keyboard replacement one time and inexplicably they felt the need to wipe the machine before returning it to me. You cannot take any chances when you only have one copy of your data.

Yeah of course but anyway I didn't back up my files before to have that issue and since I couldn't use the computer once the issue happened I couldn't just back it up before to get it to repair

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:
"I'm very confused. What should I expect? I have got very emotional today because it represents a year of many different work, I had scripts, photoshop important documents, all my accounting, all my softwares of course and different local stuff that were never stored to the cloud or saved into my external SSDs."

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
You have just learned why it's important and essential to "keep a backup" of your internal drive.
And it's a hard lesson.

Those files aren't coming back.
Go forth from this day and learn -- a sadder, but wiser person.

In the future...
For backups, I would recommend either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
Better than time machine.

 

[zeratul75]

Did they charge 150 euros without saving your data?
Or that was the price due only in case they would have been able to do the job?

 

[lawlietkm]

Did they charge 150 euros without saving your data?
Or that was the price due only in case they would have been able to do the job?

the amount will be refunded, thanksfully

OP:
"I'm very confused. What should I expect? I have got very emotional today because it represents a year of many different work, I had scripts, photoshop important documents, all my accounting, all my softwares of course and different local stuff that were never stored to the cloud or saved into my external SSDs."

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
You have just learned why it's important essential to "keep a backup" of your internal drive.
And it's a hard lesson.

Those files aren't coming back.
Go forth from this day and learn -- a sadder, but wiser person.

In the future...
For backups, I would recommend either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
Better than time machine.

why are they better than time machine if you don't mind explaining to me?

 

[smirking]

why are they better than time machine if you don't mind explaining to me?

Gonna disagree with the Fish. Time Machine is better because it's easier and it's bundled in. SuperDuper and CarbonCopyCloner have advantages, but it's more complex than Time Machine. I regularly use SuperDuper and Time Machine together.

Both SuperDuper and Carbon Copy Cloner broke when I installed BigSur. Time machine always works.

Just be aware that Time machine is terrible over a network. Use it over a connected drive instead. It's fast that way.

Keep it simple.

 

[lawlietkm]

Gonna disagree with the Fish. Time Machine is better because it's easier and it's bundled in. SuperDuper and CarbonCopyCloner have advantages, but it's more complex than Time Machine. I regularly use SuperDuper and Time Machine together.

Both SuperDuper and Carbon Copy Cloner broke when I installed BigSur. Time machine always works.

Just be aware that Time machine is terrible over a network. Use it over a connected drive instead. It's fast that way.

Keep it simple.

Sure, in the past I only did TimeMachine onto an external SSD and sometime copy one or few files onto it because I didn't need to update the save. But yeah, I'll make sure to be very up to date with my save from now on.

But I will of course need to start over again now... Redo the accounting for the past years, some important template PSD for clients, etc. Mad annoying

Even more annoying when it comes to notes and saved random files like some JPGs that brought ideas and that were noted onto a random textedit file...

 

[kvic]

I'm afraid you made multiple mistakes that result in a catastrophe.

1. You don't do regular backup of data that you consider important. It's a big mistake as people have pointed out.

2. Knowing #1 as a fact, you didn't devise a well-thought plan before bringing your iMac to a repair service.

3. You didn't issue clear commands to people at the repair service. What-if-but-not. And command them to always seek your approval before they proceed with major actions.

You lost precious moments to save your data in the last minutes. If you really care, I'm sure there are ways to try at whatever cost. Very likely the data are still intact in the old motherboard. But ask yourself how much you're gonna pay, how much time you gonna spent on this..

After all most data aren't really as important as people think they're..

Sorry if I sound like salting on your wound. Hope you've learned a lesson.

Last but not least, I hope you join the advocacy of pressing Apple to design computers with more user-replaceable parts. As important as SSD, it should be a user-replaceable part like in most PC's. If that were the case, you would have the old SSD transplanted easily to the new motherboard and you would have retained your data.

 

[lawlietkm]

I'm afraid you made multiple mistakes that result in a catastrophe.

1. You don't do regular backup of data that you consider important. It's a big mistake as people have pointed out.

2. Knowing #1 as a fact, you didn't devise a well-thought plan before bringing your iMac to a repair service.

3. You didn't issue clear commands to people at the repair service. What-if-but-not. And command them to always seek your approval before they proceed with major actions.

You lost precious moments to save your data in the last minutes. If you really care, I'm sure there are ways to try at whatever cost. Very likely the data are still intact in the old motherboard. But ask yourself how much you're gonna pay, how much time you gonna spent on this..

After all most data aren't really as important as people think they're..

Sorry if I sound like salting on your wound. Hope you've learned a lesson.

Last but not least, I hope you join the advocacy of pressing Apple to design computers with more user-replaceable parts. As important as SSD, it should be a user-replaceable part like in most PC's. If that were the case, you would have the old SSD transplanted easily to the new motherboard and you would have retained your data.

I'm really noob when it comes to hardware parts and issue with it... I don't know what plan I could of conceived, when I brought the iMac, first thing after they tried to turn it on is asking them to try to save my files before anything else. Myself I couldn't even get it to DFU mode, I don't know why but I didn't manage it.

And of course when bringing it to the repair, I knew I was going to lose my files, I'm not sure to understand everything you've tried to tell me.

And depends on how much it cost, yes I would be very interested into trying to get these files back up. I will try to get more informations for this process, maybe you have already some ideas or some guidance for me?

And yeah I agree that many data are just some stuff accumulated but I'm just worried about the really important stuff such as accounting, sketches and draft projects, templates that took weeks to achieve and some art stuff that wasn't completed... Even some local guidance for my passwords and emails to different businesses...

 

[kvic]

I don't know if my ways help your proceed a bit. If I were in your situation, one way will be.. I would want the old motherboard back as well as the new motherboard. I would find some professionals to de-solder the old SSD chips, and re-solder to the new motherboard. Hope every data is there..

What you can try as of now, it's very important to tell the repair service again, the data is critical to you and you must get it back. Ask them what options they have available for you. Escalate to senior staff if necessary..at least to hear what options you have regardless of cost for a moment. There are ways and there are associated cost (likely not cheap).

 

[lawlietkm]

I don't know if my ways help your proceed a bit. If I were in your situation, one way will be.. I would want the old motherboard back as well as the new motherboard. I would find some professionals to de-solder the old SSD chips, and re-solder to the new motherboard. Hope every data is there..

What you can try as of now, it's very important to tell the repair service again, the data is critical to you and you must get it back. Ask them what options they have available for you. Escalate to senior staff if necessary..at least to hear what options you have regardless of cost for a moment. There are ways and there are associated cost (likely not cheap).

Thanks for your opinion and advice, I will definitely ask them more in details when they will call me to grab it back

 

[lawlietkm]

By the way, I was wondering if this sudden blackout happened to anyone else on this batch of iMac 27"

 

[Fishrrman]

CarbonCopyCloner and SuperDuper both still work with the latest OS releases.
BOTH are FREE to download and use for 30 days.

I suggest you give one or both a try.
If you don't like them, just delete them and move on.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I've been reading a lot of story about failing iMacs 2020.
Enough stories for me to refrain myself from buying one.
Is it just me? Do you guys feel the same?

 

[lawlietkm]

I've been reading a lot of story about failing iMacs 2020.
Enough stories for me to refrain myself from buying one.
Is it just me? Do you guys feel the same?

I personally haven't heard much but I believe you... I just know that at the time I bought it I really needed to have a powerful machine and couldn't wait half a year for M1 iMac that are not for professional use :/

 

[lawlietkm]

so I picked up my iMac and I currently restore from an older save (I have seen one from June 2021 which is surprising to me since I don't remember backing up my iMac at that time but who knows... let's pray!)

I also asked what was the issue coming from, they weren't sure as part are weld and also I asked for the old parts but they told me it was sent to Apple because the pieces are exchanged for the new one they told me that's how it works and on the receipt it says they tried everything to back up my files before to repair my iMac but they didn't succeed as they told me the other day on the phone...

 

[Jack Neill]

A file doesn't exist if its not in at least 2 places...

I keep Time Machine, CCC Clones, Cloud backups of critical stuff in about 4 places.

 

[0128672]

so I picked up my iMac and I currently restore from an older save (I have seen one from June 2021 which is surprising to me since I don't remember backing up my iMac at that time but who knows... let's pray!)

I also asked what was the issue coming from, they weren't sure as part are weld and also I asked for the old parts but they told me it was sent to Apple because the pieces are exchanged for the new one they told me that's how it works and on the receipt it says they tried everything to back up my files before to repair my iMac but they didn't succeed as they told me the other day on the phone...

How will your backup strategy change now?

 

[lawlietkm]

How will your backup strategy change now?

I will keep the very important files saved onto Google drive, iCloud and an external SSD and update these files every week or every 2/3 days and also I'll have a complete backup bi-mensual or every week as well could be nice too onto another external SSD. What's your thoughts on it?

 

[ian87w]

Lesson learned.

From my perspective, backup is the thing that made me into a cloud convert.
- Manual local backups are no good since they will be outdated when we need them, as we, humans, are lazy.
- Time machine takes too much storage space to be a full solution, plus we still have the issue of hard-drive reliability (if we use external hard-drive). So then you will need to have another backup of the backup, and that leads to the previous point, we are lazy.
- A more complex solution like Synology is, well, too complex for me.

Best is just use the cloud for the actual "storage." All my documents are in OneDrive/Google Drive. So if tomorrow my machine went kaput, I can simply get a new machine, re-install my apps, log-in to my OneDrive/Google Drive, and I'm back in business.

 

[lawlietkm]

Lesson learned.

From my perspective, backup is the thing that made me into a cloud convert.
- Manual local backups are no good since they will be outdated when we need them, as we, humans, are lazy.
- Time machine takes too much storage space to be a full solution, plus we still have the issue of hard-drive reliability (if we use external hard-drive). So then you will need to have another backup of the backup, and that leads to the previous point, we are lazy.
- A more complex solution like Synology is, well, too complex for me.

Best is just use the cloud for the actual "storage." All my documents are in OneDrive/Google Drive. So if tomorrow my machine went kaput, I can simply get a new machine, re-install my apps, log-in to my OneDrive/Google Drive, and I'm back in business.

Fair, the cloud seem the most easy thing to do, especially that you only need to download them and put back in place. But for stuff such as the settings of the computer, how are you doing it?

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"I will keep the very important files saved onto Google drive, iCloud and an external SSD and update these files every week or every 2/3 days and also I'll have a complete backup bi-mensual or every week as well could be nice too onto another external SSD. What's your thoughts on it?"

Not good enough.

See the advice I offered to you in replies 6 and 16 above...