Mac Repair London carries out data recovery on the iMac G5 from our Central London workshop, for home users and businesses.
Because the iMac G5 uses a standard 3.5-inch SATA drive behind an easy-to-remove back panel, getting to the data is simple even when the iMac is dead. We take the drive out, image it on write-blocked recovery hardware and extract your files to a new drive. Photos, iTunes libraries and old Mail archives from this era are the typical jobs.
About this model: The iMac G5 is the last PowerPC iMac and the first with the all-in-one-behind-the-screen design. The first two revisions are known for bulging capacitors on the logic board and for power supply failures, which Apple once covered under a repair extension.
Signs it needs data recovery
- iMac dead from a board fault but data needed
- Drive clicking
- Folder with question mark at start-up
- Accidentally erased or reinstalled
How we do it
The drive comes out of the Mac and is copied sector by sector on dedicated recovery hardware. All the work on your files happens on that copy, so the original drive is never put at further risk.
Mechanical faults, such as a clicking or silent drive, are handled through our physical recovery service.
We recover documents, photos, video, Mail, Photos and iTunes/Music libraries, and project files from apps like Final Cut Pro, Logic and Adobe Creative Cloud.
At a glance
| Years | 2004–2006 |
|---|---|
| Processor | PowerPC G5, 1.6–2.1GHz |
| Storage | Standard SATA drive |
| Memory | Socketed, upgradeable |
| Power / charging | Internal mains power supply |
Before you bring it in
Don’t run disk repair tools or reinstall macOS, as both can overwrite what we’re trying to save. Note which files matter most and whether FileVault was switched on.
Which model do you have?
This page covers the iMac G5 (17 & 20-inch, 2004–2006) (PowerMac8,1 / 8,2 / 12,1; A1058, A1076, A1144, A1145). On a PowerPC Mac, open the Apple menu, choose About This Mac, then More Info to open Apple System Profiler. Not sure? Bring it in and we’ll identify it for you.
Price
From £150 + VAT for logical recovery; physical recovery from damaged drives from £350 + VAT. All prices are subject to inspection, and nothing is done without your approval.
Questions we’re often asked
Will you need my password?
Only if FileVault encryption was switched on. Without it, we can read the drive directly. With it, we need your login password or recovery key.