User level: Level 1 (4 points)The hard drive on my iMac 27” computer died. Can I connect an external SS hard drive so I can still use my computer? I love the screen and the set up in my office.
Posted on Oct 5, 2026 8:43 AM
User level: Level 10 (99,154 points)Oct 5, 2026 9:07 AM in response to sherrose99
User level: Level 9 (55,707 points)Oct 5, 2026 10:12 AM in response to sherrose99
You can try.
The main issue is going to be whether your internal hard drive has failed so badly that your Mac throws errors that crash the system even when you have (a) started up from an external drive, and (b) ejected the internal drive. If things get to that point, you may be faced with a choice between having a repair shop replace the failed drive (even if you continue to boot off an external disk), or moving on to a newer computer.
User level: Level 9 (53,902 points)Oct 5, 2026 9:26 AM in response to sherrose99
Hi,
Yes, and you would feel faster than internal HDD.
User level: Level 10 (238,530 points)Oct 5, 2026 8:52 AM in response to sherrose99
Yes.
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256370856