If you can turn on but it won't boot then make a live Ubuntu USB, insert and turn on, when the chime ring press alt and a screen with the units apears, select the Ubuntu USB, then select "try without install", then you can access some files from there to backup. If your Mac won't turn on at all, then you have to dissasembly the Mac and take out the HD as Niels sugest. Update (07/13/2018): You don't need to buy a dock station to connect a HD to your PC if it's a one or two time event, just search a SATA cable that maybe you have lying around (or buy it for few euros) and connect the hard drive to your PC motherboard and power supply. To read files from Windows you need to install HFS Explorer, it's free: http://www.catacombae.org/hfsexplorer/ Without HFS Explorer Windows will ask you to format DON'T DO IT. Yo read the HD in your PC don't even need to install the Mac hard drive inside it if you don't let unatended it while you're making the backup of your files, Windows can be used with the case open, just...
The short answer is: YES YOU CAN replace a 2009 C2D logic board with a 2010 i3 one The long answer: I'm in the process of make this Frankenstein's iMac, and I already can hear the villagers with torches and forks coming here, but had to made it in name of apple science, I got a working 820-2784-A logic board from a fresh deceased 2011 iMac (I don't know where it comes, I don't wanna ask) with IR receiver, wifi/bluetooth module, videocard, and CPU with booth coolers for the same cost of the 820-2494-A C2D motherboard, I was really, really lucky. Phisically the logic board fits in the aluminium housing with no problem. The cables for accesories and connectors is another thing. This is the list of connectors that are different or have no place to plug in: *Power button cable have to be re-routed so it can reach the connector *SD card reader cable 593-1041 have to be replaced with a cable 593-1223 *Wifi/bluetooth antenas cables need to be re-reuted *Wfi/bluettoth cable 593-1079 is no longer needed *820-2566...
@Reuben Talbott , a little late, but I have a answer for you: yes, you can remove the CPU on this motherboard, but if you think in upgrade, you can only change the C2D E7600 @3.06Mhz for the E8600 @3.33Mhz, only 20% improvement, but this days is a very, very cheap upgrade. If you already have the E8600 you can’t get anything better for this motherboard, besides a very indispensable upgrade is the SSD upgrade, even if you dont change the CPU you centainly notice the improvement.
you should place it in place, it helps to redirect the air and avoids heath acumulation in the led driver
@Reuben Talbott , a little late, but I have a answer for you: yes, you can remove the CPU on this motherboard, but if you think in upgrade, you can only change the C2D E7600 @3.06Mhz for the E8600 @3.33Mhz, only 20% improvement, but this days is a very, very cheap upgrade. If you already have the E8600 you can’t get anything better for this motherboard, besides a very indispensable upgrade is the SSD upgrade, even if you dont change the CPU you centainly notice the improvement.