seeking info/advice on replacing the iMID unit .....

2014 honda civic LX 1.8L cvt 117,000 miles

a week ago i started the car, there was a flash of white light from the iMID screen, and since then the imid has been dead. no light, no displays to the screen, neither radio nor any cd nor any usb will play.
checked the fuse - it's ok; did the 'battery cable reset" trick and that didn't help either.

I've done a lot of research on the internet and at various sites but still have a few questions:

(1) looking for recommendations anyone can make as to specific internet site(s) where i might buy a replacement part (I have the honda part number) - apart from searching on ebay and amazon. (my one query to honda resulted in a price of $1100 )

(2) is there any initialization procedure that must be performed on the new, replacement unit?

(3) ... and closely related to the previous: is there any info INSIDE the old iMID unit which must be transferred from the old unit to the replacement unit, when the old unit goes dead and must be replaced? how is that done? (and, by whom? ). and what happens if i install any said replacement unit WITHOUT the transfer of any data from the broken one?

(4) apart from no odometer reading, no access to "customization features" or to the Maintenance Minder, and no sound system, will anything else happen if i operate the car w/o replacing the broken iMID?

(5) have found several references as well as a video how to take apart various access panels -- anybody care to expand on that ?

(6) any other generic a/o specific advice on this topic?

thank you very much for any help anybody can give me
/s/ rollingthunder6
"i partied on the ho chi minh trail" - tiên lên, theo tôi!!