2011 iMac is this symptoms of graphics recall?

[VPrime]

Hi,

the past week my iMac has been having lots of issues and now won't boot up at all.

It started off freezing with some vertical lines on the screen. I restarted and it was fine.

Then a few days later it froze up again with vertical lines then the screen went white.

Restarted, then it would just go to the white screen as soon as I logged in.

Finally the other day I was watching a youtube video and it went white again. Restarted, and it would not get passed the apple loading screen.. turned it off and tried again this morning and now it is just a black screen, no apple screen, no start up chime.

Does this sound like it will be covered by the recall Apple announced a little while back?

Thanks.

 

[VPrime]

So I took my iMac to the apple store today.

They ran their Diagnostic software on it and it told them to do another check on the graphics card.. But apparently it didn't tell them to do the recall so they wouldn't do it.

One genius even told me that pixels are stored on a hard drive and that the issue could be the hard drive.. When it was very clear a video issue. Even their diagnostic software is telling them some thing is going on with the video card.

They eventually were willing to keep it there and do a stress test, and hopefully they conclude it actually is the graphics card... But they said that still doesn't mean they will do the recall.


Is getting a recall done by apple supposed to be this difficult? Or is it just this terrible apple store I'm dealing with? (Second time having issues with this store, unfortunately it is my only choice )

 

[macthefork]

Those symptoms are the same as described by Apple on their support site here.

Maybe you could print out that page.

If a "Genius" told me the pixels were stored on the hard drive, (did he/she really say that?) I would immediately request to speak with another genius or the supervisor/store manager. How could a Picture Element (Pixel) be stored on a HDD.

 

[VPrime]

So they emailed me to pick up my computer.

Apparently they decided the recall was the issue, and my computer was fixed

The video card was replaced, and apparently the fan was on backwards this whole time .

 

[Dopeyman]

So they emailed me to pick up my computer.

Apparently they decided the recall was the issue, and my computer was fixed

The video card was replaced, and apparently the fan was on backwards this whole time .

Your computer was sold to you with a backwards fan???

 

[VPrime]

Thats what they tell me. I never opened it before, so it must have come that way.

I was having overheating issues before, so it makes sense.

 

[Dopeyman]

Thats what they tell me. I never opened it before, so it must have come that way.

I was having overheating issues before, so it makes sense.

Hmmmm. I really can't see it. The screw holes wouldn't align.

Oh well, whatever. As long as you have your Mac and it's fully functional. That's all that counts. Congrats.

 

[iSayuSay]

Your computer was sold to you with a backwards fan???

Maybe they mean it's a defective fan with backward spin direction

 

[VPrime]

Hmmmm. I really can't see it. The screw holes wouldn't align.

Oh well, whatever. As long as you have your Mac and it's fully functional. That's all that counts. Congrats.

No clue, just going by what the person on the phone told me.

I'm just happy my computer works again and I didn't have to pay anything

Maybe they mean it's a defective fan with backward spin direction

That is possible. The person on the phone was just reading the Genius' notes.

 

[Johnf1285]

Somewhat off topic, but is it at all possible these days to simply mail an iMac to Apple and not deal with the Apple Store's so called Geniuses for warranty/AppleCare work? Just curious because I'm a pretty tech savy and hands on person and at times these people working their don't know jack!

 

[VPrime]

Somewhat off topic, but is it at all possible these days to simply mail an iMac to Apple and not deal with the Apple Store's so called Geniuses for warranty/AppleCare work? Just curious because I'm a pretty tech savy and hands on person and at times these people working their don't know jack!

Not in Canada. I always ask if I can mail in my macbook or iMacs. Always get told no

 

[PaulKemp]

Is this how the symptoms look?

 

[Dopeyman]

Is this how the symptoms look?

Image

yes... you should take your computer in to get serviced...

 

[PaulKemp]

yes... you should take your computer in to get serviced...

 

[PaulKemp]

yes... you should take your computer in to get serviced...

Took it in, and by the looks of it was the graphics card. I have not gotten the mac back though.

But, is there any guarantee that this will not happen in the future? Are they replacing the card with a better one? Or is it the exact same? Thanks!

 

[DianeK]

Took it in, and by the looks of it was the graphics card. I have not gotten the mac back though.

But, is there any guarantee that this will not happen in the future? Are they replacing the card with a better one? Or is it the exact same? Thanks!

They replace it with the exact same model of card.