I know there isnt a perfect question. But my friends macbook air 2013 has a swollen battery and she's afraid to turn it on. she wants to dispose of it/recycle at apple store and get a new one. But she's afraid of giving it to apple with years of personal data (im not sure if its even backed up) that a technician could look at. But as stated above, she's afraid of turning it on to wipe the data herself first because of the swollen battery. any advice or tips?
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2013 macbook air swollen battery, afraid to turn it on, can i trust apple to wipe and dispose?
- Thread starter kofman13
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If it's just a little swollen, it should be fine to turn it on and back-up / erase data.
If the battery looks so swollen that it's starting to look like that chestburster scene in the film Alien... well, maybe it's too late. 👽
(realistically, as long as it turns on and the battery doesn't get punctured, it should be okay to use it a little... just don't use it on a daily basis, and try to get it fixed/replaced soon!)
If the battery looks so swollen that it's starting to look like that chestburster scene in the film Alien... well, maybe it's too late. 👽
(realistically, as long as it turns on and the battery doesn't get punctured, it should be okay to use it a little... just don't use it on a daily basis, and try to get it fixed/replaced soon!)
You can quite easily remove the battery, and then turn it on with the charger connected.
www.ifixit.com
You can then wipe it, or just keep using it as a desktop.
MacBook Air 13" Mid 2013 Battery Replacement
Use this guide to replace the battery. Note: If there is a thin plastic film on your replacement battery, do not attempt to remove it. It is glued...
www.ifixit.com
You can then wipe it, or just keep using it as a desktop.
Without batteries, Apple portables with Intel processors run at no more than about 800MHz so they're really not viable as desktops.You can quite easily remove the battery, and then turn it on with the charger connected.
MacBook Air 13" Mid 2013 Battery Replacement
Use this guide to replace the battery. Note: If there is a thin plastic film on your replacement battery, do not attempt to remove it. It is glued...
You can then wipe it, or just keep using it as a desktop.
I can't say I noticed any particular slowdown when I've done it. (In any case, it should be sufficient to safely wipe the drive, and it can then be given to someone else who may want to put a new battery in it.)
If the battery is swollen, it would not be safe for them to open it up and try to take out the battery. That could trigger a fire.You can quite easily remove the battery, and then turn it on with the charger connected.
MacBook Air 13" Mid 2013 Battery Replacement
Use this guide to replace the battery. Note: If there is a thin plastic film on your replacement battery, do not attempt to remove it. It is glued...
You can then wipe it, or just keep using it as a desktop.
i would place the Macbook somewhere that a fire would have no impact on some fireproof surface. then quickly go through the procedure to prepare the computer for resale (aka wiping it).
What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support
Reset your Mac to factory settings to prepare it for a new owner.
So keep the extinguisher nearby if you’re concerned.
Have you ever heard of a fire starting during a battery replacement? I haven’t.