Apple Launches Extended Repair Program for Hard Drives on Early MacBook Models

[pixelbart]

As someone who lost several months of code for an iPhone app to this HD failing, f*ck you Seagate.

I now have an Intel SSD in my laptop. Hopefully I wont have to worry about that again.

Have you ever heard of backups? Keeping your data in one place is simply stupid, no matter how reliable your hdd is.

By the way, making backups is easy with Time Machine. No reason not to do it. Unless your data is worth less than a day's wage (for a 1TB usb disk).

 

[pixelbart]

2007 MB, hey wait, that's me! Oh right, I replaced mine with a 320 MB a long time ago. Do people really live without backup still? I can't believe Apple stands behind drives for this long. I just assume a three year old drive is going to fail.

Same here. I don't trust any drive older than two years. I replaced my 80GB hdd with a 250GB one right after receiving my MacBook and replaced that one with a 500GB drive a year ago.

But there are laws, and not without reason. Here in the EU, devices have a 'reasonable life expectancy', depending on the type of product. For computers it's three years (afaik). Even if there's a one year warranty, the manufacturer is still responsible for design/production defects that occur within the first three years of reasonable use. For single cases it's very hard to prove that it's a design defect, but if the defect occurs frequently, the manufacturer has to take action.

And that's exactly what's happening here.

 

[baryon]

I wouldn't mind if they also extended the repair of my one and a half year old MacBook Pro that randomly powers off! Why does this sort of stuff only happen to super expensive computers, and only when they're out of warranty?

 

[BJB Productions]

Finally, after getting a new computer because of the problem, they come out with this.

 

[NeuralControl]

It's a shame Apple waited two years before enacting a repair program for an issue they were aware of. However, for those customers who still have those MacBooks, it is better late than never.

 

[Icestorm815]

What about those who replaced their hard drive out of pocket? Will they get reimbursed?

I'm in the same boat as you. Mine died a few months ago. Got the question mark and everything. Figure my warranty was up since I bought in 2006. Went out of pocket at macsales.com for new Hard drive. Cost me 55 bucks.

I want to know if Apple can reimburse me for that in some way.

Mine failed a few months ago, I better be reimbursed!

No disrespect to anyone, but I find it somewhat interesting how many people just see the headline and skim/not read the actual article.

Hardmac notes that Apple has launched a MacBook Repair Extension Program for Hard Drive Issues, allowing customers of Apple's early MacBook models to receive free repairs or compensation for previously-paid repairs related to hard drive failure.

 

[mac4evan]

Yet more evidence that the quality of Apple's computers has gone down the toilet in recent years.

I don't think anyone can say "it just works" with a straight face any more.

When are they going to start doing this for Time Capsule?

They already have a program for certain, affected, time capsules. Seagate makes the drives not apple buddy.

 

[mac4evan]

It's a shame Apple waited two years before enacting a repair program for an issue they were aware of. However, for those customers who still have those MacBooks, it is better late than never.

as said before this program has been going on for the past two years. if you came in and had this issue it would have been/has been covered.

 

[roosta]

so when are they going to announce a repair for all the 2006 macbooks with flickering screens? took mine in when it was still under warranty to an apple store and lo and behold, because the screen did not flicker during the 3 minutes of time they gave me, the screen was not defective.

 

[mac4evan]

so when are they going to announce a repair for all the 2006 macbooks with flickering screens? took mine in when it was still under warranty to an apple store and lo and behold, because the screen did not flicker during the 3 minutes of time they gave me, the screen was not defective.

have them check it in and test if for a day. that doesn't cost any more. they can do more than a diagnostic test. i have had them real world test my problem. or have them send it to the depot repair center in TN and see if they find a problem. if they do they'll just replace stuff and send it back to your house.

 

[dalvin]

yup seen this many times before

at work, i've replaced about 6 macbook hdd's, mainly of the 120GB variety in the black models. I had them repaired under warranty. Apple replaced 120GB drives with 160GB ones, obviously their 120GB spare part stock were no good.

After the 6th one, i wasn't going to wait for it to happen to the others, so i replaced all the macbook hdd's with new WD 250GB drives, they were so cheap and it was better than waiting for the inevitable

 

[latsyrhc]

This happened to my 2008 MacBook 11 months after I got it. Completely lost all my files right before an exam. Learned my lesson!

 

[dreamsINdigital]

The hard drive in my 2006 MacBook failed shortly after the 1 year warranty expired. I replaced the drive, but I still kept the old dead hard drive because I was sure they would recall it, just not 3 years later. I might as well pop it back in and get it replaced to get a free drive.

 

[Durendal]

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. Most people have already paid to have these faulty drives replaced! Apple says they'll compensate those who have paid for repairs, but unless they're emailing every damned person who bought a Macbook, then it's not going to cut the mustard and most people won't know the difference!

Apple should have done this two damned years ago when they already KNEW that the Seagate drives were defective.

 

[Diadems]

No disrespect to anyone, but I find it somewhat interesting how many people just see the headline and skim/not read the actual article.

Hardmac notes that Apple has launched a MacBook Repair Extension Program for Hard Drive Issues, allowing customers of Apple's early MacBook models to receive free repairs or compensation for previously-paid repairs related to hard drive failure.

The question is if this is only for repairs performed by Apple. I replaced the failed hard drive in my out-of-warranty BlackBook myself using a drive I purchased at my local Tiger Direct (was in a pinch). Would I be reimbursed for the cost of the drive?

 

[mac4evan]

This is NOT a new program. Apple has been quietly replacing these drives without charge for at least a year. They did it for me. They also replaced the bezel around the front, which cracks after repeated closing of the lid.

DITTO

 

[mac4evan]

The question is if this is only for repairs performed by Apple. I replaced the failed hard drive in my out-of-warranty BlackBook myself using a drive I purchased at my local Tiger Direct (was in a pinch). Would I be reimbursed for the cost of the drive?

yes. only for repairs performed by apple.

 

[MacNewbie03]

My Macbook was purchased in June '06 and its got a 60 GB Toshiba HD in it. Its not showing any symptoms but should I worry? Or is just the Seagate equipped ones that are prone to fail?

 

[Eidorian]

I replaced my original 120 with a 320 GB back in 2007. I use my original Apple labeled drive from time to time and it does act weird. It's a Seagate. It beeps and clicks and you won't be able to mount it the first time.

I've only used the original drive for rare storage. I suspect if I had used it full time it would be dead by now.

 

[pilotgi]

I bought a white MacBook 2GZ in Nov 2006 and it came with a 80GB Fujitsu drive. Still going strong.

 

[TimTheEnchanter]

I wish they'd do something about the obvious & infamous 17" MBP battery bulge problem. My bro-in-law's just popped-up this past weekend and I got nowhere at the Genius Bar on mine months ago.

 

[usarioclave]

great! how do i get reimbursed?

My macbook drive died, and I sent it in to get the data off it. No dice, and a $200 charge. I'll finally get that money back! Do I get the cost of the replacement drive as well?

Oh, and I did have a backup - that Seagate in another Mac failed soon after. Thanks Seagate!

 

[GXT]

I Replaced My Hard Drive - What to Do?

Should I go back to Apple and ask anyway?

Also the bevel cracked. I guess I should complain.

Anyone else get a replacement?

 

[Maserati7200]

I had a 2.16 Ghz May 2007 13" MacBook purchased in September 2007. I had a 120GB drive.

HDD died in January 2008, they replaced it. HDD died in August 2008, they replaced it. Then, In September 2009, I went to get my optical drive fixed and they ended up replacing the HDD as well because they said immanent failure was upon it. All very interesting. I don't have this computer anymore because they gave me a new computer (13" MBP) because I had 17 parts replaced on my old one.

 

[sanford]

Funny. My original like day-one MacBook had a 60GB Fujitsu in it. Within a couple months I replaced it with a 100GB Seagate. Which failed in a hurry, and Seagate replaced it under warranty. What I read at the time was that the firmware in those Seagate drives didn't get along with MacBooks. My replacement unit from Seagate was the same model drive but had updated firmware. It's worked like a champ for more than three years. The 60GB Fujitsu, the original MacBook part, is still working just fine in a $14 external USB enclosure.

The 80GB Samsung in my rev. A MacBook Air has been beeping and clicking for at least 18 months of the two years I've had the Air. But not a hint of failure, no read or write errors, no data loss or corrupted data, no boot fails, no lockups. I gambled and didn't buy AppleCare on the Air. Made it 12 months out of warranty so now the price of fixing the HDD if it does quit within the last 12 months AppleCare would have covered will be less than price of AppleCare would have been.

Last time I checked into the Air HDD issue, there seemed to be debate in the Air community about whether the noise was precursor to head failure or a noisy a head-locking mechanism and/or spin-up process. It's the same drive series as was used in many HDD iPods. A fair number of those HDD iPod owners reported the exact same noises emanating from their iPod drives; a few reported their iPods had eventually tanked, but the majority reported their noisy iPod drives were still going strong after years of daily use, regular writing lots of data via syncing, etc.

Leads me to believe it's difficult to determine from HDD noises what is a precursor to failure and what is weird and perhaps out of spec but will never actually fail. This is of course why I do the Time Machine thing.

(I should add: The Seagate in the MacBook that failed on me, it never did anything peculiar at all until one day while using the MacBook, the laptop locked up and then couldn't ever find the drive again when I forced a few restarts; no Apple or 3rd party drive utility software booted from the DVD drive could see it, either. It just went bye bye.)