Apple won't replace my broken installtion cds...

[hansning]

i messed around with my mac too much since i got it last year in july. i wanted a fresh installation, as i noticed the machine that my classmate had seemed to run so must fater than mine.

anyway, so i start installing it, clean on a fresh disk, and i get to the second disk. At the end of the disk, it notifies me that something went wrong with the installation and to try again.
so I did. same notice appeared, and i pulled the installation log. I noticed that it had a few errors, soemthing like this...

BamFileError 5: blah blah ...../iLife Sound Effects/.../x.aif
Install failed some file for iLifeSoundsEffects_loops may not have been written correctly.

and then it asks me to try again.

after 5 install tries, i concluded that it probably had to do with the installation disk. Call apple, told them the same thing, and they told me that this is considered a software problem, and that my applecare protection plan won't cover it, as it is a hardware program.

what the heck? it's just a DVD, what's so hard about replacing it?

anyways, if i borrowed my friend's disk, would it work? is disks locked to a certain mac?

 

[Sun Baked]

At worst, you should be able to get a new set of DVDs for somewhere around $19.95 for your machine.

 

[Caezar]

At worst, you should be able to get a new set of DVDs for somewhere around $19.95 for your machine.

Are you saying you can now get Tiger for $19.95??? I need to upgrade my Powerbook, which runs on Panther. If I can find discs for such a price, I'll buy.

 

[ebouwman]

Are you saying you can now get Tiger for $19.95??? I need to upgrade my Powerbook, which runs on Panther. If I can find discs for such a price, I'll buy.

I think that that would be just for the disk, but it wouldn't be authenticated, sort of like how you can have the full version of Keynote and Pages come with your computer, you just cant the full version until you activate it.

The same is probably true for the OSX install disks.
Just like how i cant give you my disk and expect for it to work.

 

[Sun Baked]

Nope, not an upgrade -- the original set of CD/DVDs that came with the machine.

 

[piltupso]

I could be wrong but it might work to borrow your friends as long it is the exact same machine.

 

[SpookTheHamster]

Apple are being pretty dickish about that if you ask me.

I called Apple for help with a computer I bought second hand as it didn't come with OS discs and I needed something to install on it. "What the hell? That's a 6 year old computer that you didn't even buy from us!". They offered to send me some new discs for the price of posting them, but eventually found out that they'd run out of stock (I needed OS 9 discs).

Call up again but just say "Hi, I need some new installation discs for my XXXX", don't say "My disc is broken"

 

[WildCowboy]

Apple are being pretty dickish about that if you ask me.

It's hard to draw that conclusion, since the OP doesn't say exactly what Apple offered him. They were entirely correct in saying that AppleCare doesn't cover it...the software discs are covered under a separate 90-day warranty which has expired at this point.

To the OP: So what did Apple do after they told you it wasn't an AppleCare-covered issue? Did they hang up on you? Did they offer to send you new discs for some fee and you're posting here to say that you think you should be getting them at no cost to you?

I've seen a number of instances on here of people who received replacement discs from Apple for a nominal fee, and that's what they should offer you in this case. If that's not what happened, call back and talk to someone else.

 

[Sun Baked]

I've seen a number of instances on here of people who received replacement discs from Apple for a nominal fee, and that's what they should offer you in this case. If that's not what happened, call back and talk to someone else.

Yes, it should be a nominal fee for a set of the discs.

If it is within the first 90 days, they should send them to you free.

I usually use the ...

"I partitioned my drive, and I cannot reinstall the OS because the disks are bad, wahh...."