Do the Apple Store people know what theyre doing to my MBP?

[Slingshot777]

1st post. I have a 2008 MBP running straight up leopard. Runs very fast, very few problems w it. But a year ago today I began having a problem- the computer would start, go to the white apple screen w the spinning wheel for ab 20 seconds, then shut off. The guy took it for a day, reinstalled leopard, and actually saved all of my data. He pretty much rocks

Today I brought it in for the same exact problem. 100% the same. The guy tells me first off that he's gotta re-format the HD thus erasing my data. I said fine get on w it. Then he says the HD failed and I gotta buy a new one.

The problem both today and a year ago were seemingly the same. Safeboot didnt work, booting from disk didnt work, fsck didnt do a thing etc. Why is it that a year ago a guy reinstalled the OS and saved my data, but today I gotta buy a new HD? Maybe I'm suspicious because the guy was disinterested and didnt listen to half what I said. Ahem, any ideas?

 

[white.noise]

Save your money, don't but a new hard drive, but buy a new computer to save you all your troubles in the future

 

[Slingshot777]

Save your money, don't but a new hard drive, but buy a new computer to save you all your troubles in the future

That doesn't help me at all.. The hard drive failed because my dad ordered me an extra battery off ebay that dies at 37% evertyime. The first time it died i thought it was a fluke, second time I knew it wass the battery. So it basically got unplugged and didnt shut down properly. Thats what I think happened at least or else it was a big coincidence that it failed right after the battery failed...

Point is, the computer is fine. I'm gonna upgrade to mountain lion I think so it'll be a bit more stable when I get it back

 

[heisenberg123]

1st post. I have a 2008 MBP running straight up leopard. Runs very fast, very few problems w it. But a year ago today I began having a problem- the computer would start, go to the white apple screen w the spinning wheel for ab 20 seconds, then shut off. The guy took it for a day, reinstalled leopard, and actually saved all of my data. He pretty much rocks

Today I brought it in for the same exact problem. 100% the same. The guy tells me first off that he's gotta re-format the HD thus erasing my data. I said fine get on w it. Then he says the HD failed and I gotta buy a new one.

The problem both today and a year ago were seemingly the same. Safeboot didnt work, booting from disk didnt work, fsck didnt do a thing etc. Why is it that a year ago a guy reinstalled the OS and saved my data, but today I gotta buy a new HD? Maybe I'm suspicious because the guy was disinterested and didnt listen to half what I said. Ahem, any ideas?

serious? you think because a problem seems the same its 100% the same?

the problem your describing can be bad Ram, bad hard drive, bad OSX install, lose cables, just to name a few, im sure there is about 20 other reasons that would cause you mbp to behave the way it is

 

[Sirolway]

1. Do what Apple recommend & buy a new hard disk - they're cheap so why not.

2. While you're at it, get a real Apple battery to prevent any chance of that being part of the problem

3. Think twice about installing Lion / Mountain Lion on a 2008 machine ... it might run a whole lot slower. That being said, as long as you have the Leopard disks you can always revert. Use CarbonCopy cloner to have images of each version so you can easily revert.

 

[Interstella5555]

The real question seems to be do you know what you're doing with your MBP?