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Does a hard drive upgrade void Applecare?
- Thread starter Scott6666
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As upgrading the MacBook Pro's hard drive is not a standard DIY process, you'll need an Apple-certified technician to do it for you or face a voided AppleCare warranty.
If you want to be sure, call AppleCare. I did. They said it does void the warranty. If you get a different answer, especially in writing, I'd love to see it!
Some might, others only just do RAM upgrades.
You might want to use this link to find an Apple Authorised Service Provider as they are normally more willing with these kinds of upgrades.
And in case you're wondering how they know, the hard drive your MacBook Pro shipped with includes a piece of tape which if damaged/ removed, voids the warranty, hence the hard drive is not user-replaceable.
Installation of RAM does not void the Apple Warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan, unless you damage something in the process.
We've replaced several and never had a problem with using the warranty or Apple Care. They won't cover the new drive and we always put the original back before shipping but I doubt the bench techs care.
We don't bother but some of the other schools have the yellow tape and just add a new piece.
Cheers,
I believe tape you are referring to is called Kapton tape. It is used to hold the various ribbon cables and wires throughout the internal case in place. The Apple service manuals state that the tape should be reused whenever possible, and only replaced if it is deteriorated. Nothing as you have stated is mentioned in the Apple documentation that I've seen.
From where are you getting your information?
No it doesn't void the warranty. Anyone who says damaging your computer when DIY'ing voids the warranty if you damage your computer any other way, it voids the warranty too!
Do they seriously say reuse it? Wow. I have miles of that tape at home. I use it for everythingdoesn't leave residue when removed and it's heatproof.
Do they seriously say reuse it? Wow. I have miles of that tape at home. I use it for everythingdoesn't leave residue when removed and it's heatproof.
Gang, I have upgraded my computer with two drives and I defy you to see that it has been opened even once.
I reused the tape, didn't scratch a single thing... you can't tell that a screw has been removed.
I still have the original disk with the OS on it (from about 2 years ago) and it the computer ever conks out I'll put the original one back in and won't scratch a damn thing once again and send it off for Applecare.
I'll even come up with a cover story in the time I'm replacing the drive. Why is the OS so damned old? "Your ads about upgrading to Vista scared me so much that I didn't upgrade to Leo either!"
I reused the tape, didn't scratch a single thing... you can't tell that a screw has been removed.
I still have the original disk with the OS on it (from about 2 years ago) and it the computer ever conks out I'll put the original one back in and won't scratch a damn thing once again and send it off for Applecare.
I'll even come up with a cover story in the time I'm replacing the drive. Why is the OS so damned old? "Your ads about upgrading to Vista scared me so much that I didn't upgrade to Leo either!"
I've upgraded twice as well. A few weeks ago I took it in to get the top case replaced under warranty, I even told them I replaced the HDD ('cause they would have found out anyways); they told me it didn't void the warranty.
Here's a question... Does Apple keep a master database for computers? I mean, when you go to an authorized repair service, do they log in and update Big Brother Steve so that they know you upgraded?
If not, couldn't you just say I had it upgraded at so-and-so's Apple shop on Main Street?
I must say I'm amazed this comes up at all. Our IT department upgraded and repaired the Macs all the time. We were always opening the cases. If you call the problem in and wait for the box, the techs that work on them hardly ever check anything other than what you called about and if they do they tend to replace more not less. I can't remember the last time we had one rejected and that was because it was out of warranty by two days and they ultimately covered that one too.
Is this an issue because many MR folks use the Apple stores? I find they are just looking for reasons to reject the repair. Recently a friend took his daughter's MBP in complaining of excessive heat, burnt smell and a non-functioning system. The "genius" took off the memory plate and said water damage, pointing to some little white specs near the RAM. They refused the repair. His daughter cried all day denying she spilled water on it. I had him ship it to me and dismantled the entire unit.
Guess what, no water damage but a RAM chip that had completely exploded. Had the "genius" taken the time to take the RAM out he would have seen the specs were caused by the exploded chip's burnt residue. Called it in, got the box overnight, repaired in 1 day and shipped back overnight. Based on all the denied stories here and my own recent experience, I don't think I'd ever use the Apple stores for hardware support.
Cheers,
When i got my MBP used, I immediately upgraded the hard drive. Since it was used I was having some problems with the keyboard and space bar not registering all of my typing.
Took it in, they looked at it and said they would fix it under AppleCare (did not know it was covered!) and would fix the front case where it was slightly lifted up from a ding near the corner. He then told me the MBP was still under warranty but he had found a replaced third party hard drive. They would cover anything else in the MBP under warranty but the drive was now out of warranty.
I agreed and have had it in the store twice now for small issues and both times they told me about the HD, but never denied coverage.
So I think if you do it yourself, and do it very cleanly and be honest with them, they will work with you.
Mike
Took it in, they looked at it and said they would fix it under AppleCare (did not know it was covered!) and would fix the front case where it was slightly lifted up from a ding near the corner. He then told me the MBP was still under warranty but he had found a replaced third party hard drive. They would cover anything else in the MBP under warranty but the drive was now out of warranty.
I agreed and have had it in the store twice now for small issues and both times they told me about the HD, but never denied coverage.
So I think if you do it yourself, and do it very cleanly and be honest with them, they will work with you.
Mike
I am getting a new early 2008 MBP and plan to upgrade the drive right away. After looking through the video and reading threads like this, I felt pretty good about doing it. But just for grins, I called the local authorized Apple repair shop here in Raleigh that has done some work on my PowerMac for me. They quoted me $55 to replace the drive (assuming I load the drive), and they confirmed that if they did it there would definitely be no issue with the warranty (other than the fact that the drive wouldn't be covered, which I didn't expect). To me, I don't mind spending the $55 for the piece of mind that its done right, and avoiding the risk of an accident during the process by me and/or some potential hassle with the local "geniuses" down the road.
Yeh, I think the same. I have been told by a few people that it probably still "officially" voids the warranty, but if I have something in writing from this AASP saying they did it, then I would have a good case to argue with them. Also, I am very happy with the AASP so would likely bring it to them for warranty work anyways. Just the same, I'll probably wait a few weeks after getting the machine to make sure no early problems pop up.
By the way, if anyone is in the Raleigh, NC area, the company that I'm dealing with is Ten Plus Systems.
"Your ads about upgrading to Vista scared me so much that I didn't upgrade to Leo either!"
hahahaha I lol'd
Good one!
hahahaha I lol'd
Good one!
Yeh, that is hillarious. And how about, "and I was so afraid that I haven't loaded any software or data and just booted it and looked at the screen without doing anything for the last xx months.
They told me that it would void any harddrive related issues, but it would be difficult to prove that a problem wasn't caused by your replacing the drive. They could easily say it was just your fault and tough luck. I'm just waiting until August when my Apple Care ends. Then I'm modding the heck out of this thing. I only have an 80gb HDD so I'm going to replace that, also I'm going to do the HD screen mod.