Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Faulty MacBook - some questions

stevep

stevep

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 13, 2004
876
4
UK
I bought my other half a refurb MacBook (from the Apple site) in late Feb which now won't boot up (well, not all the time - occasionally does so from the hard drive, and usually does from the install disc). Apple hardware test shows nothing wrong, done the usual repair permissions, zap PRAM and re-install, but without success. No horrible noises from the hard drive. The fan sometimes comes on at full speed during the abortive boot-ups.

So, I want to return it for a refund or a replacement but I can't find out who to phone. Apple's website gives phone numbers for iPhone and .mac support but no number for computer support. Past experience tells me that, in any case, they'll tell me to take it to an authorised service centre or to an Apple store, which will more than likely mean that they will repair rather than replace or refund.

Because I live a fair way from either of these options, and I'm tied up with work, driving it round the country is not really all that practical - much better to stick it back in the box and send it back to Apple.

So, in short:
Is it a hard drive failure? (in which case I'd sooner just buy a new drive and stick it in).
Alternatively, has anyone got a UK phone number I can ring to arrange to send it back to Apple? Or a UK email address?
 
AppleCare freephone number for the UK - 0800 048 0408

just follow the menus

When the MacBook does not startup what do you get on screen - folders, question marks ??
 
I rang that number yesterday, and the only menu options were for iPhone support or an automated service for folks with case numbers on on-going repairs. It has just occurred to me that they might change the menu at the w/end because they might only offer computer support during the week.

On boot-up I get one of a number of things:
A plain grey/blue screen
The apple logo with a spinning wheel that stops spinning
Tha fans may come on and gradually increase to full speed
I don't get the question mark, so it obviously finds the hard drive (or maybe doesn't even get as far as looking for it!)
Often, if i touch or slightly move the MacBook at this point it will re-boot itself and repeat the above.
If I reset the PRAM and release the key combo on the second chime it will often go right through the boot process and I can log on, with everything as normal, though it may subsequently freeze or shut down spontaneously.
If I shut down and reboot it usually goes through the above process all over again.
 
ok - there is another number - AppleStore Regent Street and they will patch you through to AppleCare during store hours 0208 2181000.

Have you tried resetting the smc - take the battery out and press the power on button for 5 seconds let go and then put the battery back in.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303319

It does sound like a hard disc fault though - any 2.5 inch SATA will work fine - about £40-50 depending on size.
 
logana said:
Have you tried resetting the smc - take the battery out and press the power on button for 5 seconds let go and then put the battery back in.
Click to expand...

Oh yes, I'd forgotten I'd also tried that - I've tried so many different things! Thanks for the phone number - I'll give it a go tomorrow.

I'm quite tempted by the hard disc swop - it's a lot less hassle than sending it off somewhere, and, having just swopped the drive on my own MBP:eek:, I should find it quite simple.
 
Swapping the hard disc on the MacBook is a 5 minute job - small philips screwdriver and a small T6 or T8 screwdriver.

What have you done with the HD from the MBP - why not swap it for the one in the MacBook and see if that helps !!
 
Wow - you're sharp today! I've just done that, and you're right about it being simple. But, alas, no difference. I'm starting to wonder whether the logic board or an internal connection is damaged in some way, as I'm suspicious about the restarting it performs when I move it slightly. I've just dug my video camera out and taken a short clip of it misbehaving - I'll see if I can edit a short movie for YouTube and post a link here later on. Thanks for all your suggestions so far.
 
Well not the hard disc then - try booting from the original install disc but hold down D on start-up and run the hardware check - could be ram, could be faulty switch on topcase could be lots of things but try the hardware check first - might just be RAM not seated properly.
 
I would be surprised if the MacBook would successfully boot from the MBP disc though - have you tried reinstalling the OS to the MBP disc - or at least running the installer to see whether the MBP disc can be seen ?
 
I've done the hardware check and it came out ok. I checked the ram was seated when I swopped the hard drives over. After changing to the other (MBP) hard drive I intended to boot from the MB install disc but it hung in just the same way, not even getting to the point where it would try and read the disc and displaying the same symptoms - ie re-starting when I moved it slightly.
That indicates to me that the fault maybe isn't with the hard drive itself. I've swopped back to the original hard drive now (in the expectation that Apple will be getting it back fairly soon).
I'm really grateful for your ideas - some of your suggestions I have already tried but it's nice to have confirmation that I'm trying the right things.
 
Yes - I think they will be getting it back soon - and I think that I have run out of ideas.

Weird that it will pass the hardware test then not boot from the dvd. It sounds like some loose connection - dry solder joint somewhere.

Phone them tomorrow and say you want a replacement because it is clearly not fit for the purpose (Sale of Goods Act etc) - refurbs are usually better than new machines because they actually test them thoroughly before they go out the door so something has gone wrong somewhere.

Keep us posted on what happens.
 
mmmmmm

faulty motion sensor ? loose battery connector ?? (it is underneath the bottom left corner that you touch to make it reboot)

phone Apple is my best advice - as you are aware it is not supposed to do that !!!!
 
I hadn't thought about the motion sensor. Maybe that, or something like the hard drive connector, which is in that corner. Maybe if I'm polite but insistent on the phone tomorrow....!
Thanks again.
 
Hard disc connector is right hand corner behind the led - battery connector left hand corner.

Very odd......
 
And now for the good news - rang Apple this evening and they're going to get TNT to pick up the old one and send me a new one out. This will be interesting - the old one is a refurb, so who knows what the new one will be. But the guy did say "we'll see if we can send you a really good one". Watch this space!
 
Excellent news - they (Apple) sometimes excel themselves - do keep us all posted.

Do you like black MacBooks ??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back