macbook aluminum severe shock! (in china)

[j4jes]

Hi, my Macbook aluminum has stopped working after a severe shock when plugging in a USB device.

Ive been in china for a few months now and when I arrived I purchased a 2 prong foldout style AC adapter for my macbook since I forgot the three prong one at home. Since then I've been getting shocked by my Macbook in most locations especially in the building I live in. The first severe problem was when I tried plugging in the power adapter a few weeks ago and it made contact with the housing of the laptop and there was a big shock that tripped the breaker and left a black mark on the side. Luckily the computer still worked. So I tried plugging it into a different location and it was better but more recently I tried plugging in a midi to USB device and the same thing occured only worse. Now the computer won't turn on at all. My computer has the one year plan, but the local outlet does not want to repair the motherboard unless I pay close to 1000$ US and I know I should have maybe used the three prong adapter but this isn't completely my fault. Should they cover this?

 

[chill.]

well what are your options?

for a $1000 repair i would just get a new computer

try calling apple and not a local outlet

 

[w00t951]

In China and Korea (where I go) they usually use 220V. In America, we use 110V, and when there is too much current, the blocky adapter on the power line converts it to the needed voltage for the computer. When dealing with a power source that much higher than the stuff in America, your power supply just routes any lingering electricity into the ground, the third plug. When there is not a ground, it just bottles up in the case of the computer. When I go to Korea and touch my Mac (only when it's plugged in) I can feel an active current going through my body. If I don't touch it and let the charge out, then it will give me a HUGE shock later, with a blue spark that I can see. However, it does not have any effect on the computer, even if it is running. Unless China has a really high voltage, or your Mac is faulty, I don't know why it would make a shock that large. And this is covered under you warranty, so just go to the Apple Repair website (https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do) and submit a repair. Apple will review your case (don't say ANYTHING about what you did wrong- just say that it shocked you and that it doesn't work anymore) and then send you a box for you to ship your computer back in. Then, when it arrives, you have to put your Mac in its iCoffin, and ship it back to Apple. Apple fixes it, and then ships your working (hopefully) computer back to you.