macbook pro hard drive upgrade (warranty?)

[truz]

So I'm on the hunt for either an external hard drive or a replacement drive for my macbook pro. I currently have 120GB drive (111GB) and about 2GB free. I was thinking about upgrading my macbook pro (C2D 2.16GHz) to a 320GB drive (http://www.buy.com/prod/hitachi-tra...-drive-320gb-7200rpm/q/loc/101/208292236.html) Would this void my warranty as I have a year left on my applecare 3 year warranty.


I did do a search on this board. However I hear about the New Macbook/Macbook Pro's will not void the warranty. How about the older ones (2 years old)

 

[jav6454]

So I'm on the hunt for either an external hard drive or a replacement drive for my macbook pro. I currently have 120GB drive (111GB) and about 2GB free. I was thinking about upgrading my macbook pro (C2D 2.16GHz) to a 320GB drive (http://www.buy.com/prod/hitachi-tra...-drive-320gb-7200rpm/q/loc/101/208292236.html) Would this void my warranty as I have a year left on my applecare 3 year warranty.


I did do a search on this board. However I hear about the New Macbook/Macbook Pro's will not void the warranty. How about the older ones (2 years old)

Hard drives are user replaceable or upgradable. The changing or them will not void the warranty.

Same case with RAM.

 

[angemon89]

If when doing the upgrade you damage anything, this will not be covered by AppleCare.

 

[alphaod]

If when doing the upgrade you damage anything, this will not be covered by AppleCare.

That can be extended to say "If you damage your computer, it will not be covered by AppleCare"

 

[angemon89]

OP, just make sure you follow a guide (iFixit has a good one), take your time, and you should be fine. It's a pretty easy upgrade to do.

I would say that the hardest part of this upgrade is prying off the top case AFTER all the screws have been removed. It thought I was gonna break my topcase when I did it I was pulling so hard. Besides that everything else was cake.

Also make sure you have the right tools. You need a philips #00 and a torx t6. Do not try to use a philips #0 as you could easily strip the screws.

 

[patrick92260]

When I had my older 2.33 MBP, one of the first things I did was replace the 120GB HD. Later on pretty much everything inside the MBP except for the HD broke. It was fixed so many times it got to the point where they replaced the MBP with a unibody but no one ever said anything about the HD being changed. Although when the MBP finally was replaced, they did require me to give them the original HD and the genius gave me back my upgraded one.

 

[HBOC]

i asked this question at several genius bars' and they all said the same thing. It WILL void your warranty. for peace of mind, i will pay an authorized repair place locally $40 to replace it.

 

[bov]

i asked this question at several genius bars' and they all said the same thing. It WILL void your warranty. for peace of mind, i will pay an authorized repair place locally $40 to replace it.

i asked this question as well at a genius bar yesterday and received the same answer, it WILL void the warranty.

 

[clyde2801]

I asked the same question at an apple authorized repair center. They have to buy an apple drive for it to be covered in addition to them installing it. And, like it or not, it costs more to buy a drive from apple than what you can find on the open market (i.e., the 'apple tax').

For peace of mind, I'd just offload everything to a cheap usb powered external that can be thrown into a notebook bag, and upgrade the drive myself once the warranty expired. When that day comes, throw in the biggest 7200 drive or SSD that you can afford for a little added zip to your system.

 

[maflynn]

i asked this question as well at a genius bar yesterday and received the same answer, it WILL void the warranty.

Technically it will not, if you read the warranty fine print it will say that if any repair/work performed is not by an authorized apple repair person then any damage from that work will not cover.

The knee jerk/easy answer for the apple folks is to cut it short and say it will void. Mostly because it involves disassembling the computer to access the HD (on older MBPs).

If you're not comfortable doing this yourself then it will behoove you to let them do it.

Here's the excerpt from the warranty with the specific portion emphasized

Apple does not warrant that the operation of the product will be uninterrupted or error-free.
Apple is not responsible for damage arising from failure to follow instructions relating to the
product’s use.
This warranty does not apply: (a) to damage caused by use with non-Apple products; (b) to
damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, flood, fire, earthquake or other external causes; (c)
to damage caused by operating the product outside the permitted or intended uses described
by Apple; (d) to damage caused by service (including upgrades and expansions) performed by
anyone who is not a representative of Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (“AASP”);
(e) to a product or part that has been modified to alter functionality or capability without the
written permission of Apple; (f) to consumable parts, such as batteries, unless damage has
occurred due to a defect in materials or workmanship; (g) to cosmetic damage, including but
not limited to scratches, dents and broken plastic on ports, that does not otherwise affect the
product’s functionality or materially impair your use; or (h) if any Apple serial number has been
removed or defaced.

As you can see there's no mention prohibiting service by anyone other then apple (or an authorized agent) but rather any damage resulting from anyone who is not an apple authorized agent.

 

[harcosparky]

I had some 'off the record' conversations with a couple of Apple reps at an Apple store when I bought my uMBP. The discussion surrounded the hard drive and upgrading it and here are my plans .....

1) Buy New Hard Drive
2) Remove OEM Hard Drive
3) Store OEM Hard Drive in my safe
4) Install new Hard Drive
5) Install OS and software/documents
6) Don't worry, be happy

Now my uMBP is 2 weeks old and warranty is an issue. Should I experience a failure the following plan will be executed ....

1) Remove upgrade HDD
2) Reinnstall OEM HDD
3) Test uMBP to confirm problem still present ( could be the upgrade HDD failed )
4) If problem persists take uMBP to Apple for Warranty Repair

This is all based on the assumption that PROPER TOOLS are used so that no physical damage is done during HDD swap.

The HDD is sitting right there next to the battery, it should be easy enough.

Proceed slowly, if any resistance is felt ---- STOP --- look for cause of resistance before proceeding!

 

[maflynn]

You do realize that unibody MBP's hard drives are considered user replaceable. the concern was noted for an older MBP.

the need to swap the new HD back to the OEM is not needed or be concerned about with unibody MBPs

 

[harcosparky]

You do realize that unibody MBP's hard drives are considered user replaceable. the concern was noted for an older MBP.

the need to swap the new HD back to the OEM is not needed or be concerned about with unibody MBPs

No - however swapping back to OEM will remove the new HDD as possible suspect in the problem - whatever that may be.

What can it hurt - put in the OEM drive and it still fails then you know it's not the drive.

Send it back without swapping and have Apple tell you the non-Apple drive has failed?????

Swapping back the OEM drive may just prevent shipping the unit back to Apple, or not.

 

[jav6454]

No - however swapping back to OEM will remove the new HDD as possible suspect in the problem - whatever that may be.

What can it hurt - put in the OEM drive and it still fails then you know it's not the drive.

Send it back without swapping and have Apple tell you the non-Apple drive has failed?????

Swapping back the OEM drive may just prevent shipping the unit back to Apple, or not.

Which is why you do this:

... warranty is an issue. Should I experience a failure the following plan will be executed ....

1) Remove upgrade HDD
2) Reinnstall OEM HDD
3) Test uMBP to confirm problem still present ( could be the upgrade HDD failed )
4) If problem persists take uMBP to Apple for Warranty Repair
...

 

[patrick92260]

Honestly if you have an older MBP and want to have the HD changed, bring the MBP to a genius and there's a chance they may just do it for free on the spot. It took the genius 10 minutes to open my 2.33 MBP, take my upgraded HD out and put the OEM one back it when it was replaced.

 

[HBOC]

i was told apple didnt physically replace any parts or upgrades in house, so to speak. The apple store in downtown portland told me of a great Apple place (authorized reseller deal) near by that charges like $30 or $40 to install a hard drive. I just keep the receipt and whatnot for warranty purposes.

I wish apple would let the geniuses tell the truth, instead of the same generic answer to save time and headache! I dont care if the hard drive fails. Its inevitable. I just want to swap my drive if in fact what maflyn posted is true. That $40 could go twords the hard drive, not in addition to it!

 

[zero85ZEN]

Different answer....

i asked this question as well at a genius bar yesterday and received the same answer, it WILL void the warranty.

I asked at the Apple Store here in Indy and was told that it would NOT void the warranty. But they, of course, will not cover the new drive or any damage that might happen during the install. (I don't know if it made any difference that I told them I'd worked in IT for five years and had opened up my fair share of laptop computers for various repair reasons.)

If my machine needs to go in for any warranty work I'll just re-insert the original HD and Superdrive before taking it in. Easier to just hand them the computer as it came stock than have to even discuss an upgraded drive, etc, etc...

As an aside...when I put my machine back together after putting in a second HD in place of the Superdrive I pushed the power button and nothing happened. That got me a little nervous for few seconds...but I figured that the keyboard ribbon/attachment to the MB had probably come loose (I left the keyboard attached and just tilted it up while doing the work) and sure enough that was it...the power button connects to the MB along with the keyboard. But it did get me a little twisted up inside for a few seconds...not a good feeling when you've just opened up your machine, fiddled about inside, put it back together and get nothing on the next attempt to start it up!!