Hey all, I bought my wife a 13" MBA because I understood them to be bullet proof.....the story I heard from co-workers around me is that after 5-7 years, it will still run as good as the day you bought it. Well, in under a years time, my wife has been able to find a flaw. The problem is that it locks up randomly. Sometimes it's while using it, but more common when the lid is opened and it's waking up......I can move the mouse, but no app will open or respond for that matter. I have visited the Genius bar 3 different times....they ran diag testing and all passed. Eventually I turned to calling Apple support. After speaking with several senior level guys, I was asked to send it in whereby, the logic board was replaced. I have already freshly installed the ios from factory but even with the replacement board, the MBA is still locking up. During the time I sent mine in, I had no other option but to buy another one from Best Buy to use as a loaner....during this time, I installed the exact same softwares that mine had...it ran flawlessly....never a lockup. Now the Apple guys is wanting me to partition and reinstall the ios again. I already asked for a swap out....telling him that this "lemon" is better off in their hands to dissect and tear apart.....but to no help from them. Somebody, help me out!!!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MBA nightmare.....please help!!
- Thread starter AznGunner
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Well....I've already reinstalled the os with this new logic board. They tried to blame the softwares I've installed, but my argument is that my loaner had the exact same softwares and never failed.
Nothing u can do but box it up and send it to me for recycling. 
Seriously
(1) How often does this happens? 1/10 times?
(2) Always from sleep? shallow sleep, deep sleep?
(2) When it happens, batt power, AC power?
(4) Meter says battery health is? Charge Cycles?
(5) Swap power adapter. U got a new one now.
Configure so that Activity Monitor always running and showing you cpu load on the dock, I want to see when this happens, is the cpu being maxed out?
Trackpad not clicking? What about keyboard? External mouse?
List everything u attach externally to this machine.
Seriously
(1) How often does this happens? 1/10 times?
(2) Always from sleep? shallow sleep, deep sleep?
(2) When it happens, batt power, AC power?
(4) Meter says battery health is? Charge Cycles?
(5) Swap power adapter. U got a new one now.
Configure so that Activity Monitor always running and showing you cpu load on the dock, I want to see when this happens, is the cpu being maxed out?
Trackpad not clicking? What about keyboard? External mouse?
List everything u attach externally to this machine.
What you describe is somewhat unusual...you may have to do some more troubleshooting to figure out exactly what to do.
The fact you can move the mouse around and stuff, but that no application or the Finder is responsive is interesting.
When it does this, can you hit Command+Tab to bring up a list of active programs, and tab to switch through them?
Can you hit Command+Option+Escape to bring up the "Force-Quit" menu, and see if something is listed as non-responsive?
Also, if you can, can you run (or try to already have running) Activity Monitor (in your Applications -> Utilities folder) to see what processes are running, and what may be taking up excess CPU cycles or memory?
The fact you can move the mouse around and stuff, but that no application or the Finder is responsive is interesting.
When it does this, can you hit Command+Tab to bring up a list of active programs, and tab to switch through them?
Can you hit Command+Option+Escape to bring up the "Force-Quit" menu, and see if something is listed as non-responsive?
Also, if you can, can you run (or try to already have running) Activity Monitor (in your Applications -> Utilities folder) to see what processes are running, and what may be taking up excess CPU cycles or memory?
What applications do you have installed? Couldn't it be some software causing this that you/she is using?
That's not Power Nap-- that's the MBA going into a "deep sleep" (ie. hibernation) and waking from the hard drive.
if this was the case, wouldn't the loaner also lock up since I installed the exact same software on it?
So let me just iron some things out.
The model having trouble is a 2011 model?
The loaner is a 2012 model?
Maybe there is some software that causes the 2011 model to lock up, but the 2012 model can handle it?
If they are both the same year model, please ignore this.
The model having trouble is a 2011 model?
The loaner is a 2012 model?
Maybe there is some software that causes the 2011 model to lock up, but the 2012 model can handle it?
If they are both the same year model, please ignore this.
my MBA nightmare is SO much worse than yours
I am nearing the end of my three year Apple Care contract and my Mac Book Air has been in CA on three separate occasions in the last two months due to logic board failure. The problem is in supply, and my laptop has been mouldering on a shelf awaiting this part for more than a total of four weeks during this time.
I've been a customer since my first SE in the 1980's. My whole family uses the Wesleyan University IT department for computer repair, because it is closer than the nearest Apple store at the mall, but especially since a fiasco two years ago in which my daughter brought her laptop to the Apple store in West Hartford, CT for a routine cleaning of the fan. Having picked the computer up, she needed to complete some work-related things before shutting it down to depart for the airport for a transatlantic flight. When she went to shut it down, one side of the top/monitor came off in her hand. To make a long story short, it was the guys at IT at Wesleyan who replaced 8/10 screws that were missing from the fan repair, and they did it on a moment's notice, and she was able to make her flight. This side story is relevant to the current MBA trauma, because I suspect that my case has been sidelined because it did not come in through "a certified Apple Care facility".
I have been assigned a "Senior CPU Advisor" who has been politely ignoring my emails and my phone calls. I never wanted an iPhone, and I never bothered to move to iCloud, because I did't think it mattered if I didn't have a mobile device. Now I find that I cannot access my .mac account and thus have no idea what email I have missed for the last two months. I am retired, but I have a busy life with a lot of contacts. Yesterday I tried to buy an iPhone 5 so that I can at least resume my .mac account and learned that will be a 3-4 week wait.
What I am really wondering, is, in the event that my AppleCare does provide me with a new computer, to which I am entitled, do I even want another MBA?
I am nearing the end of my three year Apple Care contract and my Mac Book Air has been in CA on three separate occasions in the last two months due to logic board failure. The problem is in supply, and my laptop has been mouldering on a shelf awaiting this part for more than a total of four weeks during this time.
I've been a customer since my first SE in the 1980's. My whole family uses the Wesleyan University IT department for computer repair, because it is closer than the nearest Apple store at the mall, but especially since a fiasco two years ago in which my daughter brought her laptop to the Apple store in West Hartford, CT for a routine cleaning of the fan. Having picked the computer up, she needed to complete some work-related things before shutting it down to depart for the airport for a transatlantic flight. When she went to shut it down, one side of the top/monitor came off in her hand. To make a long story short, it was the guys at IT at Wesleyan who replaced 8/10 screws that were missing from the fan repair, and they did it on a moment's notice, and she was able to make her flight. This side story is relevant to the current MBA trauma, because I suspect that my case has been sidelined because it did not come in through "a certified Apple Care facility".
I have been assigned a "Senior CPU Advisor" who has been politely ignoring my emails and my phone calls. I never wanted an iPhone, and I never bothered to move to iCloud, because I did't think it mattered if I didn't have a mobile device. Now I find that I cannot access my .mac account and thus have no idea what email I have missed for the last two months. I am retired, but I have a busy life with a lot of contacts. Yesterday I tried to buy an iPhone 5 so that I can at least resume my .mac account and learned that will be a 3-4 week wait.
What I am really wondering, is, in the event that my AppleCare does provide me with a new computer, to which I am entitled, do I even want another MBA?