Time Capsule died :(

[balamw]

My first gen 500GB TC died. I had noticed slow network performance for the past few weeks at random, but didn't think twice about it. Took it to the Genius Bar, they say they can replace it as others have reported in the thread.

However I'm very uncomfortable with this. In this age of identity theft, I never let an HDD leave my possession unless it's wiped or physically damaged. Of course they offer a data transfer service for $99, but they want the original unit and that includes all the data on the drive including all my personal info, they will not guarantee the original drive will be wiped.

Do you think Apple would be OK with my taking it to a third party Apple authorized service center, have the drive pulled and wiped and then do the trade?

NOTE: I've actually replaced it with an HP MediaSmart and have been using the TC as a wired switch, so the backups on it are old, but are still full backups of machines with financial and other personal info on them. I bought a $69 Netgear gigabit switch to bring the network back up.

B

 

[spaceballl]

I think my first gen 500gb TC is on the verge of death.... network performance has gotten BAD. Even though it is out of warranty, they will just replace it? If so, i'll take it in soon.

As for your data transfer worries, I don't see them doing a 7-pass wipe. I would back up the data, wipe the drive, and bring it in.

 

[balamw]

I think my first gen 500gb TC is on the verge of death.... network performance has gotten BAD. Even though it is out of warranty, they will just replace it? If so, i'll take it in soon.

As for your data transfer worries, I don't see them doing a 7-pass wipe. I would back up the data, wipe the drive, and bring it in.

It seems that it depends on who you talk to. There was a support document that one of the geniuses not helping me knew exactly how to find. They will only replace it with a 500GB model (they had two in stock and ordered a third one for me). I got a call a few days after my visit following up on my visit and the gentleman on the phone did not know that they had offered to replace it for me for no charge except for the optional $99 data transfer fee.
I ran the idea of taking it to a third party Apple Authorized Service place by him, and he was generally receptive. I will need to find such a place when I get back home after Memorial Day.

I can't back up the data myself without opening the box (since it won't power on) and if I open it Apple won't replace it. Hence, the thought of taking it to a 3rd party. I don't need a 7 pass wipe, just a simple 1 pass zero or random fill will do. No one ever took 16 systems up on the great zero challenge.

B

 

[Max(IT)]

I think my first gen 500gb TC is on the verge of death.... network performance has gotten BAD. Even though it is out of warranty, they will just replace it? If so, i'll take it in soon.

As for your data transfer worries, I don't see them doing a 7-pass wipe. I would back up the data, wipe the drive, and bring it in.

your problem seems to be different from the "usual death" of Time Capsules ...

Network performances don't change with the aging of the TC ...

 

[milescortez]

Mine died too!

My 1TB TC died last night (Saturday). Almost exactly 18 months after buying it. Simply crapped out, no light no nothing. Call apple this AM, 5 minute call plus 10 minutes of wait time. I had no applecare and it was out of warranty. Picking up a new one for no cost from the Apple Store this AM. I had almost all of my data on redundant back up so while I am not happy with the device I think Apple handled it really well. Thanks apple.

 

[RedTomato]

My 1TB TC died About 18 months old too.

Called Apple, they asked me to take it to a store. It seems they will replace it, but not confirmed. I told them I have AppleCare on a macbook, but they didn't bother asking me for the macbook serial or any of my contact details. Only asked for the serial of the TC.

However they refused to give me permission to open it up to copy my data off the drive. Seems I will have to very carefully use the hairdryer treatment to get the rubber foot off and get my files off before taking the TC in.

Have another TC at work. Quickly ordered another USB drive for it. Now it's archiving all its files to the external USB as I type this.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

My 1TB TC died About 18 months old too.

Called Apple, they asked me to take it to a store. It seems they will replace it, but not confirmed. I told them I have AppleCare on a macbook, but they didn't bother asking me for the macbook serial or any of my contact details. Only asked for the serial of the TC.

However they refused to give me permission to open it up to copy my data off the drive. Seems I will have to very carefully use the hairdryer treatment to get the rubber foot off and get my files off before taking the TC in.

Have another TC at work. Quickly ordered another USB drive for it. Now it's archiving all its files to the external USB as I type this.

They ask for the TC serial because they know there is a batch out there that are faulty and will replace yours if your serial matches up with the batch.

Mine doesnt match but I still have no faith in mine whatsoever and only use it as a (very expensive) wireless N router. Because of it I havent updated iLife, iWork etc this year to make myself feel better about it. i.e. no more money to Apple... for a while!

 

[RedTomato]

I knew about the faulty batch, but they could have let me open it up to copy data off the drive. Have read some reports of people being allowed to do that, but the helpline's advisor's manager refused to let me do this.

You should carry on using your TC for TM only. If all it holds is TM backups and it dies, no sweat. My problem is that I had other files on there too.

If you put an external USB drive on and set up Automator to archive every weekend, you've still got an insanely good backup system there.

 

[kellen]

Mine died today. Took it in, they said it was covered by a special recall, not my applecare.

Be done on Tuesday, but I will just pick it up when I get my iPhone 4 Thursday. Now to see how far I can make my airport express work.

I was really hoping they would just send me home with a newer 1TB since they didn't have the 500 parts in.

 

[ouimetnick]

I hope apple fixed the issue in the newer time capsules. But I prefer an AirPort Extreme with a USB HD connected to it for that reason. I would connect my USB HD enclosure to it. That way upgrading storage is simple, and should the router fail, my data is easy to access.

 

[Germandirk]

My TC died today!

Interesting to read all these posts. I experienced the exact same problem today, approximately 20 months after I bought the TC. I always wondered about the heat coming of my time capsule, but I figured that Apple had that under control. I assume that a new TC will have pretty much the same problem down the road and now I am considering an airport extreme and using time machine with a big external harddrive. My old Seagate harddrive has been around for a long time with no issues and I think that will be a safe alternative compared to the faulty design.
Any comments?

 

[skorpien]

Interesting to read all these posts. I experienced the exact same problem today, approximately 20 months after I bought the TC. I always wondered about the heat coming of my time capsule, but I figured that Apple had that under control. I assume that a new TC will have pretty much the same problem down the road and now I am considering an airport extreme and using time machine with a big external harddrive. My old Seagate harddrive has been around for a long time with no issues and I think that will be a safe alternative compared to the faulty design.
Any comments?

An AEBS w/ USB HDD for Time Machine is a bit spotty according to threads on these forums. Not to mention this is an unsupported feature, meaning Apple will not provide any support should this fail. There is also the risk of it "breaking" in future firmware updates. The safest alternative for wireless Time Machine backups is to purchase a NAS with built in Time Machine support.

 

[brent.patterson]

Dead Time Capsule is Dead

Add me to the list of dead TC's... Mine died on Tuesday, after 10 months of use. I was furious, but they are giving me a free replacement, and are letting me keep the parts. Worked out pretty great, as now i have a extra 1TB HD! I still would have rather not have ran into this problem, but I am very pleased with how they handled it situation.

Brent

 

[laurim]

Add me to the list of dead TC's... Mine died on Tuesday, after 10 months of use. I was furious, but they are giving me a free replacement, and are letting me keep the parts. Worked out pretty great, as now i have a extra 1TB HD! I still would have rather not have ran into this problem, but I am very pleased with how they handled it situation.

Brent

Wow, they let you keep the old one? That's unusual. I've had mine replaced twice . The first replacement went dead a few months after I got it. I took it to the Apple Store and the Genius looked up its serial number in his computer. He saw how recently I had gotten it and our exchange went:

Him: wow!
Me: Yep!
Him: That's crazy!
Me: I know!
Gave me a new one.

I've read that it's a heat problem so now I have it sitting on an old perforated aluminum steamer tray to conduct bottom heat away and bought a mini usb fan from Amazon that constantly blows air over it. Kind of ridiculous but it stays cool now (and I have mini fans blowing on all my high-end electronics now since my tv also blew a capacitor not long ago). They definitely should get the power pack out of the housing or add a fan.

 

[laurim]

Interesting to read all these posts. I experienced the exact same problem today, approximately 20 months after I bought the TC. I always wondered about the heat coming of my time capsule, but I figured that Apple had that under control. I assume that a new TC will have pretty much the same problem down the road and now I am considering an airport extreme and using time machine with a big external harddrive. My old Seagate harddrive has been around for a long time with no issues and I think that will be a safe alternative compared to the faulty design.
Any comments?

I believe Time Machine won't work with that config, unless something has changed. That's why I got a Time Capsule not long after I bought an Extreme. I know this post is old so I say this for any new readers.

Oops, someone already said it...

 

[amacer]

Pissed & Stoked

Pissed that I came home to a totally dead TM last night.. No lights on, no-one home.. First problem I've had with it..

Stoked that a 10 minute chat with an Apple tech' this a.m got me hooked up with a free replacement!.. Particularly stoked because I had no Applecare and the thing is about 4 years old!..

Fair play Apple.. the product is a lemon but your CS is outstanding..

p.s The tech' guy assured me that the 'issue' with these things has been resolved and I shouldn't worry about the replacement dying in 18 months.. we'll see eh?..

 

[OllyW]

Particularly stoked because I had no Applecare and the thing is about 4 years old!..

I don't know about Time Capsule, it sound like you've got a time machine.

Even the oldest ones aren't 3 years old yet.

 

[RedTomato]

Wirelessly posted (This odd thing that I hold: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)

When my TC died, apple were adamant on the phone that I couldn't open it up to recover the data. I live in the UK so no $99 data transfer service for me. Apple also said on the phone that they wouldn't give me the old drive

I was quite stressed as I had confidental files on there, so in the end I opened it up with the hairdryer method, got my files and did a wipe and packed it all up again. Was easy but a bit nerve wracking as I didn't want to rip the rubber base.

Took it to the apple store, got a new one in 5 minutes (very good service!) and thought I'd give it a try. So I asked if I could have the old drive back too. 'Sure!' says the guy and in another 5 minutes I had both a new TC and the old 1tb drive in my paws

Boo to Apple for the wrong telephone advice and +100 to the very nice guy at the store (Covent Garden) who sorted me out quickly and professionally.

 

[bobr1952]

I don't know about Time Capsule, it sound like you've got a time machine.

Even the oldest ones aren't 3 years old yet.

Yeah, I have one of the original ones on the first flight out of China and it will be 3 years old in March.

 

[aritikka]

My Time Capsule died, too

Hi,

I would like to add my vote.

My 500 GB time Capsule, manufactured after those under the current extended warranty (6f8240xxxxx), died a few says ago.

It has been running hot always, obvious design fault. Check http://timecapsuledead.org/

Apple, carry your responsibility, this was not a cheap equipment.

Best Wishes
Ari TIkka

 

[Annie Marie]

Another one bytes the dust.



I bought a TC about two years ago and it was DOA, so I returned it and continued to use my trusty old router.

About a year ago I tried another TC and this one worked. I thought I had another great apple product that wouldn't let me down, but I was wrong. My TC has no power and I unfortunately gave my other router away, so now I'm plugged in until I figure out what to do about this. My TC seemed to run hot too.

Since this is a known issue, how has apple been dealing with this? Has anyone out of warranty gotten any service?

Annie

 

[southerndoc]

My Time Capsule died three days ago. I bought an Airport Extreme today only to find my modem doesn't work either. It's connecting to Comcast, but the Ethernet port is fried. Had to buy a new modem.

I'm betting a surge from my dying Time Capsule knocked out my modem.

 

[Annie Marie]

My Time Capsule died three days ago. I bought an Airport Extreme today only to find my modem doesn't work either. It's connecting to Comcast, but the Ethernet port is fried. Had to buy a new modem.

I'm betting a surge from my dying Time Capsule knocked out my modem.

That sucks, I had to reset mine, but had it been fried my isp would've given me a new one.

 

[heibergj]

Get your time capsule fixed

Hey all. I have seen a lot of talk about time capsules going out and all. I have come across a guy that fixes them. Very reasonable, comes with 90 warranty on parts and labor. Check out this site for more info:

www.freewebs.com/tcrepair

 

[spgallup]

time capsule

I hate my time capsule, it is a worthless machine. Apple engineers are morons. What is the point of something looking good if it doesn't work or wont last? Backing up and retrieving info is a joke, god forbid if it is unplugged or the power goes out the entire network has to be set up again from scratch, after it started turning off on its own the HD died suddenly and could not be read, it just kept running incessantly, so I tried resetting it, which didn't work, then unplugging it. When I plugged it back in it did not turn on. At this point I had had it. I'm tired of going to the "genius bar", so I stomped on it, then threw it, then took a hammer to it. I am glad to be rid of it. After my experiences with my iphone, macbook (5 hard drives replaced and screen replaced), and now time capsule I will never again buy an Apple product. They are poorly built, with terrible software, and obviously not enough R&D. I feel sorry for anyone buying Apple.