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Was given water damaged 2010 MacBook. Update: fixed and was offered a job at store

AlphaDogg

AlphaDogg

macrumors 68040
Original poster
May 20, 2010
3,417
7
Ypsilanti, MI
I am well known at my school for my skills with technology. Mainly hardware... So, my teacher gave me her MacBook that she spilled coffee on. Obvoiusly it broke, so she took it to the Apple store. They took out her HDD and gave it to her. They advised her to buy a 13" MBP to replace her 13" MB. Not knowing much about computers, she did... About a month later, she comes to me, asking if I would be interested in messing around with her computers (she also gave me her circa 2006 MB with a failed graphics card). I said sure, so she brought them in to school today... I took them home, and inspected. The 2010 MB had no hard drive, and no obvious liquid damage on the logic board. So I took out the logic board, replaced thermal paste, cleaned the coffee stains out of the ports, and put it back together... After that, there was no change in its behavior... The sleep light would come on, and the disc drive would make its noise.... So, I reset the PRAM, and it finally made the "BONG" sound... But still no image on the screen. I took the LCD out of the unibody assy... Needless to say, that was the most time consuming part. I unplugged the video cable from the lcd, and noticed some corrosion. I wiped off the corrosion with rubbing alcohol. I spent the next 15min figuring out how to connect the video cable back into the LCD... Finally, I did it... I put it back together, and I see an image on the screen... I then put in my 2010 MBP's previous HDD in it (I upgraded the HDD in it, and I still had all of my files on my old drive). It booted fully, to my amazement.

Now on to the 2006 MB that she gave me. It seems to have a failed graphics card, because upon bootup, it shows grey and black lines on the screen, and none of the familiar OSX UI. I'm assuming it's the graphics card, which would translate into a new logic board. I cannot justify putting any money into a 2006 machine, so I guess there is nothing I can/will do...

PS: I am typing this on the 2010 MB. :p
 
alust2013 said:
I'd give it back so she can sell it and recoup some of the money that she lost on it.
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When I was talking to her, she said that she didn't want any money out of it.

Edit: forgot to mention in the original post that there are still coffee stains on the rubber bottom of the MB.
 
AlphaDogg said:
When I was talking to her, she said that she didn't want any money out of it.

Edit: forgot to mention in the original post that there are still coffee stains on the rubber bottom of the MB.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. Do you know someone in need of a computer or who would appreciate one, seeing as you really don't need one (MBP in your sig). Just a thought though
 
alust2013 said:
Fair enough. Do you know someone in need of a computer or who would appreciate one, seeing as you really don't need one (MBP in your sig). Just a thought though
Click to expand...
I do, in fact have a friend whose PC has been broken for the past month or so. I gave him my 2007 MB that is water damaged (oops), but still kinda works, and he loved it. My mom needed it, so I took it back. He is currently using my old PowerMac G5 that was given to me... He hates how slow it is. He wants a new iMac, but his dad won't let him get one yet. I could/will give him this MB until he gets an iMac...
 
Update: I talked with her (the teacher) yesterday. She said that I could keep both MacBooks and that she didn't want anything out of it. I also got the circa 2006 MacBook to work. It was not a graphics card issue, but rather a display issue. I have it set up as a desktop, as seen in this picture:
DSCN0774.jpg
 
When I went to the apple store (genius bar) to get my MBP charger replaced, I brought the 2010 MB along with, just in case... I got to talking with the genius bar person and he wasnt thrilled with what I did. When I told him what I did, he said "you aren't doing this to any computer under warranty, I hope..." But when I got to talking with my friend who works as a retail person there, he said "oh my god. I have to go get my manager, so you can show him." So he did, and I told the manager what I did, and showed him that it works. He asked me how old I am. I said 14. He then said "in 2 years, you have to come work here" and then gave me his card. The funny thing is that I thought you had to be 18 to work there... But the manager told me 16, so I will trust his word. Hopefully that is not misplaced trust...
 
Excellent :) Yeah, I think in a lot of retail places (like supermarkets etc) you can work at 16 but there's a limit to how many hours you're allowed to work, at least in the UK anyway.

That's awesome how you got to keep the MB as well!
 
I bleached the rubber bottom of the MacBook today... It looks almost new... But, the bleach had an adverse effect on the finish of the aluminum that the cover is made of. The aluminum is now white and does not feel like aluminum. It has a weird texture... But, this is not important, because that will not be exposed when it is screwed on to the macbook...
 
Well done Alpha.

LETS START THE BIDDING AT $100!

$100... $150 TO THE MAN IN ORANGE, OH $1000000 TO THE MAN IN RED!

1

2

3

SOLD TO THE MAN IN RED FOR $1000000!!
 
Good work

Great work dude
Hope you really get that job ;)
All the best and continue your efforts
that was really good thinking out there
All the best
 
Alpha, you're lucky :D
14 here,
I replaced a LCD + Socketed a CPU on a parent's dell recently
It's not the same :(:(
 
mrsir2009 said:
Congradz :D I'm 13 and I could also be getting a job at an Apple retail store when I'm a little older ;)
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I didn't think there were anyone else roughly my age on the forums :) I thought they were all just adults. I'm 14.
 
R94N said:
I didn't think there were anyone else roughly my age on the forums :) I thought they were all just adults. I'm 14.
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I am also 14! :D ... But in all seriousness, I sincerely appreciate your kind responses :)

Edit: Rather than reeking of coffee, the MacBook reeks of bleach.....
 
AlphaDogg said:
I am also 14! :D ... But in all seriousness, I sincerely appreciate your kind responses :)

Edit: Rather than reeking of coffee, the MacBook reeks of bleach.....
Click to expand...

wow i feel really old being here. btw how many macbooks do you have.
 
Congratulations on everything! You are very skilled :)

I am 15 btw, didn't expect much others around my age here!
 
Risky272 said:
wow i feel really old being here. btw how many macbooks do you have.
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Including the 2007 MacBook that now is without a screen, I have 4. The MacBook w/o a screen, the 2010 MacBook, my old 2007 MacBook that I got brand new, and my own 2010 MacBook Pro (that I also got brand new).

R94N said:
Glad to see others my age here. I thought I was just a weirdo :rolleyes: ;)
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Who said you weren't a weirdo? :p LOL just kidding :)
 
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