Found a design flaw in MacBook Pro Battery

There are issues with Battery design in MacBook Pro. Where the battery is screwed, have noticed on several MacBook pros that screw holders are cracked either due to swollen battery or some other reason which causes battery to shift and knocks RAM chips, which on startup causes beeping noise.

My wife's mid-2012 classic 13" has a completely cracked left plastic holder around the Tri Wing screw and the right one appears to be cracked as well. I've never removed the battery. She did buy it as a Best Buy Refurb so maybe they were a little overzealous screwing in the battery? It is very thin plastic so I'm not surprised it cracks with too much pressure either from a swelling battery or a tech screwing it in.

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Design flaw in Macbook Pro late 2013?

Hi,
Looks like Macbook Pro late 2013 has a weakness, due to a design flaw. Let me explain:
My Macbook Pro late 2013 (13inch, Model: A1502) developed a dent (see attachment) and an Apple Store (Genius Bar) technician told me that this is a result of "excessive pressure" on the bottom case. He also mentioned that because the case is made of soft aluminium and it is only supported around the border (about where the screws are located), any "excessive" pressure in the middle may result into the aluminum case being damaged by the internal components; in this case the damage appears to have been caused by an internal bracket.
There is no sign of the bottom case being pushed inwards, there hasn't been any accident and I haven't stepped, or sat on, or otherwise mistreated my laptop, so I very surprised! Most of the time, it's sitting flat on a desk and only carried insider a padded pouch, inside a laptop-grade (padded) backpack! As you'll notice in the photo (and I can provide more photos, if needed), there is absolutely no other sign of damage, the curves look perfect, and the back plate is flat.
This is just a cosmetic damage and replacing the bottom case is the obvious solution but I still need to better understand the circumstances; I need to understand what went wrong and, if possible, how to prevent this from happening in the future .
I visited iFix it web site and carefully looked at the internals of the laptop, here:
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Retina+Display+Late+2013+Tea rdown/18695
It looks like the bottom base is only supported around its border. The middle of the bottom case has no backing to support it. While Apple could have designed a support structure around the battery cells and over the motherboard (logic board) and the back case, there is no support structure at all. Hence, pressing on the back of the laptop uniformly (e.g. while in a loaded backpack) will probably result to the back case being pushed inwards and, while aluminium does have some degree of elasticity, it can get damaged when hitting on a sharp object, such as an internal bracket. Hence, I guess the Apple technician is right, this is what probably happened to my laptop and I think this may have happened only in my backpack. But, how “excessive” can the pressure be on a Macbook Pro inside a high-quality, padded backpack?
If there are other MBPr users who have experienced this problem under normal everyday use, i.e. not due to an accident, could you please let me know?
I'd be grateful if Apple:
* Looked into this and provided a workaround, e.g. a more durable bottom case.
* Considered replacing our damaged cases for free.
* Published some numbers, to inform prospective customers about the durability of the laptop's case, e.g. in N/cm^2
* Took our experience into consideration when designing their new laptops.
Kind regards.

" I need to understand what went wrong and, if possible, how to prevent this from happening in the future"
So what's underneath the area w/ the "blister"?
"It looks like the bottom base is only supported around its border. The middle of the bottom case has no backing to support it."
That's pretty much been the case w/ every MBP I've ever had apart. Nothing past 2012 however.
" While Apple could have designed a support structure around the battery cells and over the motherboard (logic board) and the back case, there is no support structure at all"
In earlier versions of the MBP there is a "separator" between two areas of the upper case but it doesn't supply any support to the bottom case.
So here's my take on this; Apple has made these MBPs thinner and thinner. In the MBPs I've taken apart 2008 - 2012. In the 2010 I have here the bottom case is very thick and judging by tapping on it is definitely tempered (or heat hardened or stress hardened). I don't have the proper caliper but the edge reads .044 Inch.
There have been other issues on these communities that relate to the thinness of the top or the bottom cases in these newer machines.
Never seen a newer machine but my feeling is judging by the issues seen around here is that the materials are much thinner and probably not as hardened or tempered.
" how “excessive” can the pressure be on a Macbook Pro inside a high-quality, padded backpack?"
To help prevent this from happening again and if this were my MBP I would use/make a hardened case just for the laptop. Say two sheets of 1/4" hardboard w/ a 1/4" separator of high density foam. Wait I'm describing a high quality laptop case.
As Ogelthorpe says, backpacks are not the most delicate way of transporting a laptop. I've seen damage worse than this to laptops, iPads, iPhones, Kindles etc. Especially at the school where I was the main tech. I would say: "What happened to this?" and the kid would say: "I dunno it was just in my backpack".
I've watched backpacks fall from shelves, get stuck in lockers and get smashed into each other in the hallway.
I'm sure you're much more delicate w/ your MBP but as the saying goes ".... happenes!"

How will an external Hard drive designed for the macbook Pro work with my White Macbook? My white macbook has a Firewire 400 and the G-Tech HD has a 800 to 400 compatible cable for the firewire.

I am asking this because I want the G-Tech Hard drive says that it is designed for the macbook pro. Yet, I want to back up faster with by using my firewire 400 which is not an option on the one designed for the white macbook that does not have a firewire (only a USB port.) The G-Tech Hard drive comes with the 800 to 400 compatible cable and has 5400 RPM with 750 GB. Also, I've heard that laptops with low battery (mine all the time) won't have the power for a bus powered Hard drive (as in no ac plug in adaptor.) Can I just plug in my laptop? Any one know the answers from experience with this hard drive?

As far as I know, if a harddrive works with a Macpro, it should work with the Macbook: if your Macbook is low on power, plug in the AC adapter
If your Macbook has a firewire port, then it should be fine. BUt i would do somemore research first.

MacBook and MacBook Pro Battery Update

http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/
Apple has recently discovered that some batteries used in its MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks may have battery performance issues. Apple is offering a software update that is designed to improve battery performance.
The battery update is available immediately via Software Update or downloadable here.
Note: The factors causing the performance issues do not present a safety risk. You may continue to use your current battery.
This battery update should be run on all MacBook and MacBook Pro computers and extra batteries that were purchased between February 2006 and April 2007.
If, after you have installed the battery update, your battery has any of the symptoms listed below, please make a reservation to bring your computer with its battery to your local Apple Retail Store, or contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP), or call your local Apple Support Contact Center. If Apple or an AASP determines that your battery is eligible for replacement, you will receive a new battery, free of charge, even if your MacBook or MacBook Pro is out of warranty.
For MacBook and MacBook Pro systems with Intel Core Duo processors, this program extends repair coverage on the battery for up to two years from the date of purchase of the computer.
Identifying an affected battery
Affected batteries will have one or more of the following symptoms:
Battery is not recognized causing an “X” to appear in the battery icon in the Finder menu bar.
Battery will not charge when computer is plugged into AC power.
Battery exhibits low charge capacity/runtime when using a fully charged battery with a battery cycle count (as shown in System Profiler) of less than 300.
Battery pack is visibly deformed.
Note: If your MacBook or MacBook Pro battery does not have any of the symptoms noted above, your battery does not need to be replaced.
Next Steps
To participate in this worldwide program, your MacBook or MacBook Pro battery must show the symptoms noted above. If it does, please make a reservation to bring your computer and battery to your local Apple Retail Store, or contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP), or call your local Apple Support Contact Center. The U.S. support number is 1-800-275-2273. If you are located outside the U.S., please see Apple's international contact list for your local Apple Technical Support phone number. An Apple technical support representative or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) will determine if the battery is eligible for replacement, free of charge. Customers are responsible for transportation costs to eligible AASPs and retail stores.
If a replacement battery is sent to you via airmail, it is important that you return the older battery to Apple so that it can be properly recycled.
This program extends repair coverage on the battery for up to two years from the date of purchase of the computer for Intel Core Duo-based MacBook and MacBook Pro computers. Apple will continue to evaluate the battery update program and will provide further extensions as needed. Apple also reserves the right to modify the program if other solutions that address the battery performance issues become available.

For MacBook and MacBook Pro systems with Intel Core Duo processors, this program extends repair coverage on the battery for up to two years from the date of purchase of the computer.
Pretty nice change for those C2D's

Dota 2 and Macbook pro battery

My early 2011 15 inch macbook pro battery drains while connected with 85w charger when i am playing dota 2. Dota 2 runs faily well with very little lag in almost high setting. Shouldn't 85w charger provide adequte power for gaming. Dota 2 is not even a very demanding game. I have only played few small 2d games in my pro and this may be the first time i am playing a 3d game. And also sometimes it doesnt drain even when i play 2-3 matches but most of the other times it drains in single match. I have yet to see it drain down 90% but still. What options do i have to fix this? I am graphic designer so i sometimes do video editing in my macbook pro and i m quite sure some of those renderings are more system hungry than dota 2 and no drain while doing that. Thanks in advance.

What do you mean it didn't work? Are you having a battery issue that the update did not fix? Need some more info. If you look at the webpage that I linked to, it advises to have affected batteries replaced.
Identifying an affected battery
Affected batteries will have one or more of the following symptoms:
Battery is not recognized causing an “X” to appear in the battery icon in the Finder menu bar.
Battery will not charge when computer is plugged into AC power.
Battery exhibits low charge capacity/runtime when using a fully charged battery with a battery cycle count (as shown in System Profiler) of less than 300.
Battery pack is visibly deformed.
Note: If your MacBook or MacBook Pro battery does not have any of the symptoms noted above, your battery does not need to be replaced.
If you're replacing batteries every 3 months I would take a look at how you are maintaining your battery. Are you calibrating it when it arrives and then every 6 to 8 weeks afterword? Are you running graphically intensive programs? Do you have a lot of background process in your activity monitor that are taxing the system? Most folks I have seen post here find their battery issues resolved after a replacement, not recurring every 3 months.

Will it wreck my macbook pro battery if i drain it.

i have learnt that it doesnt wreck macbook pro battery if i leave it plugged it in all the time, but i was wondering would it wreck it if i drained the battery down to approx 10% and then charged it all way back up and kept doing it? if it wrecks the battery whats the point of having a 7 hour battery life like it says?
all advice is appreciated.

The battery is designed to be cycled. It is not necessary to do this more than once a month or so.
matty21202 wrote:
i have learnt that it doesnt wreck macbook pro battery if i leave it plugged it in all the time,
In fact it will. If you want it to last, cycle it about once a month.
Don't leave it plugged in all the time, nor should you leave it in a fully charged or fully discharged state for extensive periods of time (several weeks). That will kill it just the same.
from
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html:
Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time. ...
... and
If you store a battery when it’s fully discharged, it could fall into a deep discharge state, which renders it incapable of holding any charge.
matty21202 wrote:
all advice is appreciated.
The best advice is not to obsess about it. Like any well-designed tool, Macs are designed to be used.

I cannot found iLife app on my macbook pro and when i want to buying it i cannot and i have this massage (These apps cannot be accepted by your Apple ID.These apps were already assigned to another Apple ID, and they will be available in that Apple ID's P)

i cannot found iLife app on my macbook pro and when i want to buying it i cannot and i have this massage (These apps cannot be accepted by your Apple ID.These apps were already assigned to another Apple ID, and they will be available in that Apple ID's purchases list. If you don't have access to that AppleID and want to receive future updates, you will needto purchase the applications ) what i want to do now ? please tell me

Either use the Apple ID you used when you originally purchased the applications or you will have to purchase them using your Apple ID. If you did not have the other Apple ID, then you have the applications illegally or they were improperly included with a computer you purchased from someone else.

MacBook Pro battery had accumulated more than a 1000 charges, and stopped functioning unexpectedly. Went and got the battery replaced. Just saw that SMC Firmware 1.6 update deals with this. Possible to get my money back?

MacBook Pro battery had accumulated more than a 1000 charges, and stopped functioning unexpectedly. Went and got the battery replaced. Just saw that SMC Firmware 1.6 update deals with this. Possible to get my money back?

The firmware update corrects an error that may occur, however the techs would have checked the condition of the battery prior to installing a new one. If the battery was questionable, the firmware update was really not too important.
You can check the battery condition by going to the apple, left side of the menu bar, About This Mac, More Info, System Report, Hardware, Power and see what it says about Cycle Count, Condition, Capacity: Condition anything but Normal needs to be checked and may need to be replaced.
The cycle count of 1,000 charge cycles is the typical life of a Lithium-Ion battery, the point at which the capacity drops to 80% of the as built capacity.

HT204347 Do you connect the charger in the MacBook Pro battery damage if using device ?

Do you connect the charger in the MacBook Pro battery damage if using device ?
i am sorry i not good speak english

Provided you are using the correct charger for your Mac (13" have a 65 watt charger, 15" and 17", an 85 watt charger), it has enough capacity to power the computer for normal tasks, and the leftover power can charge the battery at the same time. If you are doing something very intensive, there may not be leftover power, but the Mac will take power from the battery if needed. Once the battery is fully charged, the pilot light in the charger plug will change from orange to green and no further charge will be applied to the battery.
You can use your Mac plugged to the charger with no damage to the battery or the computer.

My macbook pro battery will not hold charge

My macbook pro battery will not charge. The laptop will only turn on after it has been plugged in to charge, and when unplugged it automatically dies. When plugged in the battery indicator is green and the top right corner of the screen says "Not charging". I left town for a week with the laptop off and I came back in town and it won't charge. What can I do to fix this?

If you are under warranty call Apple and get a case number.

Macbook Pro Battery swollen and Can't charge will affected processing Speed

Will Macbook Pro Battery swollen and Can't charge will affected processing Speed? I read article that processing speed will reduce if we take out the battery however will this affected if our battery unable to charge? My MBP still able to detect battery but no more charging.
My is macbook pro year 2010 macbook 7.1 13 inch

I will replacing it soon, however at mean while I still using it. I just want to check either it will affected my speed for now?

My MacBook Pro battery is empty and won't charge, but charger is fine

My MacBook Pro battery is empty and won't charge. I did the PRAM reset when there was still some power left in the battery. The charger indicator light doesn't come on when I connect it to MacBook Pro, BUT it works just fine with my old white Mac book. This happened a few times before, and unplugging and plugging the adapter into the MacBook pro helped. Now nothing happens no matter how many times I reset the charger. Is there anything else I can do?

More than likely you need a new battery.

What destroys a macbook pro battery

What destroys a macbook pro battery... my macbook only has a 4hr battery life... and i used to get 9hr

kahu01,
when you’re running from the battery, and you select the battery icon in the menu bar, which apps are listed under “Apps Using Significant Energy”?

How is the best way of keeping your macbook pro battery healthy

what is the best way of keeping your macbook pro battery healthy there are so many ways what is the best way?

Read these two Apppe articles:
http://http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1446
I generally keep my MBP connected to AC as much as possible and try to make certain that at least monthly I run it on the battery to about the 40% charge level.
Ciao.

HT5873 how long can a macbook pro battery last?

how long can a macbook pro battery last?

Depends on your particular model of MBP. It depends on the context, too. Do you mean hours of usage or do you mean life of the battery?

Found a design flaw in MacBook Pro Battery

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