I am Visiting The Genius Bar :)

I'm gonna drop by the Genius Bar (Michigan Ave. in Chicago) Monday because my first generation blackbook is going through some mad Kernel Panic (several times a day) and also get my cpu whine checked out while I'm at it. I have a few question:
1. I installed a third party ram (2GB OWC-ran the memtest and no problem found). I should definitely mention that to them but should I bring my factory ram (512MB) just in case?
2. Do I need to bring any proof of Applecare (I got 3-year plan)? Or would they automatically know just by my macbook's number.
3. The Apple store in Chicago, I will be dropping by around 10am to 11am (it opens at 10am). Is it recommended that I make an appointment (by phone or website)? I know the Genius Bar gets crowded sometimes and I don't wanna be late for my class.
4. Is the Kernel Panic something that can be fixed right away (generally speaking) or would I have to drop off my macbook and pick it up next time?
5. Anything else I should know about? Like backing up my data?
Thanks everyone!

Some answers:
1. Were I trouble shooting this, I would start by suspecting the RAM. Yes indeed, take the original RAM with you.
2. This info is on a database, and the Apple folks will access it when you are there. But why not just take it, it's only a piece of paper?
3. Check out the store's web site. In Toronto an appointment is mandatory.
4. Impossible to answer that question. If it is bad RAM, and the original RAM makes the problem disappear, you will be laughing (except for being stuck with bum RAM). In general, the Apple folk want you up and running asap as much as you do. They will not want you to leave the computer unless they are stuck for bench time.
5. Of course you should back up. Always. And that has nothing to do with having a problem, it's just the sensible way to use your computer. I personally would no more do without a back up than I would travel in a car without wearing a seat belt. In your situation, if the computer ends up in "the shop", the Apple folk are not going to go out of there way to erase your data, and a backup may not be required. However, it would be insane not to have a back up, just in case. Your Applecare warranty protects the computer, not your data.
good luck.

Similar Messages

I suddenly have 2 people i never met and don't know showing up as 'shared' on my computer. this may have happened when i visited the genius bar with wifi but i can't seem to delete these 2 strangers.

I visited the genius bar at my mac store two weeks ago and now I notice two people I don't know are showing up as SHARED on my computer. This is really disturbing to me as I don't know if these people have access to my computer. Could this have happened because of the WIFI at the computer store? There are so many people there at once could it be this accidentally happened? AND HOW DO I GET RID OF THESE SHARED PEOPLE? I've tried to find a way to delete them but I can't find anything that allows that. Also can't 'drag' them to the trash. PLEASE HELP. Thanks.

They don't have any access to your computer. They were picked up on your Wi-Fi. If they are not currently being detected, then hold down the COMMAND key and drag the entries out of the sidebar.

After visiting the genius bar today my itunes library is gone

After visiting the genius bar today my itunes library is gone

After visiting the genius bar today my itunes library is gone

I have a "Calendars" file on my desktop after visiting the Genius Bar. When opened it shows recent calendar files. How do I get it off the Desktop?

How do I get a "Calendars" file off my desktop. Where is it supposed to go? It has files of recent calendars in it and I'm afraid to delete it.

Thank you.
When I tried I was given a notice that there was a newer version in the library, so I trashed it.
Stedem

What should I do; My Macbook Pro Retina 13" performing worse after a visit to the Genius Bar.

To give a little background; my MacBook is my baby. I keep it as safe and clean as I possibly can. The only damage that has come to it is a tiny dent in the left corner of the screen, when my little sister took it, ran, and dropped it on a wooden floor. It's my pride and joy, and I would never mistreat my computer. I don't loan it to friends, I always know where it is, and I do my best to keep it from dying. The only thing I do which is problematic is not shutting it down often enough; I usually keep it on for days at a time, I don't sleep much and spend a lot of time on my computer, but for such a high price, I was expecting that it could handle it. Onto the problem.
My computer was having minor problems with the trackpad and keyboard and had been since I'd bought it, but I hadn't been noticing it much until recently. I remember my mom pointed it out when I first got it and I told her she was crazy. I suspected a little hardware problem that my AppleCare would cover. When I went in to the Genius Bar, they opened up my computer and told me I had serious water damage. I was shocked as I'd never brought my computer close to water; I don't bring it in the bathroom, so no condensation, I have never spilled on it, I don't usually eat or drink around it, etc. I was given very minimal detail or explanation, simply told over and over that it was water damage, and they told me my AppleCare had been deactivated, which made me even MORE upset. The store told me it would cost almost $1000 to fix, at which point I was about to cry since that's almost the cost of my computer. I was going to wait until I got home to get an opinion from my hometown Apple Store, as they've known me for a long time and I was upset with the unhelpful service at the Genius Bar around my college.
My current problem is that I don't think I can wait until May. My computer has been acting up ever since the Genius Bar visit earlier this month, my screen is shaking and the color is going in and out, sound is acting strangely, and I'm really, really upset since none of these problems existed before my visit. I didn't feel it was a problem until recently, since it was pretty scattered and I felt like if I ignored it until I got home in mid-May, I could get it fixed then. Now, I feel as though something was jostled or screwed with while they were checking my computer and it's causing me a lot of problems, problems that are interfering with my use of this otherwise awesome device. I really love my MacBook, it's the best computer I've had, but I am at my wits end.
AppleCare is insurance, and I don't understand how they could take it away for something that I have no control over. When I bought AppleCare, I was told it would cover any damage that happened to the hardware or software of my computer, which is the whole reason I bought it! I wouldn't have wasted money on it if I knew this was a way to take the responsibility of fixing my computer away from Apple! I am beyond angry with the service I received, the "rules" of AppleCare, and the performance of my computer after the visit. I can barely type this since my screen refuses to stay still or one color! I was having absolutely no screen problems before this visit!!!
This is my last resort; I may return to the Genius Bar sometime next week for a reassessment. I am extremely upset with the service I have received and the new problems arising. This computer is barely seven/eight months old. It should NOT be having these problems. I can't help but think it was a manufacturing error and I was given an incorrect diagnosis. As a final, desperate cry for help, I thought I'd turn to the support forum for advice; is there anything you guys think I should be doing or any way I can possibly fix this problem myself/without Apple since apparently I have no insurance even though I paid $250 for problems like this to be covered?

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Hold the Power button until your Mac turns off, and turn it on again. As you tried to install a firmware update, plug the MacBook to its charger before turning it on.
Note that firmware updates are installed in the next startup, so don't worry about this, as the update hasn't been installed yet.
Respecting to other freezes, it may indicate a hardware problem. Check if the same freezes happen in the future

Aperture ate my picture files and they are not recoverable. The guy at the Genius Bar told me to Trash the App, empty Trash, then go to Purchases and reinstall. But Purchases says it is "Installed" so it does not let me download it again. HELP!!!!

Aperture ate my picture files and they are not recoverable. The guy at the Genius Bar told me to Trash the App, empty Trash, then go to Purchases and reinstall. But Purchases says it is "Installed" so it does not let me download it again. HELP!!!!

I typed Aperture into Spotlight and sure enough it did show up.
It looks like it is supposed to be in Apps.
But it is not there.
So I clicked on the spotlight Aperture and it opened up the App!!!!
But I do not know where it is to move it!
How can I find it?
While Aperture is running and you are seeing it in the Dock, ctrl-click (or right click) the Dock icon.
You will see a contextual menu. Click on "Options", then select "Show in Finder".
And check the "keep in Dock" mark, so you will not lose it from the Dock.

I dropped my Macbook Pro and now the battery is swollen, should I bring it to the genius bar?

My Macbook Pro fell off my bed (approx. 3ft) and dented the left side of the front left corner on the battery meter. Besides the damage everything seemed okay for a little while until I kept getting a erratic curser track pad. I kept cleaning it thinking some dirty or oil may of got on it or in the edges, but long story short I found out my battery is swollen and thats the reason for the erratic curser. The drop and dent impacted the battery causing it to swell. I feel that I just need a new battery. I purchased my macbook from the apple store and still have applecare. However I've researched online a bit and saw some people posted that if you drop your macbook, Apple will void my coverage. I also read that when people have had a swollen battery and applecare, they just brought it into the Genius bar and they went to the back and brought them a new battery. I've been super nervous to go see them as I've spent the extra bucks on Applecare and did not get any use of it. If anyone has had this issue or knows about it, please let me know!!
MacBook Pro 13" 2012, Mac OS X (10.9.3)

I dropped my Macbook Pro and now the battery is swollen, should I bring it to the genius bar?
Yes !
I would take it in before it gets worse and breaks something.
Genius reservation http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/
on-line https://getsupport.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action
check warranty https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

For the second time (I've been to the Genius Bar once already) my WiFi isn't working on my iPhone 4S. This is really infuriating and costly!!! I see others have the same issues. Can't Apple do anything about this? It's obviously a hardware problem!

For the second time (I've been to the Genius Bar already once with this) my Wifi isn't working. They gave me a new iphone last time, but the new one has the same issue as the old one, I'm guessing. I've tried resetting the network but that doesn't work.
I see others have this issue too.
If this is a hardware problem why doesn't Apple fix it? Or do I just have to wait another year for another upgrade?
Currently it's not costing me anything - yet - because I've got the Apple Warranty but this is totally frustating!!! I bought the original phone (which has been replaced in July 2012. The new phone (without working Wifi) is a month old.
Will try Restore via ITunes before (I will invariably) have to return to the Genius Bar for another Iphone 4S unless someone has an ingenius solution here?..?

sematson wrote:
If this is a hardware problem why doesn't Apple fix it? Or do I just have to wait another year for another upgrade?
For what reason, other than making yourself look foolish, would you ask questions that we users could not possibly answer as we're NOT Apple?
Basics from the manual are restart, reset, restore from backup, restore as NEW. Nothing more "ingenius" to suggest than these steps that Apple has outlined in the manual. If these steps don't work, then go back to the Apple store.

Can the Genius Bar cable to my iPhone 5S to enter my passcode on a broken, non-responsive touch screen? I need to back up the 5S before replacing it under AppleCare

Can the Genius Bar cable my 5S to their computer or separate keyboard to enter my passcode on a broken, non-responsive touchscreen? I need to get past the passcode to either transfer my data and pics to a new 5S or my PC computer (that the 5S has never been synced with.

Are you serious... only bluetooth keyboards? Even if the keyboard has the lightning connector? This supposedly works on the iPhone: http://store.griffintechnology.com/wired-keyboard-for-ios-devices
as well as this: http://www.att.com/accessories/specialty-items/logitech-apple-30-pin-wired-keybo ard.html

Can I get my Macbook Pro just checked out and tuned up at the genius bar?

I'm having a hard time getting my questions answered. Basically I've had my Macbook Pro for four and a half years, but it's still doing mostly fine. It's just showing it's age slightly I think, with more spinning wheels than usual and odd things like the date is usually set to 1999 when I turn the computer on, but it rights itself in a few minutes. Also most the time when I plug it in it says it's not charging and I have to try multiple times. None of this is a huge deal, it's just that I really need the computer to last me preferably at least another year, so I worry about it a bit. I do take good care of it though. I'm about to move out of the country for a year, so I'd like to get it just checked out and perhaps tuned up a bit so that any problems are taken care of and it's in the best shape before I move away. I'd like to make a genius bar appointment, but the closest Apple store is a two hour drive from my home, so I don't want to go into it not having any idea how much it will cost or if they'll even be able to do what I'm hoping in the span of a single workday. I really don't want to have to drive back later to pick it up or have it sent off somewhere to be repaired, although if it does have serious problems I'd be willing to do that. I'd just like to know going in to it what the price range is likely to be like. I don't want to make the drive to the Apple store and have them tell me it's going to be a few hundred dollars just to have my computer looked over. And I don't even know if they offer that service, let alone if they can do it in a single afternoon. I've tried calling the store and conversations with the automated person really are not helpful. He just tells me to go online and make a reservation, and I can't figure out how to get my questions about cost and service answered.
Also, am I being foolish hoping my four and a half year old Macbook will last at least another year or two? I have no idea what the "life expectancy" is for these things. I know nothing really about computers at all, so forgive my ignorance.
Any help and insight is very much appreciated.

The genius bar technicians can check your MBP for possible hardware problems and specific software issues that you may have. The diagnosis will be free. Any extensive repairs will not be free.
If you have minor software problems, you essentially will have to deal with them yourself. Examine these two comprehensive documents for possible problem definition and solutions. If you encounter problems that you are unable to cope with, start a new discussion and there will be persons willing to assist you in solving them.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3521
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3353
Ciao.

I have a six months old iPhone 5s, it discharges the battery in 1/2 day without extensive use, 5 trips to the Genius Bar to no avail... Frustrated.. Ready to get rid of the phone, very disappointed in apple support!!

I have a six months old iPhone 5s that I use and have to use for work purposes, I have for a approximate battery life of seven or eight hours.
I went to the Genius Bar on five occasions and did not receive substantial help. I was told that I would have some applications crashing in the background but was unable to be told which ones they were. The phone is still on the warranty, but it's Apple tells me that it is not the hardware but my usage. I compared it to some of my colleagues and none of them has a battery problem like I do. I feel like I am left with a product that is not stand up to its specifications, and as a customer being totally left alone with a smart phone that does not even last through a workday. Any suggestions how to get through to Apple with this?? I was always very impressed with Apple's customer service and care up until now, obviously. Now Im ready to jump ship...

Thought it had worked but soon found out it had not.
after further days of trying finally, solved it for me Yesterday.
turned off notifications when locked, and bingo, wow.
i have not turned off iCloud but location services are also off.
best thing to do I found was keep checking your usage, settings, general, usage, and flip down to bottom, if the standby and usage are similar there is a problem, if there is a big difference then all is ok. Just keep turning things off and on until the difference is very apparent.
something on my phone was keeping the phone alive even when turned off, and I think this was the phone repeatedly trying to update continually.
to me this is definitely down to the iOS, my wife has exactly same phone and iOS but hers doesn't have any problem and the battery lasts for days.
the guy at the Genius Bar told me to restore the phone via iTunes, not iCloud. This is because iCloud remembers the exact info from your phone and simply reinstates it when you restore, and this includes the iOS too.
when I get home from holidays that's what I'll do, or wait for iOS 8 in few weeks. But I'm so pleased I finally made it work, I was beginning to think ditch the phone and buy Samsung.
anyway anyone out there please try my final solution and let me know if it works for you?

About a month ago my wifi switch greyed out. I went through all the trouble shooting and ended up going to the Genius Bar and got a new iPhone 4S. Now the switch greyed out on the new one.. help!

About a month ago my wifi switch greyed out. I went through all the trouble shooting and ended up going to the Genius Bar and got a new iPhone 4S. Now the switch greyed out on the new one.. help!
I've had my new one for less than 3 weeks. What gives? I'm loosing faith in apple

no body?

HT1414 I can not sync my iPhone after restoring it - my computer only gives me the restore (again and again and again) option. I have no music and only a few aps now on my iPhone. Any tips before I go to the genius bar?

I can not sync my iPhone after restoring it - my computer only gives me the restore (again and again and again) option. I have no music and only a few aps now on my iPhone. Any tips before I go to the genius bar?

If you restored as new, without using a backup, and still only get an option to restore, there is a hardware problem or the phone was previously hacked (jailbroken, downgraded iOS, unauthorized unlock). Your only option is to take it to Apple or whoever provides iPhone service in your country.

Trying to update from 10.4.11 to snow leopard, the genius bar said I should be able to do this I only need 1 GB of RAM and I have 2 GB. I put in the SL disc and my Macbook pro spits it out. What do I do without needlessly spending more money to upgrade?

So this disc won't load. I recently bought a new ipod nano, but am unable to put songs on it without the latest version of itunes.
My Macbook Pro is 2008 and has 10.4.11 the guys at the genius bar said to upgrade to snow leopard to upgrade to lion and I shouldn't have a problem. I was told I need 1GB of RAM and I have 2GBs of RAM but the disc spits out every time after about 3 minutes.
This is my computer info, please please please help me install this disc so I can use this ipod I bought from you that I've been super psyched about using.
Hardware Overview:
Model Name:          MacBook Pro
Model Identifier:          MacBookPro3,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache (per processor):          4 MB
Memory:          2 GB
Bus Speed:          800 MHz
Boot ROM Version:          MBP31.0070.B07
SMC Version:          1.16f11
Serial Number:          W8******X92
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State:          Enabled
I don't want to be frustrated with apple anymore, please help me so I can be happy with apple again.

MAshmen wrote:
disc so I can use this ipod I bought from you that I've been super psyched about using.
I don't want to be frustrated with apple anymore, please help me so I can be happy with apple again.
You didn't buy anything from us.
These forums are user-to-user; no Apple staff are involved other than to moderate.
Meanwhile, I refer to you to X423424X's post.

Can i retreive my pictures from my hard drive if the genius bar says it's b

Can someone please help me with this I am really bummed. my pictures and videos of my now late dog and my past 6 years are on my Powerbook G4 and the genius bar says the hard drive is broken. The weird thing was it was working fine and then I went to turn i on and it just didn't turn on. there was no crash while I was using it. Can someone recommend a service to retrieve the information or any advice on how to do it myself.
thanks
Sean

sean:
Commercial data recovery services are very expensive and unless your data is extremely valuable to you, it may not make sense economically. If you would like to pursue that avenue you can do a Google search for data recovery or something like that and you will come up with some of them. There are a number of utilities that will recover data from sometimes seemingly dead HDDs. Here are three of them:
FileSalvage
DataRescue II
Virtual Lab
All three of these offer demo versions, which you can download and see if they find the files for which you are looking. If one of them seems to locate them, you can purchase it online and download it, or buy the software on CD and proceed to rescue your data. Dr. Smoke's FAQ Data Recovery offers helpful advice on how to do this.
Please do post back with further questions or comments.
Good luck
cornelius

I am Visiting The Genius Bar :)

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