Options for repairing/replacing 13" Macbook 160GB Hitachi drive?

The hard drive in my nephew's white 13" Macbook (2007) died recently. While Apple has a 1 year warranty on the drive, Hitachi has a 3 year warranty on this drive (Model: HTS541616J9SA00). I went to the website listed on the drive label (www.hitachigst.com) but couldn't figure out where the serial number of the drive is on the Apple label for the drive (it's non-standard). Hitachi requires the S/N in order to validate the warranty. If I can't get a replacement drive from Hitachi, can I just buy one from some place like Fry's? Is there a firmware issue (since the Hitachi label says: Apple HDD Firmware on it)? Or am I stuck with buying a replacement (presumably at a higher cost) only from Apple?

durket wrote:
Thanks for the information. I forgot I could run System Profiler from the install disk to find the serial number. Unfortunately, Hitachi's web site claims it's invalid, so I guess that means they don't support OEM drives (which probably means I won't be choosing them for the replacement drive).
Parts (including drives) sold to OEMs are done so at a steep discount. The computer manufacturer is solely responsible for any warranty repairs under its own terms. That's standard business practice.
If you buy a drive that's not labelled as being OEM (the Apple logo is on your original drive somewhere marking it as sold to an OEM), you'll have full warranty rights.

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Options for repairing TM Disk

My external Maxtor 750GB says it can't be repaired when I run disk utility from Leopard on it. It contains 3 partitions: a bootable Tiger clone, my TM partition and a 3rd empty partition. It's a long story, but I've been able to boot from my Tiger DVD, use Disk Utility from the DVD to repair the bootable Tiger clone partition, boot from the Tiger clone and am currently using Carbon Copy CLoner to clone my Tiger system to a Disk Image on a 2nd external drive (Lacie 250GB). I'm not exactly trusting of the Maxtor as Leopard says it can't repair the TM partition on it, even though I am currently booted off of it into Tiger. Once I safely have a bootable Tiger system off of the Maxtor, I'll feel better and will be able to "explore" options for repairing the TM partition in hopes of being able to get me back to 10.5 (pre the disastrous -for me anyway - 10.5.1 upgrade attempt). What options will I have for trying to repair the TM volume on the Maxtor? Does it make sense to try to run disk utility on it directly from the Leopard install DVD? If I can't do anything with it, is there likely somnething physically wrong with the disk and should I return it? It's still under a 14 day open box return policy at Best Buy, but I'd rather be able to restore the data on it. Thanks for any advice.

durket wrote:
Thanks for the information. I forgot I could run System Profiler from the install disk to find the serial number. Unfortunately, Hitachi's web site claims it's invalid, so I guess that means they don't support OEM drives (which probably means I won't be choosing them for the replacement drive).
Parts (including drives) sold to OEMs are done so at a steep discount. The computer manufacturer is solely responsible for any warranty repairs under its own terms. That's standard business practice.
If you buy a drive that's not labelled as being OEM (the Apple logo is on your original drive somewhere marking it as sold to an OEM), you'll have full warranty rights.

Lost iPhoto when Apple replaced damaged MacBook Pro hard drive

My son and daughter-in-law recently had to replace their MacBook Pro hard drive. Apple did the replacement, but they got it back without iPhoto. Isn't that standard software when you purchase a MacBook Pro? Shouldn't it be part of the replacement, too?

If your computer shipped with Lion, follow the directions here to redownload the iLife apps:
Restoring iLife applications after Internet Restore of OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion
If you erase install OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion on a new Mac that shipped with OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion installed, you can download iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand from the Mac App Store.
After installation, start (up) from OS X.
Double-click the App Store icon in the dock.
Enter your Apple ID and password.
Click Purchases.
If you haven't previously accepted your bundled iLife applications within the Mac App Store, you should see your iLife applications appear in the Accept portion of the screen. Click Accept.
You may be asked for your Apple ID and password once again. Your iLife applications now move to the Purchased section. These applications are part of the software that came with your Lion based computer. Your account will not be charged for them. Click Install to complete installation of your applications.

Repairing/replacing faulty MacBook Pros

I've never had so much buyer's remorse after purchasing an Apple product. I can deal with the reflectiveness of the glass screen (I knew about that when I got it, afterall), but every time I see the light leaks and theater striping, or play Quake 4 and see refresh artifacts, or sit my MBP down next to my perfectly-good-but-useless-to-me 22" Viewsonic display because the Mini DisplayPort doesn't work right, I ask myself why I spent $2,500 on this machine.
Please post your repair/replacement experiences here. Is Apple actually fixing the problems, or just replacing laptops with identical machines that suffer from the same issues? If the latter is the case, what are you planning to do about it? I'm actually considering returning mine for a full refund and getting a desktop machine and an Asus-style netbook.

I ordered my MBP on November 5th, with all the upgrades and options. i struggled with lockups and black screen freezes for a couple of weeks or something before deciding it was a hardware issue and calling AppleCare. They took a week or so to decide what was going on, and when apparently no engineers could explain the problem they just replaced my machine. The second machine arrived the first week of December. It was cured of the lockups and graphics freezes (black screen of death) but the fabric inside the optical drive was not attached properly and the drive itself did not spin up to speed. They replaced it. I just received my 2nd replacement, making it my third since November 5th, and this one appears functional and great in every area except the screen. The screen has the light leaking, which is so bad that it distorts colors on the left side of the screen. This really stands out because the previous two units, for their other flaws, had beautiful screens that were lighted evenly and there was just nothing to complain about in that department.
Apple doesn't appear to be able to ship me a quality computer. I have been an Apple customer since the late 70's. Their computers were always perfect, never had any notable flaws in craftsmanship or function, and while they did break down like any machine or electronics it wasn't for a good many years. What's going on now I don't understand. I don't understand why I gave them all the money they asked for and while they do keep replacing, they can't seem to ship me one that doesn't have a deal-killing flaw.
I'm generally not really picky. Each one of these MBPs has had what I might call minor imperfections that I would never return the computer over, or file a report about. I have not made issue of any of these smaller things. But a non-useable optical drive, a freezing system with non-functional 9600GT chip, those are not something you can live with. That's the functionality being paid top dollar for and it needs to work. And now, to get a screen that is this junky looking.. Leaking light is one thing, but this leaks so bad that black pixels are changed to white or purple along the left side, and the so-dubbed "stage lights" bleeding through create a lot of color distortion on the bottom of the screen. It was the first thing I noticed when I turn the computer on because it is so pronounced.
The crashing of the first computer from the lockups that required forced power downs and boot ups destroyed a year's worth of photos and videos. I even had duplicate copies of each photo/video from my camera and the system managed to corrupt all of them irreparably.
I can't believe I have been saving and waiting years for this, and this is the experience I get.

Planning to upgrade to 8GB of RAM. Which is my best option for my Mid-2010 MacBook white (model 7,1)?

Macbook white (MID 2010)
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo,
2 GB 1067 MHz DDR 3 (Wanted to upgrade to 8GB)
Just upgraded to iOS 10.7.5 from snow leopard.
Reason for upgrade: Since the OS was upgraded, all process seems to be slower than before.

According to mactracker.ca database (among other) your mid-2010 MacBook white
can use a bit more RAM and likely worth at least 8GB, or more, upgrade for OS X.
And the computer also could be upgraded to Mavericks OS X 10.9.4, if desired.
Maximum Memory 16 GB (Actual) 4 GB (Apple)
Memory Slots 2 - 204-pin PC3-8500 (1066MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM
•MacBook: How to remove or install memory
For a correct match for parts, you can see information on the Model Identifier and
build year series from crucial.com or macsales.com sites; these offer quality RAM
and upgrades, if you match the parts with your model exactly & correctly.
OWC (macsales) also has fair SSD options, with good technologies, if needed.
Matching sets of RAM tend to do best, and be wary of similar numbered parts that
are not correct; some cheap low-spec PCs use those and don't know any better.
PS: concerning issues with slowness, there is a performance guide among other
Tech Guides here: http://www.thesafemac.com/tech-guides/ also, the basic issue
with a too full hard disk drive, and other saved content that may be best saved to
an externally enclosed hard disk drive, as an accessible archive, is recommended.
An all new installation can be helpful, too. If you have unused old applications or any
anti-virus, remove them. Check the adware removal guide, and other info there.
Good luck & happy computing!

Sending iPod in for repair/replacement

I am debating whether I should or not...
Do I call apple first?
If so, what's the number? (I'm in Canada and I think the closest place is in Toronto)
Do I have to send anything with it? (bill, earbuds, usb cord, etc.)
How long would I have to wait?
Can they replace minis? (I heard they don't make them anymore)
Would I get a nano instead? (I know someone who sent in their video and got a thinner one with a better battery and brighter screen)
I need to know before I decide to send it in...

First of all, why does your iPod need service?
Alright...
1. No
2. There's a link at the bottom if you want it.
3. No, but there's instructions on the box they send you.
4. Depends...estimates are about 2 weeks for engraved iPods, 3-4 days for not engraved ipods. However, my engraved one came back in a week and a half.
5. Yes
6. No, you'll get back the same model you send in (same generation, Hard Drive size, color, engraving, everything).
Apple Phone Contacts
iPod Service Request
I hope this helps!

I replaced my MacBook Pro hard drive and now Time Machine is very slow.

I replaced my 160G Hard Drive with a 750G. I have a 3 TB external hard drive for Time Machine. I back up using firewire 800.
I am running the latest OS. When I start the first backup using Time Machine it goes fine for about the first 30G. Then slows way down. Now I am only seeing updates of 10M ever few minutes. What is wrong?

Nothing is wrong. I had the same issue after swapping HD but using the same TM backup. Give it a few hours to do the first backup. Subsequent backups will be alot faster.... trust me.

Replacing New Macbook Pro Hard Drive

Im about to purchase a Seagate Momentus 7200.3 for my new MBP. My question is, will apple to the drive swap for me for free? Also will they migrate my old disk image to the the new drive, or will I have to reinstall OSX and migrate my files from a Time Machine backup?

The late-2008 models claim to have user replaceable hdds - finally!
As someone else said it isn't so easy with the previous gen., including the refreshed 17".
This doesn't mean you can't do it - but you would most likely void your warranty.
I did just this with my 12" PowerBook, putting in a 7200rpm hdd many years ago.
I followed instructions found on the web -- it isn't something I'd expect the average user would want to or be capable of doing -- but if you want to not only risk voiding your warranty, but risk damage to your system if you "make a mistake" it probably isn't impossible for some people.
My operation totalled a whole 3 hours because I was meticulously careful but I could have easily ruined the system. Still to this day after many years of daily use the PB is still going strong.
The performance gains from 4200rpm to 7200rpm were obvious & in my case battery life was not affected.

What is the lifespan of a Macbook Notebook Hard Drive, and is it a good idea to replace them more then once?

In specific, I own a 2007 Macbook Notebook, and it is an Intel Core 2 Duo MB21.00A5.B07. Last year, it became necessary to replace the hard drive, and was informed that the reason for the replacement was that the hard drive had reached the end of its lifespan.
My question is how long do Macbook notebook hard drives typically last? This also is in the context of frequent use of the notebook.
Additionally, is it a good idea to replace the hard drive more then once, or will the hard ware on the notebook, after I'm assuming about six or so years, be too out of date to accommodate a second or third hard drive replacement?
Also, since the replacement was still covered under an applecare plan (it's expired now), the general cost of replacing a Macbook notebook hard drive is not known? What is the cost generally expected of a hard drive replacement? This is in relation to repairs conducted at an applestore location (as opposed to a third party repair center).

justinfromlos angeles wrote:
Also, this means that, the settings of a system like Snow Leopard, in addition to all other personal settings from a current hard drive, can be copied to and from an external hard drive?
Your entire system can be copied to an external HD in bootable form. It's generally referred to as cloning, and there are a number of applications available to assist in the task.
SuperDuper
CarbonCopyCloner
LaCie Silverkeeper
To name but three.
Furthermore, once cloned, should you have to replace the internal drive, it's easy to boot from the external and clone the system back to the internal.
justinfromlos angeles wrote:
If so, do you know where one can purchase an external hard drive and a replacement hard drive?
As I don't live in the US, it's difficult for me to reccommend retailers, but any computer store (including Apple) can supply external HDs. Be aware that not all HDs from some manufacturers will play well with Macs; Western Digital I believe needs careful selection of the correct model. There are plenty of contributors who can no doubt help on that front. Personally I use LaCie and Iomega. Note that these are purpose built externals and come with their own enclosure and all cables reqd.
One thing you will need to do with most of them is to use Disk Utility to partiton them correctly (GUID system for Intel Macs) and set the file system to Mac Extended (journaled) before cloning.
justinfromlos angeles wrote:
There is one last question. Say I've replaced the hard drive on the same computer for nine years or so. Despite the hard drive being new, would the hardware of the computer be too out of date to accept an up to date replacement hard drive?
The hardware of the computer dictates what sort of internal drive you buy; earlier models used IDE interfaces, current models use SATA and these are not interchangable. However System Profiler will tell you what sort you have. It's still possible to buy compatible HDs for the early iMacs, c. 1998/99 so there's no reason to believe your model will suddenly become defunct.

Is there a MagSafe 2 compatible portable external power source for the retina display MacBook Pro?

I’m using a retina display MacBook Pro with the MagSafe 2 connection. I would like to have a portable external power source to extend the use of my laptop on long field trips where I am away from power sources. Swapping batteries is not an option for this generation of MacBook Pros. There seem to be many options for PC’s and even iPhones/iPads/iPods but the MagSafe 2 connection seems to be the issue. I saw one link that suggested buying an Apple MagSafe 2 power adapter and performing surgery on the power cord (using components provided by the vendor) so that the adapter would run on their back up battery. I was hoping for a more esthetically pleasing solution. Any suggestions? Does this product exist and I just missed it? Clearly, if a MagSafe(1) compatible external battery existed I could adapt that using the MagSafe to MagSafe 2 converter.

Sparon,
I wouldn’t recommend using an underpowered AC adapter with your MacBook Pro. It sounds as though the best solution would be to get a different laptop bag with a sufficiently large side pocket.

I've sent my iPhone 5 in for a replacement; would Apple be willing to exchange for a 5s?

Does anyone know if Apple would be willing to exchange my iPhone 5 for a 5s? I've just sent it in for repair.

Replacements are exact same model, color, and capacity.

Where to repair/replace my iphone

I bought an iphone 4s here in the Philippines but the unit was manufactured in Korea. I've only been able to use it for a month because of the "No Service" problem. Does the unit have to be sent to Apple in Korea for repair/replacement? It's still under warranty. Need help asap

If the phone was originally sold in Korea, then you will have to take it back to Korea to get it serviced/replaced.
The warranty is not international.

Macbook Pro hard drive failing, how to recover data?

My 2 year old MBP refused to boot up this morning. I was told at the Genius Bar that the hard drive is on its way out.
It is still able to mount when hooked up to another machine but apparently the geniuses don't do data recovery. I was refferred to a data recovery service or another option was to "hook the drive up to another machine" via some sort of docking station to lift the data off myself.
I have no idea where to start with this, does anyone know how I could accomplish this myself? Thanks in advance for any tips.

I hope that will work out for you, but I have very little confidence that all will go well that way.
Your situation is one in which it makes very good sense to ignore the warranty on your hard drive, replace it yourself at your own expense, and thus be able to keep the old drive — which Apple will keep, if Apple replaces it. Once you have a new drive in your MBP and an OS up and running on it, then you can connect the old drive to it and see what can be recovered. If you hand the machine over to Apple for the replacement and lose the old drive, and then you discover that some of your files in Mac-only formats have been corrupted by being written to a Windows file system on your HP computer, you'll have no chance of recovering them.
The way to avoid all this, of course, was to keep up-to-date backups on one or more external hard drives so it wouldn't be necessary to recover anything from the failed drive. Once you get your new drive, do that.

Hi I replaced my hard drive on macbook and I want to install mac osx10.5 with the CD that came with the macbook. When I run the CD after a while I get the page showing language options for 2 second then a gray screen appears and nothing happens

Hi I replaced my hard drive on macbook and I want to install mac osx10.5 with the CD that came with the macbook. When I run the CD after a while I get the page showing language options for 2 second then a gray screen appears and nothing happens. I partitioned my hard drive and I tried installing Microsoft windows and that worked just fine. But I do not understand why it wont install mac os x 10.5????? PLEASE HELP ME. Thanks Hamid

Try a new post in the 10.5 Installation forum.
DALE

I work for a university and we have a legal apple vendor.Can we re-install macosx for a replacement hard drive for a old macbook?Just one example.

I work for a university and we have a legal apple vendor who we get to buy all our Apple products from.Can we (university) re-install macosx for a replacement hard drive once the hard drive gets replaced? How can we as the university IT department legally re-install macosx on a imac,macbook, macbookair etc. We would like to load customized macosx imaging software onto the mac machines(imac, macbook, etc ). The university has its own IT workshop and we would like our users to get their laptops back in the shortest turnaround time.

We're not "Apple Inc." here, just users like you.
So whatever we say is not an official statement, nor does it in any way, shape, or form represent the official or unofficial policies or opinions of Apple, Inc.
But I'll offer my quick opinion, having worked in information-systems and technology support in a wide variety of environments over many years.
Question #1. "NO!"
No tech support nor repair facility, even if "Apple-authorized", is automatically empowered to install or upgrade OS X on a replacement hard drive just because it is more convenient or time-efficient. When the repair is complete, the student should be expected to (re)install the operating system themself*!
Nurturing students (and occasionally dragging them, screaming and kicking!) as budding computer-, tablet-, smartphone-users to become digitally self-sufficient is a worthy goal that any institution of higher education must pursue.
Making students totally dependent upon "Mother Support" for every little thing about their personal digital devices is a grave disservice to both the students and the people who provide the support. Support-mothered students do become life-long digital dependents, instead of taking the required time to learn enough about the care and feeding of their digital "pets" to sustain them. Entreprenurial students may choose to become 'experts' and actually help each other with their devices, and even make money doing it. Some students may even be inspired/coerced to pursue a career in tech support!!!
*By all means, if the student requests additional help (re-installing the OS), then the University should charge the student a fair price for the service, provided that the user provides the OS on original or upgrade media, or in the case of the 'digital download' upgrades (for OS X 10.7 and 10.8) provides proof of purchase for the OS upgrade, or the original purchase receipt or other recognized documentation for the purchase of the computer showing the version of OS installed when purchased. Students need to learn about personal responsibility, economics ("What is MY time really worth"?), and proper record-keeping too!
Question #2. Regarding the customized imaging software, provide it on media or a link for students to download and install it. Make it their responsibility!
Message was edited by: kostby

Options for repairing/replacing 13" Macbook 160GB Hitachi drive?

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