Severe problems and had hard disk replaced 2 times! Going to 3rd?!!!

Hello everybody... I come to you because I'm running out of options.. I've bought an iMac 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, with mac OSX 10.4.11 more than 2 years ago. 8 or 9 months after buying it it started to malfunction and eventually crashed. I took it to the nearest mac support store and they told me that the hard disk burnt out and they had to replace it for a new one. They gave me no explanation for it. Last year, it started having problems again... would take a lot of time to start up and eventually showing up a question mark when starting up... talked to a technician on the mac support phone line, guided me through the hardware and sftware tests... When using disk utility, it said it was unable to mount the disk.. I took it to the store and once again, they said the disk burnt and replaced it for a new one. I insisted that there should be another problem elsewhere because this was the second time it happened. They said no... And I lost all my data, because I had no backups.. Now the 2-year warranty has expired a couple months ago and I'm having problems again... It only starts in safe boot. I tried to run the hardware test by restarting it and pressing D while it starts up and instead of going to the hardware test, it started normally, without safe boot for the first time. I took the opportunity to go online and write this post... I really don't know what to do because I have no money at the moment to take it to tech support (since it's out of warranty, I'm sure they'll charge a lot!)
If someone has any idea on what may be happening to my iMac, please help... To me it's just really weird that it's the third time happening...
Thanks!

If you purchased the AppleCare extended warranty that would mean your system is covered a full 3 years from the date of purchase. You can go to this site:
https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do
and it will tell you the exact date your warranty expires. If you are still covered contact Apple directly explain the problem. Because this is the third time you have had the same thing fail it is possible you might be entitled to a replacement machine.
Best of luck.
Roger

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Restoring my computer after hard disk replacement

My iMac hard disks were corrupt and new hard disks were installed today. I now need to restore my computer. The computer is currently going through the process of installing OSX mountain Lion 10.8 and I have a Time machine backup that I want to then import from my time capsule.
My time capsule has the back up from my old hard disks which operated on the latest version of OSX 10.9 Mavericks. Should I upgrade the iMac to 10.9 mavericks before using migration assistant it import the time machine backup, or will it be okay to simply start the migration assistant from within 10.8?
I am pretty confused and nervous - the apple support phone service told me to simply restore the time machine backup from disk utility, but this failed and I subsequently read that this was wrong advice as the backup was from a different computer(ie my old hard disks). I am now desperate to get my computer back working again after a nightmare few weeks of logic board replacement and now hard disk replacement.
Any advice would be appreciated.

It would not be a good idea to restore from the time machine backup, because if your HD was corrupted before it was replaced, then the backups are probably corrupted too. If you try to restore by migrating from that backup, you'll just put corrupted files on your new HD.
The best thing to do would be to:
finish the ML installation
download the Mavericks installer and install Mavericks.
figure out what document files you want to save that are on your TM backup, and copy them to your new HD (not by migration).
reformat (erase) the TM hard drive
reinstall your apps from scratch
once you have everything up and running, then make a new TM backup.
I installed a new HD in my Macbook Pro last year, and I did a clean install like this. It does take a bit more effort but it's worth it. Seems to work better, faster, cleaner, without any problems.
How did your Mac get "corrupted"? This is often due to bad/old/incompatible software, particularly junk like MacKeeper or CleanMyMac, or other worthless, overpriced, completely unnecessary "cleaning" or "maintenance" or "optimizing" applications garbage. If you have anything like this on your Mac, don't even think about reinstalling it.
One thing that I found useful after a few "clean installs" with my Macs was to make a list first of everything that you want to reinstall on your mac, including passwords, essential apps, printer drivers, documents, and the like. Once you start doing the reinstalls it can get confusing so having a list first can keep you on track.

I had a problem with the hard disk on a 2010 macbook pro. Replaced the hard disk with an Hitachi 1TB and when I tried to erase and format It fails with input/output error. Any help much appreciated!

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Zap the PRAM and Reset the SMC, then try again.

My hard drive fried and had to be replaced. I'm trying to install CS4 from my original discs but keep getting this error message - "One or more of the required components of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Standard failed to install correctly". A customer s

My hard drive fried and had to be replaced. I'm trying to install CS4 from my original discs but keep getting this error message - "One or more of the required components of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Standard failed to install correctly". A customer service rep gave me a link to download off the Adobe site, but when I try to open the file to run it, I get this error message - "A problem occurred extracting the archive".
Can anyone help?

Yep. Nothing happens at all. Windows tries to execute the uninstaller, but I don't get any other screen and all activity stops for the MSI. I monitored it in Process Monitor and the MSI executable appears, but is quickly ended, like it couldn't find anything or something.
It's as if windows has a blank entry in Programs and Features, because it used to show the size of the Adobe application in the "Size" column. Now it's just blank. Link to screenshot below:
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/5006/screenshotcaf.jpg
Note the install date. That's when I was able to successfully reinstall it. Now I can't even do that. I should also mention I tried Revo Uninstaller. It deleted one small registry key, but nothing changed.
By the way, is the CS cleaner supposed to ask for a disc in the drive when you run it? It refused to run unless I had one in it, so I used my install dvd.

After my hard drive crashed and had to be replaced, Adobe will not activate the copy of Photoshop on the same machine it was originally on. I paid for it, why can't I use it?

I have been buying and using Adobe Photoshop through numerous versions over the past several decades. and I used to recommend it whenever I had an opportunity. Now I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. I could say a lot more than that, using words my parents taught me to not use.
Adobe now has their head in the clouds and doesn't care a whit about faithful customers.
I had CS3 on one machine, CS4 on another, and CS6 on another one. The hard drive on the machine with CS3 and had to be replaced. I am trying to install CS3 back on the same computer, but Adobe will not let me activate it, even though I am trying to put it on the computer it was originally on. I paid for it, I have gone by the rules, and Adobe will not even talk to me. And as far as I can determine, Adobe is so far out in the clouds that it has nothing but contempt for the people that kept them in business for decades!
What I would really like to do is move CS4 onto the machine that originally had CS3 on it, and put CS3 onto the machine that now has CS4, but I assume nobody at Adobe cases what I would like, even though I paid for the software and have no intention of trying to have it installed on more than one machine at a time.
An Unhappy FORMER Adobe customer.
R.G. Dean

Gene,
Thanks for your input. The first response was from Semaphoric, and the suggestion to go to Activation <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__helpx.adobe.com_x-2Dproductkb_policy-2 Dpricing_activation-2Ddeactivation-2Dproducts.html&d=AAMFaQ&c=2X_btuPRWkGwRX26NHIotw&r=SV2 7JiUdsqdd_EMOf-dq7w&m=ZZ3uTbq0aPS1gp4Hdc7Kfaq1cjXsUii7RKXoXvqBPGg&s=c6eaD33CSBrFAMNKsC0pPB qnQK4DfAG7wMSJ6E27pyU&e=> & Deactivation Help proved to be helpful. I was never able to activate CS3 on the computer it was on originally, but I had been unaware that a license allowed installing on two computers if only one is in use at any time, so I uninstalled CS3 and installed CS4 on the old computer, so I am happy about that.
When I get time, I will try to install and activate CS3 on my laptop computer. I thought about trying to install CS6 on the old computer, but CS6 is on my wife’s computer, and we are often both using Photoshop at the same time. I will probably install it on her notebook computer – if they will let me.
Thanks again,
RG

My computer's hard drive was damaged and had to be replaced last year. How can I download the tunes I had purchased previously that were lost with the hard drive? I can see the list of songs I bought in my account. Thank you.

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To re-download your purchases from iTunes on your computer:
Go to the iTunes Store and select "Purchased" from the Quick Links side bar on the right. Go through all the tabs to download again for free

Is there any way that I can get back my iPhoto? After having hard disk replaced (no backup) and the operating system has been updated to Lion (no disc) I am wondering if iPhoto can be reinstalled with my Leopard discs?

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As Niel pointed out, yes. The disk probably will look like the MBP disk (4) in this screenshot;
OT

I have just use my laptop for only three months and my hard disk cable have break and i need a replacement

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Talk to AppleCare about getting a replacement.
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Recently had hard drive replaced due to recall. Now iWork doesn't work and i can't successfully reinstall. Help!

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i works version 9.0 in box set for leopard - family pack purchased for my son's computer. Tried to install iwork form this and just got me unresponsive icons. Acts like was successful, but then files won't open and iwork's "pages", "keynote" and "numbers" won't launch.

I use windows and i got my hard disk replaced now when i try to sync wirelessly my ipod detects my computed as being a different one how can i make it forget the old one?

i use windows and i got my hard disk replaced now when i try to sync wirelessly my ipod detects my computed as being a different one how can i make it forget the old one?

You will have to sync it to the new one, erasing the current content from the ipod and replacing it with the content from the new drive.
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Windows 7 failure to reload after recent hard disk replacement

I have just had my hard disk replaced under the recent Apple program. It was partitioned running Mac one side and Windows 7 through Bootcamp Windows on the other.
Time machine restored my Mac partition but I am unable to load Windows 7 on the Bootcamp partition. I have attempted the process four times and each time it fails at the "completing installation " phase.
After a couple of restarts, the screen goes blank and the computer just hangs.
Windows 7 installed and ran perfectly up to the point of my hard disk replacement.
Anyone else have this problem. Any ideas as to the cause?

guess what, all fixed, the safari app installed by apple on new hard drive was 5 something, but 6.02 was needed, i installed 6.02 but it told me i needed OSX10.8.2 which cost me £13.99 but it now works.
happy days

RE: Apple iMac 27 Hard Disk Replacement Complaint

Dear Customer ServiceManager,
RE: Apple iMac 27” Hard Disk Replacement Complaint
On May 12, 2011, Ibought an iMac 27” for my daughter from your official Hong Kong website (www.apple.com/hk).
I am writing tocomplain about my dissatisfaction of your poorproduct quality, irresponsibleattitude of your customer service, and most importantly my painful experience with your Apple Careservice. I am also very disappointed with how your Apple Care staff made a discriminating comment about your low income Hong Kong customers.
On July 28, 2011, mydaughter received an email from your company ([email protected]) informing her that the hard disk of her newly purchased iMac wasdefective due to factory error. You promised to replace the defective hard disk with a brand new onefree of charge, but when she asked your HK Apple technical support if therewould be on-site replacement service, your staff told her that she can onlyeither carry the 30-pound iMac herself to their service center or pay HKD1200for the Apple Care which offers the on-site replacement service.
First of all, I foundyour request very unreasonable. Mydaughter was not the one who broke the hard disk, your company informed herthat you gave her a defective one. So why is the responsibility and the cost of taking the iMac for repairshould be borne by her, as an innocent customer, who paid HKD18, 000 for aniMac directly ordered from your official website? She did nothing wrong but your company required her to barethe cost of transporting a 30-pound iMac and the risk of causing damage on theway.
Secondly, I believeyour company has deceitfully forced my daughter to buy your Apple Care, whichis completely against her original will. Since she is just a 22-year-old girl, it is impossible for her to carrythe 30-pound iMac by herself. Andclearly, she was not given a choice but had to pay HKD1200 for the AppleCare. This made me doubt if thisis a scam of your company. Is thisa way of how Apple make extra money by giving your customer faulty products anda mission impossible, then forcing us to pay for a service that we did notneed?
Anyway, thepainfulness of enjoying your Apple Care service has just started…
On Aug 10, 20111:30pm, your service man came to change her hard disk with just a look as ifthe process was very ‘efficient’ and left after half an hour, even her Mac OShas not yet been completely installed. After he left, my daughter found that the OS could not be installed, soshe called your service center immediately and under her strong request, he hadto come back on the same day and check the new hard disk. He found it proved to be a defectiveone again. I was shockinglysurprised that your company, which always claims to produce products of highquality, selling at an expensive price, replaced my claim-to-be defective harddisk with a defective one again. Iwonder how Apple’s quality control is done? Your company didn’t even bother to check if the new harddisk is working before replacing it for customers.
My daughter requestedfor a new one, but then your service center said they had no new stock andasked her to wait until further notice. But without any definite date, it means my daughter’s brand new computercannot be used for… I don’t know how long. Please notice that I paid HKD18,000 to buy a first-classproduct of high quality, as claimed by your company all over the world.
So my daughter had tocall your service center again and forced them to return her original harddisk. Till 5:00 pm on the sameday, another technician came to reinstall her original hard disk into hercomputer. Surprisingly, all thedata in her original hard disk was still there, which means there is a riskthat all her personal data and information had been accessed by your servicecenter staff.
As a father, I had totake over the matter from my daughter and called your hotline 2112 0099 at5:00pm on Aug 10, 2011. After 30minutes, I could finally talk to one of your technical support staff for 10minutes about my complaint. Heasked me to hold the line and wait for him to transfer my call to his seniortechnical support colleague, so I kept on waiting for 15 minutes, but finallythe line was being cut and no body contacted me and my daughter again.
I had to call yourhotline again at 6:00 pm and waited for another 15 minutes to reach one of youradvisors. He passed my line toyour senior technical support advisor located in Singapore. He said he is just a technical supportadvisor, so he could not take my complaint directly. He needed to talk to meagain on the next day with a customer service advisor. He promised if he could not reach me onmy mobile phone, he would leave his direct line for me so that I would not haveto waste another half an hour to reach him through the hotline.
On Aug 11, 2011 5:28pm, I received a voice mail from your senior technical support advisor asking me to call him back but he didn’t leave any direct telephonenumber as he promised. So I triedto call back the caller ID, which was shown on my phone. However, the auto reply of this numberwas, “This is an invalid number”. I asked the Hong Kong Telephone Company to help me to call but even theycould not reach this number. Theytold me this number was from Shanghai, China. So I had no choice but to call your hotline again. After 25 minutes, one of your advisorstook my call and I had to repeat my story to him again in order to have him putme through to talk to your senior staff 42058 again. I asked him why he didn’t leave his direct number for me tocall him back as he promised. Hesaid he forgot! What a surprisinganswer to leave your customer nothing but a number that he knew clearlycouldn’t be reached.
By that time, I havewasted nearly 45 minutes to reach him, and it was already 6:20pm and thecustomer service advisor was off work. Therefore, I made an appointment with him again and we agreed that hewould call me between 9:31-10:00am on Aug 12, 2011 morning. I took half day-off from my work towait for your senior staff to call me.
Unfortunately, Iwaited until 10:10 am and nobody contacted me again (I left both my mobilenumber and email to them).
Finally, I called the hotline again and waited for 15 minutes, an advisor put me to your on-dutyCustomer Service Manager, Ken. After I told him my name, he realized that he should be theone responsible for calling me this morning, but since he had a meeting thatmorning, he forgot to call me again! The Apple staff didn’t keep their promises after all which disappointedme a lot. It seems to me thatApple is unwilling to accept negative feedbacks from customers.
Ken told me thatthere was nothing he could do.
At the end, I wasreferred to a Customer Relations staff, Ms. Wing Liu. Her response was also there is nothing she can do exceptgiving me a case number of my complaint. Since then, I never get any response from Apple regarding my case.
I believe Apple has afull record of all my conversations with your staff and thus, should be able tolook into my case thoroughly. Isincerely hope that Apple can take my feedback seriously and respond to my complaintin a responsible manner, but not just trying to suppress your customers, whohave already been treated unfairly, from claiming their rights. Otherwise, it is really a shamefor Apple to claim itself delivering high quality products and services allover the world.
Yours truly,
Tommy Fong
Apple Customer
<Personal Information Edited by Host>

I just realize Apple might have blocked my daughter's Apple ID from posting in your discussion forum.
My daughter was trying to go to this Community Page by logging into her account. But your Communities webpage displays a "We'll be back soon" webpage. Then I try to login with my Apple account and it works fine.
<Email Edited by Host>

Satellite 1900-704 hard disk replacement

Hi!
I have problems with my hard disk, I think it's dying...
So I want to replace it with a new one, but I don't know where the hard disk is located.
Does anyone know where it is and if it is easy to remove?
thank you ^_^

Hi Tatiana
The HDD exchange is really not a problem on this unit. Before you do anything remove the battery at first and power supply cable as well. At the bottom side you will find HDD cover. Be careful and gently when you do this.
In my opinion in 20 minutes you will be ready for new OS installation.
Good luck!

My home folder and my Hard disk icon have dissapeared from my mac. How do I get them back?

My home folder and my Hard disk icon have dissapeared from my mac. How do I get them back?

Try a restart. If the problem is the same, try deleting the com.apple.finder.plist.
Either hold down the option key while using the Finder “Go To Folder” command
and select your user Library in your home folder or use the Finder “Go To Folder” command and enter ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.
Relaunch Finder (command - option - esc) and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.
If the same, return the .plist to where you got them from, overwriting the newer ones.
If you prefer to make your user library permanently visible, use the Terminal command found below.
Show User Library
You might want to bookmark the command. I had to use it again after I installed 10.8.4. I have also been informed that if you drag the user library to Finder it will remain visible.

Startup problems -- not finding hard disk

I have a g5 iMac that is several years old (pre-Intel). This morning, my husband went to use it. He said there was some iDisk synching error (I've been getting those on my MacBook Pro, too) and then the cursor turned into the rainbow and he rebooted. Upon rebooting, the question mark folder started flashing and the computer wouldn't boot up. It's definitely having a problem finding the hard disk. I've started it up with the Tiger Install DVD but when I get to Disk Utility, the only thing that shows up in the lefthand column is the DVD drive with the Install DVD Is my hard drive fried? Of course it's never been backed up. Is there anything I can do from home or do I need to lug it into the Apple Store? Please help!!!
TIA,
--abby

Here's Apple doc.#58042 in case you need it; flashing ? mark.
Cheers! DALE

Severe problems and had hard disk replaced 2 times! Going to 3rd?!!!

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