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Dark_Lotus · Feb 27, 2007, 03:37 PM

Over the weekend there was a bad storm, and we had some power surges. I was using my computer and the power shut off then came back on, so I turned off my computer and unplugged it until they stopped. When I thought they stopped I started using my iMac again, and what do you know, the power goes off and immedietly comes back on a couple of times. The day after this, I turned everything back on and all was well, or so I thought. It was working perfectly except for when all of the applications I was using closed out on me. Then this morning I wake up and go to turn on my computer and nothing happens. Doesn't make a sound. Should my insurance company take care of this or should I go to a local Apple store? Will I lose everything that was on my computer? Hopefully it was the power supply and not the hard drive. I guess if the hard drive went out then I would get something to turn on right?

brokenjago · Feb 27, 2007, 10:30 PM

It's either the Power Supply or the Logic Board.

You can take the unit to Apple, yes, but I'm not sure they'll cover it. If not, you can always take it to your insurance company.

You shouldn't lose anything off your Hard Drive, but this is a good time to get religious about backups.

For the future, I would highly recommend a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) which will keep your computer powered through weird power outages like the ones you had. Most also provide AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation.) That "cleans" your dirty power, which is 15 times more likely to screw with your computer than a virus (or in a Macintosh's case, about a zillion times more likely because Macs don't yet have any viruses.)

Dark_Lotus · Feb 28, 2007, 07:36 AM

Thanks for the re-assurance. My next purchase will probably be an external hard drive to start backing up. Why wouldn't Apple cover me? Would it be because the damage that was done was not their fault? Where can I find one of the power supplys that you are talking about?

brokenjago · Mar 1, 2007, 12:13 AM

Fry's Electronics carries a large selection of UPSs.

Newegg.com also carries UPSs as well.

On second thought, I don't see why Apple wouldn't cover it.

peeb · Mar 1, 2007, 12:57 AM

They would not cover it because no electronics can are imune to power surges. It's not their fault it got fried.

Dark_Lotus · Mar 1, 2007, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by peeb

They would not cover it because no electronics can are imune to power surges. It's not their fault it got fried.

Thats what I was thinking. It doesn't matter either way, my home owners insurance will take care of it if Apple doesn't. As long as I have all of my information off of my hard drive, I don't care what happens.

Sherman Homan · Mar 1, 2007, 08:33 AM

Power problems cause more computer disasters than anything else I can think of. Hopefully your hard drive is fine, they usually survive even when the power supply and logic board go up in smoke. Be careful with your insurance company, the deductible may be ridiculous and once you file a claim they may disallow any similar future claim. A UPS is many time more effective than a simple power strip 'surge protector'. Best of luck with it!

shifuimam · Mar 1, 2007, 10:38 AM

I would REALLY not recommend going to your insurance company about this.

Very small claims (anything under about $5000) on homeowner's insurance are like getting a bunch of speeding tickets that are reported to your auto insurance provider. Even one claim, depending on the mood of the insurance company, can make your rates jump.

My grandmother called her insurance provider to ASK about some things (not even filing an official claim). She made several calls in less than one year, and either her rates doubled her or insurance company dropped her - I forget which.

Homeowner's insurance is for really big things - like hail damage that results in an $8,000 roof repair, or severe flooding that results in $11,000 in damage to the basement of your home. You don't file a claim on your car insurance everytime you get a small dent in the hood or door panel, do you? Same thing applies here.

I doubt Apple will cover this. Your warranty will likely be voided because of this, so I'd recommend finding a used power supply and/or logic board on eBay and doing the repair yourself. It's not *that* difficult - it just takes some time and patience, and it will save you money over buying a whole new machine.

I'd also highly recommend picking up a low-end APC battery backup; if this happens again it will provide another layer of protection between your computer and the electric company.

seanc · Mar 1, 2007, 11:54 AM

Have you tried resetting the PMU?

shifuimam · Mar 1, 2007, 05:18 PM

I was talking to my boyfriend about this on our drive home from work today, and he mentioned the possibility of filing a claim with the manufacturer of the surge protector.

I do hope you had a surge protector...if you did, most brands come with warranties up to $25,000 or $50,000. If the surge protector was used correctly (e.g. you didn't use it when you knew the surge protection part of it was blown), and it failed to protect your computer from a power surge, that's under the surge protector's guarantee.

If you didn't have a surge protector, shame on you. Go out and buy one for your computer and one with coaxial connections for your television. Surges can happen through TV cable, too.

badsey · Mar 1, 2007, 05:35 PM

if your iMac is under warranty, take it back. No need to tell them about the power surges. Just say I don't know what happened. Accidents happen.

If Apple does not accept the claim (but fixes the computer) then talk to your insurance company. Doubtful it would make the deductable.

Dark_Lotus · 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by seanc

Have you tried resetting the PMU?

How do you do this?

EDIT: Nevermind, I tried it and it didn't work.

If I didn't tell Apple about the power surges, any chance they would provide me with a new iMac?

hldan · Mar 1, 2007, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by Dark_Lotus

How do you do this?

EDIT: Nevermind, I tried it and it didn't work.

If I didn't tell Apple about the power surges, any chance they would provide me with a new iMac?

The only reason for Apple to replace your iMac is if the damage was far beyond just the power supply or logic board. I agree with the previous poster about keeping silent about what happened. Just give the computer to Apple and tell them nothing. You don't know what happened, you just sat down to use it and it wasn't working. Let them figure out what's wrong, Apple cannot acuse the customer of any wrong doings. Hopefully you are using surge protectors on your computers, if not, you have no sympathy from anyone here.

Dark_Lotus · Mar 2, 2007, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by hldan

The only reason for Apple to replace your iMac is if the damage was far beyond just the power supply or logic board. I agree with the previous poster about keeping silent about what happened. Just give the computer to Apple and tell them nothing. You don't know what happened, you just sat down to use it and it wasn't working. Let them figure out what's wrong, Apple cannot acuse the customer of any wrong doings. Hopefully you are using surge protectors on your computers, if not, you have no sympathy from anyone here.

I was using a surge protector, so no worries. I was hoping Apple would replace it because I kind of got screwed when I bought it, I purchased it a week before they released the new ones and paid $2,000 for a 20" iMac, when after they released the 24" iMac I could have gotten one of those for not much more.

hldan · Mar 5, 2007, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Dark_Lotus

I was using a surge protector, so no worries. I was hoping Apple would replace it because I kind of got screwed when I bought it, I purchased it a week before they released the new ones and paid $2,000 for a 20" iMac, when after they released the 24" iMac I could have gotten one of those for not much more.

Yeah, that happens to many people. Here's the best way to avoid getting sorta burned from buying at the end of a computer's lifecycle. It's best to buy it from a dealer that offers a return/exchange policy without a restocking fee, this way if you buy a new Mac and Apple comes out with a new one during the exchange period you can take yours back.
Now if you buy your Mac from Apple's website and you ordered it CTO there is no exchange policy or restocking fee. So choose wisely how you buy it.