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Timetheus · 06:51 PM

So my MBP was working flawlessly (less a lttle heat and the whine) since Mid-March when I got it, that is until yesterday.

I had just finished an iDVD project. It finished encoding, and claimed to have finshed burning - but all I had was a full bar and no "if you want to burn another, please insert a blank disc now" message. It had spit out the DVD+R (a maxell 8x). But the DVD didn't "look" right (no clear area where the burn was, and a strange ring about 1/2 inch in). I decided to try it in a normal DVD player anyway - but it just spun and didn't load. I decided (stupidly, in retrospect) to give it another shot in the MBP, where again it just spun and failed to mount. No harm done (I thought)...

I restarted, holding the trackpad button to force eject the DVD. It didn't work the 1st time, or the second, third, or fourth. At this point I was moderately annoyed, so I tried to reboot. It wouldn't, period. Thinking it was just trying to boot form the offending DVD, I tried several hotkey combos to force boot (hold down eject, C key from an external drive, etc.) Still nothing. I called and they gave me a few more things to try: option key, etc. Still just a gray screen and a spinning DVD drive (I do hear the tone).

So I took to CompUSA today, and they couldn't get it to boot either. They guessed the logic board was toast

. And offered to send to Apple for me, as well as charge $100 to recover data from the Hard Drive.

I decided to send it myself, so I called Apple today to set it up. They made me try a few more things (removing the battery and holding the power button to reset the PRAM, I believe), and agreed to fix it.

So I'm minus a computer for 2 weeks, and am stuck using dad's Dell.... great.

In case that weren't enough, I have two friends with video projects due in a week, and stranded on my hard drive (I hadn't had a chance to back them up yet).

This is what I get for trusting a Rev. A Apple.....

So here's my question. How often does Applcare have to wipe hard drive? What are my chances of not having to start at square one?

On the plus side, maybe my new logic board won't whine or overheat....

Actually I wonder if heat didn't kill it in the first place, I was in a fairly warm room (probably 78F of so), and mine did always get a little toasty....

Anyway thanks for listening to my rant.

Dark Helmet · May 8, 2006, 06:34 PM

Look on the plus side. When you get it back you will probably have good backup habits.

Timetheus · May 8, 2006, 06:49 PM

Thankfully I talked another friend to loan me his iBook so I can re-edit the projects....

Still.

And Yes, I'm buying an external hard drive in couple of days, I'll never make that mistake again.

thag-simmons · May 8, 2006, 07:25 PM

Does it boot in target disk mode? Hold down the T key while booting. Of course you'd need a firewire cable to mount the drive on another Mac.

Timetheus · May 9, 2006, 12:28 AM

Nope, doesn't boot in target mode either.

So does anyone now how likely it is my hard drive will be wiped? I'm guessing they'll be replacing the logic board.

hldan · 02:08 AM

Originally Posted by Timetheus

So my MBP was working flawlessly (less a lttle heat and the whine) since Mid-March when I got it, that is until yesterday.

This is what I get for trusting a Rev. A Apple.....

So here's my question. How often does Applcare have to wipe hard drive? What are my chances of not having to start at square one?

On the plus side, maybe my new logic board won't whine or overheat....

Actually I wonder if heat didn't kill it in the first place, I was in a fairly warm room (probably 78F of so), and mine did always get a little toasty....

Anyway thanks for listening to my rant.

Just because it's Rev A doesn't necessarily mean that it will have major problems. Rev B and C's have had issues as well.
In my experience with AppleCare the Apple genius has always stated before taking my computer in for service that Apple may erase my HD and asked me if I had backed up my drive. As always I do, however Apple has never once erased my drive and I have had LCD's replaced on my Powerbook, the keyboard replaced and the hinge replaced all at different times and each time my Powerbook came back with all my info in tact so under most cases you won't have to worry about that. They have to tell you that they may have to erase your HD in case a mistake happens and they do it unintentionally, it's to back themselves up.

villalobos · May 9, 2006, 06:05 AM

I had an iBook which had its motherboard swapped 4 (!) times (yeah remember these G3s iBooks?) and they never had to wipe the HD. I think you will be fine.

Macola · May 9, 2006, 09:30 AM

Similar experience here--two PowerBooks with logic board replacements and the HD s were intact. Definitely back up, though.

amazing · May 9, 2006, 11:34 AM

If you've installed extra RAM, take it out before sending it off to Apple. They'll take it out themselves, so you might as well do it. Try booting without the RAM, though it does seem like a replacement logic board is in your future...

victorwu · May 9, 2006, 01:09 PM

You probably tried this, but did you try booting holding F12? That, not the eject button, is the key to force eject on boot.

shabbasuraj · May 9, 2006, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet

Look on the plus side. When you get it back you will probably have good backup habits.

This is the right anwer.

Dark Helmet · May 9, 2006, 03:16 PM

For future reference I have gone through every backup software there is and have found that DejaVu that comes with Toast 7 is the best.

hcorf · May 9, 2006, 04:36 PM

on a side note, i see a lot of ppl here have had logic board replacements with their pb's. I got a brand new 15" late last year. Was it a dumb idea to buy applecare for it because its a rev.D/E as those should be more reliable than rev.A's?

Timetheus · 06:56 PM

Applecare is never a bad idea.... trust me.

Thanks for your help, sounds like I have a fair chance of not losing everything, and thankfully my trusty iMac DV is still intact with all my apps, most of my music, etc. So I can at least start from there.

SpinCycle · May 9, 2006, 10:39 PM

I am quite lucky I backed up before my most recent problems.

I sent in the Macbook for heat problems, whining, and buzzing and flickering of LCD.
Took about 5 days start to finish. When I got it back they replaced the LCD Inverter, Logic Board and Themal Module with temp sensor.. Was nice to get it back until.... I turned it on, it looked like it was trying to go through the steps of starting up but then a kernel panic. I had no choice but to shut it down. I called Apple immediately (while performing all the Zap PRAM and reset PMU ahead of time). They wanted to try these things again but ended up sending in the unit anyway. I drove to CT to bring it to DHL so it would go out the same night I got it.

It is on its way home again. I decided to email the guy I was working with at Apple. He said they replaced the Logic Board again and the Hard Drive. So I am very glad I backed up. ICK. I hope it works THIS time.

onlykaria · May 9, 2006, 11:08 PM

I had my mbp sent in once for the noise and bad dvd drive. they did replace the motherboard and I lost no data at all. so if all they need to do is replace the mother board you should be ok.

fesdds · May 10, 2006, 10:52 PM

Had iBook logicboard replaced 3 times, lost data once and intact 2 times.

masugu · May 11, 2006, 12:07 AM

I am so NOT getting a MBP (or MB) until Rev B...Core 2 Duo

Timetheus · May 11, 2006, 10:10 AM

I sent it Tuesday, it was picked up at 6:30 PM Central, Arrived in Houston the next morning, was diagnosed, repaired, and shipped the same day (Yesterday)!

So do they overnite the return journey? My tracking number isn't working yet.

While not overly impressed with the intial MBP Quality, I have to admit I'm impressed by Applecare. (Compusa wanted two weeks minimum). This is the first time I've had to send in a Mac, my iMac DV went nearly 6 years without a hitch - except the power switch, which I broke installing a new HD, in fact I'm typing on it right now.

I'll post back once I have it to see if I still have any whine/heat issues (fingers crossed, but I'd be content to be back where I was).

Dark Helmet · May 11, 2006, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by masugu

I am so NOT getting a MBP (or MB) until Rev B...Core 2 Duo

Same here.

lars-man · May 11, 2006, 03:12 PM

But what happens, if Apple decides to replace your machine with an entire new one? I don't think, that they're going to transfer the data for you, right? I guess, they advise you to back up your data by yourself before sending it in. But what is one supposed to do, if the machine does not want to work anymore???

Kind regards, Lars

Macola · May 11, 2006, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by lars-man

But what happens, if Apple decides to replace your machine with an entire new one? I don't think, that they're going to transfer the data for you, right? I guess, they advise you to back up your data by yourself before sending it in. But what is one supposed to do, if the machine does not want to work anymore???

Apple will back up your data and/or transfer it, but at an additional charge. You will be asked whether you want that service when you talk to them (at least, that's what they offered me the last time I called).

PJJames · May 11, 2006, 03:30 PM

I took my powerbook in a while ago to have the keyboard replaced for a broken "B" key and they told me to back the drive up and stupidly I didn't...well...you know what happens after that...

Timetheus · May 11, 2006, 07:05 PM

I"ll know Tomorrow,

Hoping for the best.

Timetheus · May 12, 2006, 11:46 AM

It's Back, and just 5 days from the service call. I admit I'm impressed with Applecare.

I didn't lose any data, everything's just as I left it.

The whine is still present, but MUCH quieter - I almost can't hear it - but the mirror widget trick is still a quick fix.

No word on the heat yet, I've only had it for 20 minutes.

Timetheus · May 12, 2006, 12:21 PM

Alright, so I put it through some iMovie filters, and little photoshop, and it setill gets farily hot. Not sure if it's better or worse then before, I think it's more or less the same. It doesn't seem to get AS hot while just doing little things (Web, iTunes) as my old Logic board did.

I'm just glad to have it back.

btw, I looked at the invoice, and it says that the Flex Assy, HDD/BT/IR, and M1 were replaced. I assume HDD is the hard drive, BT is bluetooth, and IR is the remote reciever, right? any ideas what the others are? And if they did in fact replace the HDD, they transfered my data without contacting me (not that I'm complaining).

Then again it lists all those as one part, is that just the Logic Board?

Just curious.