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iMacfan · Aug 30, 2004, 08:30 AM

Hello,

I've got a rev/1 867/40Gb/640Mb/SD 12"PB. I've been very happy with it, apart from the SD needing to be replaced about 6 months ago as it scratched some CDs.
Until now, I have not needed to use the superdrive. I've have been trying to backup my music collection (which is ~13Gb on an external drive) to DVD. But it has been crapping out about halfway through burning. First time I thought I was unluckly, but second time just the same.

So, I set the computer to full processor speed, never sleep (incl display and HD), checked that no other apps were running, and tried again-still no luck. So, I went into the finder, copied 1 DVDs worth of songs into a folder on the internal drive, and then tried to burn that. If anything, it crapped out earlier than before.

So is this a hardware issue?

Thanks for any help,

David

all2ofme · Aug 30, 2004, 09:02 AM

I had something similar happen with my first SD Powerbook and it was a hardware issue. A couple of things to try would be:

- Create a new user and burn from there. If that works then you know your hardware is fine.

- Try different media.

- Try burning with different software (either the Finder or iDVD or something).

Is the drive burning everything else ok? I had a Powerbook which would burn CD-Rs fine but not CDR-Ws. That was hardware too.

Good luck with it!
Ben

iMacfan · Aug 30, 2004, 12:09 PM

Thanks for the help,

I tried using a new user, but that didn't work either, so I phoned Apple. They agreed I had tried everything possible with software, so that it is a hardware fault.

I am VERY luckly that I bought it from a place with a free extra year's warranty!

David

Tomster · Aug 30, 2004, 04:38 PM

out of curiosity, how much free space do you have on your boot partition? some apps write an invisible scratch image onto the boot drive that is deleted upon burn. and if there is not enough space for the image - boom.

iMacfan · Aug 30, 2004, 05:22 PM

Good idea, but I had about 15Gb free - I'm desperately hoping for a software reason, but I really have run out of options, so am backing up, wiping the HD and returning it for service.

David

all2ofme · Aug 31, 2004, 06:58 AM

Sorry to hear it. Hope it comes back quickly. Keep notes of every date and person you speak to just in case. Should things then go wrong you've got yourself covered and will be in a much better position to ask for some sort of compensation.

iMacfan · Aug 31, 2004, 03:00 PM

Thanks,

As it is more than a year old, it is covered by an extra year's warrantly from the shop (John Lewis) They have told me that it will take 4 WEEKS!! Is it just me, or is that rediculous. After much 'discussion' about how being without a computer for even a few days would be extremely problematic, they have offered a loan powerbook, but I still feel hard done-by.

Is this par for the course? I thought that apple service had improved.

David

EDIT : Just to clarify, all they will be doing is shipping it to an Apple Service Provider

iMacfan · Sep 4, 2004, 08:05 PM

I've got the PB back and it is NOT good news - DVD-Rs still fail half way through, and now the machine will not stay asleep, and it has 'lost' the bluetooth equipment. The Hardware test CD does not find the bluetooth, but otherwise says everything is OK. I have zapped the PRAM.

What do I do now?

MrForgetable · Sep 4, 2004, 10:06 PM

Send it back. If they fail one more time, make sure it's not your DVD-Rs or your stuff that is causing this, and ask for a replacement. Heck, maybe ask for a replacement now.

iMacfan · Sep 5, 2004, 05:35 AM

Originally posted by MrForgetable:
Send it back. If they fail one more time, make sure it's not your DVD-Rs or your stuff that is causing this, and ask for a replacement. Heck, maybe ask for a replacement now.

Will do - the way I see it is that an Apple Service Provider, acting on their behalf, irrepairably damaged the logic board (because I guess the BT equipment is soldered directly to it). Therefore, it is their responsibility to fix it with minimum hassle.

Parky · Sep 5, 2004, 10:59 AM

Under the UK Sale of Goods act, your contract is with John Lewis.

They are responsible for the PowerBook and need to make you happy.

I would ask for a replacement as you have twice given them the opportunity to fix the PB which is reasonable.

Ian

iMacfan · Sep 5, 2004, 11:48 AM

Originally posted by Parky:
Under the UK Sale of Goods act, your contract is with John Lewis.

They are responsible for the PowerBook and need to make you happy.

I would ask for a replacement as you have twice given them the opportunity to fix the PB which is reasonable.

Ian

Thanks,

If only it were that simple. Actually, I'm still dealing with Apple direct, and another London ASP who are at fault. The main thing is that I can't afford is the time to keep visiting a shop to drop off and collecting my PB. That's not to mention all the problems with wiping personal information and testing once the PB has been returned. How can I resolve this really quickly? (I mean within a day or two) This is getting too much.

David

BenN · Sep 5, 2004, 11:52 PM

Have you tried burning with a different brand of media?

DeathToWindows · Sep 7, 2004, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by iMacfan:
Thanks,

As it is more than a year old, it is covered by an extra year's warrantly from the shop (John Lewis) They have told me that it will take 4 WEEKS!! Is it just me, or is that rediculous. After much 'discussion' about how being without a computer for even a few days would be extremely problematic, they have offered a loan powerbook, but I still feel hard done-by.

Is this par for the course? I thought that apple service had improved.

David

EDIT : Just to clarify, all they will be doing is shipping it to an Apple Service Provider

Because they're doing it in house, it'll take longer. Apple Corportate is a lean, mean fixin' machine, but resellers are usually damn slow...

iMacfan · Sep 7, 2004, 07:28 PM

Back in the ASP again...

Anyhow, as this will be the third repair in a row for the same problem, if this one fails to sort things out, they will give me a new PB instead. So either way, I should get a functioning computer in the next few weeks.

Does anyone know if Apple would give me the repacement in the form of credit for another Mac? It's just that if I replaced it with a base G5, I should get a more reliable computer, without all the delicacies of a laptop.

iMacfan · Sep 10, 2004, 04:54 AM

Now they've got a Logic Board on order. This really is taking time that I don't have. What are the chances of the PB being fixed correctly when I next get it back?

David

iMacfan · Sep 13, 2004, 04:45 PM

This still does not seem to be over...

The logic board was replaced, so I had high hopes when I got the machine back, and it went to sleep properly, and bluetooth was present. I was ready to celebrate when my first DVD-R ever burned on the drive! However the next one (as part of backing up my music via iTunes) was spat out half way through.

Now, the one that worked was an Apple 4x, and the one that was spat out was a Sony 1-4x (DMR47N2). The ones I had tried before were all the same type of Sony, apart from one Apple 4x. I then read closely the details on the sony packet, which had in very small letters "This disc is a new standard - high speed media... check if device is compatible...might dame the disc or device...." So, I nearly had a heart attack. After searching the net in a panic, I of course now realise that Apple addressed this possible issue with firmware updates, and said that as of late 2002, all shipping superdrives (incl. powerbooks) were compatible with this high-speed media. So, these Sony DVD-Rs should be working perfectly. But they aren't.

I have also now realised that the one Apple disc which did burn is not readable by the DVD-rom in my iBook 466Mhz/SE. Now I realise that the drive is a few years old, but why shouldn't it work?

Any ideas or support greatly appreciated - I can't believe that I have had so many problems

David

Turnpike · Sep 13, 2004, 04:58 PM

Take it in again. Demand that they show you, then and there, that it burns a DVD. If they can't do it, demand at the very least a new machine. Hopefully they'll simply say they'll replace it... if/when they do, quickly interrupt and ask if you could just put it towards a G5 (be clear in saying that it is out of frustration with the 'book, or they might get suspicious it is some sort of ploy to get extra resale value out of your 'book).

Of course, try to be as polite as possible during this. Tell them how many hours you've spent dealing with it, and tell them how many hours of potential work you've missed not having your own computer.

Good luck

olePigeon · Sep 13, 2004, 11:38 PM

If you have an AppleStore near ya, take it in there and show it to an Apple Genius. If he/she can't come up with a working solution, get the whole thing replaced.

Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble.

iMacfan · Sep 15, 2004, 03:55 PM

Finally, after jumping through goodness knows how many loopholes, I will get a replacement new powerbook (upgrading to a G5 'cant' be done)

So, I have two final questions :

Any comments on the RevC compared to the RevA, in particular with heat and reliability?

What do I do with my 512Mb PC 2100 stick? Is there any shop in London who buys it or part exchanges it? Or is there any way it would work in my old iBook (PC100)?

Thanks,

David

P.S. Answering "Give it to me!" to the second question is not a valid answer