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ae86_16v · Nov 18, 2003, 04:59 AM

Okay guys, my Powerbook unlike many others have this one big blotch of darker area (lower right hand corner) than the others with white spots.

So I am thinking of sending it into Apple Care to fix it. Also at the same time hopefully they could take a look at my battery.

Now the question is do you guys back up your HDs before sending it in? Also, do the Apple guys look in your HD when they are fixing your LCD? There might be some stuff (i.e. password list) that I don't want other people to see. And yes, I am using Panther so technically I could encrypt the entire drive. Would that be a problem for Apple?

Any tips would help. Thanks in Advance.

Mastrap · Nov 18, 2003, 05:43 AM

Always, always, always have recent backups. Not just when you're sending it in to Apple but as a matter of personal policy. Data loss isn't an 'if', it's a 'when'.

NYCFarmboy · Nov 18, 2003, 10:58 AM

Absolutely backup.
Always.

I highly recommend purchasing a firewire external hard drive for such reasons..and if you can only use it for backups...

I have two external firewire drives:
1 for movies
1 for my files.

The reasons I have a separate file for movies is I change them/delete the movie files and the movie files get so big that I have to start trashing other older movies so I try to keep my movie external drive empty.

Or ... back up your files onto data DVD's.

My firewire external hard drive has been a life saver on 2 occasions so far, and I'mm sure it will again.

The Placid Casual · Nov 18, 2003, 11:06 AM

Like everyone said, you can never, ever, have too many back ups...

mishap · Nov 18, 2003, 11:49 AM

until panther eats your external FW HD. At least it didnt happen to me.

Now i need to be looking to buy another FW HD to keep dual backups of everything.

Webscreamer · Nov 18, 2003, 12:41 PM

If you take your Mac to an Apple Store and they have to tranfer your files because of some reason... it will be $50 US. But sometimes, they will be nice and do it for free.

wdlove · Nov 18, 2003, 01:04 PM

I agree with everyone also, you should always backup. I'm on an every other day schedule. Having an external firewire hard drive can be a life saver. The Other World Computer comes highly recomended.

C.J. Moof · Nov 18, 2003, 01:19 PM

Originally posted by The Placid Casual:
Like everyone said, you can never, ever, have too many back ups...

Unless that's the drive you forget to wipe the evidence from

But seriously- back up. I use both external firewire drives and tape. This stuff is still too darn fragile.

daimoni · 04:12 PM

.

ae86_16v · Nov 18, 2003, 10:53 PM

So I bother encypting my HD?

Face Ache · Nov 18, 2003, 11:23 PM

Personally I'd back-up my HD, wipe it and install a generic copy of OS X before sending it off. Then neither I nor the tech at the other end have to worry about data loss.

tooki · Nov 19, 2003, 12:00 AM

Bear in mind that when you send a computer to Apple, they may erase the drive as a troubleshooting step. I agree: back everything up, then erase the drive and restore a basic OS (or just the standard config from the restore disc) onto the drive.

tooki

Xeo · Nov 19, 2003, 12:24 AM

I didn't bother wiping the drive and reinstalling the OS, but I did make an image of my iBook's hard drive and store it on my desktop computer before I sent it away. I got it back with the data intact but it was nice knowing I had an exact copy of the drive to restore to if needed. My repair was also an LCD repair.

Definitely back up first.