Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with applecare

Need MacBook repairs but Apple can't seem to help much

tomcochrane — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 08:56:50 -0800

Macbook Pro (13", mid-2012) has been freezing and shutting down, and then sometimes not booting back up. Apparently it's an issue with either RAM or logic board. I have warranty but I'm in remote-ish Canada so Apple can't really help. Help! I live in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. The nearest Apple service provider is on the other side of the province, nearest Apple store is in the next province over.

My MacBook Pro (that I bought in June) is giving me guff. It occasionally (once every day or two) freezes up and shuts down. Sometimes it will boot up again fine, sometimes it just beeps at me (three beeps) and won't boot for a while. It's been doing this for two months or so. It blows.

I have AppleCare warranty, so I called Apple and they said the best thing would be to take it to an Apple store. I was going to Toronto, so that worked out fine. I made an appointment, brought it to the store, they said there was either a problem with the RAM or the logic board. They could repair it, but they would have to order parts. Unfortunately I had to leave TO before the parts got in, but they said that I would be able to mail my computer to a store and they could fix it pretty quickly. Okay, awesome!

After being on the phone with Apple for multiple hours, they basically said that no, they don't do mail in orders in Canada. I would have to physically bring it to a store or Apple Service Provider (the nearest of which is in St. John's and has a massive backlog of repairs, earliest mine would be done is January).

So friends: any ideas? I'm under warranty but they can't really help me.

How to include self-taught tech skills in my resumé?

patnasty — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:21:14 -0800

Resumé filter: how do you tailor your resumé when you're applying to a job in which you have relevant (self-taught) skills, but no prior work experience in the field? So I'm in the process of making a major transition in my writing career, both in medium and geography, and in the meantime, I need to get a day job to pay the bills.

Over the past few years, as the owner of a couple of old and out-of-warrantee Mac products, I started teaching myself how to do some basic diagnostics and repairs. Pretty soon my friends were bringing me all their post-Applecare Macs when they had problems, and I got pretty good at it.

So I figured that working with Macs must be more lucrative than slinging lattes or walking dogs, so I took the online training course, passed Apple's certification exams, and am now a licensed AppleCare Mac Technician. (So I've got that going for me, which is nice.)

So now I'm in the position of applying for my first non-writing/editing job in many years, and the first computer/tech related job of my life. My question is, how do I draw up a resumé for these kinds of jobs when my prior work experience is pretty much unrelated? How do I include the various computer skills I've gained as a self-taught hobbyist?

Is AppleCare worth getting for a refurbished iMac?

Grinder — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:30 -0800

Is AppleCare worth getting for a refurbished iMac? I recently got a refurbished iMac. It works fine. Is it worth getting AppleCare for it before the initial year is up?

Last time I researched this, the best practice seemed to be to always get AppleCare for a laptop but only if you were risk-averse for a desktop.

The question has been asked here before, but some years ago or for a laptop (as far as I can see), so it would be good to get an update. (I'm in Ireland, if that matters.)

How to buy a Mac laptop on the cheap?

juliewhite — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:01:00 -0800

How to buy a Mac laptop on the cheap? And when? I'm on a very tight budget and am planning on getting a refurbished MacBook with an extended AppleCare plan. I travel too much to make a desktop feasible. I read that Mac will soon be releasing new versions, which will probably affect my options in the refurb market. Does that make it foolish to buy a refurbished model now? I'd prefer getting this asap out of necessity, but I'll make-do if waiting two months is likely to get me a much better deal.

What would you recommend? I have the following needs:

- This will be my primary computer (will need to hook up to printer, scanner, etc)
- More RAM than the bare minimum: Processing large/RAW image files
- Will be running Photoshop and similar editing software
- Will not be doing any sort of gaming

Thanks for your input!

How to get a job with AppleCare

skidoom — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:25:35 -0800

I am interested in working for Apple as an AppleCare At-Home Advisor. Although the position works from home, the job description states that you must live within 100 miles of certain US cities (e.g. SLC, Columbus) Do they ever hire anyone outside those cities? Any other ideas for jobs supporting Apple products from home? If it matters, I'm in Pittsburgh, and I'm not a student.

AppleCare expires soon. What next?

theraflu — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:38:13 -0800

I bought my beloved 13" MacBook Pro in mid-2009 and the AppleCare is set to expire in a few months. Thankfully, it still runs great. What would you recommend I do with it? It gets used daily, but never leaves the house and has always been handled carefully. It's clean, has no dings or scratches, has a healthy battery and runs pretty fast.

I could do one of two things:

1. Keep it. If I don't simply keep it myself, my spouse could use a better machine and I can finally get that MacBook Air I have my eye on. However, he isn't much of a computer user beyond general internet surfing. I'm also worried that some expensive component like a logic board could fail after the warranty is expired, which is why I could also...

2. Sell it while it's still in good shape. I could run this machine into the ground, or I could make some money back to put toward a new laptop. Unfortunately, I don't know the going rate for a three year-old MBP or how to safely sell a high-ticket item. Craigslist? What do I do with my hard drive? Wouldn't removing it completely - the only truly safe option - significantly reduce the value?

At any rate, would the Apple Store be able to do any maintenance, testing or cleaning on this machine? Or would they be really confused about why I'm bringing in a healthy computer?

Lastly, what should I watch out for now that I'm out of warranty?

iPad Extended Warranty -- AppleCare vs AMEX

patronuscharms — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:22:17 -0800

Say I have an iPad. I decide not to get AppleCare, but I do get an extended warranty using my AMEX card. If my iPad has a problem at the 13 month mark (aka 1 month after the factory warranty expires) and needs to be replaced (which the Apple Store often will do for you), how do I invoke the AMEX card extended warranty so I don't have to pay for the refurbished replacement? If I had AppleCare, the device is swapped out immediately. No problem.

Without AppleCare but WITH the AMEX extended warranty, what happens? Would Apple charge me for the refurbished item, and then would I get a credit from AMEX?

Does Applecare care about my Apple?

Ash3000 — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:44:20 -0800

I have a potentially rather silly question about Applecare as I purchase a new Macbook Pro. My job is sponsoring my next computer - and I'm going up from a Macbook purchased in February 2008 to a 13-inch Macbook Pro. Work is covering the most basic cost of the most basic Macbook Pro, I'm paying for anything in addition to that.

Rather than pay the extremely high Apple prices for extra RAM or an SSD drive, I was going to install the extra RAM and, eventually, a SSD, through Crucial.com. Am I am risking my Applecare warranty in a serious way by doing so?

Speaking of: if I'm reading Apple's materials correctly, I have the entirety of the one-year limited warranty to transfer over to Applecare - however, they "strongly [recommend] that you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan when you purchase your Apple product to maximize the additional benefits provided under the plan." Am I making a serious mistake to get the limited warranty first and transfer over to AppleCare in a few months? I don't believe work is covering any warranty aspect, and the budget is a bit tight at the moment.

Thoughts? Thanks!

AppleCare but He Don't Care.

Effigy2000 — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 06:26:49 -0800

How do I get someone who bought and paid for something I sold them on eBay to actually take possession of their goods? About three months ago I sold my MacBook Pro on eBay. I offered my AppleCare plan as part of the package. Eventually someone bid, bought, and paid for the item. He came over in person, picked up the computer and its accessories and left. He took the AppleCare box with him.

At the time he was in a bit of a rush so I told him we could work out the details of transferring the AppleCare into his name at a later date, which he was cool with. Since then, I've tried contacting him numerous times, asking for his address and other contact details so I can get the process of transferring the warranty into his name over and done with, but I've had no response.

You're probably thinking "Don't you have his details from eBay?" The answer is no. The account he used to purchase the computer was his friends account, not his own. I've sent messages to his friend through eBay asking her to tell him to get in touch with me (either direct or via her), but just like the buyer, they're not responding.

The MacBook Pro would now be just over a year old, meaning that should it break, it would need to be fixed via Applecare, so obviously I'm keen to sort this out so that I don't end up having to deal with this guy a few months/years down the track saying "Hey, the computer you sold me is broken, what about my AppleCare?" But I'm at my wits end as to what else I can actually do to get this guy to take possession of what he paid for. What do you suggest?

Can a bad Apple be saved?

bibliogrrl — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:51:34 -0800

When trying to get a Macbook repaired, how is the BEST WAY to make a stink without being an asshole? I read this one and this one but still not quite there.

At the beginning of October, my macbook took to shutting itself off when unplugged from the wall. I've had it for 2 years sans problems. Called Applecare, they said to take it in. No problem.

They replaced my battery and charger ("just in case") but figured it was probably the logic board. So they sent it in.

Got it back 4 days later. Now it was locking up every time I tried to do more than one thing at a time. Back to the store. They reinstalled the OS, tried to run everything at once, said they could not get the problem to repeat. Ok, awesome.

Then when the lappy went to sleep, would not wake up. At this point I'm leaving for a trip, so it will get shut off and I'll deal in 4 days, which brings us to...

Monday, booted up, no problem. Used for an hour and then (what I now know as) KERNEL PANIC! Called Applecare (again), she ran me through an update. We sat there for 20 minutes and no Kernel panic! Got a case number. Said to call back if it happened again...which it did just as the computer was supposed to reboot itself.

I called AGAIN and the usless tech who answered said it was SUPPOSED to happen (rebooting). She didn't seem to understand it was hollering about rebooting in 5 languages and not just doing it itself. "FINE," I said. "I'll reboot and see what happens."

Which led me to calling AC again 20 minutes later when the whole works locked up again. I left it like that and trotted BACK to the Apple store. Where a Genius bar tech was able to make the laptop Kernel panic again, and sent it in to have the logic board replaced AGAIN.

I am lacking in faith that this will fix the problem once and for all when I get the computer back this week. How can I get them to finally fix it or just replace the computer. It is 2 years old and the applecare ends next year. I have saved ALL paperwork/correspondence.

TL:DR - My Macbook is in the shop for the third time this month. What should I do if this doesn't repair the problem once and for all?

Thanks in advance.

Will Apple fix my phone if I have fixed part of it myself?

iktomi — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:47:15 -0800

Will Apple service my iPhone 'out of warranty' if it has been repaired with a 3rd party part? (Complicated circumstances within.) My iPhone (3GS, 32gb) suffered two different (and I think unrelated) misfortunes recently.

First, syncing became erratic. It would occasionally fail with a message that "iPhone could not sync. The required file could not be found." The phone itself still worked, though.

Some time after this, I was out for a walk. I dropped the phone and cracked the glass/digitizer (but not the LCD).

I was using it cracked for a while, simply because it was easier than getting all the paperwork together for a repair. The phone continued to have problems syncing, so I decided to try a software restore. As far as I can tell, the glass was the only thing damaged in the fall.

The restore essentially bricked my phone. It failed with "error 9", and ended up stuck at the "connect to iTunes" screen. I tried a few more times to restore from DFU mode and it occasionally produced some other interesting error codes, the common thread of which was that the device was disconnecting or not communicating correctly with the USB controller. Never restored correctly, however.

I got the idea that I'd replace the digitizer myself, and then use my American Express extended warranty coverage (which extends the terms of the mfg warranty) to get the phone fixed. It was only after I had purchased the part and done the replacement that I realized that Apple won't repair things that have been touched by non-specialist hands. (To make matters worse, I tore the "do not remove" sticker in the process of replacing the digitizer.)

Do I stand a chance of having my repair covered? How closely do they look at these things?

Can I get my data back? Or am I asking for a rainbow pony?

ladypants — Sat, 29 May 2010 14:14:04 -0800

My 9 month old Macbook Pro flashed the gray screen of death. Is there any way to recover the data? Yesterday, while finishing a paper for school, my beloved Macbook Pro froze and I stared at the lovely spinning wheel of doom for a minute before shutting it down. When I attempted to start it back up, all that would come up was a gray screen with a file icon and a question mark. No good!

Fortunately I had an earlier draft of the paper saved as a google doc, and after a lot of frazzled running around I was able to finish the paper on a different computer. Whew!

The computer is under warranty, but the man at the Genius Bar said that apple may need to replace my hard drive, in which case I would not be able to retrieve my data, and they would keep my old hard drive.

I didn't think that apple could take my hard drive without offering data recovery. I realize it's my own fault for not backing up the hard drive, and I've learned my lesson, but is there any way to recover the data from my old drive? On a message board I read that Apple UK does offer data recovery - do they offer it in the US? Is there some kind of magic that the genius can do to recover my files?

I realize that I may come across as entitled, all "where's my free stuff?" But I'm totally shocked that my laptop could have such a massive failure within a year of purchase. I've never dropped it, spilled anything on it, opened it up, upgraded it or anything. I use it daily for school work, but it's my baby and I'm gentle with it. Sorry, I think I'm still in a state of shock, but I'm just surprised and upset that my data may be gone for good, when there was no indication that there was anything wrong with my hard drive. I purchased AppleCare, and have generally heard good things about Apple customer service. Perhaps I'm asking for a magical rainbow pony.

Linux need not apply.

hal_c_on — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:11:05 -0800

Will Apple Care if I'm using Linux? I have been using Macs now for almost 10 years. I know the ins and outs of working with Apple when I need their help. I have learned to always get a computer with AppleCare because the few extra bucks are worth the attention they give you when you have a problem. For some people, thats not a big deal, but for someone who doesn't want ANYTHING wrong with his computer, its worth it. So I'm well versed in what to say and more importantly "not say" when dealing with the "Geniuses" at the store or their reps on the phone.

NOW...

This is the only question remaining before I make the move to a full linux system from a os x/linux system.

What happens if I have a computer, its covered by applecare...and my only OS is a type of linux? Will they say its not covered since linux controls the hardware differently than OS X? I'm not talking about "My pixels are dying" or "my keys are loose", I'm talking "My computer is dead issues".

I can reasonably guess...but I do not know for sure.

Does anybody have experience regarding this? Like I said, I can make a reasonable guess, but I DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE.

Any help?

Should apple require my hard drive to fix my graphic card?

manduca — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:26:24 -0800

The graphics card in my macbook pro failed, which happens at a "higher than normal" rate. Apple agrees that's the problem. Still, they want me to leave my hard drive in the computer when I give it to them for repairs. How diligent are they about protecting your data from theft and ill-use? If data on your hard drive somehow gets set free while visiting apple-land, it doesn't violate the Applecare terms of service (pdf). "[apple is not liable for...] the failure to maintain the confidentiality of data" (section 4). In section 7f, "You agree that any information or data disclosed to Apple under this Plan is not confidential." My hard drive is backed up, but I don't want to risk someone having access to all my personal info. Should I put up a fight? Here's the background; feel free to skip it.

I'm a former IT person, and the diagnosis of graphic card failure seems pretty straightforward to me. All symptoms match. My hard drive is backed up, but I'm worried about my personal info being in the hands of others, especially after stories like this of hard drives full of data going MIA during service. How should I handle my upcoming interaction with the techs in the apple store?

The computer is still under applecare. When I talked with Applecare telephone support, they confirmed the diagnosis but said I needed to send the hard drive in with the system. After reading the terms of service, I was pretty reluctant. I didn't push very hard for them to make an exception. Thinking that I might have more luck in person, and with in-person contact with a geek, I made a genius bar appointment.

My position is that apple should be willing to fix my computer without my hard drive in it, since the problem is clear and isn't related to the hard drive. Every computer repair service has spare hard drives used for troubleshooting. The macbook pro hard drive is end-user replaceable, so I'm not violating any warranty by removing it. Sure, if I screw up the removal, it's my problem, but I'm ok with that.

What I'm not ok with is this: for my data to be relatively secure in this case, I must take the time to securely wipe the hard drive and reinstall the OS, and then restore all my data when I get the computer back. In fairness to apple, I imagine that asking for the hard drive generally makes sense since a problem is often not clearly defined before the system is received. And we users aren't always the most reliable or knowledgeable reporters.

Nevertheless, my current plan is to take the hard drive out before I go to the Apple Store. I expect my approach will be in the self-deprecating vein to begin: I'll admit that I'm being a bit of a curmudgeon and ask them to indulge me. I've had terrific interactions with the Genius boys (are they all male in every store?) in the past, and I'm hopeful that they would at least by sympathetic to my position.

Is my request reasonable? Is there a better approach?

Should I buy my mother an iMac?

Joe in Australia — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:32:21 -0800

Should I get my aging, computer-clumsy mother an iMac, or just buy her a bigger screen for her Windows machine? My mother uses her computer to play bridge, read her email (via Gmail), do her banking, and occasionally write letters. She is really bad at computer hygiene and I've had to clean viruses off her computer more than once - she will click on things that tell her to click them. This scares me, because she also uses her computer to do her banking.

I've suggested getting her an iMac, and she's cool with the idea. A larger screen would be part of the package, and that would definitely help her. The advantages of getting a Mac are that it comes with Applecare and it's less likely she'll install malware. The downside is that she's not great with computers and she might find the learning curve too steep. I know that the cost of an iMac will pay for a lot of computer support - but would that be as good as Applecare for someone who just needs her hand held?

What are people's thoughts on this?

Apple third-party repair shops in the Bay Area?

NucleophilicAttack — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:17:40 -0800

What's the Bay Area equivalent of TekServe? More specifically, looking for competent and honest Apple upgrade and repair shops that will work on machines that are out of Applecare, and which will do aftermarket upgrades (e.g. new hard drives, etc.)

Bonus: close to Palo Alto.

PB G4 17in Display: Am I really screwed, or just kinda screwed?

fontophilic — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:45:57 -0800

My PowerBook G4 17in, with the dreaded W85 serial number is displaying (or rather not) a white 1.25in vertical block down the left side. Turned on my PowerBook G4 this morning, checked email, closed the lid and then went out for the rest of the day. Came back, opened it up and I've got this 1.25 inch dead while line down the left side of my screen. Doing a screen capture of this area reveals what should be there, and problem persists after restarting, leaving me to conclude hardware problem. It's about 4 years old, even extended apple care is long gone. It could be much worse, as this laptop is currently my livelihood, and I have access to an external monitor.

Doing some research I found that there is a known problem with serials that start with W85 for this model. Allegedly due to shoddy assembly in China. Apple censors it at every turn.

However, this is my question. These cases tend to look like a few lines, scattered around, but mine [1, 2] is a solid white vertical block Is there any chance that when I got my new hard drive installed at best buy a month ago, they pulled a monitor pin out or something along those lines?

Wishful thinking, or am I going to say good by to $300?

(the old hard drive was working fine, just too small)

Can you use an AASP to fufil an AppleCare service?

gkhewitt — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:32:46 -0800

MacFilter: Question regarding servicing and Apple Authorised Service Partners So, long story short, my Macbook's hard disk died this evening. The clicks of death and everything. Thank the Good Lord that I did a time machine backup a few days ago.

Now, this is within the year's warranty so I will be calling up AppleCare (UK) tomorrow and getting this part replaced. But, having never used AppleCare before I've got a question so I can be informed for the process...

- Can Authorised Service Partners provide a replacement part under warranty? I'm happy to fit it myself etc, but really don't want to have to wait a week for a new part.

Even if it comes before then, I won't get it because no doubt it'll be courier'd and since the whole house is at work 9-5. It would be ideal to pop down to the local service partner tomorrow and have the weekend to get back up and running again.

Thanks!

I feel like an Apple in a pigs mouth!

Xurando — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:35:21 -0800

How can I get Apple to REALLY fix my computer? (Previously) A week ago today I was uograding my Macbook Pro to OSX 10.5.4 and it wouldn't boot up. Since then the following has happened and my computer is still very borked.

1. Called Applecare, used leopard install disk to reinstall, following Applecare e-mail, drag files from previous system to user. Restart, screen goes grey won't reboot.
2. call Applecare again, 2 techs tell me my hard drive is borked and it will cost me several $1000 to retrieve my data.
3. Go to Applestore. Genius cowboy works on computer for an hour, restores desktop. While waiting for trash to empty tells me he is going to lunch. His coworker gets me out of root user but doesn't reboot computer
4. On train to NYC, boot up computer, doesn't boot, get grey screen with flashing folder and ? Call Applecare. techs tell me my hard drive is borked will cost me several thousand dollars to retrieve data. Do repair hard drive fix permissions. Computer doesn't boot
5.Back to Apple store. Told by phone they will back-up data for $50 and that computer needs new hard drive.
6. Back to Apple store. Told computer is fixed, no charge.
7. Take computer home boot up. It looks like a burglar has trashed my house. My leopard is gone, I'm back in Tiger, Safari won't work. Half my dock items have ? and are missing. Half my pictures in lightroom are missing along with a catalogue. Mozilla won't download. Trash won't work.
8. Reinstall Leopard but nothing really works. Apple says they will give me one free hour of tech support at my local dealer, not store.

Help, I want to make these jokers fix my computer right. What should I be doing?

MacBook Battery Problems

andoatnp — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:59:10 -0800

Two, almost certainly related problems: My MacBook has taken to turning itself off while still showing as having a high battery charge. It has turned itself off while showing it at 36 minutes of battery time left. coconutBattery says that my current battery capacity is only at 54% of the original. Anything I can or should do about this? The macbook is about 15 months old.

1) When I first got the macbook, I recall the battery running down all the way to 2 or 3 minutes left of battery charge until it would shut itself off. Even if the battery is only at 50% of its original capacity, it still seems wacky to me that it would shut down when it is showing 20 or 30 minutes of battery time remaining. Any way I can get my macbook to stop doing this?

2) Regarding the battery itself, is being at only 50% capacity at 15 months mean I'm doing something wrong? AppleCare (which I have) said online: "However, the AppleCare Protection Plan for notebook computers does not cover batteries that have failed or are exhibiting diminished capacity except when the failure or diminished capacity is the result of a manufacturing defect."

Anyone have any advice that can help me convince apple to get my battery replaced? Is there any way to refresh my battery so I can get it to hold more of a charge?

How best to purchase a Mac for a German friend visiting the US?

felix betachat — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:41:53 -0800

How best to purchase a Mac for a German friend visiting the US? I have a friend visiting from Germany who is considering buying an iMac here & taking it back with her. If I buy it for her with my educational discount, will she have problems registering it in her name? Will she be able to get AppleCare support in Germany on a machine purchased in the US?

Mac infrared remote weirdness

snarfois — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 03:25:49 -0800

My problem with my Apple remote is just getting weirder Previously: Apple remote malfunctioning, How do I escalate my AppleCare problem?

After 5 weeks at the repair shop, who tells me they were unable to recreate the problem, I've brought the Mac Mini back home. Within a day, after being on for a couple of hours, the problem came back. I moved the Mini at least 30cm away from any other objects for several days, but the problem kept reoccuring.

Then yesterday, I found a simply bizarre "solution": I cover up the IR receiver (the black square at the end of the DVD slot.) When I do this, the problem instantly disappears and the remote functions as normal. What baffles me is that it functions at all. How sensitive are IR receivers? To put it to the test, I tried wrapping the Mini completely in a thick blanket, and only after about 8 layers of wrapping does the remote stop working. I can hold a thick hardcover book right in front of the Mini, and the remote immediately behind it, and it still works. And any of these tricks cure the remote repeating problem. Right now, I'm using the Mini with a tiny strip of paper covering the IR receiver.

Besides a possible diagnosis, what I'd like to know is whether I should pursue the matter further with Apple. This is obviously not how a new computer is supposed to act, and as unobtrusive as the little strip of paper is, it's still not the designer minimalist look Apple (and I) intended. And if I'm going to pursue this further, where should I take it?

Can I transfer my AppleCare/iTunes from a stolen Mac to a new Mac?

mdonley — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 07:11:33 -0800

My apartment was burgled and my Macbook was stolen. Can I transfer my old AppleCare account and iTunes library (or at least iTunes purchases) to a new Macbook? There's not much more to say, but:

- a Latvian police report was filed, as that's where I'm living at the moment; presumably this can be translated into English if Apple wants to see it;

- I couldn't find the serial number to the computer itself when the police were there, but I did give the police the AppleCare serial number, and this is what appears on the report - is it possible for Apple to verify that a computer belonged to me from the AppleCare serial? Would they tell me the computer's serial number if presented with evidence (like the police report) that it had been stolen?

Help! My MacBook is now a MilkBook.

gazole — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:02:16 -0800

Spilled milk in my MacBook's keyboard, and the technician at Apple suggested I bend the rules to get it fixed or replaced. What does my warranty cover, anyway? While I was away at work today, my 3 year old (bless him) spilled about 1/2 cup of milk into the keyboard of my new MacBook (purchased this past Sept.) It immediately powered off.

Then, my wife (bless her) unwittingly made things potentially much worse by attempting to turn it on several times and plugging it in, then using a hair dryer to attempt to hasten drying the milk. (It won't turn on.)

She called the Apple phone support 800 number, and the tech told her there's nothing they can do, that the warranty expires in 6 days, and that what she should do is buy the Apple Protection Plan, then send it in without telling them about the spill.

I found this information odd, to say the least. A little research online reveals that phone support is the "warranty" that expires next week, and the regular limited warranty is good until next September.

So my course of action to (hopefully) recover my computer or at least its data (what seems like my entire life) depends on a few things.

- Does the actual warranty status change 90 days after purchase of a MacBook? Would ponying up for the Apple Protection Plan change this?
- If we send it in to Apple for repair or replacement wouldn't they find it obvious there was a spill, and tell us we're out of luck?
- Is there any point to us taking the machine to the local Apple Store for a second opinion?

Where do we go from here? Thank you, MeFi, for any help you can offer.