Mac Users! I Need Your Help! Emergency!

whoatherechunk · #1 06-27-2008, 08:23 PM

Alright well today is the first day I have ever had a devastating problem with my Mac. I know how to operate computers and know how they work, but when it comes to the guts and components I have no idea what to do about them. I say this because well if it comes to fixing the comp myself I'm probably screwed. Anyways, today my Macbook was becoming a bit sluggish and well I turned it off the proper way. The following time I turned it on all I got was a blank screen. I googled my problem and well I'm getting some mumbo jumbo about the hard drive and well, all this technical stuff worries me. I've tried to restart the comp various times and it won't start up. I definitely haven't lost faith in Macs because I've had worse problems with other computers and operating systems but this is just devastating. If you guys are wondering....I'm running OSX. Should I phone up Apple and ask them about how I should handle the situation? I think it still has been under a year since I bought my Macbook. Geez this sucks! This has developed into the worst summer ever haha. Getting layed off, medical problems, blah, blah, blah.Not to mention, my friend got in a wreck today but thankfully we were all alright.

tplyons · #2 06-27-2008, 08:37 PM

How sluggish was it before you turned it off? Could be the beginning of a hard drive failure, could be a lot of things.

If it's under warranty, take it to an Apple store. If it's a hard drive failure, your data can be recovered. If it's a memory issue, it can be fixed. Nothing is dead for sure.

scottice · #3 06-27-2008, 08:41 PM

Call AppleCare... you did buy AppleCare didn't you???

iamlowsound · #4 06-27-2008, 08:45 PM

Is it a first generation macbook? My harddrive crashed and I had to put a new one in it. Is there a gray screen with a file icon coming up when you try and boot up? That is what happened to me, and it means that there is a system file missing. If it is under warranty, take it in right away.

lowsound

whoatherechunk · #5 06-27-2008, 08:48 PM

Well. The time before I turned it off. It was going preeeeeeeeeeeeeeety sluggish. I was on Talkbass and Google and well Safari just immediately turned off, so I was like hmmm I'm just going to turn off the computer to be safe. This is the first time I've ever had a problem with my Mac. To this day, I've never had a single problem. As for Apple Care I honestly do not remember if I bought it. I'm trying to dig up the receipt as of this moment. It's been just around a year since I bought this computer. I'm not sure if the warranty will cover this. I have a friend that's a Mac Campus rep at my school but he doesn't answer his phone. But yea.... does this seem like a big $$$ repair? I'm ef'n angry right now!

tplyons · #6 06-27-2008, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottice

Call AppleCare... you did buy AppleCare didn't you???

I didn't and I don't regret it. Other than a mobo or a screen failure, there's nothing I can't handle myself.

whoatherechunk · #7 06-27-2008, 08:52 PM

It's definitely not a memory issue. I think the culprit is the hard drive.

whoatherechunk · #8 06-27-2008, 08:54 PM

I'm typically an anti-warranty type of person when it comes to certain things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottice

Call AppleCare... you did buy AppleCare didn't you???

scottice · #9 06-28-2008, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoatherechunk

I'm typically an anti-warranty type of person when it comes to certain things.

I am as well... except when it comes to laptops.

moomoocajoo · #10 06-28-2008, 03:14 AM

Take it to a genius bar if you can.

They work wonders

And Applecare really, really is a must. People make fun of macs for not being user serviceable and all that crap but I've only had one minor problem with my mbp in 2 years (noisy GFX card fan). Took it to the Genius bar at my local store, it went in on saturday at 12ish and was fixed by 5. 3 year Applecare cost 50 quid - well worth it

Have you got any friends who own a mac? If so you should be able use theirs to boot via firewire, or even use their system to make a bootable external HD from which you can boot your mac in the same way. AFAIK you shouldn't have any problems - unlike MS you don't have reg keys with Mac OS and such, thankfully.

**Freddels** · #11 06-28-2008, 06:41 AM

If it won't restart try unplugging and removing the battery. Wait 15 minutes and put the battery back in, plug it in and then try restarting. I have had to do this due to power failures in the area and then the mac power supply needs to be reset.

If that doesn't work, definitely call Apple or stop by the Apple store with it.

burk48237 · #12 06-28-2008, 07:22 AM

If your within a year you still have your original Apple care. The Warranty that comes with the computer is one year. You can buy Apple care anytime within the first year to extend your warranty to Three years. It's worth it, you get phone service and complete coverage for the length of the Warranty. I had a hardware issue, (not the drive) at the 2 year 11 month mark on my Emac right when I was getting ready to sell it. They did a complete repair and wipe down of the Hard drive no charge.

whoatherechunk · #13 07-01-2008, 12:32 AM

Apple Customer Service is great. I'm going to send it in and it's going to be repaired free of charge. Phew...

scottice · #14 07-01-2008, 12:36 AM

Yay!!! Congrats!

disenchant · #15 07-01-2008, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoatherechunk

Apple Customer Service is great. I'm going to send it in and it's going to be repaired free of charge. Phew...

Awww, no fun. They should have let you freak out a bit longer!

Just kidding!

Here's my story:

I took my old G4 in because it wouldn't boot. The Genius looked at it for free. He took it apart. He looked at things. He blew on things. He disconnected and reconnected things. He consulted other Geniuses. He then declared it Broken. I cried. Then he sent me over to buy a new iMac. I didn't have an extra $1100+ in my pocket so I didn't buy one.

After mourning the death of my good friend, Samantha Mac, I brought it into work to have someone help me get the info off my hard drives. The IT guy held down the left mouse button while attempting to boot it. It booted right up.

My mac is working great. I declare the Mac Geniuses to be Mac Fakes.

whoatherechunk · #16 07-01-2008, 12:46 PM

The guy whom I spoke to actually told me to do the same thing and well it just wouldn't work. I tried the whole install disc and holding the option key + turning it on and holding the mouse and all of the other junk. This guy actually knew what he was doing but I'm not debating that other people just are horrible with any type of customer service. I'm happy that I actually spoke to a person in the U.S and not a robot. I'm also happy this was under warranty because I do not know if I would pay $700 for the repairs.

whoatherechunk · #17 07-09-2008, 01:32 PM

I got my Mac today. So yea, my data got wiped out and I needed a new hard drive. They also put in Leopard. They even cleaned my computer physically haha. Apple rocks! I guess I'll have to buy an external hard drive just to be safe from now on.

disenchant · #18 07-09-2008, 01:39 PM

scottice · #19 07-09-2008, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoatherechunk

I guess I'll have to buy an external hard drive just to be safe from now on.

Time Machine is in Leopard. Just get that drive and it backs up automatically! Imagine that.