Time Capsule Powered Off, Won't Power Back On

Oddly enough my 500GB TC that I purchased in March '08 recently died too.

I just spoke to AppleCare Support and got given some options for data recovery which I hadn't seen in the many postings I'd read in this thread so thought I'd mention them here. They told me that I could use one of two companies Data Savers or On Track Data Recovery as they were authorized to open the drive and return with a label from them on the drive.

Unfortunately, neither company appears to come cheap and would actually cost more than just ripping it apart myself and buying a new one.

The good news was though that they also admitted it being a known issue with a capacitor and believe that the new and refurb units won't suffer the same problem. Guess time will tell on that one though.

Was also disappointed by the lack of real guarantee in data security and that I only have Apple's word that my data will be wiped in full if I return the unit.

Given that they are now accepting responsibility for the issue it would be good if they could offer a drive swap in-store at the Genius bars.

Mine was replaced by the tech at the Genius Bar.. "It's a new unit, but it's not in the pretty box" was his description. Looks new, acted new when I booted it up. Seems to be good now.

I sure wish they would have given me one of the new dual-band ones instead, but since they had this one on the shelf back in storage (it was the last one they had) I was happy to just be out the door with little hassle and zero dollars spent.

Thank you Apple for a fairly quick and painless resolution!

Apple support offered a replacement without any argument.

My T capsule (500G) is 23 months old and my Applecare ran out 4 months ago for my iMacs and Macbook. I thus had no warranty - so it would seem Apple are listening to this problem.

Lets see what happens in another 2 yrs!

Just spoke to apple and they're sending me a new timecapsule. Frustrating thing is i went to my local apple store first and they knew nothing about the problem, but was no problem when i called apple.

Ok Guys,

Here is what happened next:

I just had a conversation with Apple's CS in USA (remember: I'm in Brazil) and they gave me a Customer Service Code to have my TC replaced.

I don't know if my data will be recovered or not, but the point is that Apple seems have accepted the responsibility for the problem.

I'll pass by the Authorized Service Provider to fill up some paper forms and start the process here in Brazil.

Again I'll keep you all up to date.

Best,
Marcelo

Well after being told by the "Genius" I was SOL in seattle for my 500GB time capsule that died after about a year and a half I decided to call about support like so many people recommended in this thread. The apple support person was very helpful and even though I have no apple products under warranty they said they would ship me a new time capsule replacement. So I would just like to thank everyone in the support forums for their great suggestions. Thanks again.

I spoke to Apple this morning and they are sending me a replacement TC.

If it hadn't been for this thread I wouldn't have known it would be replaced FoC (at first Apple said it was out of warranty).

Thanks everyone and thank you to Apple for doing the decent thing!

Cheers mates,

Here I am again to present you the final chapter of my story.

A few days ago I receive a new TC 500Gb free of charge from Apple. I decided to pay for the data recovery the Apple Authorized Service charged as I was really interested in getting my data back - and I did.

The design is the same so I decided to wait a few days to write this review. So here it goes:

It's temperature seems to be cooler than the older TC (RIP), but still high enough to bother me. I really don't know how long this one is going to last, but I already know the data doen't seem to get harmed due to the high temperature.

So in case it goes dead again due to its heating problem, I will definitely take off the HD myself and use it as an external HD and buy a simple router.

But I have to give you a heads up to the quality of the service provided by Apple: they did replace the TC for free. All I had to do was talk to them at the 0800 in the US and bingo! It was done.

Best,
MVial

I had the exact same problem with the power failure. I called Apple told them about the problem I was having and was sent one the next day. My time capsule was over two years old and I think they saw that on my account. I was asked very few questions and was sent one with no problems.

Ry

Just thought I'd add my name to the list. I had my wife take the Time Capsule to the nearest Apple store and show it to the Store Genius. He confirmed that the power supply was dead. He told her that it wasn't covered by any original or extended warranty. She asked him to document that it had failed and he is supposed to have done that.

januszkawa wrote:
Hello to everybody. I have exactly the same problem with my TC. After 20 months of working is dead. If TC is for backup should work a little bit longer than 2 years. Do you know, is there any answer of Apple in order to this problem??????

I don't believe Apple has owned up to any issues with the previous model TC but have stated the new one is not going to fail like series 1 did because it is better.. trust us.. we have only your best interests at heart.. cough, gollum, gollum, cough!!

Chris in the UK did an infrared camera view of the new TC vs the old one.. and it runs about 2deg cooler.. it probably will last a bit longer.. but is still a bad design.. it runs too hot.. it has no access to the drive.. no possibility to mirror the drive... no way to recover data if it goes wrong (well not officially).. as a backup device it is a dismal failure. And IMHO continues to be over expensive and how do you backup to an unreliable device. When it hits 2years do you go out and buy a new one.. before failure.. or after it??

Buy a real NAS.. one that has cooling, a power supply that is external hence replaceable.. a hdd that is accessible and hence replaceable.
If you want wireless router get AEBS.. you can plug a usb hard drive into it.. but it ain't fast.. ok for wireless backup.. but real NAS is much faster than TC over gigabit connection.. I think the TC uses a USB to SATA converter internally instead of ethernet direct to SATA.

Hi Wayland,

As far as I know, the apple store will not repair your PSU and return the original TC. If you have basic DIY skills, you can do this yourself. Or you can contact someone with such skills.

That said, I would suggest first please contact Apple customer service and speak to them. Try not to take no for an answer and get yourself bumped up to supervisor or manager level.

However, I am copy pasting below from post by freddietheone which more or less charts out the entire map for dead TCs.

Quote:

Options open to you are:

1. Sweet talk Apple into swapping this unit for a 'new' refurbished unit.
2. Loudly harangue Apple for producing a 'server grade' back-up device that has singularly failed to do what it was designed to do. It is not 'fit for purpose' and should be exchanged forthwith for a 'new' refurbished unit.
3. Do not approach Apple. Extract the hard drive and put it into something like a DROBO case and use it that way. Find some other way of wifi linking your computers though.
4. Get the unit 'repaired' by one of the people on this list, kindly compiled by Ray Haverfield (Melbourne, Oz. All round good guy).

http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repairers

5. Do it yourself, using Ray's help, etc.
6. Don't give up!

NOTE: Points 1 and 2 above have the same outcome but one might involve raised voices and unpleasantness.

You are following the path that so many before you have trodden. Welcome to the club!

UNQUOTE


Please note that the point no 2 above is written tongue in cheek and is just some humour, note the phrases in quotes and you will understand.

Best of luck and hope you will come out of this better informed and better equipped to deal with situations in life as well!!!! (this is essence of point no 6 above which applies to everything)

Hello NeilWB,

The nearest thing to an 'official statement' on the Time Capsule by Apple is:

*"Some ISPs are not currently compatible with Time Capsule. Product specifications are subject to change without notice."*

Apple must be reasonably secure that any new TC will not cook itself to death. Their replacement option presently running, only really covers the units with well made power supplies, that unexpectedly and quite surprisingly died for no known reason. (Warning!!! Irony lurks here. Beware!!)

Apple are snug and secure with their present product, the Time Capsule, in 1TB and 2TB sizes. The nastiness that befell earlier TCs, was entirely down to something called '+an oversight+'.

The poor engineer (or engineers, lets be reasonable here) that did not quite work out why the cooling fan should be INSIDE the Time Capsule has probably managed to cover up his tracks and avoid the ultimate humiliation - of being named.

Possible phrase muttered by the errant engineer...
"Phew! They blamed the fault on the Flextronics power supply! I think I managed to escape!"

He may well have been named, the poor b *t*d, but we will (gladly) never get to hear about it.

Quite simply, TCs run too hot. The cooling fan (already fitted inside the TC case):

1. Has no air inlet hole.
2. Points the wrong way.
3. Is not turned on.

Apart from those three carbuncles, the TC is an excellent product (no sarcasm used - I MEAN IT).
Get the boiling hot little pressure cooker modified and you will have years and years and years and years of good reliable service. Don't forget it is server grade. Just not made like one.

I put a 2TB upsized and modified TC 'FOR SALE' on my website last night and it has gone already!
Someone knows it makes sense. (To be modified that is).

Get a TC, they are very very good. They run hot however...

Regards,
Chris Fackrell,
YORK,
UK.

Well, good news for me despite going through the same issue. My 1 TB TC died suddenly without updating to Snow Leopard. The green light just stopped glowing and nothing worked to bring it back to life. My warranty expired two months prior but I was awarded a new 1 TB TC anyway with the explanation that there is a known issue with the power cord connector. I hope the best for all of you.