Time Capsule Powered Off, Won't Power Back On

There probably isn't a true guarantee as to the safety of your data. I can only hope and pray that Apple securely wipes or (even better) destroys the physical drives.

I know there are Apple stores here in the US, but I do not have one close by and just called their 1-800 number. They overnighted a new refurbished Time Capsule and I sent mine back in the same box. Can't you call Apple directly and see if they will offer a replacement?

Regardless, please let us informed on what they say. I'm sure you'll get yours replaced somehow 🙂

Good for you, St.Paddy!

I finally called in the Time Capsule yesterday. In my case, Apple Support in the Netherlands. I am writing down what happened, because it may interest some of you.
I entered the Time Capsule's serial number and got an automatic reply, that probably in my case I would have to pay to have the Time Capsule repaired.

Sounds like nonsense to me, because here a minimum of two year warranty applies and the TC is 20 months old.
I had to wait about 13 minutes before I got a first liner on the phone, I had to wait a while and then he told me I had to speak to a second level help person because there was a special program for the Time Machine.

She told me to go exchange the TC for a new one about 45 minutes away from here. I told her that people on Apple Discussions mentioned Apple was shipping replacements out to their home address, and I live here in the middle of nowhere. She agreed to send the replacement Time Capsule to my home address, and was going to charge my credit card (I had read about that, so that was fine with me), but she also indicated that if any evidence showed of the Time Capsule having been opened, the replacement would be charged to my credit card anyway.

I then said I disagreed, that people on the same Apple Discussions had gotten to keep their hard disk. I have information on that disc from people other than myself and I wanted to have the option of carefully removing the hard disc and keeping it or, if she preferred, I could replace it after extracting the information. According to Apple: `Time Capsule is a revolutionary backup device that works wirelessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard. It automatically backs up everything, so you never have to worry about losing your important files', so I want my backup.

She said if other stores were letting customers keep their hard disc, or allow the hard discs to be removed, or removed it themselves, that was their responsibility. So we were at a stalemate! I said I needed to think it over. And I guess I still am.

The next day, I got an email from Apple, if I would please fill out an survey if I was happy about services being rendered by the last person of Apple Support I spoke to. It also asked if I could recommend Apple products to others. I used to be very enthusiastic about Apple and Apple products, but I can not believe why they would not own up to the problems with the Time Capsule and why they would misinform their customers.

I got two Time Capsules, 1TB one at end of March 2008, and a 500GB one at the end of April 2008.

The first one died a month ago. The other died today.

Check the graph in this article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/nov/04/apple-time-capsule-failure s-early

If that is not a good enough reason for recall and replacement, I don't know what is.

Don't return or exchange your old dead TC immediately. Ask for 30 days grace period. The unit can be opened, the drive removed for copying or exchanged for another HD. I have performed this miracle on several dead TC's destined for the refurb shop in Malaysia.

If you have any data that is not backed up somewhere else, stall for time and get it backed up ASAP.

See here for a list of Time Capsule repairers capable of performing a careful TClectomy:
http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repairers

If it is indeed a refurb unit, then its serial # will not show up here: http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php

and you will have a 90 day warranty on the unit. Wait out the warranty period, see if it croaks or else just go ahead and perform the mods.

**Hold the presses ** Did you get a replacement from Apple or just buy one off eBay? Do you still have a dead TC?

I still feel that the external PSU is the best long term solution, but if you can do it, the fan and base plate mod will improve things greatly as long as the PS is not already near death. If you are going to remove foil and plastic from PS, please be aware that some of those capacitors are holding a charge of about 400 Volts and will give a nasty surprise! Use plastic scraper here. The "glop" is Mil spec and tough to remove.

This is one of the best step by step set of images for opening the TC. I suggest that you open unit, put HD into an external enclosure and replace HD with one off eBay. Close it back up and get Apple to replace the TC then sell it ASAP!

http://www.applefritter.com/node/23907

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

I just went to the support page where you ask to set up a call, put in my serial #. It told me im out of warranty asked if i wanted to possibly pay for call. Said yes etc, gave me case number and number to call. If you dont want case #, then phone # is 800-275-2273.

My Time Capsule (April 2008) died late last week - the power issue once again. It's out of warranty and I didn't buy Apple Care on anything I've ever bought but Apple are replacing it no problem.

Only issue is that I was using it as a hard drive as well, and there are some files on there that I'd like back. They said I could get the files recovered on the aftermarket before returning it to them (as long as it looked okay at the end of it) but I'm not really sure where to look!

Add me to the list. Mine died in the last 24 hours. I am going to attempt the repair found here...

http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repair/apple-time-capsule-repair-type2

I will post my success or failure.

There are several things you can do to recover data from a defunct Time Capsule. all of them involve opening the old TC and (in the eyes of Apple, voiding your agreement to exchange). Opening the TC can be very easily done and almost undetectable by a cursory exam. Here's a good tutorial: http://www.applefritter.com/node/23907 and a list of experienced repairers offering their services:
http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repairers With an exchange unit from Apple (most likely a refurb) you probably have 30 days to return old unit before you get charged, so the clock is ticking.

You can open TC, extract the hard drive, replace with a dead one and return unit to Apple

You can open both exchange and dead TC's, swap their hard drives and return to Apple.

You can open TC, extract HD, put in an external case and save data somewhere else then replace HD back in TC.

Some dollar amounts for these options: Used 500 GB Seagate drive (eBay) $30-$50, data recovery services start at $100 or so for 500 GB but you must provide storage medium, ie: another HD or computer. External HD cases can be had for $30 or more (must be internal SATA interface to HD, not PATA or IDE, external interface is your choice).

Once you are finished with the goal of retrieving data, consider modifying your new TC so it lasts longer than the first one. Chris Fackrell has some excellent procedures, tried and approved, here: http://www.fackrell.me.uk/page1/page1.html

500MB Time Capsule failed after 23 months. Power supply symptoms. Called Apple:
(1) To erase disk use an industrial strength magnet like those in speakers.
(2) If I had Applecare on my computer Apple would fix the Time Capsule. I presume, but did not ask, that this means a computer bought about the same time.
(3) I can take it to an Apple Store and they will look at it for free and tell me if it is fixable.
(4) I can pay $50 to Apple for service and get a phone tech or send it in to get the same information.
(5) I will shortly have a new computer but the new computer warranty, including Applecare, would not cover a 700 day old Time Capsule.

It's a free call to Apple Customer Service. Have your TC s/n ready, recite the pertinent information and possibly you may qualify for a replacement, usually a refurbished, model of similar disk capacity. If there is any information on the TC disk that you really need, you could then swap disks.

Otherwise listen to Chris' advice and get it rejuvenated.

Hello Kevin,

The refurbished units will have not a repaired PSU but a replacement DELTA unit, rather than one marked FLEXTRONICS (made by Delta BTW). The DELTA units seem more robust as the cooling air (sic) can circulate around the greater number of vertically mounted capacitors. These seem to be more robust than the earlier ones and let me tell you a fact. They would be even more reliable if the fan, fitted beautifully, did more than act an an internal ornament.

For the uninitiated, the internal fan, which should provide cooling air has three fundamental errors to do with its installation.

1. It has no cool air inlet hole.
2. It points the wrong way.
3. It does not turn-on until the TC is about to catch fire, whereupon it circulates the boiling hot air inside a sealed case and blows it against the side of the hard drive.

This is a silly design, which Apple have got round having to re-design the case with the above errors corrected, by adding a beefed-up PSU.

It still gets hot enough to keep your coffee warm, when it is sat on top.
Fixing the easy fault but not curing the reason will merely move the failure away from the weakest component in the PSU to the next weakest component somewhere else. Could be the PSU but will most likely be the control board. This potential failure will cost far more to get fixed.

APPLE please fix the cause and do a redesign!

At what point would a redesign have been cheaper than all these 'refurbished replacement units' being sent out gratis?

Rant over again... and again... and again...

Cheers,
Chris Fackrell
YORK,
UK.

You know how to get in touch with me (and Chris and Ray) right here: http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repairers

I am in the US, state of Florida. Let me know where you are.

I sent a small package to each of Ray and Chris one time, the shipping costs were about $25 USD or so. Could be cheaper if I use parcel post.

Send me an email address via Ray's list and I'll email my installation PDF for starters.

Interesting as I went in this morning and they have ordered me another one at no cost, maybe try again and talk to someone else.

When I was in the store another guy came with the exact same problem.