Hard Drive Recall

Hi WeberAP and welcome to Apple Discussions!

According to Apple's support web site [page|http://www.apple.com/support/macbook/hd/repairextension> for this issue it is the drives themselves that were failing. Apple is offering to replace affected drives, but is not recalling drives that have not been affected.

So to answer your question, while hard drives can always fail I would not be concerned with the MacBook itself "killing" the new drive.

Best of luck.

I noticed today that Apple has started doing a recall on MacBooks made between 2006 and 2007 because of hard disk problems

To make sure the point is completely clear, there is not a recall of those models. If a system is experiencing no problems with the hard drive, there is nothing that will be done.

The program is an repair extension program. That is, Apple has extended coverage beyond the original warranty period for MacBooks in the stated range that experience hard drive problems, and will (under certain circumstances; read the program details or contact Apple) reimburse people who have previously paid for repair of these problems.

Sorry for the stress, but I want to make sure that you and anyone else reading understand what the program really is. The last thing anyone wants is to have people think they need to take their MacBook to Apple if nothing's going wrong with the system.

Regards.

I also just heard about the MacBook recall on computers from 2007, but my situation is a little different...

I bought my macbook the summer before I started college back in July 2007. Everything was working fine until this past spring when my hard drive completely crashed before my final exams. I sent it to our Computer Help Desk on campus, showed them the "blinking question mark" and they tried to save my hard drive but to no avail. The techs said my only options were to send it off to Apple who would charge me a lot of money to replace it (since I wasn't under Apple Care), or I could go to Best Buy, buy myself a hard drive, and they would replace it for free and it would only take a matter of hours. I chose the least time consuming of the two because I really needed to get my computer back in order to make sure I had it for my final exams (English major - so many papers to write). So I went out and bought a WD hard drive and they installed it the next day.

A lot of my friends have had similar situations with their macbooks dying, and I have read numerous apple discussions about the problems with macbook hard drives from 2006-2007. Why does apple choose to address these problems now? When most people who have had theirs crash either got a new computer or have already gotten a hard drive (many who probably got it from a place other than apple to avoid their ridiculous charges).

I love Apple, but I really am getting frustrated with all the money I have put into this computer. I've already had to replace the hard drive, and now my battery life is completely draining to the point I have to almost constantly have my computer plugged in to keep it from dying.

I guess my overall question is whether anyone can think of a way Apple could possibly give me some sort of reimbursement for the hard drive or pay the difference of what a new hard drive would cost? I know this is a shot in the dark, but I had no other options - I couldn't wait that long and I would've had to pay so much money at the time. I know they're offering reimbursements for repairs done through Apple for these hard drives, but do you think if I showed my Computer Help Desk receipt listing the damages and prognosis that states my computer hard drive crashed that they would give me any compensation? Or even credit towards future repairs? Because at this point, I am just waiting for the next thing to go wrong in this over-priced machine that barely functions.

HI Cape89 and welcome to Apple Discussions!

If you read the Apple page on this issue at http://www.apple.com/support/macbook/hd/repairextension/ you will see under the *Additional Information* section that "If you believe that you paid for a repair covered by this program and you have not been contacted, you may contact Apple Technical Support." In the USA the phone number for Apple Technical Support is 800-275-2273. I suspect you may get your replacement hard drive paid for, since it sounds like you have good documentation.

As to your battery, is it the battery that is original to this MacBook? How many charge cycles does it have on it? Most batteries will be considered depleted and in need of replacement after three years.

Best of luck.

I think Apple should 'recall' hard disk drive that has a symptom of 'blinking question mark'. I didn't know this kind of problem until I got the same problem as of today. I asked repair shop in the school, they said this(I bought my Macbook 2007) will be in 'Repair extension program' but I have to pay if I want to keep my hard drive and pay more to retrieve my data as Apple only replace old drive to a new one! How frustrating I am now!! I backed up old data though didn't do for recent month's work. Also time and other data like for internet. IT's quite disappointing Apple didn't admit their fault and do 'recall' instead replacing their problem: I am certain as many of people had the same problem (that strangely flashing question mark!), it should be Apple's fault. Not only replacing into new hard drive, I think Apple should compensate somehow at least retrieving data from old drive. I wish I can hear from someone soon.