Router on TC dead. How to use as back up hard drive only with Time Machine.

Unfortunately, the information that you received is very likely not correct, so you may not consider our feedback as helpful or useful.

A solid amber light is almost always an indication that the hard drive has failed and will need to be replaced.

In cases where the hard drive does not prove to be dead when a solid amber light is displayed, one of the internal power supplies has failed.

The bottom line.....I am afraid......is that you will need to have the shop look much closer and actually pull the hard drive out of the Time Capsule to see if it will work in a separate caddy or enclosure. If it does, then you will need have to have the internal power supply repaired before the Time Capsule will operate at all.

If the hard drive has failed.....which is the usual outcome with a solid amber light.....you will need to have it replaced if you want the Time Capsule to have that function. It is possible to pull the hard drive out and have the Time Capsule act only as a router......but I don't think that will help much in this situation.

Just to add to Bob's comment.

My experience with Gen4 suggests the hard drive is either dead or lost format. But for sure the HDD is the problem here.. the fact that TC shows solid amber means that power supply is still good. A dead drive will cause the TC to stop the boot.

You can certainly use it as a router.. open it and remove the hard disk.. this is easy bit.

See https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Apple_Time_Capsule

Run the TC without a hard disk and see if it works.. my guess is.. it will be fine.

If that is the case just buy a new disk.. WD green drive which apple used as good as any.

Good answers are difficult here, since we are dealing with too many unknowns.

If the hard drive has failed, then it might be possible to have a data restoration firm take the hard drive apart......and......IF....the disk is not physically damaged, they might be able to retrieve the data on the disk. Unfortunately, most users are shocked when they learn that the cost of doing something like this will be a minimum $1,500-2,000.....with no guarantee of success.

If it were me, I would ask the repair shop to pull out the hard drive from the Time Capsule and place it in a caddy or enclosure to see if it will operate that way. If it does, you can buy an enclosure for $10-20, install the hard drive, and use it that way to restore data back to MacBook Air.

If the hard drive will not operate in a caddy or enclosure, then you'll have to decide on whether you want to spend a lot of money to try to retrieve the data on the hard drive.

LaPastenague has taken apart far more Time Capsules that I have, so hopefully he will have more to say here.

Is there any hope of retrieving her backup so we can restore her computer after the repair?

Stop the repair now.. right now.. if it is in the shop.. ring and get them to stop.. the data on the MBA drive should be recovered again to a USB drive.. if that is still within possibility.

I agree with Bob.. if the disk is dead in the TC.. and it is a strong possible.. then you will pay a fortune for recovery.

You did everything right.. and got hit with a double whammy.. it happens..