Mbp Fails To Boot

[GooEng]

my 17" MBP has failed to boot.

it starts and then gets to the grey screen and displays a folder icon with a question mark on it.

it seems that it isn't reading the internal hard disk.

i have tried fitting another internal HD with the intention of restoring the system from my timemachine back-up which i store on an external disc.

holding the option ket while booting leads you through the steps to do this, however when it comes to selecting the disc to restore to it again cannot see the new HD installed.

the machine was bought 11 months ago from apple thailand online so it is still under warranty.

my next move is to take it somewhere for repair - my question is where to?

i don't live in bkk but will be visitiing at the weekend and could visit any of the authorised resellers - or am i better going to one of the shops in fortune tower (i keep seeing one there being recommended on this forum). will the authorised resellers send it to apple or can they carry out warranty repairs?

any pointers grtatefully received.

Edited January 14, 2013 by GooEng

[TheScribe]

Because it's only 11 months old, I think you should put the original disk back in the machine. Then read the support info that came in the box. There will be phone number(s) - call them to find out what to do next.

Hope this helps.

[nikster]

Put the original HDD back in and drop it off at the nearest authorized Apple dealer.

Also you are just inside the warranty so get the 3 year extended warranty right now; it's worth it. You can buy it within the first year of purchase, but not after. This is your chance. Unless you plan on selling the thing soon, just bite the bullet and do it.

You want to go to the small non-authorized shops only when your warranty has expired. Otherwise, just get Apple to fix it. If the HDD connector is bad it's likely they'll have to swap the main board which costs $1,000.

The usual operating procedure is that the authorized reseller orders whatever parts needed for you; this takes a few days; then they install it. If the computer is not broken I usually keep it with me until the parts arrive.

I guess you could try to run your MBP from an external USB drive, like this:

- Connect a USB box containing your newly purchased replacement HDD. Or any other USB disk, really.

- Start from time machine back up

- Restore from backup onto the USB disk

- Run from USB

Edited January 14, 2013 by nikster

[Jimi007]

Call Apple Care for the nearest authorized repair center.

[GooEng]

thx all.

have already re-installed the original HD in preparation for a visit to the emporium istudio.

@nikster - good call on the extended warranty - will be doing that for sure.

[GooEng]

Update - went to emporium shop, they told me to go to the one in Siam Paragon.

They took it and sent it to Apple. Two weeks later got a call - ready to collect, faulty HD replaced. It came with the latest version of mountain Lion, with all native programmes installed and a single user account with no password created and "Timemachine" worked perfectly to restore all my stuff.

Did get the extended warranty - bought at the Siam Paragon shop.

I have been told by a bloke with a shop specialising in apple stuff in MBK that late model MBP's HD's are known for failing.....

Anyway other than the 2 week wait, happy with the service.

[nikster]

2 weeks seems excessive - I guess they sent your machine to Singapore?!

I just had a bad LCD panel replaced for bright spots, it took 4 days to get the part. Now it seems the authorized reseller in Chiang Mai doesn't let customers keep the machine while waiting for parts normally. I insisted, and was able to get them to do it by getting "permission" from AppleCare over the phone.

Then they replaced my panel in 1 hour from drop-off! Can't complain about that! I had planned to be without machine for a day, instead I got lunch, came back, and picked it up.

Regarding the HDD failure - I've never had an issue with the one in my 17" MBP but my model was the first unibody 17 and never got hot. Prior to that I lost some HDDs to heat - one in a MacBook Pro 15 non-unibody, two in an Acer PC laptop.

So what I would recommend is that you get the free program SMCFanControl, and set the minimum fan speed to 2400 RPM. Factory setting is 2000 RPM and I think that is too little for a tropical climate. 2400 is so quiet you still can't really hear it most times, and it keeps your electronics much cooler. HDDs do not like heat.

+1 for getting the extended warranty. Totally worth it....

Edited February 17, 2013 by nikster

[GooEng]

Yep, I'm assuming the 2 week wait was cos it went to Singapore too.

I only noticed it getting hot once - when i batch converted a bunch of video files from wmv to avi, and that was months before it failed, but I'll get that app, it seems a reasonable precaution.

I actually tried fitting a replacement HD myself but it didn't work - dunno why. If I'd known it was the HD that was faulty I would have paid the extra and had an SSD fitted. Wish I'd done that at the outset when speccing the machine.

Edited February 17, 2013 by GooEng