HOW DO I GET HELP
FROM APPLE WITH
MY HARDWARE ISSUE?DISK UTILITY CAN’T
REPAIR MY MAC HD.
I’VE GOT A BACKUP,
BUT WHAT NOW?PROFESSIONAL
REPAIR OPTIONS
Sometimes you need a bit of trained TLC
WHAT CAN I DO IF MY MACBOOK’S BATTERY IS GIVING UP
THE GHOST?
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO
FIX MY SCREEN?
APPLE’S RECALLED
SOME FAULTY
PRODUCTS. IS MINE
ONE OF THEM?WHAT ARE MY CONSUMER
RIGHTS WITH APPLE PRODUCTS?Most Apple screens can only be replaced,
not repaired. If you paid for AppleCare+,
Apple will replace your damaged iPhone or
iPad screen for $29 or $49 respectively (for
the first incident). Screen swaps can be done
by third parties, often cheaper than Apple,
whose charges are listed at bit.ly/apple-ipsr
and bit.ly/apple-ipadsd. Cost of MacBook and
iMac screens is more variable; start a service
request with Apple at getsupport.apple.com
and compare local service providers.
If a product develops a fault due to a defect,
you have a statutory right to a free repair or
replacement, at least within the first two
years and potentially for up to six. If you
didn’t buy from an Apple Store, this right is
against the retailer. Apple takes its two–year
warranty seriously. Apple Store staff often
offer a free fix unless you’ve damaged the
product; they may even help if you bought it
elsewhere. And after the two years is up, it’s
still worth asking.IT’S OBVIOUS WHEN your MacBook’s
battery starts to struggle: it runs down
faster, then might charge erratically.
These symptoms can have other causes,
so try resetting the SMC (see page 22).
To check the battery, Opt–click
the Apple menu and go to System
Information > Power. Compare the cycle
count to bit.ly/apple-battcycnote, which
lists the design life for each model. If it’s
well under its limit, suspect something
else is up> but if you’ve eliminated other
problems and the battery is failing early,
Apple will normally replace it free, in line
with your consumer rights. If the battery
is at the end of its natural life, it’ll cost
$129-$199 to swap it out: see bit.ly/
apple-macservrep. Other repair outlets
might do it cheaper, or you can attempt
the job yourself: try eshop.macsales.com
or bestbuy.com for parts and iFixit.com
for instructions on how to go about it.You don’t need to be in
warranty or have AppleCare+
to get some free advice on
issues with your Apple
hardware. Start at apple.com/
retail/geniusbar. You will be
invited to bring the product
to a local Apple Store, but
service via collection and
delivery can be arranged
if necessary.Replacing a Mac’s internal
hard disk or SSD is simple but
fiddly, so consider paying
someone to do it. Make an
Apple Store appointment to
get a quote, but if it’s out of
warranty independent service
providers will save you
money. Take the chance to
install a higher–capacity drive
at this point.Before giving up on an old
Mac or paying to get it
repaired, check at bit.ly/
apple-exchrepextnprog that it
isn’t among those with known
issues. In fact, check the list
now even if your Mac is okay
— these free repair offers
don’t last forever, so it’s
better to be aware and
possibly get something done.Image rights from: iFixit.com
Genius Handbook
maclife.com MAR 2020 29