Apple Replaces Hard Drives for Affected MacBooks Free of Charge

A MacBook Repair Extension Program for Hard Drive Issues is now available from Apple. Customers who purchased a MacBook laptop computer from Apple between May 2006 and December 2007 and have experienced / are experiencing hard drive issues, may contact Apple for a free check and hard drive replacement.

“Apple has determined that a very small percentage of hard drives that were used in MacBook systems, sold between approximately May 2006 and December 2007, may fail under certain conditions,” the company has announced on the Support section of its website. “If your MacBook was purchased in the date range listed above and shows a flashing question mark on the screen, please take it to Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider and they will examine the hard drive to confirm if it is eligible for a replacement, free of charge, under this program,” it says.

The company asks MacBook owners to note that, if their MacBook is not experiencing these symptoms, they do not have to contact Apple or any Apple Authorized Service Provider. In usual manner, the company also recommends that users back up their data, before proceeding with any of the steps listed in the respective Support document.

It continues with instructions on how to identify whether a MacBook system is affected. The symptom, as described by Apple, is “a flashing question mark [that] appears on screen when the MacBook is turned on.” The company claims that only certain configurations of the 13-inch black and white MacBook models are affected. The following speeds and hard drive capacities fall under the program: processor speed – 1.83GHz, 2GHz, or 2.16GHz; hard drive capacity – 60GB, 80GB, 100GB, 120GB, or 160GB.

Additional steps are listed as follows: “If your MacBook exhibits the flashing question mark symptom and matches the affected model descriptions above, the hard drive needs to be examined,” Apple claims. “Please take your MacBook to the Apple representative most convenient for you,” it adds, offering links to Apple Authorized Service Providers and Apple Retail Stores.

The Mac maker further weighs in on the matter saying that, “If Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider confirms that your hard drive is affected, Apple will replace it with a new hard drive.” Customers undergoing this procedure will need to ensure that they’ve backed up their data and that they still own the original OS installation discs that shipped with the laptop, in order to get back on track when they’re handed the repaired unit. Apple’s Technical Support is available for more information, as always.