14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is addressing owners of 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems with acknowledgment that their 1TB hard drive may be faulty. Customers who bought an iMac between May 2011 and July 2011 are encouraged to contact the company for a free replacement of their Seagate drive.
The announcement comes both via email, to customers who are registered with Apple as owners of the affected iMacs, as well as via Apple’s Support area, where a document titled “iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program” explains the procedure for getting the hard drive replaced for free.
“Apple has determined that a very small number of 1TB Seagate hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems may fail under certain conditions. These systems were sold between May 2011 and July 2011,” the Mac maker explains.
Those getting the heads up via email are told “Our records show that you have an iMac with an affected 1TB Seagate hard drive.”
“Apple will replace your hard drive with a new one, free of charge, under the iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program,” says the company headquarterd at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California.
Customers have three options to choose from to get a replacement hard drive:
Apple Retail Store – Set up an appointment with a Genius. Apple Authorized Service Provider – Find one here. Apple Technical Support – Contact us for local service options.
Those who know they have one of the ‘affected’ systems are urged to replace their hard drive “as soon as possible.”
“Before you go in for service, please back up your data,” Apple adds.
iMac users will need to make sure they have their original Mac OS X installation discs at hand. The replacement hard drive will be empty upon the computer’s arrival.
“You will need to have the original Mac OS installation discs that were shipped with your iMac in order to reinstall your operating system, other applications, and any backed up data after your hard drive is replaced,” Apple outlines.
While the replacement program does not extend the standard warranty coverage of the affected iMac, Apple is allowing customers to make up their minds until July 23, 2012.
After that period of time, Apple will no longer accept replacing the hard drive free of charge,
However, the company does pledge to “continue to evaluate service data and provide extensions to this program as needed.”
Visit Apple here to learn more about the iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program.