BIOS Chip

jamesf85 · 21-01-2019 1:38pm #1

Hi,

Does anyone have any knowledge on MacBooks? My MacBook wouldn’t start, power cable was connected and green light showing but wouldn’t power on.

I brought it to an apple repair shop and have been told it’s the bios chip. There is nothing backed up on my laptop so what I’m wondering is does replacing the bios chip make you lose your data? Apple have offered to back everything up on a hard drive for an extra €75...do I need to do this?

Sorry, need to edit this...it’s actually the motherboard that’s gone, and apparently it’s €700 to fix. The laptop is three and a half years old and I’m being told it basically can’t be fixed.

This seems like such a joke on apples part.

Metric Tensor · 21-01-2019 8:50pm

Most likely the hard drive, where the data is stored, is fine so you should be able to plug it into another computer (using a caddy or similar) to recover that.

Bad form for the mobo to be gone that quickly. Might be worth getting a second opinion from a non apple retailer just to be sure.

ED E · 21-01-2019 10:02pm

Metric Tensor wrote: »

Most likely the hard drive, where the data is stored, is fine so you should be able to plug it into another computer (using a caddy or similar) to recover that.

Bad form for the mobo to be gone that quickly. Might be worth getting a second opinion from a non apple retailer just to be sure.

Yeah, good advice. If it wasn't a mac.

Contemporary macs the system drive is soldered to the mobo so dead mobo means data loss.

smuggler.ie · 21-01-2019 10:12pm

Unfortunately in this case...
Apple + 3.5 year = compost, good expensive compost

jamesf85 · 22-01-2019 12:16am

smuggler.ie wrote: »

Unfortunately in this case...
Apple + 3.5 year = compost, good expensive compost

What an absolute joke.

I actually can’t belive I paid €1,300 for a laptop and without warning after 3 years it just doesn’t switch on and I’m told it’s unfixable.

ED E · 22-01-2019 12:49am

Go back to your retailer, insist on a repair. When they say no, small claims court. They'll give you 50% or a bit more back.

smuggler.ie · 22-01-2019 12:52am

Sh1t happens....
Not directly related to your case, not gonna bring your devise back to life, wont restore your data, but your loss might not feel so bitter after this - entertain yourself...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-NU7yOSElE
sequel...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwEInwvFbwk
and here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdwDvz47lNw

Metric Tensor · 22-01-2019 1:50am

ED E wrote: »

Yeah, good advice. If it wasn't a mac.

Contemporary macs the system drive is soldered to the mobo so dead mobo means data loss.

Fcuk!

Did NOT know that. Have always been a fan of MacBook Pros but that would instantly stop me from getting another!

FanadMan · 22-01-2019 2:36am

smuggler.ie wrote:

Sh1t happens.... Not directly related to your case, not gonna bring your devise back to life, wont restore your data, but your loss might not feel so bitter after this - entertain yourself...

They were great to watch. Became a follower of Linus and Louis around that time.

Louis Rossmann is great on YT. Shows so often how Macs can be repaired for a fraction of what Apple quotes.

Op, if you do get it up and running, do yourself and your pocket a favour. Sell the mac and get something decent

TerrorFirmer · 22-01-2019 12:52pm

ED E wrote: »

Go back to your retailer, insist on a repair. When they say no, small claims court. They'll give you 50% or a bit more back.

This is the best course of action. 3 years is not a reasonable lifespan for a €1,300 laptop.

whomitconcerns · 22-01-2019 12:56pm

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

This is the best course of action. 3 years is not a reasonable lifespan for a €1,300 laptop.

Not sure about that...a motherboard falling after 3 years would probably be reasonable. Unlikely usually... But I think it would be hard to prove manufacturing issue at this stage. Worth a try though. What do you think would be a reasonable life for an mb?

smuggler.ie · 22-01-2019 1:59pm

whomitconcerns wrote: »

Not sure about that...a motherboard falling after 3 years would probably be reasonable. Unlikely usually... But I think it would be hard to prove manufacturing issue at this stage. Worth a try though. What do you think would be a reasonable life for an mb?

It probably depend on how it was used and maintained.
I have HP 19' Media Center edition laptop that came with Vista - 2007-ish. It is still operational and after disk + RAM upgrade the main bottleneck is CPU.
When i say maintenance i mean cleaning - laptops, as any other computer, "eat" dust, but with environment (so often in bed) and limited airflow this most time is cause of overheat, CPU throttle if not killer.
OP not mention exact model, but mid 2015 MacBook(guessing 2019-3.5y) had dual cooling fans. There is still slim chance of disk/storage not being soldered.

Solved overheating problem on my MacBook Pro 15" Mid 2015 ... - notice M.2 disk

TerrorFirmer · 22-01-2019 3:49pm

whomitconcerns wrote: »

Not sure about that...a motherboard falling after 3 years would probably be reasonable. Unlikely usually... But I think it would be hard to prove manufacturing issue at this stage. Worth a try though. What do you think would be a reasonable life for an mb?

The OP bought a €1,300 laptop, not just a motherboard, and the unit has failed.

It's reasonable to expect a €1,300 laptop to last longer than that, which would be the basis for taking SCC action.

It would be the same for a home appliance, TV, a phone, or similar costing that amount, assuming that the damage or failure was not caused my mis-use or user error.

If the laptop was a cheap €2-300 model, then SCC action would be pointless, but a €1,300 device is a different story.

ED E · 23-01-2019 12:41am

MTBF should be in the 8-10yr range. 3Yrs is pathetic.

Apple have some really sloppy board design, Rossman regularly shows how some circuits get blown when their protection fuse is sitting there in pristine condition as its totally overrated for the ICs its protecting. Post Jobs, who knows.

Metric Tensor · 23-01-2019 2:10am

I have a mid 2010 MacBook Pro. I gave it a RAM upgrade and put an SSD in it last year. It stills zips along at day to day tasks in both OS X and Windows 10. (To be honest it possibly didn't even need the extra RAM!)

8 and and a half years is a great age for a laptop and once upon a time I would have always said that although the prices were exorbitant Macs were built to last.

Sadly it seems that's no longer the case. It appears they are now built with designed in obselence in mind just like iPhones.

jamesf85 · 29-01-2019 12:57am

Metric Tensor wrote: »

I have a mid 2010 MacBook Pro. I gave it a RAM upgrade and put an SSD in it last year. It stills zips along at day to day tasks in both OS X and Windows 10. (To be honest it possibly didn't even need the extra RAM!)

8 and and a half years is a great age for a laptop and once upon a time I would have always said that although the prices were exorbitant Macs were built to last.

Sadly it seems that's no longer the case. It appears they are now built with designed in obselence in mind just like iPhones.

This appears to be the case, I bough a MacBook back in 08, still have it although it's slow and can't be updated anymore.

I just can't understand how one little issue on the motherboard means a 3 and a half year old 1,300 euro laptop, means the entire laptop is useless.

Does anyone know if it's worth anything for parts? Apart from this one issue on the motherboard the laptop was pristine.

TerrorFirmer · 29-01-2019 2:13am

As we've said already you have a solid case at the Small Claims Court. It's completely unreasonable for a €1300 laptop to fail after 3 years, and they will likely find in your favour.

Doesn't mean you'll get a full refund, but you may get half.

jamesf85 · 29-01-2019 3:30am

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

As we've said already you have a solid case at the Small Claims Court. It's completely unreasonable for a €1300 laptop to fail after 3 years, and they will likely find in your favour.

Doesn't mean you'll get a full refund, but you may get half.

Although logically I would agree, who do you take to court? The retailer, who I'm sure will take no responsibility or Apple?

I don't think it'd be worth my while trying to take Apple to court

ED E · 29-01-2019 6:08pm

The retailer. It has nothing to do with Apple.

smuggler.ie · 29-01-2019 7:55pm

ED E wrote: »

The retailer. It has nothing to do with Apple.

Would like to understand argument in SCC if you don't mind to share.

Despite waaay to short life time, device is out of warranty.
Repair center offer to fix it for €700 or backup data for €75

Whats the recipe? Never had, but could use it at some point.

Or is it just "threat" in hope they fall for it and offer rebate?

ED E · 30-01-2019 2:46am

device is out of warranty.

Forget warranty. Toilet paper. An arts degree is more useful.

(3) Goods are of merchantable quality if they are as fit for the purpose or purposes for which goods of that kind are commonly bought and as durable as it is reasonable to expect having regard to any description applied to them, the price (if relevant) and all the other relevant circumstances, and any reference in this Act to unmerchantable goods shall be construed accordingly.

In the case of an action claiming damages under section 13 (7) of the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980, subsection (1) of this section shall have effect as if for the words ‘six years’ there were substituted the words ‘two years’.”.

SCC costs you €25. No lawyers required.

Can you convince a judge that a €1300 laptop lasting two years isn't normal? If so go for it. Most times it never gets there as companies know they're talking sh1te.

smuggler.ie · 30-01-2019 10:09am

Perfect.

Flag, drum and .... "charge!!!"

jamesf85 · 01-02-2019 11:52am

Does anyone know if the laptop is worth anything for parts?

Other than this issue the rest of it is pristine

BIOS Chip

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