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Forkandles
19th Nov 2007, 09:36
Just got back from the Apple shop at the Trafford Centre after taking my sister's mac mini. The guy at the 'Genius Bar' concluded that (probably) the mac mini's hard drive is dead and that my sis really should have backed up all the stuff she didn't want to lose if this scenario presented itself. Which it has. And it's a couple of months out of warranty, obviously.

£220 to replace said hard drive. And they don't even let you keep the old one!
That can't be right, can it? (I can get a 500Gb one for my desktop PC and fit it myself for £80!)

And they don't do data recovery. I need to contact a specialist company to do this and be relieved of anywhere between another £250-£850...

If it's not the hard drive, but 9 out of 10 times it is, they say, it could be the logic board. That'll be £400+ to change, but at least you'll still have the data.

She's just finished an art & design degree and all her stuff from the last 2 years is on it. Portfolio for job applications, the lot.

Just read on t'interweb that there appears to be a possible manufacturing flaw in certain hard drives affecting MacBook laptops and desktops that use laptop bits, like the mac mini. The problems reported usually end up with the drive totalled and all data unrecoverable! Not good...

She's always tried to convince me how good her machine was and I should get one, and I'm sure it was, but methinks now isn't the time for me to point out the good points of a desktop.

Anyone with mac mini knowledge out there can offer any sympathy/advice? Apart from the obvious sharp intakes of breath and 'you shoulda backed it up mate, shouldn't you?' Well, maybe a few....

AlphaMale
19th Nov 2007, 09:54
Upgrade your MiniMac HD (http://www.gearlive.com/index.php/news/article/how_back_up_upgrade_the_mac_mini_hard_drive_05101143/)

The standard MiniMac uses a 4200rpm 2.5 inch "notebook" drive (either Toshiba or Hitachi). These can be upgraded to either a Hitachi 7K60 7200rpm or Seagate Momentus 5400rpm 100GB HD's

You'll find this link (http://www.macupgrades.co.uk/store/machine.php?name=mac-mini-intel) useful I'm sure.

I'll be upgrading my Mac soon (if funds allow ~ sacrificing flying funds).

Good luck.

AlphaMale
19th Nov 2007, 10:01
And they don't do data recovery. I need to contact a specialist company to do this and be relieved of anywhere between another £250-£850...

... Yep :rolleyes:

I know of somebody who can do it, and if he can't he knows a friend who can. Both work in the police and can't do this type of work outside of their office due to needing to use the police facilities. The Police can read data from a HD that has been cracked/smashed/burned etc but it'll vary the final cost.