How to get a Mac repaired

[Peiffer]

Can I repair the Mac myself?
It's been a few years now since there's been much you can fix in a MacBook, and iMacs have gone a similar route. Apple has long since been soldering and using strong adhesive to keep components in place, with the downside of making them almost impossible to replace by the average consumer.

To illustrate this, iFixit has completed teardowns of the current MacBook range and gave all of the devices a 'repairability' score of 1 out of 10, as you can see from the MacBook 2017 example below.

Repairing your Mac under warranty
If your Mac is still under warranty then it's covered against any parts failures or defective components, which Apple should repair or replace for free.

There's no need to have bought the device directly from Apple, either, as the company's warranty guidelines state: "In the event of any defect in materials and workmanship, you will be able to direct your claims to Apple even in situations where you purchased the Apple Product from a third party."

Sadly, this doesn't mean you'll be able to have a display replaced for free if you dropped the device, or if you inadvertently spilled Coke all over your keyboard. A warranty is purely to protect the consumer against faulty goods, rather than an insurance policy against accidents.To have your device looked at you can either call your local Apple Store and book an appointment or go to getsupport.apple.com, where you'll be able to book one online.

In either case you'll want to have your Apple ID and password to hand.

Using Apple Care
If you purchased an AppleCare Protection Plan then you'll have the same cover as the standard warranty, but for three years instead of one. There is also full technical support over the phone, which could help if your machine is having difficulties rather than being physically damaged.

Again, this doesn't cover accidents. AppleCare+ does, but at the moment it's only available for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch products in the UK, although US customers are more blessed.

To begin your repair process, visit getsupport.apple.com and click on the Mac option to begin diagnosing the problem.

[Peiffer]

27in iMac
iMac Pro
Mac Pro (2018)


Obviously it depends on your needs. If you need a portable, the MacBook Pro is your only option. We'd recommend that you spec it up beyond what you think you need now because that will future-proof it for a few more years. If you need 32GB RAM you might want to wait a little longer as we think that might be rectified in 2018.

The standard 27in iMac is a good option, especially thanks to its 5K display. There are plenty of build-to-order options that should allow you to build a really powerful Mac - without having to spend a fortune on the iMac Pro.

If you need your iMac to have workstation power and a graphics card to match, then the iMac Pro will answer your needs. But it's a high price if you really want to spec it to the max.

If you need a Mac that will be upgradable in the future as well as having the ultimate specs now, we're sorry to tell you that such a machine doesn't exist… yet. But when the Mac Pro launches we are hopeful that it will offer just that. So if that's what you need, then you need to wait a little while longer.

If you've decided on a Mac you want to buy, you might be interested in using our exclusive code to get 8% off from KRCS, an Apple Premium Reseller. Click here to go to the KRCS website and use the code MACWORLDMAC8 to get 8% off at checkout.

[Peiffer]

Should I buy the last MacBook Pro with CD Drive?
The last MacBook Pro with DVD drive was on sale from 2012 to 2016. It lacked the Retina display and offered the following specs:

2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor.
4BM 1600MHz RAM.
500GB 5400-rpm spinning hard drive.
Intel HD graphics 4000.


If you are desperate to get your hands on a Mac with an optical drive, you might be able to find this MacBook Pro model on eBay or a similar site. We found one on ebay here for £294.99.

We review the last model of the MacBook Pro to offer a DVD drive here.

Beware that if the model you find doesn't offer the specs listed above it may be even older than 2012. This could be an issue in time, as currently only a 2010 Mac models (and a few 2009 models) are currently compatible with High Sierra, Apple's current Mac operating system, and this could suggest that in a year or even less the 2012 model may not be compatible.

Even if you aren't planning to run the latest operating system, there are many MacBooks from 2010 and 2011 that are listed as discontinued or obsolete by Apple, meaning that you may not be able to ontain service or parts from Apple or Apple service providers.

[Peiffer]

What is the latest Mac virus?
The latest threat to Macs is a new variant of adware that is infecting Macs via a fake Adobe Flash Player installer. Intego identifies it as the OSX/Shlayer Malware, while Malwarebytes refers to it as Crossrider.

The fake Flash Player, which you would have to pick up from a BitTorrent site, according to Intego, installs various apps on your Mac, including: Chumsearch Safari Extension, Advanced Mac Cleaner, MyShopCoupon+, mediaDownloader, and MyMacUpdater.

Intego explains how to tell if your Mac is infected here. The company also outlines how to protect yourself.

MacOS shouldn’t allow the installation of third-party software unless it’s from the App Store or identified developers, as per the Security & Privacy settings, that you can access in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General. If you were to install something from an unknown developer Apple would warn you to check it’s authenticity.

We have a complete run down of every Mac virus in this article: List of Mac viruses, malware and security flaws.

[Serio hou]

I have learnt a lot，thanks

[Registratorx]

and I just spilled coffee (latte) on my MBP R.I.P.

[Registratorx]

update: buying new mac is better than fixing it (without warranty)

fu apple