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Replacing parts in a laptop still under warranty

wyverary

wyverary

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
So, I have a mid-2012 Macbook Pro (souped up 13" version) that is still under AppleCare, and while I have been wanting to replace the hard drive with a 1TB SSHD, I am worried about the implications this might have for my warranty if I do it myself. Do I really need to take it into a shop to have it done? Would it cost less if I supplied my own drive (I've found some for some pretty good prices online) before taking it in, and would they do that anyway? What impact would it have on my warranty if I did, in fact, wind up doing it myself, as hard drives are not considered "user-serviceable" under Mac's laptop warranty coverage fine print? There are some local certified places that could certainly do it for me, but if I can avoid paying for the procedure (which I imagine should be easy enough) I would like to do so. I know that I can hold onto my own drive and slip it back in whenever I need to have my computer service so they won't notice, but before I do that I'd like to learn more.

I'm sure there are some Apple aficionados here who can help me out here. I'd rather not pay labor to have the work done, but I also don't want to completely void the warranty (which has served me well in the recent past).

(PS - Please don't turn this into a thread into some battle of the pros and cons of Windows v Apple v Linux et al. I'm just looking for advice here.)
 
I tried doing this with a late 2012 i7 Mac mini. I ended up destroying the logic board, thereby voiding the warranty. You're best bet lets certified Apple tech do the job.
 
Meistersinger said:
I tried doing this with a late 2012 i7 Mac mini. I ended up destroying the logic board, thereby voiding the warranty. You're best bet lets certified Apple tech do the job.
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Good to know. I looked up how to replace it myself and it seems easy enough, but I suppose there are certain things that could go horribly wrong. I plan on emailing the local Mac specialists and seeing what they have to say about it.
 
If this information is correct, Apple ceased allowing swapping a hard drive to be considered a user-serviceable item for models after 2011. Bummer. I run an SSD and yeah...it boots in about ten seconds. But I build my own PC systems...5200 rpm laptop drives just don't cut it.

I don't always appreciate it, yet I can understand the proprietary mentality of Apple though. It is a fundamental form of quality control, in severely limiting what is user-serviceable.

Do I void the warranty if I install SSD drive i... | Apple Support Communities
 
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I know they normally have lots of good YouTube videos how to do stuff. Though I never replaced parts for a Mac, I happy when I got my new gaming laptop, I found a video how to take out a Blu-Ray drive from my old laptop, and insert it into the new laptop since that only had DVD. I was thankful for that YouTube video.
 
I'm definitely not looking for a SSD, as I tend to write and re-write a lot of data, need a lot--and I mean a LOT--of storage on my main drive, and I hate lugging around and dealing with external hard drives. The 750GB is working out okay right now, but if I can increase capacity AND speed, that would be a bonus. (I understand there is a break-in period for SSHD's, though.)

Still haven't heard back from the specialists. I think it's a project that will have to wait several months anyway.
 
Anyhow I found a YouTube video for you. Hopefully the method to replace the drive in this video is the same for the model you own

 
wyverary said:
Still haven't heard back from the specialists. I think it's a project that will have to wait several months anyway.
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I'd wait to hear it directly from Apple. Seems Mac users online are arguing back and forth as to what constitutes user-serviceability that doesn't void your warranty for 2012 and later models. Looks pretty simple to do though....no matter what kind of hard drive you choose.
 
Judge said:
I'd wait to hear it directly from Apple. Seems Mac users online are arguing back and forth as to what constitutes user-serviceability that doesn't void your warranty for 2012 and later models. Looks pretty simple to do though....no matter what kind of hard drive you choose.
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It looks like a very straightforward task, but I actually went back and read the fine print, and internal hard drives are most decidedly NOT considered "user serviceable" so not only will they not cover the part itself, they won't cover anything that may or may not have been directly affected by performing the replacement (including connections, etc.). So basically, the warranty would cease to exist if anything whatsoever went wrong or if they even found out it happened.
 
wyverary said:
It looks like a very straightforward task, but I actually went back and read the fine print, and internal hard drives are most decidedly NOT considered "user serviceable" so not only will they not cover the part itself, they won't cover anything that may or may not have been directly affected by performing the replacement (including connections, etc.). So basically, the warranty would cease to exist if anything whatsoever went wrong or if they even found out it happened.
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Frustrating. Given the overall quality of their products, that's probably one warranty worth keeping intact. Great quality control, but at an elevated cost.
 
Judge said:
Frustrating. Given the overall quality of their products, that's probably one warranty worth keeping intact. Great quality control, but at an elevated cost.
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Indeed. And actually the warranty has served me well in the past, i.e. when my optical drive failed several months back. But yes, there is quite the price hike going on there.
 
When I first got my current laptop, I wanted to put the hard drive I'd bought for my old computer a month before into it, because it had all my files on it but my dad told me it would void the warranty. (Funny how I actually did just that last month because the original died, but hey, I'm getting my money's worth out of the extra hard drive now.)
 
The thing that always freaked me out the most about laptops was the heat and dust factor. The need to periodically disassemble the laptop enough to clean/dust the ventilation pathways, fans and heatsinks. But geez...the degree of disassembly required can be intimidating...even for someone like me who builds desktop systems. A process that usually involves far more than replacing a hard drive, network adapter or memory chips.
 
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