AppleCare / Repair Center Advice Needed

[mainstay]

I am just about to take my new mac mini into an Apple Store for them to run diagnostics and am seeking advice for how to best protect myself.

I am making backups of all files prior to taking it in for servicing.

I have concerns over privacy and confidentiality with respect to the files stored on my two internal drives.

I don't want to use FileVault as I am reading horror stories about UN-FileVaulting.

Does anyone have any advice on this issue? Is this a non-issue as Apple has great Client Confidentiality Policies and won't snoop?

Anyone have a bad experience in this department?

Anything to put my mind at ease?

 

[GGJstudios]

Backing up is always a smart thing to do, in case of accidental data loss. However, I wouldn't be concerned with Apple employees looking at your data. They see thousands of Macs, don't have the time to scan your stuff, and, quite frankly, your stuff is a lot more interesting to you than it is to anyone else. They don't care what's stored on your computer.

 

[Mr.C]

Backing up is always a smart thing to do, in case of accidental data loss. However, I wouldn't be concerned with Apple employees looking at your data. They see thousands of Macs, don't have the time to scan your stuff, and, quite frankly, your stuff is a lot more interesting to you than it is to anyone else. They don't care what's stored on your computer.

I agree with that.

 

[philipma1957]

clone the drive use superduper and an external hdd superduper is free and cloning the drive is simple


http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html


also free is carbon copy cloner

http://www.bombich.com/

Apple in their great wisdom hides the recovery partition and that will not clone but for your purpose it is not importatn to clone the recovery partition.


Just download the program for free to your mini. the free version from superduper is what I like. attach an external usb or firwewire drive that is partitioned for mac and large enough to copy the internal drive. call super duper up and follow the instructions. every 100 gb takes about an hour with a usb drive attached.

when the clone is done go to systems preferences and call up the startup disc then pick the new clone as your startup disc boot with it... if it is usb disc it will be slow make sure it boots and works call up safari look at some of your files. then go back to systems preferences and start with the internal disc. then turn the mini off and detach the external disc you can now bring your gear to apple and keep the external at home.

 

[mainstay]

Thanks for the feedback.

Hopefully all goes well.

I guess I have to make an appointment with the Genius bar first? Dunno... never had to have a computer serviced before.

 

[philipma1957]

Thanks for the feedback.

Hopefully all goes well.

I guess I have to make an appointment with the Genius bar first? Dunno... never had to have a computer serviced before.

MAKE THE APPOINTMENT after you have a working clone. It all depends on the demand of your local store. I am in New Jersey Many times I have being given an appointment the next day. I was even able to get a walk in done but that is more luck then anything else. Don't drag in An iMac or a mac pro without an appointment.

 

[dolphin842]

I guess I have to make an appointment with the Genius bar first? Dunno... never had to have a computer serviced before.

If you head to apple.com/retail and pick out your local store, there will be a link to make a Genius Bar reservation.

 

[Rizvi1]

If your computer is still functional, could you just manually copy and delete anything sensitive? I've never really worried much about Apple themselves going through my files. But I do keep filevault on in case any of my Apple computers are ever stolen. I keep files that don't need to be protected (like my music library) outside of the filevault-protected home directory