Broke the Air Card - need advice

[lindsayanng]

Ok, so i opened up the Mac Mini to put new RAM inside of it.. WHAT A PAIN.. they dont make it easy to open! But i got it open without a hitch.. I watched 3 or 4 videos and read up on how to open the mini and install the RAM, and I have done it on other computers, so i felt confident.

EVERY SINGLE VIDEO showed the person open the mini and then pull the main hardware upwards and then tilted it back and opened it like a clam shell backwards towards the back panel (the side that you DONT pry open and goes down the back panel) So basically unscrewed, released the power, and then opened it up like a book but made sure to do it in the right direction.

Well, THAT was stupid, because there was the wire that goes from the aircard to the rest of the computer that is SUPER short and it popped OFF of the aircard.. (this is not the one for the antenna)

Apparently the guy at the computer repair shop said that it broke the connector (thats on the board, not on the wire) off and they could not just put it back on. they said they need a completely NEW board..

I was wondering if anyone has some insight on this.. Instead of buying a new card JUST because the connector is missing, can I just do a permanent connection? Like with solder?

I know a guy who builds circuit boards, and i'm sure he has the tools for a repair like this, but is it possible to do?

 

[sngx1275]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

Although I had a completely different expierence watchign people open them. I saw people put the mini down, upside down, in front of them, and pry open the left and right sides (leaving the connections side and the dvd side). Then they pryed it open FROM the connections side. I know this is true because the only possible way I was getting mine open the first time was to pry up one side and then on the I/O connections side slip in my screwdriver to keep it from slipping back to its 'default' position. I actually can't really understand how you could have opened it the other way, the IO side itself lends the setup to open the way I did, otherwise you are fighting against another few cm of outer casing stiffness.

 

[txnoob]

Ok, so i opened up the Mac Mini to put new RAM inside of it.. WHAT A PAIN.. they dont make it easy to open! But i got it open without a hitch.. I watched 3 or 4 videos and read up on how to open the mini and install the RAM, and I have done it on other computers, so i felt confident.

EVERY SINGLE VIDEO showed the person open the mini and then pull the main hardware upwards and then tilted it back and opened it like a clam shell backwards towards the back panel (the side that you DONT pry open and goes down the back panel) So basically unscrewed, released the power, and then opened it up like a book but made sure to do it in the right direction.

Well, THAT was stupid, because there was the wire that goes from the aircard to the rest of the computer that is SUPER short and it popped OFF of the aircard.. (this is not the one for the antenna)

Apparently the guy at the computer repair shop said that it broke the connector (thats on the board, not on the wire) off and they could not just put it back on. they said they need a completely NEW board..

I was wondering if anyone has some insight on this.. Instead of buying a new card JUST because the connector is missing, can I just do a permanent connection? Like with solder?

I know a guy who builds circuit boards, and i'm sure he has the tools for a repair like this, but is it possible to do?

I know you don't want to hear about this hindsight, but there are differences between the Mini G4 and Intel Mini. Most likely differences between the variations of the Intel versions (Core Solo/Due, Core 2 Duo). I mention that because any time you go to upgrade any Mac, it's important to make sure you're looking at information that is SPECIFICALLY related to the exact model you're upgrading.

If you would have watched this video from OWC on Youtube, you would have known exactly how to do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KaHNLR6Aac

It's important to thoroughly research and know what you're looking at. Ask others if that's the guide they used, or if they did anything different. I'm confident that if you used the above linked video which is correct for the Mini you purchased, you would not be in the position you are now.

 

[lindsayanng]

I wasn't talking about opening the lid that way.. I was talking about the second part that comes off. Getting the lid off was a pain in the butt, but that wasn't what broke it.

it was the correct model, i made sure of that, HOWEVER which ever video i ended up using FORGOT to mention the removal of the two antennas on the left side in that video.. I went back and they WERE in that video, but they must have skipped it. We did remove the airport antenna, but not the other two.

THAT is what is broken. SUCKS

But any insight on creating a permanent connection there on the aircard instead of having to buy a new one simply because the connector is broken?

 

[txnoob]

I wasn't talking about opening the lid that way.. I was talking about the second part that comes off. Getting the lid off was a pain in the butt, but that wasn't what broke it.

it was the correct model, i made sure of that, HOWEVER which ever video i ended up using FORGOT to mention the removal of the two antennas on the left side in that video.. I went back and they WERE in that video, but they must have skipped it. We did remove the airport antenna, but not the other two.

THAT is what is broken. SUCKS

But any insight on creating a permanent connection there on the aircard instead of having to buy a new one simply because the connector is broken?

That surely sucks. Take a picture and post it. Maybe others can offer insight. The only other thing I can think of is use a USB wireless adapter in the interim.

 

[lindsayanng]

well, I HAVE GOOD NEWS.. actually, awesome news!

Went over to the local genius.. not an apple genius, but a real genius. He is the guy who builds circuit boards for our manufacturing company, and yes, he is truly a genius.

Anyways, he took it and looked at it under a high power magnify glass, and said it actually WASNT broken! WOO HOO! The connection was still in tact, it had just detached, which isnt so bad. He snapped it back in place, and then noticed another loose wire and fixed that.

Plugged it in and he's good to go!!

Now, this is a guy who has NEVER seen the inside of a mac mini - and he was able to look at it and know within 1 minute whether it can be fixed, and fix it in another minute.. yet a computer repair guy was trying to tell me that it was ENTIRELY broken.

and guess what, the guy ALSO said that the simple act of opening the computer to install RAM instantly voids the apple care.. NO! I called apple and they said it does NOT void the applecare, but they will not fix anything you broke while it was open.. BUT if something fails unrelated to it being opened, they will cover it.

moron

 

[txnoob]

well, I HAVE GOOD NEWS.. actually, awesome news!

Went over to the local genius.. not an apple genius, but a real genius. He is the guy who builds circuit boards for our manufacturing company, and yes, he is truly a genius.

Anyways, he took it and looked at it under a high power magnify glass, and said it actually WASNT broken! WOO HOO! The connection was still in tact, it had just detached, which isnt so bad. He snapped it back in place, and then noticed another loose wire and fixed that.

Plugged it in and he's good to go!!

Now, this is a guy who has NEVER seen the inside of a mac mini - and he was able to look at it and know within 1 minute whether it can be fixed, and fix it in another minute.. yet a computer repair guy was trying to tell me that it was ENTIRELY broken.

and guess what, the guy ALSO said that the simple act of opening the computer to install RAM instantly voids the apple care.. NO! I called apple and they said it does NOT void the applecare, but they will not fix anything you broke while it was open.. BUT if something fails unrelated to it being opened, they will cover it.

moron

Congrats to you. What a relief. Some of the geniuses aren't so genius that's for sure. One of them told me that you could only plug printers in to the new AEBS, not hard drives, and that hubs won't work in them either. This is the new one, where it says directly on apples website that you can. I went and showed him and he was like "Oh, that must be new, I was off for a few weeks"

 

[lindsayanng]

Haha.. I ended up being a smart A$$ and called the place back to tell them how WRONG they were..

i was feeling sick before though.. i JUST got that computer 4 days prior!