Dual 2.5 G5 Just Died

[Moof1904]

I pressed the power button this morning on my eight month old G5 and it wouldn't start up.

Tried the usual stuff. Called AppleCare and waited on hold for 10-15 minutes then was connected to someone in India. (I didn't know that Apple had outsourced AppleCare.)

After serial number and customer info chit chat, I told the technician what I had done thus far: tried other outlets and power cords, disconnected all other devices, and unplugged the G5 and waited 15 seconds to reset the SMU per the G5 powerup problem tech note online.

The technician then asked me to open the side panel, remove only the metal cover (not the plastic internal cover), and locate and press the PMU button near the battery.

I pointed out that there's no way to reach the battery area without removing the internal plastic cover and also that the G5 doesn't have a PMU, only an SMU and I had already reset that per the tech note.

The technician put me on hold and came back after a while to tell me that yes, the G5 had only an SMU and I had reset it properly. He said that the only recourse now was to return it to an authorized Apple service center. He asked me for my zip code and then gave me the name of two service centers: one that's been out of business for two years and one that's more than twice the distance from my home as the nearest Apple store. I asked if I could just take the G5 to the Apple store that's convenient to my home and he said that all his system showed were the two repair centers that he had referred me to.

So, my G5 is taking its first car ride: to the Apple store.

All in all, not an ideal discovery...



(Though I'm very glad I sprung for the AppleCare.)

 

[grapes911]

I asked if I could just take the G5 to the Apple store that's convenient to my home and he said that all his system showed were the two repair centers that he had referred me to.

Personally, I would take it to the local Apple store. Let them look at it and then send it out if they have too.

 

[wdlove]

I wish you success with taking your G5 to your local Apple Store. It just seems that the personal contact with a Genius works better. Makes it much quicker for a diagnosis. I agree with your decision to purchase AppleCare.

 

[Mechcozmo]

The AppleStore should be able to help you. If you can back up your data in FireWire target disk mode, that would be ideal since computers sometimes come back from AppleCare with no data on them.

Or just take the hard drive out. The AppleStore guys should be pretty forgiving on ways to save your data.

 

[Moof1904]

Genius Bar at the local Apple store said it looked like the power supply was probably dead. He said the turnaround on repair will likely be 10 days or less.

Didn't really have a way to back up data since the machine wouldn't start up and I don't have an external SATA enclosure. I'll keep my fingers crossed that my data is intact. I have backups, but restoring everything would be a pain.