Hardware Solutions To The Apple Macbook Pro

Matthew Gates http://notetoservices.com 4m 1,103 #apple

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

After years of struggling to acquire a fan base and people who actually liked the Macintosh computer, Apple finally came up with something that went beyond what they normally did. Steve Jobs thought differently and reinvented the entire company. In doing so, Apple became a whole new brand name that everyone wanted. Apple represented wealth and having the top notch technology. The computer itself was built from quality products and the software was nothing like Windows, eliminating tons of problems, especially the of Adware, Malware, and many computer viruses. Apple users no longer had to worry and still hardly have any worries today.

Unfortunately, as with all software, Apple computers do break, suffer wear and tear, and although Apple has done their best to ensure they are the ones who work on their products, warning anyone who works on an Apple computer that they void the warranty if they tamper with the computer, there are certainly parts inside the computer the break.

Here are some common issues that I have faced with my own Apple computer over the years. First of all, if you are going to buy any Apple product, Apple offers Applecare. I highly recommend that you purchase the 3-year plan, which is the highest offered. I owned my Macbook for 3 years, and towards the end of the last year of AppleCare, my Macbook’s USB port stopped working completely. After a few tests at the genius bar, they decided they would replace my motherboard. After I got the bill of $0, I was pleased. I basically had a brand new Macbook for free. The computer itself was still mine, but the Motherboard was brand new, possibly giving me an extra 3 or 4 years of Macbook life. They also replaced the battery for free.

There are still common wear and tear issues and things do go bad on the Macbook Pro.

PROBLEM: I need to make my Macbook completely 64-bit.
SOLUTION: There are two ways to do this. The first solution is temporary and the second is permanent.

1. Temporary Solution:
   → If your Mac uses the 32-bit kernel by default, but supports the 64-bit kernel, you can start up using the 64-bit kernel by holding the 6 and 4 keys during startup.
   → If your Mac uses the 64-bit kernel by default, you can start up with the 32-bit kernel by holding the 3 and 2 keys during startup.
2. Permanent Solution:
   → To select the 64-bit kernel for the current startup disk, perform the following:
   → Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
   → In the window that opens, type the following, then press Enter
   → sudo systemsetup -setkernelbootarchitecture x86_64
   → Restart your computer.
   → To select the 32-bit kernel for the current startup disk, perform the following:
   → Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
   → In the window that opens, type the following, then press Enter
   → sudo systemsetup -setkernelbootarchitecture i386
   → Restart your computer.

PROBLEM: My Macbook Pro charger died.
SOLUTION: While a Macbook Pro charger is expensive at the Apple store and cost around $80, head to Ebay where you can find them cheaply for around $15 or $20. They look exactly like the authentic Apple charger, but they are not. If you tend to use your Macbook everyday, the life expectancy of these chargers is only about 6 to 8 months. Try to make sure you have a backup incase one charger dies, you won’t have a dead Macbook Pro and a week to wait for a new charger to arrive.

PROBLEM: My Macbook Pro charger has a tear in the wiring, but it is still working.
SOLUTION: Using electrical tape will extend the life of the charger and help avoid it from further tearing.

PROBLEM: My battery has an X through it.
SOLUTION: Let the battery of your Macbook Pro die. After it dies, keep your computer off, but let the Macbook Pro charge to a complete cycle, which may take up to 3 or 4 hours. This should fix the issue.

PROBLEM: My Macbook Mouse Trackpad is not acting right. It is moving all over the place, opening up random programs, and I am having a hard time using the trackpad.
SOLUTION: There are a few issues that could be happening.

1. Make sure your hands are clean and dry. Avoid using lotion before touching your Macbook Mouse Touchpad.
2. Wipe off any dirt on the Mousepad. You may not be able to see it, but it might still be there. Use your fingernails to wipe off any dirt, including the sides and in between the cracks of the MacBook Mouse Touchpad.
3. Holding four fingers down on all four sides and press down on the Macbook Mouse Touchpad.
4. If all else fails, the solution to the next problem should fix this issue.

PROBLEM: I am experiencing hard disk issues.
SOLUTION: Open up Disk Utility, select your Mac OS Hard Disk, and click Repair Disk Permissions.

PROBLEM: I am experiencing some crazy weird Macbook Pro issues.
SOLUTION: Reset your SMC and PRAM.

How to do this:

Reset PRAM

• Shut down your machine. Yes, all the way down, not sleep or logging out.
• Press the power button and then press Command-Option-P-R. You have to make sure you get those keys pressed before the gray screen comes up or it won’t work.
• Hold those keys down until your Mac reboots again and you here the startup chime.
• Let go of the keys and let your Mac reboot normally.

If you have a MacBook, MacBook Pro, etc that you can remove the battery from here is what you do:

• Shut down the computer (again, full-on off here)
• Disconnect the MagSafe plug from the machine
• Remove the battery
• Press the power button for 5 seconds and release
• Put the battery back in and reconnect the MagSafe cord
• Turn your machine back on with the power button

For MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, and MacBooks where you can’t remove the battery on your own, here’s what you do:

• Turn off your machine (really, you knew this was coming at step one)
• Keep the MagSafe adapter plugged in.
• Press at the same time shift-option-control (on the left side of the machine) and the power button
• Let go
• Turn your machine back on with the power button.
• Note that you keep the MagSafe in for MacBooks that have the built-in battery and out for MacBooks where you can pull the battery out.

For Mac Minis, Mac Pros, iMacs, and Xserves (really on a server?):

• Shut the machine down
• Unplug it from the power
• Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds
• Plug it back in and turn it on.

Source: How, When, & Why to reset the PRAM & SMC on your Mac

(