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Resources for Repairing Apple Macs
Over the last few years I have been helping my clients with their Apple Macs. It has been mostly simple stuff like unboxing the Mac and setting it up, entering their email settings, migrating data and the occasional hard drive/RAM upgrade or replacement. I didn’t venture too far beyond that because I wasn’t confident with my Macs skills and didn’t want to learn on a clients computer. I have years and years of experience repairing PC’s and rarely come across a PC I cannot fix, but my Mac knowledge was limited.
I can see that Apple’s computer market share has greatly increased recently (thanks to Vista I assume) so I thought that I should look into it further and I bought myself a 13′ Aluminum Macbook. I have spent the last few months learning both the operating system/hardware sides and how to fix it. I still have a long way to go myself, but I would like to share some of it with other technicians so here are some resources for repairing Apple Macs.
Repair Software
OnyX:
OnyX is a free, OSX repair multi-tool designed to help you maintain, optimize and personalize OSX. It has the ability to run hard drive diagnostics, clean out the operating system (similar to PC’s CCleaner) and change many of OSX’s hidden features. You can download OnyX here.
AppCleaner:
Something great about the way OSX handles applications is all you have to do to delete an application is to drag its icon into the trash. However, this can sometimes leave files behind such as the applications cache and preferences. After some time, this may build up and cause the system to eventually run out of space. Other issue with this is if there a problem with an application and you want to reinstall the application to fix it; and the issue was based in the preferences/cache that was left behind then the issue will remain after the reinstallation.
AppCleaner is a small, free application where you drag an unwanted or troublesome application into its drop area and it will delete the application including all of its preferences and caches that would have normally been left behind. You can download AppCleaner here.
Carbon Copy Cloner:
Carbon Copy Cloner is a free tool designed to help you back up a Mac system. It can be used as a long term back up solution and thus can be scheduled to do regular backups. It can also be used to back up a drive before you replace it or for when you are setting up multiple Macs with the same setup. You can download Carbon Copy Cloner here.
Tech Tool Deluxe:
Tech Tool Deluxe is a diagnosis tool that comes with Applecare and is designed to test the hard drive, RAM, video RAM, USB and the File system. After it finishes the tests, it creates a report that you can print out. Basically, its a good all round hardware tester. The “Deluxe” version is located on the Applecare CD but there is also a “Lite” version which is free and you can download it here.
Hardware
Some Macs, such as my Aluminum Macbook are incredibly easy to get apart to upgrade the hard drive or RAM. However, if I need to change any of the other parts the way to access them is not obvious. In fact, the Mac Minis have no visible screws anywhere on the outside. So, I recommend you have a disassembly guide to help you. This site and this site have some great disassembly guides.
Software
Apple OSX is not immune to software errors and when it happens its nice to know that there are some great resources out there to help you. One of these resources is a site called MacFixIt.com which has a large database of articles with problems and solutions that you can search.
Keyboard Shortcuts
As you know, PCs have special key combination’s to enter the BIOS, set the boot device or close a crashing application. Macs also have special key combination’s to do various tasks both inside the operating system and outside. You can view Apples list of system shortcuts here.
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Any Mac I come across I just refer out, as I prefer to not deal with Macs. I’d rather stick with Windows and Linux.
Good tools though.
nice rescource i will add all of those to my bookmarks for future use
Good article Bryce.
If you are ever in a jam. leave me a post to my account or in the forums and I will do what I can to help. Never know, I may be hitting you up with a PC issue some day?
If I can just add that if any techs ever want to get really serious about servicing Macs, you may want to look into becoming an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP). This designation will give you the ability to order Apple parts, give access to all of Apple Service manuals and diagnostic software (besides the Apple Hardware Test software) that is only available to Apple authorized Service Providers.
The other requirement of being a AASP is you must have an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician (ACMT) on staff. You may need to get the Apple Technician training kit for $300.00 and take the exams and get certified before getting the AASP designation, but if you are already a AASP the resources for getting the ACMT cert are available free to AASPs. Details can be found at http://www.apple.com/support/programs/aasp/
Great list. Thanks for not leaving the mac people out in the cold like the majority of the it crowd.
I’m on ifixit.com all the time for their tear-apart guides.
How are you liking the MacBook anyways? It’s become my daily machine since I got it 3 years ago, coming from 10 years on Windows.
@TomG
No. Mac OSX is not Linux, it’s BSD, which is different than Linux, which is also different than Unix. BSD is more akin to Unix than Linux, but yet it is not Unix either. It’s BSD.
Along with that, the BSD that is on a Mac is a specialized version which directly interfaces with specific hardware, which is why you can’t just go out, get a PC, toss a flavor of BSD on it (FreeBSD, NetBSD, etc), then toss on the Aqua GUI and have it work the same way on a PC as it does on a Mac.
@TomG and Bryce
For Mac OSX:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSX
For BSD:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSD
BSD is a flavor of Linux, it’s not say “True UNIX” like SCO or even System 80.
Correction: BSD is a flavor of UNIX. Dang typo
@Bryce,
One thing about Linux too, you can compile from source, write your own drivers, use all sorts of different hardware, but with a Mac, you *MUST* use a specific set of hardware.
Along with that, you are limited on your choices of software. Mac software, even though it is running a a Unix-like BSD flavor of an OS, wouldn’t run quite as well on a Linux system, and vice versa.
Macs are GREAT for recording and graphics, and yes, you can do other things on them as well, but those are the Mac’s forte’.
If someone just wants the look and feel of a Mac, you can easily do that with a Linux box – if all you want is the GUI.
@gunslinger
“IMO OS X is a highly refined linux.”
Read the links I posted. Your opinion is your opinion, but if you do the research, you may wish to re-evaluate it.
“Much better in almost every way.”
“better” is subjective. That statement is very ambiguous and vague at best, horrible and incorrect at worst. It would be, in my opinion, better if you stated each point as to WHY it is better in your opinion vs stating an overgeneralized ambiguous and vague opinion.
“Modern Macs can do everything PCs can do and then some.”
A Mac IS a PC because PC means “Personal Computer” so you statement is akin to “An orange can do everything an orange can do and then some.” They are the same in that regard. Did you mean to compare a Mac to Windows? They are completely different architectures with completely different design philosophies. It is the same with comparing say Windows to Linux. They too are completely different in the same regard for the same reasons above when speaking about Mac OSX vs Windows.
“Macs are gaining in popularity by the day.”
Is this opinion or where do you draw such data from? Are you talking about Workstations or Servers? Private Individuals or Businesses? This too is vague and ambitious. Refine and define your statement with relative data.
“You are not limited with a Mac in any way software wise, only in hardware.”
So you can compile MacOSX from source code like you can with Gentoo? You can compile each program as well as the OS specifically for that machine? As for being limited on the hardware, who wants to be limited? ALL hardware and software have some limitations, but why choose a physical machine and an OS with such limited hardware options?
@anonymous Mac Tech
Running an OS as a VM isn’t the same as running the OS on the Machine itself. So running Windows in a VM on a Mac doesn’t really count as running that particular OS on a Mac. As for Linux on a Mac, yes, it can be done, but why? It doesn’t directly interface as much as the custom BSD does.
As for the stereotype, it’s not one. Photoshop existed on Mac long before it did on Windows. If you open the same Photoshop file on a Window machine and hten open it on a Mac, it looks better and the color os more accurate on a Mac. (Yes, I have done this and seen it first hand.)
As for recording, any decent recording studio uses ProTools, which while it exists for Windows, does not compare to ProTools on a Mac.
Macs are great for graphics and audio, and yes, they can do other things as ell, but that is what they were designed to do. Video, Audio, Graphics, etc.
@anonymous Mac Tech
“So why don’t you do the same and admit you don’t know much about Macs and drop the pissing match with me?”
“I’m so sick of every Apple hating person bringing up this stereotype I could scream.”
You assumed I hate Macs, which I don’t. You also pissed, I didn’t. I am not personally vested in, nor polarized to any given OS or hardware. To me, computers are merely tools and it’s up to each person to decide which one is best for which job they need done. One could use a Ferrari to get groceries with, but it’s not what it was designed for. Same goes for Macs. They were designed for audio, video and graphics.
I mentioned graphics, video and audio for Macs because historically that is what they were geared for. When the Mac first came out in 1984 with the 68000 Motorola processor, there was something (I forget the details exactly because this is over 20 years ago) about Apples/Macs not being used for recording, which they ended up being used for. That’s why the name of one of the sound files on early Macs was “sosumi” or “So Sue Me”.
I in fact used Macs extensively and almost exclusively from 1984-1995, so while I am not 100% up to speed on them, I am far from a stranger to them or a hater of them as you assumed incorrectly.
The name of the disk backup utility is Carbon Copy CLONER, not cleaner.
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html
…and Ron, Mac OSX *IS* Linux.
Hello everyone! My name is James Guimond I started my own business repairing PC’s, and now I have started learning about the Macs. Great Resources for Mac Tecnicians.
Ron, if you are a Linux man, you’ll enjoy OSX. As TomG said, OSX pretty much IS Linux. In fact, to me it appears to be a super refined version of Linux.
TomG, thanks for that. Fixed.
Mike Anderson, I was looking for ifixit.com to mention in this. I had favorited it on one of my machines but it couldnt find it again. Thanks for the mention. Also, I am really enjoying the Macbook. It takes a little while to get used to certain changes like copy and paste but once you get over the muscle memory its great to use. Plays really nice with my Linux servers too since they are both unix based.
IMO OS X is a highly refined linux. Much better in almost every way. Modern Macs can do everything PCs can do and then some. Macs are gaining in popularity by the day, I think it would be in any techs best interest to learn how to work on them.
You are not limited with a Mac in any way software wise, only in hardware. Unless you have to have the latest and greatest graphics card every month, this will be a non issue.
one of my favorite things about macs is that you can take it into the apple store and they’ll diagnose any issue with your computer as well as educate you about your computer for free regardless of warranty status. this rarely happens with pc, if ever.
ifixit is great. i’ve used it a couple of times to replace my keyboard, upgrade my ram, and upgrade my HDD.
also, learning command line is very useful. it’s not a necessity but will speed things up a lot.
@gunslinger
“I say OS X is a refined Linux because its based off of Unix. You still have the power of the terminal yet you don’t have to do a terminal hack to install software.”
UNIX and Linux are based off different kernels. Again, OSX is not related to Linux, but rather BSD Unix, but I’ve stated this already. I have provided links to show you how this is so, yet you (incorrectly) insist that it’s based on Linux, which clearly just is not true.
Once again, do the research for yourself.
http://www.levenez.com/unix/
“By better I mean more user friendly, less likely to get infected, more efficient. You know, that kind of better.”
How is it more user friendly? Less likely to get infected with trojans, viruses, what exactly? Why? More efficient how so? That’s vague. I don’t mean to come across as picking a fight (I’m not), but rather I am trying to get you to further define such statements is all.
“By PC I mean a system not running OS X and not made by apple.”
So you would consider a mainframe a “PC” because it’s a system not running OSX and not made by Apple Computer, Inc.? Sorry to be such a stickler on details, but like it or not, an Apple IS a PC because it IS a “Personal Computer”. I know that most of the World assumes a PC to mean a Windows based computer, but that is a technically incorrect meaning of the abbreviation “PC”.
“Macs are gaining in popularity by the day. By this I mean after Vista came out their sales shot up by over 37%.”
So because Vista sucks so bad that people went out and bought Macs speaks well of Macs? Vista is worse that Windows ME. If say more Macs were sold when XP came out, that’d be something to be proud of. I’d rather use Windows95 than use Vista, so a 37% increase in Mac sales over Vista is nothing to be proud of.
Also, what is the source of the 47% sales figure?
“I assume you are a prick because all you do is pick fights with people. Then make yourself look ignorant. This is not the first time you have done this.”
Man, I’m not trying to pick a fight at all.
YOU assumed I hated Macs, which I don’t.
YOU also assume OSX is based on Linux, which it clearly isn’t. Again, do the research. There is no Santa Claus and there is no Linux-based OSX. Both do not exist.
I only asked you to define things and clarify them further along with backing up your statements with facts and sources vs solely your vague and ambiguous opinions. If that makes me a prick, well then so be it.
@Ron
“Along with that, you are limited on your choices of software. Mac software, even though it is running a a Unix-like BSD flavor of an OS, wouldn’t run quite as well on a Linux system, and vice versa.”
What about Windows on Apple hardware? I have several customers that run Windows on a Mac through virtual machine or boot camp and in every case the Mac runs Windows MUCH better than on a Windows machine. I’ve seen Linux run super solid on Macs, I just don’t see it often like I do with Windows.
“Macs are GREAT for recording and graphics, and yes, you can do other things on them as well, but those are the Mac’s forte’.”
I’m so sick of every Apple hating person bringing up this stereotype I could scream.
@Ron
“Running an OS as a VM isn’t the same as running the OS on the Machine itself. So running Windows in a VM on a Mac doesn’t really count as running that particular OS on a Mac.”
This is what I originally said:
“What about Windows on Apple hardware? I have several customers that run Windows on a Mac through virtual machine or boot camp and in every case the Mac runs Windows MUCH better than on a Windows machine.”
In case you don’t know what “bootcamp” is, That IS Windows running on its own partition on the machine itself. Hell, if you wanted you could delete the Mac partition all together and run only Windows once you set up the bootcamp partition. I said virtual machine or bootcamp because most of the time through virtual machine with any OS, performance is degraded. But in the case of Windows running through Parallels or VMWare Fusion, Windows runs great in every case.
I’ll admit I don’t know much about Linux so I’m not going to get involved in a pissing match with you over it. So why don’t you do the same and admit you don’t know much about Macs and drop the pissing match with me? The article is merely about servicing Macs. You said you prefer not to. That’s your choice and we all respect that.
@Ron
I say OS X is a refined Linux because its based off of Unix. You still have the power of the terminal yet you don’t have to do a terminal hack to install software.
By better I mean more user friendly, less likely to get infected, more efficient. You know, that kind of better.
By PC I mean a system not running OS X and not made by apple.
Macs are gaining in popularity by the day. By this I mean after Vista came out their sales shot up by over 37%.
Also FYI bootcamp is not VM its running the OS natively on the computer. As for Linux I’m running that on my Mac also.
Ron “You assumed I hate Macs, which I don’t.”
I assume you are a prick because all you do is pick fights with people. Then make yourself look ignorant. This is not the first time you have done this.
@Ron
you also apparently enjoy flames. Get over yourself man. If you can’t be helpful shut up. We don’t care that you think you know everything there is about Macs, or what they are good at. Remember opinions are like a**holes, everyone’s got one. So agree to disagree, shut up and move on. We understand your opinion, and thank you for it.
Finally some tips for Mac clients :). Thanks a lot. Bookmarked and trying out programs right away.
@ gunslinger ahd heath, i love how its ok for you to defend apple, after others started this fight in this discussion, although ron is bad for saying he doesnt think two os’s are the same thing, you apple fans are such snobs and cant accept that os/x cant do everything a pc could or they wouldnt need boot camp to get the “real” work done. go ahead, stay smug, meanwhile after apples greatest rise in popularity in 20 years, they still have like a 9% share.
@gunslinger, give it up. Unless a PC tech actually uses a current or last generation Mac for a few days, they just wont get it. Hell, I’d probably be saying the same things a few months ago before I actually tried using them for extended amounts of time.
I will clarify a few things before I close the comments though:
@Ron,
“One thing about Linux too, you can compile from source, write your own drivers, use all sorts of different hardware, but with a Mac, you *MUST* use a specific set of hardware.”
This is only half right. You can use OSX on many different hardware, Google for “hackintosh”. Actually, I have personally had some fun with this. I run a REALLY old printer, but there were never any drivers made for it other than for Windows. However, it seems that a Linux community got it working under Linux. Since they are both unix based I tried the linux drivers and it worked like a charm. As for limited hardware, back in my “how i finally got macs” article I wrote that this is the advantage of Macs, not its downfall. You cannot look at a Mac with a PC mind. I did it for years and I was a Mac hater. The Mac stereotype fans also pissed me off pretty badly :)
But I had to use them since I landed some massive clients (about 500 seperate families) and many of them used Macs. I used them for a bit, stepped out of my PC tech mind and finally got it.
Im seeing Macs more and more. I seem to have gotten a reputation as a Mac tech amonst this group and I get recommended to even more people. Most of this work was really basic so I havent had any trouble with it but I am sure I’ll get some really hard Mac stuff coming my way so I thought I better buy myself one and get into it. Besides, I wouldnt be much of a writer if I didnt know both sides of the fence.