Responding to complaints of customers that solid state drives on their MacBook Airs are failing, Apple Inc. has initiated a worldwide replacement program that will allow users to exchange their faulty flash drives for new ones.
Apple or an Apple-authorized service provider will replace the faulty drives free of charge.
In an announcement on its Web site, Apple said that certain 64GB and 128GB flash storage drives in the previous generation of MacBook Air laptops may fail. The machines affected were sold from June 2012 through June 2013.
User can find out if their machines are affected by using a firmware available at the Mac App Shop. To access the firmware, click here.
Once in the Web page, users should click on Update and choose the MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1. The firmware will test the user’s drive to determine if it is affected.
“If your drive is affected, we strongly recommend that you do not install any operating system updates or new applications,” the Apple advisory said. “We also recommend backing up your data on a regular basis until you receive a replacement drive.”
Find some data backup instructions here.
Users who believe their MacBook Air has an affected flash drive can contact Apple service providers and schedule an appointment to get the drive replace:
- Apple Retail Store – Set up an appointment with a Genius
- Apple Authorized Service Provider – Find one here
- Apple Technical Support – Find local service options here