13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) gets an SSD Service Program

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MacBook Pro with a cup of coffee and iPhone
MacBook Pro with a cup of coffee and iPhone (Image credit: iMore)

MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) owners: If you bought your Mac between June 2017 and June 2018, Apple has initiated an SSD (solid state drive) service program for it. That's due to an issue that may cause data corruption or failure of the drive itself. Yeah, ugh.

From Apple Support:

Apple has determined that a limited number of 128GB and 256GB solid-state drives (SSD) used in 13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) units have an issue that may result in data loss and failure of the drive. 13-inch MacBook Pro units with affected drives were sold between June 2017 and June 2018.Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) will service affected drives, free of charge. Apple recommends having your drive serviced as soon as possible.Apple will also send an email to customers, who registered their device with Apple, to let them know about this program.

If you own such a MacBook Pro, you can enter your serial number on Apple's support page, to see if your specific MacBook Pro is part of the program.

If you are, make an appointment with your local Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider, or contact Apple Support for mail-in service, to get it taken care of.

The biggest thing to be aware of, if you have an eligible MacBook Pro, is that replacing the SSD means you'll be getting a blank SSD back, and will have to restore from your backup to get up and running again. So, yeah, make sure your Mac is fully backed up before it goes in for replacement.

And I'll just keep saying this part: Apple bases service, replacement, extension, and other programs on the number of incidents it sees and any patterns discernible from those. Internet outrage is a good way to drive attention to issues and maybe speed up and escalate them, especially if high-profile bloggers, social media, and YouTube personalities are experiencing that particular issue, but regardless, when the numbers come in, Apple spins up the program to deal with them. Rage or no rage.

If you have a MacBook Pro (Non-Touch Bar) that you're taking in, let me know how it goes!

VECTOR | Rene Ritchie

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Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
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Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.