Some tips when visiting the Genius Bar

Have you tried using Disk Utility? Could you see the files from the *Mac* command line?

I have another tip:

Don't expect that the geniuses can actually do anything for you.

I came in with HFS+ problems. My system would boot, but many files were inaccessible due to some filesystem issues (and wouldn't allow login). I could access many of those same files using the HFS+ Linux driver.

The geniuses advice: reinstall. Thanks, Microsoft.

My point: they have very few specialized tools to fix REAL problems.

I'm glad you happened to note the genius was impressed with your detail.

I recently went to get my magsafe exchanged. Done without any fuss or delays, and I was out of there in 15 minutes.

Having said that, I think the blogger is writing absolute garbage to suggest that if I have an issue with my machine I should wait before making use of my applecare. A lot of people are often close to bullied into buying these schemes, and its ridiculous to suggest that they should deal with their own problems if something goes wrong.

I appreciate a lot of people on this blog will self diagnose, but that is certainly because being tech savvy they know how to do so, often faster and more conveniently than taking it to an apple store.

Or you could have Horrible Genius Bar experiences like I have. For example when my wifes two day old iPhone 3gs had a totally unresponsive screen. They told us it was our fault due to water damage even though the phone was only two days old and had never been bear water. Forced me to pay another $200 for a replacement. I did. Took it home to my wife only to find that it was a 3G not a 3GS like I had taken into the store for repair. Went back to the store and they refused to believe me. Said it was an impossible for them to make a mistake and that I must have been lying. It was insulting and wasted hours. Took me hours for me to get them to believe me and admit to their mistake.

Also, everytime I show up on time for my Genius Bar appointment I still end up waiting 20 minutes for them to call my name. I think they do it on purpose toget you to buy more Apple junk in their store while you wait.

Before you even go, check Google. Chances are, you aren't the only one that has had this issue and someone else likely has a solution.

The techs at the bar will do everything they can to get you to leave happy. Especially if you're nice. Here's some simple tips to help you out...

1. Make sure you are up to date with your firmware (especially if you are using an 8GB iPhone on 3.1) . Update that guy to 3.1.2 immediately, see if that fixes your problem.

2. If you're getting any sort of voicemail problem or MMS problem, check with AT&T first. Because the Genius can do absolutely nothing at the bar besides check if your having the same issues if they put your SIM in their test phone. To clarify if it's an AT&T or phone issue.

3. If your battery is draining faster than usual and it started happening all-of-a-sudden. 99% of the time it is a software corruption. You need to restore to factory settings. Which brings me to my next point:

5. ALWAYS sync your contacts with Address Book or (if you're a PC user) Outlook or Windows Address Book (as well as pictures). The iPhone is like a computer. It's a complex piece of technology - it is possible for your software to become corrupted and cause Apps not to Open or your Battery to drain faster than usual. Which means, if they replace your phone or restore your phone to factory settings, using that backup you created in iTunes is worthless because it contains the corruption. You'll lose contacts, calendars, and pictures if you don't back those up using other ways besides iTunes backups.

6. If your phone has a white screen, but still rings, will switch to vibrate mode, etc. It's a bad display (either caused by water, dropping the phone, or manufacturer defect). Bring it in. They can replace the display for free if it's under warranty. If not, it'll be a penny.

7. If they screen is not responding to touch. Bring it in. Most likely it's a cable in the phone that has come loose. Re-seating the cable usually fixes it.

7. If you're phone has been dropped in water. Don't try to act like it didn't. They're are 4 indicators in the phone that can tell if it's come into contact with liquid. As well as the corrosion they can see in the dock connector. And no, the sensors are not rigged to be tripped after a certain amount of days.

8. Buy AppleCare if you think you'll have the phone over a year.

9. Remember the Genius is on a time limit so he or she is trying to help you out as fast they can, while still trying to keep your spirits high. They want you to leave happy.

you have a year factory warranty on your phone, simply take it into apple tell them there are "software problems" make one up. As long as your phone isnt physically damaged your good. Im on my 14 iPhone only paid for 3 2g 3g 3gs, there were reasons for each return but it was cake. Simply restore from backup and your new phone is your old phone just shinnier.

Other tips:
expect to wait. a lot. even if you have an appointment. at least if you're going to the Apple Store in the Eatons Centre in Toronto. Lots of businessmen will walk in whining about their iPhones and Laptops and they always seem to get squeezed in ahead of me, despite waiting around for 45 minutes, and DESPITE having booked an appointment earlier in the week.

Also, expect them to run ALL the tests even if you tell them exactly what the problem is. I've gone through 4 superdrives on this MBP (and nearly 6 on my old PowerBook). I have the sheets from every single visit. I know the error codes like the back of my hand. And still every... single... time... i have to go through the same rigmarole just to get them to agree to replace it. You'd think by this point they'd let me just walk in put down a piece of paper and leave.

The other best advice: call applecare first and get a case number. Things will go much quicker - and you may actually walk away with a solution. I called applecare who determined I did indeed have a malfunctioning battery. Went to the genius bar and TOLD them this and they STILL insisted on running tests which they claimed to show the battery being fine. I told them that the people at Applecare said it wasn't, and that I had a case ID, and I wasn't leaving until I had a new battery. After about 15 minutes of typing I got what I went there for.

But maybe it's just my Apple store? Apparently in the US the service is GREAT! In Canada... not so much.

"Some basic troubleshooting tips usually include. . .setting up a Guest user account (on Macs)"

That's very, very bad advice, TUAW. Some Mac newbies on Snow Leopard before the 10.6.2 update might delete irreplaceable data because of that one line. I miss when the information TUAW threw around was reputable.