TITLE
    Power Macintosh G4 (PCI Graphics): 10.2GB Hard Drive Issue
Article ID:
Created:
Modified: 		25017
10/7/99
12/4/00
TOPIC

    Western Digital Corporation announced that they are implementing a limited recall of certain Caviar hard drives to address possible long-term reliability issues. This article explains the issue, how to determine if your Power Macintosh G4 (PCI Graphics) is affected, and what steps to take if it is.

DISCUSSION

    Western Digital Corporation is implementing a limited recall of certain capacities of their Caviar hard drives. Only a small number of the Power Macintosh G4 (PCI Graphics) built with the Western Digital 10.2 GB hard drive are affected. By looking at the serial number of the computer, you can determine if your system may be affected.

    Here are the steps to follow to identify whether your Power Macintosh G4 (PCI Graphics) has an affected Western Digital hard drive:

    Step One
    Verify the computer serial number is xx938xxxxxx or xx939xxxxxx, where the x can be any letter or number. The serial number is located on the rear of the Power Macintosh G4, just below the AC receptacle.

    If the serial number matches the above format, then go on to step two. If the serial number does not match, then your hard drive is not affected by this issue.

    Step Two
    Use Apple System Profiler to verify the model number and serial number of the Western Digital drive installed.
      1. Open Apple System Profiler.
      2. Select the Devices and Volumes tab.
      3. In the Devices and Volumes window, click on the Hard Drive triangle that is to the right of the Internal ATA 1 line.

    A small box will open containing the information regarding the installed hard drive. The information will look similar to this:

    Hard drive

    Driver version:      3.2.2f1
    Mac OS partitions:   1
    Removable media:     No
    Vendor:              WDC
    Revision number:     83.10A83
    Product ID:          WD102AA
    Serial number:       WD-WM6570248884
    Unformatted size:    9.55 GB

    The relevant information is the Product ID and Serial Number.

    Product ID
    If the Product ID is WD102AA, then look at the Serial Number. Otherwise, the drive is not affected by this issue and does not fit the recall parameters set forth by Western Digital.

    Serial Number
    If the Serial Number is in the range WD-WM6570248884 to WD-WM6570432919, inclusive, the drive is affected by the issue and should be replaced. Please contact your local Apple Authorized Service Provider to have the drive replaced.

    If the Serial Number is not in the above range, the drive is not affected by this issue and does not fit the recall parameters set forth by Western Digital.

    Note: Apple strongly recommends that you back up your hard drive before having your computer serviced. Apple is unable to retrieve data left on the hard drive once it has been replaced.

Document Information
Product Area: Power Mac G4
Category: Power Mac G4 Hardware
Sub Category: Troubleshooting

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