Apple offers repairs for faulty Time Capsule devices

Apple probably wishes it could go back in time and fix this problem: some customers who bought a Time Capsule, a device that was supposed to provide safe data backup, now find themselves with a 3.5-pound paperweight.

The Time Capsule is available in 1 TB and 2 TB models, and it works by automatically, wirelessly syncing with a Mac OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard computer to back up everything, “so you never have to worry about losing your important files,” according to Apple’s official product description.

However, that backup procedure can’t happen if the Time Capsule won’t turn on, which is exactly what has happened to some people who bought the device between February 2008 and June 2008.

In a notice on its Support web site, Apple has confirmed that there are issues with Time Capsule power failure for those with serial numbers that range from XX807XXXXXX – XX814XXXXXX

“If your Time Capsule falls within serial number range above and it does not power on or shuts down unexpectedly after starting up, it may be eligible for repair or replacement,” explained Apple.

Affected users can go to their local Apple Store or authorized Apple Service Provider, or call Apple to arrange for their device to be repaired or replaced at no cost.