MacBook Air recall: users offered free replacements by Apple

Apple has warned users that solid state disks (SSDs) in 2012 MacBook Air laptops could fail abruptly, and is offering customers free replacements.

MacBook Air laptops with 64GB and 128GB SSDs purchased worldwide between June 2012 and June 2013 could have the faulty part, Apple said.

A MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1 has been made available to help users to determine if their device is affected by the problem. The firmware update is a 2.21MB download in size and requires OS X 10.7.5 or later to install.

The update tests the flash storage drive and determines whether the problem can be fixed with a firmware update.

Customers who have a faulty system that cannot be fixed with software can take their device to an Apple Store or an Apple Authorised Service Provider where they will be replaced without charge.

Users that have already paid for a replacement drive or repair may be eligible for a refund from Apple.

The latest Air laptops sporting Intel Haswell processors are thought to be unaffected.

The replacement program will be available for the next three years from the date users bought their faulty laptops. However, it will not prolong the original warranty period.

In the meantime, Apple recommends that users should not install any other updates to the operating system, or download any new applications.