Blog | Place du Mac

Guide · SSD

NVMe SSD: the firmware question

An NVMe SSD that's invisible or won't boot on a 2013-2015 MacBook? It's not the drive, it's the firmware. Here's why, and the right order to install it.

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Guide · macOS

Reinstall macOS over the Internet

Reinstall macOS without a USB stick: boot into Internet Recovery, format the SSD as APFS, start the installation. The step-by-step guide for Intel Macs (2013-2015 included).

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Guide · Reconditioned

Reconditioned or new?

For a part you never see, tested reconditioned is on a par with new: same 2 year warranty, lower price — and often better than a generic new part.

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Brief · Battery

Cobalt or ternary battery?

Premium or standard? The cathode chemistry (Cobalt/LCO vs ternary/NMC) that changes the battery life, gauge reliability and long-term endurance of your Mac battery.

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Guide · Sound

No sound or crackling sound?

Audio output, volume, Bluetooth: software first. Then, if the sound crackles or distorts, the speaker can be replaced — especially after a liquid spill.

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Guide · Keyboard

Keyboard keys that no longer respond?

Setting, dust, then part: the right order for a key that's dead, repeats or sticks — on every MacBook, spill case included.

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Guide · Camera

Mac webcam not working?

9 times out of 10 it's software: permission, an app holding on to the camera, a service to restart. The free actions, and the rare hardware cases.

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Guide · Network

Wi-Fi or Bluetooth no longer working ?

Forget/reconnect, restart the internet router, re-pair, update : the simple things first. Plus the test that tells you whether the issue is the Mac or the router.

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Guide · Charging

MacBook that won't charge?

Charging is a chain: charger, cable, connector, battery, logic board. How to test link by link and not pay for the wrong part.

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Guide · Data

Recovering your data from a broken Mac

A breakdown doesn't mean lost data. The right moves that save it, the mistakes that destroy it, and when to hand the Mac to a workshop.

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Guide · Buying

A refurbished Mac: is it reliable?

Refurbished ≠ second-hand: tested, serviced, warrantied. What makes it reliable, the role of the grade, and how to recognise a serious refurbishment.

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Guide · Casing

Dented or scratched MacBook case?

Top or bottom: replace the right case, not both. Which damage is cosmetic, which gets in the way of use, and how to find the compatible part.

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Guide · Compatibility

Finding your Mac's model number

A1502, A2338… Where to read the Apple model number in 30 seconds, how to decode it, and why it's the key to ordering the right part.

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Guide · Overheating

Hot Mac running slow?

Fan flat out, slow Mac: why an overheating Mac throttles itself, and how to calm it down — from a free tweak to a dust-out and thermal paste.

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Guide · Flexgate

Flexgate: lines at the bottom of the screen?

Spotlight effect, backlight cutting out when you open the lid: the cable defect on 2016-2018 MacBook Pros, how to recognise it and how to repair it.

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Guide · Trackpad

Trackpad that no longer clicks?

Before changing the trackpad: the #1 cause is often a swollen battery underneath. The right diagnosis (battery, setting, flex cable) so you don't pay for the wrong part.

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Guide · Keyboard

MacBook butterfly keyboard: the flaw and the fix

Repeating, stuck or dead keys on a 2016-2018 MacBook? The butterfly keyboard flaw explained — and how to fix it, key by key, with an AP12 clicker.

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Guide · Startup

MacBook won't turn on?

Black screen, no response: the checks in the right order, from the free fix (charge, reset) to the logic board diagnosis in the workshop.

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Guide · Decision

Repair or replace your Mac?

The rule in numbers to decide: compare the repair to half the price of an equivalent refurbished Mac — plus 3 questions and concrete examples.

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Guide · Storage

SSD full: move to a larger one

Is your Mac upgradeable? Removable, proprietary or soldered: how to recognise your case and gain space for years, without buying a new Mac.

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Guide · Battery

Swollen MacBook battery: what to do?

Lifting trackpad, bulging case: the warning signs, the 3 safety steps, and what replacement really costs — new battery, 2-year warranty.

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Guide · Screen

Broken screen: repair or replace?

Cracks, lines, black screen: a 3-question method to decide, plus real prices for every MacBook family — from the 13″ Pro to the 16″, grades included.

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Guide · Grades

Grades A, B, C: how they work at Place du Mac

Refurbished to as-new, Grade A, B, C: the grade rates appearance only. Every part is tested, 100% functional, with the same warranty.

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Guide · Mac Screens

How to spot a quality refurbished Mac screen

After years refurbishing to a strict spec, here are the tells that separate genuine quality work from a well-presented counterfeit.

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Guide · Mac Repair

How to choose a qualified Mac repairer

Free diagnosis, Mac specialist only, Google reviews, a quote capped at the refurbished price… The real criteria, from an expert with twenty years at the bench.

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Comparison · 6K displays

Apple Pro Display XDR vs Kuycon G32P

Two 32″ 6K Retina panels for creatives on Mac. We settle it across five rounds — and the verdict surprises above all on price.

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