Symptom
Apple has become aware of an issue with 40 GB and 60 GB Quantum hard drives used in Power Mac G4 (Digital Audio) computers. A limited number of these drives have been found to damage files, cause data loss, and potentially prevent the computer from starting up. Only a small number of the computers built with these hard drives are affected. You can find out if your computer is affected by determining if its serial number falls within a certain range of numbers outlined below.
Solution
Identify the computer
Follow these steps to identify affected computers.
1. Check your computer's serial number. (It is located on the rear of the computer just below the power sockets).
2. Determine if the serial number begins with the characters "XA115". The complete serial number will have an additional six characters, and the whole format would look like this: " XA115XXXXXX", where the x can be any letter or number.
If the serial number begins with "XA115" then continue with the next step. If it does not begin with "XA115" then your computer's hard drive is not affected by this issue.
Identify the drive
Use Apple System Profiler to identify the model number and serial number of your computer's Quantum hard drive.
1. Open the Apple System Profiler application from the Apple menu.
2. Click the Devices and Volumes tab.
3. In the Devices and Volumes window, click the disclosure triangle next to Hard Drive and to the right of the Internal ATA 1 line.
A small box will open containing information about your computer's hard drive. If the vendor name is Quantum and the Product ID number is FIREBALLP AS40.0, for the 40 GB drive, or FIREBALLP AS60.0, for the 60 GB drive, this drive should be replaced. If another vendor's name and Product ID number appears, there is no need to replace the drive.
Please contact Apple to order a replacement drive or contact your local Apple Authorized Service Provider to have the drive replaced. This repair will be covered under the computer's limited warranty.
Notes1. This issue only affects computers purchased in Canada and the United States.