Primary source: Apple Tech Info Library, 1999
Apple's 1999 DriveSavers Data Recovery Warranty Memo
In August 1999 Apple published Tech Info Library article 31077, stating that a hard drive recovered by DriveSavers could be returned to Apple without jeopardizing the Apple One-Year Limited Warranty. Apple's drive manufacturers agreed to honor the warranty on drives DriveSavers had opened, as long as the drive carried a DriveSavers label and the enclosure seal was intact. The recovery cost itself was never covered. Apple also stated the reference was "neither an endorsement nor a recommendation." The full text and the archived page are reproduced below.
Full Text of Apple Tech Info Library Article 31077
The following is a faithful transcription of the archived Apple support article. The article metadata reads Article ID 31077, Created 8/11/99, Modified 11/3/99.
Title
DriveSavers: Hard Drive Data Recovery & Warranty Implications
Topic
As of June 1, 1999, Apple Service will accept hard drives that have had data recovery attempted by DriveSavers, a third party company specializing in data recovery.
Discussion
Hard drives that have had data recovery performed on them by DriveSavers, Inc. can be returned to Apple without jeopardizing the validity of the Apple One-Year Limited Warranty. Apple's hard drive manufacturers have agreed to honor Apple's warranty on the drives if the recovery was performed by DriveSavers Inc. The cost of the data recovery is not covered by the Apple Limited Warranty.
Previously, if a hard drive showed signs of being tampered with, the drive would not be accepted by Apple or its Authorized Service Providers for exchange.
Note: Apple will only honor the warranty if the returned drive has a DriveSavers label indicating that DriveSavers recovered the data. Apple will not honor the warranty if the disk enclosure seal on the drive is broken and the drive does not contain the appropriate DriveSavers label.
Other recovery companies may perform similar data-recovery services, but they are not included in this agreement. Use of DriveSavers as a data-recovery company is at the sole discretion of the customer. They are not an Apple Authorized Service Provider, nor does Apple warrant any services performed by DriveSavers.
Important Note: Mention of third-party products or services is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation on the part of Apple Computer, Inc. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to selection, performance, or use of these products or services. All understandings, agreements, or warranties, if any, take place directly between the vendors and the prospective users.
Copyright © 1999 Apple Computer, Inc. Reproduced for documentation and commentary. Source: Internet Archive capture, November 27, 1999.
What the Memo Established, and What It Did Not
The memo solved a specific problem. Before June 1999, a hard drive that showed signs of being opened was rejected by Apple and its Authorized Service Providers for warranty exchange. That put customers in a bind: open the drive to recover the data and lose the hardware warranty, or keep the warranty and lose the data. Apple's arrangement with its drive manufacturers removed that trade-off for one vendor, DriveSavers, so long as the returned drive carried a DriveSavers label and the enclosure seal was otherwise intact.
It is worth reading Apple's own qualifications. The document says the reference "constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation," that DriveSavers is "not an Apple Authorized Service Provider," and that Apple "warrant[s]" none of the work. The cost of recovery was never covered. So this is best described as a warranty-logistics agreement, not a seal of quality. It tells you Apple would take the hardware back, not that the recovery was priced fairly or performed well.
The practical lesson survives to today: sending storage to a competent recovery lab does not have to cost you the manufacturer warranty, and manufacturers have been comfortable with third-party data recovery for more than two decades. The choice of lab, and what you pay, is still entirely yours. For the current rules on service and coverage, see does data recovery void your warranty.
From the 1999 Memo to Apple's Current Support Article
The document has changed shape over the years. The lineage below is drawn from archived captures of Apple's support site.
- 1999, article 31077. Named DriveSavers by name and set the June 1, 1999 warranty-acceptance policy. This is the document reproduced above.
- 2010s, article HT202004. Retitled "Hard drive data recovery and warranty implications" and genericized to "third-party companies specializing in data recovery services," naming no vendor.
- 2023, article 102020. The same notice moved to its current numeric address, support.apple.com/en-us/102020.
- 2024, vendors re-added. Apple re-introduced a named list of recommended recovery providers: DriveSavers, Ontrack, and Payam Data Recovery, with the same caution that these are not Apple Authorized Service Providers.
For a current-day breakdown of that named referral and what DriveSavers charges through it, see is DriveSavers legit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Apple's DriveSavers warranty memo and third-party data recovery.
Did Apple recommend DriveSavers for data recovery?
Does sending a drive out for data recovery void an Apple warranty?
Is the 1999 memo still in effect?
Where can I read the original Apple document?
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