The situation
A customer reached out to us with a two-pronged problem concerning their 64gb iPad. The first problem the customer noticed was a sudden failure to sync. IPads should begin syncing by default when plugged into a computer, so the fact that the process did not start tipped off the customer to the possible need for an iPad repair. The second problem the customer noticed was a home button that only worked some of the time.
Getting to the root of the problem
The customer had taken some proactive measures to see if they could solve the problems on their own. They restored the device to factory settings to see if that fixed anything. Apple often advises a restore of iOS devices if they are presenting certain problems. Because a restore deletes all data, it is advised that any customer attempting the procedure ensures all their data is backed up beforehand. Unfortunately for the customer, the restore did not solve the problem. Instead, the device presented the following message: “The iPad could not be synced because the sync failed to start.” That's when the customer had the good sense to call us.
The solution
We did some initial diagnostics and determined that the problems stemmed from a faulty dock connector. Because the home button's power comes from the dock assembly, the fact that the home button worked only sporadically cued us in to the dock problem. To rectify the problem, we determined that a dock connector repair was in order.
It's good that the customer came to us instead of attempting a dock connector replacement on their own. As the trusty folks over at iFixIt can attest, this is a very difficult repair to do on your own, requiring safety glasses, heating and a measure of competence that non-experts don't have. If attempting this repair on your own, there are numerous instances where you can actually expose your iPad to even greater damaged, including destroying the Wi-Fi antenna or severing the digitizer cable. Fortunately for the customer, we are experts, and the repair was a breeze. All it took was a little time in the shop and the iPad was as good as new. Lastly, we recruited the help of our friends at FedEx to return the iPad to the customer. May their personal computing be sync-tacular!