Brett L

Q: MacBook Pro Blank Screen (Built - in & External) - continued

This thread is a continuation of [MacBook Pro Blank Screen (Built - in & External)|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1478474]. The thread was getting too long and some browsers were timing out.

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Apple Discussions Staff

PM G5, PB 17", iMac 24", iPods, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Sep 25, 2008 1:42 PM

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Q: MacBook Pro Blank Screen (Built - in & External) - continued

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  • by LostHiker,

    LostHiker LostHiker Dec 23, 2008 7:38 AM in response to Brett L
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2008 7:38 AM in response to Brett L
    I'm curious what is exactly the symptoms that a MBP with a faulty graphics card would have. Because my MBP doesn't have a start up chime or any sort of activity when I turn it on. You do hear the fan turn on and it get rather loud and the little light on the cover release button is on and gets brighter when I close the lid but that's all. The last time I took it to the Genius Bar, the guy said my MBP didn't present the same symptoms. So if anyone who has had the same symptoms as my MBP managed to get theirs fixed under the graphics card problem please let me know.
  • by clay-walk,

    clay-walk clay-walk Dec 23, 2008 7:47 AM in response to jlynnes
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Dec 23, 2008 7:47 AM in response to jlynnes
    I am truly blown away that they appear to be replacing the defective 8600 card with the, um, defective 8600 card.

    My initial card/logic board lasted 12 months before failing, the repair fix lasted 4 months before failing. (I was shocked to see that they replaced the card with the same card...)

    How long will the #3 card/board last if they replace it with the same?



    but I am TRULY blown away that Apple is denying specific Macs based on serial number EVEN >>THOUGH they contain the 8600 chip which will fail, no matter what, as ALL chips were defective.
  • by jayne241,

    jayne241 jayne241 Dec 23, 2008 1:06 PM in response to LostHiker
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2008 1:06 PM in response to LostHiker
    I am also experiencing the black screen of death. When it happened last week, I tried using a rirewire cable to three different laptops. One macbook was the oldest, the one I used just prior to the one with problems, the one that I had transfered all the files from it onto the one currently having problems. When that oldest macbook was connected via firewire to the one with probs, the one with probs came back to life - the screen started working again.

    Now, when it happened this time I was at work so I took it to tech support, and they did all sorts of stuff with holding down keys to reset the PRAM, etc. Now the thing that worked last week doesn't work. HELP!!!!!!! I need to at least get some files off that computer, if possible. Any suggestions?
  • by jayne241,

    jayne241 jayne241 Dec 23, 2008 1:09 PM in response to LostHiker
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2008 1:09 PM in response to LostHiker
    LostHiker, my sympopms are exactly like yours. I hear the fan, and the white light comes on and gets brighter when I close the laptop.

    Message was edited by: jayne241
  • by LostHiker,

    LostHiker LostHiker Dec 23, 2008 3:33 PM in response to jayne241
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2008 3:33 PM in response to jayne241
    is this the graphics card issue that is being discussed or something completely new? Because I don't have the money to get it fixed.
  • by logicguru,

    logicguru logicguru Dec 23, 2008 6:24 PM in response to Brett L
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Dec 23, 2008 6:24 PM in response to Brett L
    I'll add my 17" MBP to the mix. At first, cold reboots would bring back the display...NOW, nothing works, especially since 10.5.6 update... nothing but a dead computer screen...

    HELP!
  • by dr fence,

    dr fence dr fence Dec 23, 2008 8:51 PM in response to logicguru
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2008 8:51 PM in response to logicguru
    I did recently get the 10.5.6 update and things have been great. Tonight I went to wake it from sleep and nothing, completely black screen. No beeps, just the front lid latch light glowing steadily. After a few attempts at the power reset, etc I pulled one of the memory chips and voila it booted.

    After it booted I powered it down and re-inserted the ram and it worked fine. I'm going to run a memcheck to see if it has issues.
  • by logicguru,

    logicguru logicguru Dec 25, 2008 11:09 AM in response to dr fence
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Dec 25, 2008 11:09 AM in response to dr fence
    hmmm...haven't tried pulling and reinstalling ram...i wonder if that might help...worth a try!
  • by logicguru,

    logicguru logicguru Dec 25, 2008 11:21 AM in response to logicguru
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Dec 25, 2008 11:21 AM in response to logicguru
    nope...i get nothing different after that...
  • by andreapratico,

    andreapratico andreapratico Dec 26, 2008 3:34 AM in response to Brett L
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 26, 2008 3:34 AM in response to Brett L
    Hi, from Italy, first post on this forum.

    Add me to the list. On Christmas my screen died. Didnt' work the restore of the PRAM.
    I don't have any other mac, but I need to trasfer the files from my mac to my pc. How can I?

    (Tomorrow, hoping they'll be working, I'll go to my local APPLE centre).
  • by 1gor,

    1gor 1gor Dec 27, 2008 8:43 AM in response to andreapratico
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 27, 2008 8:43 AM in response to andreapratico
    If you have any PC with firewire port (and a firewire cable) then you attach your mac as a 'external hard drive' to your PC and copy all files from it at quite a decent speed.

    It's called 'target mode'. You connect your switched off mac to pc with firewire cable, then press 'on' switch on your mac and immediately press 'T' and keep it pressed for a while. Your pc should automatically recognise your mac hard disk as its external hard disk.

    I have just had exactly the same problem with blank screen and will be bringing my mac to Apple shop. I've copied everything from it to my Ubuntu desktop via firewire target mode.
  • by clay-walk,

    clay-walk clay-walk Dec 28, 2008 8:02 AM in response to clay-walk
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Dec 28, 2008 8:02 AM in response to clay-walk
    When having your machine repaired, you should ask if they replace it with the 9400M chipset, if that is possible:

    http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/12/26/nvidia.urging.new.material/

    It seems a bit absurd that Apple continues to replace defective materials with materials that are going to fail again.

    My MBP 2.4 17" is currently having its logic board / graphics card replaced for the third time by Apple
  • by dr fence,

    dr fence dr fence Dec 28, 2008 12:30 PM in response to logicguru
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 28, 2008 12:30 PM in response to logicguru
    I ran memcheck and it was definitely bad ram :o) Perhaps since I put the machine to sleep via hibernate mode that powers all the way down?? I thought resetting by pulling the battery and holding down the power button reset the hibernate state as well.
  • by andreapratico,

    andreapratico andreapratico Dec 28, 2008 1:02 PM in response to 1gor
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 28, 2008 1:02 PM in response to 1gor
    Thank you a lot!
    A question: Can I use for this operation a double USB cable?
  • by 1gor,

    1gor 1gor Dec 29, 2008 1:41 AM in response to andreapratico
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 29, 2008 1:41 AM in response to andreapratico
    No, usb won't do. This is strictly firewire feature
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