MacBook Pro Blank Screen (Built - in & External)

I had an appointment with a Mac Genius at the Apple Store this am. He tried restoring the firmware to no avail. Now, they're replacing the main logic board. I'm slated to have my MBP back on Tuesday.

cool! thats quick! mine takes 4 weeks, because its not an official apple store (we dont have those in denmark).. but i guess they are gonna do the same to mine ...
what did he say regarding the problem ?

The Mac Genius was very surprised that restoring the firmware didn't solve the issue. He asked several times if I had the laptop running only on battery during the firmware update. When I assured him I did not and mentioned this forum with others having similar issues, he seemed shocked. He was very helpful and apologetic for the issue. Luckily, I have had my MBP for 11 months and was still covered under the warranty. I'm thinking very seriously about AppleCare now.

okay, i also didnt have it runnin on battery when mine happen .. i still have warrenty also, im thinking about calling apple and complaining about this, since i now have to wait 4 weeks to get it back, for something thats caused by a firmware update... ****, i should never had delivered it back to the store, since its not an official apple store, only a dealer, it takes 4 weeks to repair it, im thinking if i called apple, they could send a ups guy to get it instead or something..

Got the same issue - it happened to me 3 times over the last 3 days. First 2 times I let the Mac cool down and the screen came back (even put it in the freezer as I thought this was due to overheating with the lid closed 🙂.
Third time nothing worked. I put it in Target disk mode to download files. I had not plugged it and the battery went to 0%. When I put it back on sector it worked again...
I am very puzzled now - I am not closing the lid until I have backed up all I need 🙂

My MBP is knackered after a recent shutdown. Attempting to restart, I get the startup chime, disk activity (including DVD drive), and keyboard response. No monitor activity (LCD, external).

Attempted PRAM/NVRAM reset, safe boot, and firmware reset via 1.4 restore CD.

Nada.

No AppleCare. Sigh. I now have a perfectly good MBP that has died after the 1.5 EFI update and will be cheaper to buy a refurb through the Apple online store than go through Apple to fix (main logicboard replacement is likely).

Hi, I fix the problem or better the mac assistance solved the problem (very efficient I left the macbook pro on saturday night and they called me on sunday and volià the mac was ok!).
Try to connect the macbook pro to another mac via lan (not via firewire). In this case the mac will see the macbook pro and will give you the possibility to "take control" of the broken macbook pro. At this point you can reinstall the firmware and upgrade the computer. In my case this fixed the problem (I don't have all the passages but the person that repair the mac described me). If you have some problem to link 2 mac via lan probably you have to set the dhcp and the folder sharing in preferences before. And how you can set those preferences if you can't see the video? You have to link two mac via firewire than restart the "good one" with the harddisk of the "bad one" and set up as described above (you can choose the startup drive in preferences). Probably you know that but to connect via firewire 2 mac you have to start the good one than tha bad one pressing T. When the good one is available you can see the hard drive of the bad one in the desktop and in preferences you can select this drive as "start up unit".
After this you can procede linking via lan the 2 mac and then try the solution indicated above.

Nothing else worked in my case (I tried all possible software and diy solution) but now I'm writing with my macbook pro!!

Ciao!
Toni

Message was edited by: tonistar75

Here is the solution I found myself which cost me 3 days and the purchase of an extended warranty I didn't need.

1) connect the nonworking computer to another mac with a firewire cable
2) turn the nonworking computer and hold down T - will let you access it as if it is an external hard drive
3) access the /private/var/vm/ directory on the nonworking computer from the working computer. This is invisble so you will have to press cmd shiftg in the finder and go to /volumes/YOURHARDDISKNAME/private/var/vm to get there or use an application that lets you view invisble folders like PathFinder.
4) delete the sleepimage file
5) delete the /system/library/extensions.mkext file
6) eject the drive (drag to the trash)
7) press the power button to turn off the non working computer
8) turn the nonworking computer back on normally(cross your fingers) then if it works,
9) open up the the terminal.app in /applications/utilities
10) type sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
11) make sure there is no sleepimage file again

also there are like 5 similar threads with the same issue.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1337981&tstart=0

I've followed everything on this page, but unfortunately my MBP isn't responding to any kind of keyboard input either, so I can't get into target disk mode, or eject the DVD I put in by holding the mouse button down (I don't get a caps lock light either).

I'm wondering if it might have something to do with using refit, but that's never stopped the usual keys from working on boot before.

Haven't got much to add to this case other than to say that I am experiencing the same thing. Black screen (int & ext). The machine seem to start up or at least do something cause it is making some vague fan-isch noise. Screen reamins pitch-black though. 15" MBP 10.5.2, latest software updates (to my knowledge), no recent software additions (third party), power supply always plugged in prior to the problem occuring. I've tried various keyboard combos during initial boot such as to boot from my Leopard disc etcetera to no avail. Hope that Apple recognices this issue asap.

I've got absolutely no idea what caused this. I don't remember allowing any updates in the last couple of weeks.

All I did was let the system boot up as far as the login screen. After a while the fans started up and the noise was annoying, so I shut the lid to put it to sleep. When I opened it several hours later the screen was totally blank, and wouldn't respond to anything. Forcing shutdown and restarting came back in the same state.

Is it possible for a Mac to update itself while at the login screen? This thing's had problems waking from sleep before, but has always run fine after a forced shutdown.

Mine woke wake up at least once a day.... It is annoying.

This started yesterday, and all I did was shut up the MacBook Pro to bring home from school. When I got it home, it wouldn't wake up. It whirred once, twice, then restarted itself. Since then it has done it every time I shut the laptop: this morning, this afternoon twice.

People have referred to the firmware update, but the update tells me my computer (Intel 2.33) doesn't need it.

Hey guys, i just want to let you know: This problem appeared to my imac latetly as well. Its an alu 24" (thread somewhere at the imac discussion forum). Whenever my imac hybernates it cannot be woken with a turned on display, everything is fine, back to my mac works perfectly.

Going to check all your advices so far tonight when i come home. Support couldn't give me any hints i believe in, but I will try. Might even do a firmware downgrade if possible without backlight.

I wonder if not any more are affected by the problem

PS: With or without EFI-update the problem was and is there, so must be something different (just realized that after the update the backlight went berzerk for a couple of minutes till i put the display to sleep manually)

I had the same problem with no LCD activity, but that was under EFI 1.4.
Problem was: If I just closed the screen and let the MBP go to sleep, I would not get any display when I opened the screen again. The computer was responsive and everything, but there were just no display. I had to reboot it by holding down the power button to get the screen back.

With the new 1.5 update everything is working perfect! no missing screen activity after sleep mode - excellent! My MBP is from June 2007, Santa Rosa.

/Zap