Can not switch on my Macbook Pro

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Level 1

146 points

Can not switch on my Macbook Pro

I have a 15" Macbook Pro, I've been using it for almost 5 months now. Recently I have problem switching on my computer, when i press the power button the harddisk sound can be heard but after that the start up tone and the gray screen doesn't appear. all that is happening is that sleep indicator light flashes three times and then 3 seconds later it flashes 3 times again and it just keeps doing that.

at first when this happen, i would press and hold the power button and force shut down the computer then when i press the power button again my MBP will turn on normally. But this kept getting worse, now the aforementioned will happen for more than 30 times before i can eventually turn on the computer. i've tried the resetting PRAM thing and read the display article but none of them mentioned the sleep indicator flashing three times. i don't know what might have triggered this.

Recently I've installed 4GB memory to my MBP, (replacing the 2 1GB memory). But i have checked the specification and the speed of the Ram and all that stuff are suitable for MBP. Have anyone experienced this before please let me know what's your opinion on this.

Macbook Pro 15" the middle class one., Mac OS X (10.5.3)

Posted on Jun 25, 2008 2:33 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

neuroanatomist

Level 8

48,993 points

Jun 25, 2008 2:52 AM in response to Wayne Choi

Most likely, you have either a loose RAM stick or a bad RAM stick. The triple-flash-pause-repeat is a diagnostic code for a RAM problem. See this kbase article, which states +"Some RAM may appear to pass the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) but still cannot be used by the operating system. In this case, the computer will display a gray screen, sound three tones and blink the power LED on the front of the computer three times, pause, and repeat the blinking until the computer is turned off."+

You should first try to remove and reseat the RAM, and if that does not correct the problem, contact the vendor you purchased the RAM from and request replacements you could try booting with each stick alone, to determine which one is faulty, assuming only one is; but if you call the vendor, just have two new ones sent).

Hope this helps...

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Answer 2

Wayne Choi Author

Level 1

146 points

Jun 25, 2008 3:22 AM in response to neuroanatomist

right on, this is the first useful piece of information i've gotten out of the internet. no where else have mentioned anything about the three time flash. thank you!!!!!! the thing is i've installed the ram in Hong Kong so there's no way i can find the vendor. But the vendor is a Apple Inc. authorized dealer in Hong Kong and they know what to do with Macs (there are very few Mac users in Hong Kong) so i think they knew what they were doing. I'll try to reseat the Rams first at least, thank you very very much!!!!!

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Answer 3

Wayne Choi Author

Level 1

146 points

Jun 25, 2008 3:22 AM in response to neuroanatomist

right on, this is the first useful piece of information i've gotten out of the internet. no where else have mentioned anything about the three time flash. thank you!!!!!! the thing is i've installed the ram in Hong Kong so there's no way i can find the vendor. But the vendor is a Apple Inc. authorized dealer in Hong Kong and they know what to do with Macs (there are very few Mac users in Hong Kong) so i think they knew what they were doing. I'll try to reseat the Rams first at least, thank you very very much!!!!!

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