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.
It may have worked as a temporary fix, but it is certainly not much of a solution. Any $2000 plus computer that requires 'resting' for a few days with the battery out has a serious problem. I would be sure to get Apple to replace that logic board, as it will eventually go out completely.
I'm starting to think it's a question of when, not if, all of the macbook pro's with this particular Nvidia chip are going to go bad.
As PatrickEsq pointed out, a lot of people who were affected by this issue are back to square 1 after apple replaced the logic board for them recently. hence "any MBP purchased this year will likely not have the defective nvidia chip" is not good enough. no 1 is willing to shell out $3000 plus for a chance that the GPU in their brand new MBP "likely not have the defective nvidia chip".
"my ex-roommate's MBP, which was purchased february 2007 is running perfectly as well even after gasp 17 months!" if I am not wrong, the defective chip only occurs for MBP produced after june 2007 when nvidia decided to chance their chip soldering material then. so feb 2007 mbp is npt affected at all.
roguemodron:
thanks for the hint. but can anyone from hk pass me the link to the thread for this issue in the hkg forum? I can't seem to find the thread...
zybx :
I hope they fix your mbp for you and please post your result.
discostu514 wrote:
my ex-roommate's MBP, which was purchased february 2007 is running perfectly as well even after
gasp 17 months!
You do realize the MBP's didn't start using the Nvidia 8600M's until June 2007, right? So your ex-roommate's 2nd gen. MBP (which has an ATI X1600) wouldn't even be affected by this issue.
the black screen of black screen of death (BkSoD) epidemic hit me two days ago, from reading page after page of the original thread i came to the conclusion that it must be nvidia's gpu f-ing up after a 1 year incubation period. but after finally trying and succeeding with clemson47's solution i now have my doubts.
over the last 2 days (between schoolwork) i have tried many suggestions and probably rebooted mbp a dozen or so times
*my process (in order):*
mbp appeared to not wake from sleep although volume controls worked
tried with external monitor (black image)
shut down + removed battery
restarted w/ batt (no change)
started reading forums + realised i was not alone
took screen shots which could be seen on g4 as file sharing was active
enabled voice-over
activated screen-share via ichat
chipset displayed as GMA X3100
tried booting as firewire + restarting
Installed *EFI update 1.5.1* (thought i had already done this prior to BkSoD but maybe i had forgotten to hold down power button? update log showed it as being installed on 4 occasions but maybe they were just startups without efi?)
*reset NVRAM* [obsolete?] (hold command + option + n + v while booting)
*reset PRAM* (hold command + option + p + r while booting)
replaced 3rd party ram with original (didn't seem to start up at all)
re-installed 3rd party RAM
continuation of backing up/deleting files off mbp
realise it was unhealthy but previously had only about 5GBs of free space (i'm a student with no money)
*tried clemson47* solution and mbp is now currently working (have not put it back to sleep again yet)
sleepimage file came up as 4GB - is that normal?
*apple seriously needs to accept this as a problem*, but it seems they are happy replacing logic boards to no end. (found out a day into ordeal that my bro had same problem (but has extended applecare) + they replaced his display and then logic board 2 days later)
there must be heaps more people who have applecare and are happy just to take theirs in to get fixed. i don't want this santa-rosa p.o.s. anymore but would feel morally bad trying to sell it on.
Just heard from the Apple store in Melbourne that my Logic board needed replacing on my 18 month old Macbook Pro, AUD 1900. Not happy as you can imagine. Called Apple customer service and within 5 mins they had agreed to cover the cost of the repair, now that's great Customer service!
Maybe the fact that I've spent about $10k with them over the past 5 years had something to do with it. The pathetic thing is, I would have still bought another Mac if they hadn't agreed to cover the cost.
Wait, so let me get this straight... your chipset was displayed as GMA X3100, but clemson47's solution for the not-waking-from-sleep problem actually worked for you? Because my understanding (from the original thread) was that it there were two separate issues, and the dead GPU problem was the one that gave you the GMA X3100 instead of 8600M chipset in the system profile. Though I suppose if it is that weird safe sleep glitch, it might explain why some people have been having to replace their logic boards over and over again.
I'd be interested to know if you have rebooted your computer since you got it to work. (I know you said you hadn't put it to sleep, but you didn't mention if you've rebooted.)
I ask this because my problem seemed to have gone away once I booted into the hardware test. It worked great for 5 days...even being shut down every night. Then, one day I started it up and got the black screen. I've seen nary a flicker of light since (2 weeks). The transient nature of this problem is the
most infuriating part of it all.
For those of you out of warranty and without Applecare, it took me two calls to Apple's support and one to the "local" (three hours away) Apple store to find out that they have a repair service, where, for approx. $350 USD, they will send a box for you to send your MBP in and have anything that is wrong with it fixed. This price assumes no abuse or liquid damage, but just simple component failure. Any parts replaced are covered with a 90 day warranty. I have yet to get the call back that I am awaiting, but that price sure beats the 1000 - 1200 dollars I was quoted the first time I called them.
If you are quoted $1,000 to replace your logic board, find another Genius. I was originally quoted "around $1,000," but then at the next Apple Store, was quoted and accepted a $310 ($100 diag + $210 repair) flat fee. Do not pay $1,000. Find a more knowledgeable Genius.
BTW, mine was dropped off at the Ardmore, PA Apple Store on 9/25. As of this morning, the repair is on hold waiting for out of stock parts. Gosh... I wonder why they are out of MBP/SantaRosa/8600M logic boards...
I dropped off mine on 9/23 in Baton Rouge, La and the status also says waiting on parts. I thought this would be a pretty common part, but maybe they're acknowledging the problem and waiting for good boards. :Totally crossing fingers here:
Add me to the list of people who have down time because of this problem.
This lack of response to the defect is unacceptable.
As a recorded music student and part time RED tech, I rely on my computer every day for recording sessions, school work, and on-set data management for work.
Not only do I have to lose my computer for a week, but when I get it back, it will have the same faulty chip in it. This is no good.
Please Apple do something to recitfy the situation. These are $3000 PROFESSIONAL machines.
I'm thinking there are no 'good' boards. They are putting the same defective chips back in, over and over. I'm pretty sure at some point everyone will have this problem, so they can't avoid a response forever. Or can they? You never know with Apple.
I'm still waiting for my computer to be fixed. They tried to replace the logic board, and said the replacement didn't work as well. So now they are ordering yet another logic board. Well, at least the Macbook Pro is cheap. Oh wait.
I had this same problem happen to me on the 18th of September -- almost exactly 2 months after my apple warranty expired. I brought my MBP to the nearest Apple store the next day; not really knowing what to expect, or how much the repairs would cost. I was informed by the Genius that "Mac Book Pros hardly ever have issues", and that "[he's] never heard seen this issue before." After about 5 minutes of diagnosis I was handed a receipt stating the logic board would need to be replaced for about $325. He also assured me the repairs would be completed within the next week.
Here I am on a borrowed computer almost 2 weeks later. Not being able to do my schoolwork for this length of a time is getting very frustrating. I even called Apples support and their customer relations departments. The only thing I learned there is that my computer should be ready within the next few days, and that I would still be paying the $325.
Moral of the story: Pay $350 to extend your warranty to 3 years while you can, or pay $325 every time your logic board goes out (14 months). If only I had known a vital piece of hardware would become defective so soon...
And i really don't want it replaced with the same defective part. My Powerbook g4 lasted 3.5 years until the graphic literally burnt up in smoke on the logic board. I'd like my MBP to last just as long if not longer without dire incidents. Hope things resolve itself.
