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 jarratt,

    jarratt jarratt Dec 29, 2008 2:31 PM in response to jlynnes
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 29, 2008 2:31 PM in response to jlynnes
    I came in to the apple armed with the Knowledge Base article and a blank screen. The genius hadn't heard of the problem, but looked it up and ran the "test." He came back saying it wasn't the graphics card but the logic board and it would be $310.

    Sounded like crap, but I went through with the repair deciding to battle the payment retroactively. When I went in to pick up my machine, I again brought the article. This time, the genius payed a little more attention to it, and the repair (new logic board and graphics card) was free of charge.

    The graphics card is the exact same model as the one they had to replace. According to Jlynnes, it will also defect in a little over a year's time. Neat.
  • by chirkut,

    chirkut chirkut Dec 29, 2008 3:28 PM in response to Brett L
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 29, 2008 3:28 PM in response to Brett L
    Display of my MBP died the same way- nothing on builtin and/or external screen.
    15" 2.4 GHz Intel purchased Nov'07
    GPU dies 13mos later

    Took it to Apple Store 1st this morning @8:15am to Valley Fair, Santa Clara, CA
    Got it back @1pm same day service.

    Repair details-
    Part# 661-4956 Description: PCBA MLB 2.4 GHz Rev2
    Part# S1491LL/A Description: Hardware Repair Level-2

    Cost $0.0
    Warranty Status: Protection Plan(A)

    Top notch service. I feel the only thing Apple could have done better is to proactively recall all these laptops with this potential Nvidia's GPU issue.
  • by clay-walk,

    clay-walk clay-walk Dec 29, 2008 3:29 PM in response to jarratt
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Dec 29, 2008 3:29 PM in response to jarratt
    my replacement card just lasted 4 months.

    My machine is currently being repaired right now for the third time. I called today to ask if they would repair it with the same components that obviously aren't lasting. They said that the machine would be fixed with the same components and that my laptop did not match the serial number of the machines with bad cards...

    They said if it did fail again like this that I would have other options next time when sending it in which he would not elaborate on, but I guess implied the machine being replaced or traded in or something...

    Frankly, this is tough for me because I travel a lot & do live events and this uncertainty of if & when this will fail again basically forces me to travel with two laptops as it obviously will fail.



    The graphics card is the exact same model as the one they had to replace. According to Jlynnes, it
    will also defect in a little over a year's time. Neat.
  • by padre999,

    padre999 padre999 Dec 30, 2008 10:05 AM in response to Brett L
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 30, 2008 10:05 AM in response to Brett L
    Add me to the list.

    My MBP 2,2Ghz, bought August 2007, died today. Some graphics lockups in recent days, then sometimes the screen didn't turn on anymore when starting the MBP and today it completely died. Also if I connect an external monitor nothing happens. The computer boots, but no graphics at all
    Tried all, Pram reset etc but no luck.

    Brought it to my local Apple service center and hope they will fix it SOON. What a nuisance. Already had it in repair once for noisy fan and broken superdrive.
  • by clay-walk,

    clay-walk clay-walk Dec 30, 2008 10:53 AM in response to clay-walk
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Dec 30, 2008 10:53 AM in response to clay-walk
    I just received back my machine from repair and the only work done was replacing the logic board. So, maybe I am not in the faulty NVIDIA scenario. But, I have had 3 logic boards now in 18 months.
  • by jeortiz,

    jeortiz jeortiz Jan 1, 2009 2:29 AM in response to Brett L
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2009 2:29 AM in response to Brett L
    I just had the same black display problem, on an October 2007 MacBookPro.
    An external monitor did not work either, but I could Remote Desktop or Screen Share into my machine.

    When I screenshare into the problem machine, the System Profiler (located at Apple Icon>>About This Mac>>More Info) would crash as soon as I tried to look into the Graphics/Display (It has a GeForce 8600M GT).

    After connecting to the problem machine in Target Disk mode, and then reseting the machine, I managed to get the display to work a couple of times, but it died again.

    I tried the clemson47 solution (several times) but had no luck with it, despite deleting the sleepimage and extensions.mkext files the dispaly would not come back and the sleepimage and extension.mkext files would reapear after the reboot. So I tried a modified version of the clemson47 solution that worked for me:

    1) *with the nonworking computer on (with no display), connect from another machine using screenshare or Remote Desktop* (if you don't have screensharing enabled you need to figure how to turn it on using SSH or Target Disk Mode)
    2) *via screenshare enter System Preferences>>Energy Saver>>Sleep>> and make sure that "Never" is selected on the "Put the computer to sleep when it is inactive for"*
    3)via screenshare using Finder access the /private/var/vm/ directory on the nonworking computer from the working computer. This is invisble so you will have to press cmdshiftg 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 (it should ask for your password)
    5) delete the /system/library/extensions.mkext file (it should ask for your password)
    6) *Do a "dirty" shutdown, hold the power button for a few seconds until the machine shuts down (a nomral shutdown may restore some of the files you just deleted)*
    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

    That worked for me.
  • by jeortiz,

    jeortiz jeortiz Jan 1, 2009 2:43 AM in response to jeortiz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2009 2:43 AM in response to jeortiz
    *UPDATE: THE PROCEDURE DESCRIBED IN MY POST ABOVE DID NOT SURVIVE A REBOOT, REPEATING THE PROCEDURE DOES NOT RESTORE THE DISPLAY*
  • by poliyesterd,

    poliyesterd poliyesterd Jan 3, 2009 7:52 PM in response to Brett L
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 3, 2009 7:52 PM in response to Brett L
    My MBP has the same problem twice, in less than a month last december.
    So I´ve changed the logic board without of charge at my local resseler even when I bought the mac in the US.
    But today a overscreen with the restart message appears. I shut down the mac, and
    cool it down for a while, but when it relaunch the desktop the message loads again.

    Somebody with the same issue?...In another post, i was told that this problem is a "lemon", but it seems that apple doesn´t have any policy for this reiterative hardware problem. This message could be linked with the Nvidia graphics again?
  • by clay-walk,

    clay-walk clay-walk Jan 3, 2009 8:45 PM in response to poliyesterd
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Jan 3, 2009 8:45 PM in response to poliyesterd
    it's my understanding from what Apple told me on the phone earlier this week, if your machine is repaired 3 times for the same issue, they have to give you some other options other than fixing it for the 4th time... they wouldn't be more specific other than "other options" but I would guess it would mean a trade in or something.
  • by poliyesterd,

    poliyesterd poliyesterd Jan 4, 2009 1:20 PM in response to clay-walk
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 4, 2009 1:20 PM in response to clay-walk
    Do you have any link of this info. I live in chile, and a friend told me the same but that desition relies on the reseller, because I don´t have any apple care, just de 90 days guaranty of the logic board replacement...

    I´ll apreciate some info. Thanks.
  • by clafikraz,

    clafikraz clafikraz Jan 4, 2009 3:24 PM in response to poliyesterd
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 4, 2009 3:24 PM in response to poliyesterd
    I had the same problem last month.

    Bumped into this forum and tried every methods to revive the display but nothing works.

    So, I went to the Apple store (genius bar) in regent street and asked them to fix my macbook pro. I included the article from apple as well. The guy I met looked at my serial number and agreed to fix it without any charge (replacing the logic board). I got my mbp today and took a look at the receipt: it would cost me around GBP600++ if they were to charge me!.. scary stuff...

    Anyway, now I just hope that the problem won't come up. Or if it does, please within the 3 months warranty period... ^^
  • by poliyesterd,

    poliyesterd poliyesterd Jan 4, 2009 4:53 PM in response to clafikraz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 4, 2009 4:53 PM in response to clafikraz
    well..this happen for the 2nd time at 1 month since my computer came back from service repair.
    Give it heavy task, try it with heavy renders and see if you have the same "luck" before the three months pass away.

    Luck!
  • by richphoto,

    richphoto richphoto Jan 11, 2009 1:51 PM in response to poliyesterd
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 11, 2009 1:51 PM in response to poliyesterd
    well, after noticing mine would not wake after asleep all its life, it would eventually come back after closing the lid, last night I didn't close the lid, let it sleep, this morning, screen black..and have tried for hours all the solutions and nothing works. looks like a trip to the apple store along with the apple printed web page stating the 2 year warranty.
    I always love the apple store help, but at the bar these guys sure like to pretend they know everything, and we know nothing. pretty much every time i have been I proved them wrong in their solution to problems, but yet they love to second guess your issue and say they know what it is..

    I have 2 of these same machines and am worried the other one could go after the 2 year replacement period. do they look at serial numbers and replace them even if they are not showing signs now?

    thanks
  • by richphoto,

    richphoto richphoto Jan 12, 2009 2:30 PM in response to richphoto
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 12, 2009 2:30 PM in response to richphoto
    So, apple stores have a external drive thats just for this Nvidia issue. They plug it in, it runs a test and saves the results. they then start that drive on a working computer to read the results. Well mine stated graphics card not found. He said this means its not one of the cards with that Nvidia issue, I said that its well documented and this is exactly the issue, he felt the same ( depends who you get and how nice you are I think) so he said let me take it in back and try another drive test. I know he didn't cause he came right back. I think he simple asked if he could fix it under warranty, which btw ran out end of November 2008. So he said they would replace the whole logic board and Warranty it for 90 days.
    Obviously they have these come in all the time, in fact there were 2 logic boards in stock but both were already spoken for.

    But...thank you apple for doing the right thing, I own 10 Mac's and and have most of my savings in apple stock..
  • by clay-walk,

    clay-walk clay-walk Jan 12, 2009 2:49 PM in response to richphoto
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Jan 12, 2009 2:49 PM in response to richphoto
    yes, I realize this is more of a Logic board issue, for me at least. I am on Logic board #3 in 18 months.
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