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

Update: Second attempt to use the "fix" didn't work. Nor did letting it sit for a night... I am stumped. Anyone?

Hi guys,

had blank after wake (and then also restart) problem after 10.5.7. update on MBP (version fall2007), (took a while to kick in, but then it got worse every day - god knows why), so did PRAM-reset, then took out power cable and battery and held down power key for more than 10secs.... still same problem. At least I could work on an external monitor. So I did repair permissions and integrity check on hard drive, still same problem - eventually I held down the "R" key upon start (reset monitor, as I found in some older threads) and then ... it worked again - let´s see for how long. Before I had been affected by the Leopard, blank external monitor after upgrading to 10.5.3 or so and I will now stop downloading any updates - apple updates on the MBP seem often to do more damage than good, that disgruntles me and kept me from buying a new unibody where the problems still seems to be similar - very embarrassing...

Well hgdub- you are my life saver. I had just about succumbed to my maudlin state and was going to drive an hour to the nearest Apple service provider and I saw this through my husband's MacBook.

I hit R and the power button and VOILAS- I am replying to you from my now-awake MacBook Pro. Thank you.

Note: My MacBook Pro is the 2.4GHz (late 2008), on TIGER (not Leopard) and NOT updated recently. It had sometimes been a tiny bit daft waking up again but nothing "unusual". The usual tests and checks did not work, not did the detailed fix involving Firewiring to another Mac. Keyboard WAS responsive (right down to the volume control working) but last time I checked it (this morning- after 12 hours rest) it was not. Ie- NO keyboard backlighting, volume control or caps/num lock light either.

What is the problem precisely?

Here's my wonderful story (sad ending I'm afraid), set on a Paris background. I have a Macbook Pro of the Santa Rosa kind, kept in its stock configuration of 2GB RAM and 120GB HDD. And of course the wonderful NVidia 8600M GT. Purchased sometime near the end of 2007, thus out of warranty.

I apparently had the 10.5.7 update triggering the problem for me. Everything was absolutely normal until then, no sleep/wake issues, no overheating. After the update, I put the computer in sleep by closing the lid. The next day I opened the lid, heard the standard optical drive waking up sound, but no video. Just the white light still on. Of course I tried the whole batch of PRAM resetting, running without battery, running of battery, pressing R at the start, etc etc.

It only turned on twice in almost a month since the problem appeared. Completely random as I wasn't able to reproduce the effect. Once after booting in Target Drive Mode and once after plugging in an Ethernet cable.

I can VNC on the machine and see that my video card appears as an Intel GMA X1300.

Then I read about the NVidia replacement program thing and so I rushed to the nearest AASP in Paris. They did THE TEST, which revealed that my video card is not the problem. I argued with them that it perfectly describes the stuff in Apple's KB about the faulty NVidia cards to no avail. Since THE TEST has spoken, there was nothing to be done. They just told me it will be 1000EUR for changing the motherboard.

So, apparently the video card, which isn't working, is OK. And the motherboard which is working, isn't OK. Such symmetry, isn't it superb? So mac-like. Which one was covered under the warranty extension again?

When I asked them what was the problem with the motherboard they just shrugged and said "It could be from a faulty RAM chip". UN-BE-LIEVABLE. So... let me get this straight, I said, you want me to pay 1000 EUR for a motherboard replacement because of faulty RAM?? The answer: Well, it COULD be the motherboard... Then they said that the only way I could solve this was by calling Apple Care France and asking for a special "code."

Apple Care France was completely uncooperative. The moment I ended dictating my serial number, the person on the other end blurted in a strongly French accented English "But your computer is no longer under warranty". I guess that really put him off as whatever I said led to his responses ending with "but since your computer is out of warranty... you will have to pay for the repair". After a lot of arguing and bargaining, I was transferred to a manager (who's English was much better luckily), who said that they will contact the service center themselves and discuss this directly with them, and then call me back. They can't just give me this "code". DUH.

The manager calls me back the next day and simply says "Sorry, your video card is not covered by the warranty extension, you will have to pay for the replacement of the motherboard." Wam bam thank you sucka! Your computer might have some problem inside, why don't you just fork over a thousand euros for a new mother board? There are like a lot of little things on it that can go wrong, surely this will fix it.

So the next day I went to the AASP to get my laptop back, only to find that my computer was "not ready". Someone took the liberty of opening it up "to see what the real problem is," but that someone didn't bother to communicate the findings of his or her adventures in the innards of my computer.

So they said to come back in an hour. I come back after an hour, my laptop was still in pieces, and then they started arguing among themselves about who should put it back together!! I was watching in complete awe as they kept bouncing the task from one to another. This took about 15 minutes (while also dealing with other customers), and then FINALLY, some guy gave up and started assembling the **** thing. Another 15 minutes pass and the laptop is ready to go.

At least they said that the diagnosis, which normally costs about 50EUR, is free of charge. And after I got home, I powered it up, and VOILA! Screen was on. But I knew this was just a random thing, so I kept the laptop on at all times for almost 4 days. Then I decided to try to reinstall the system and revert to 10.5.6. That was two days ago. The screen hasn't come back on again since then... so I'm left waiting. I tend to think that this is a software issue and that the 10.5.7 update messed something up for the 8600M GT cards, and since THE TEST decided that my card is OK, it means some people just got lucky and had the same 10.5.7 issue while also having a faulty card.

I'm really upset right now, I haven't decided what to do, but I certainly don't want to pay 1000EUR for a replacement that may or may NOT fix the issue. Very VERY disappointed... Horrible customer experience through Apple Care France. Once you tell them the computer is out of warranty, you'll might as well speak to a machine set to "Sorry we cannot help you, your machine is OUT OF WARRANTY." I called Apple Care US and while they were much more cooperative and asked me about the problem and at least tried to understand the issue, they finally said that while it does sound like the NVidia issue, they can't help me since I'm not in the US at the moment. Bummer.

Anyone else having the no video problem while their video chip being OK?

list of people with almost same problems
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pV-CKzYqbB6dLQRx8wpC2aw

After 2 weeks of my MBP Logic Board replacement today I made the Apple Hardware Test (from the original installation disk that came with the MBP) and what is my surprise:

Error 4SNS/1/40000000:TGOD

I googled it and it seems a Logic Board problem, maybe a faulty termal sensor... Many users report the same problem after Logic Board replacement, some say that maybe after the replacement they forgot to plug in the sensor. I called Apple and they told me to take back my MBP to the same store, but since the last time it took 20 days I don't know what to do...

I don't have Apple Care Extension Plan, so, in case it's again a faulty Logic Board and it fails after 90 days of the replacement, I will have to pay for the service.

But since the MBP seems to work fine I don't know if it's a serious problem that worth the risk of 20 more days without computer.

Any suggestions??? Anybody trully knows what means the error code from Apple Hardware Test???

Thanks a lot.

Well, I´m also member of this doomed blank screen trouble club , so you know what happend to my macbook. I tried every possible solution that was suggested in this post but nothing worked.

So I went to an AASP here in Mexico City, my machine is already out of warranty but I tried anyway, (what else could I do?), and what a surprise gave me, I explained to the genius my problem and whithout questions he received it, this was the last week and now I´m writing you from my Macbook, 8 days after I left it. they changed the Logic Board, charge free.

The computer is working but they put the same NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT crap, I don´t want to update the OS, not until Apple give an official announcement of what happened or they really fix this problem.

Now I´m seriously thinking in changing my computer but I´m not sure if buy the new macbook pro model, I used to be a loyal Mac user but with this experience I have to think it twice before make a decision.

I hope that you people could have the same experience that I have.

Hola Superrumbero, I have some questions for you, let's see if you can help me:

1) Since I had the same blank screen problem and I live in Mexico City too, can you tell me to what AASP did you send your Mac and in how many days they repaired it? Because I took mine to Simplemente, and it took them 20 days for repair, because they hadn't any Logic Board on stock.

2) They put me the same crappy Nvidia too. And when the other day I made the Apple Test Hardware (with the new logic board), it give me the error 4SNS/1/40000000:TGOD. Have you made this test after you reparation? Any errors?

3) I called Apple and they told me to take back my Mac for reparation, to check the error, but since the last time it took 20 days I don't know what to do. If you can give me any info about your experience in this matter here in Mexico City it will be very helpfull to me.

¡Gracias!

P.D.: After my experience with this 2 year old MBP I'm not sure what to do. Sell it? Throw it to the garbage? I had sleep/wake up problems since day 1, Wi-Fi drop-outs when used in battery, Screen dead pixels after 6 months (and growing!), a faulty battery replaced after 10 months, logic board replaced after 20 months, etc, etc, etc. The worse mac ever I had in my hands! And the most expensive too!
Anybody knows if the Unibody Macbook Pros are having similar issues? Because I'm not sure to invest my money in a new one expensive and problematic computer. Don't get me wrong, I like very much Apple, Mac OSX is a great OS, but the hardware (in my experience) is crap.

Hello Txquimin, I went to the Mac Lumen Rolex in Insurgentes Sur, in front of the Dr. Galvez Metrobus Station.

After your suggestion I made an Apple Hardware Test and also have the same problem that you had, 4SNS/1/40000000:TGOD, suppously it's a temperature sensor problem or...... a Logic board problem!

I'm going back to the AASP, and now for sure I'm gona sell my machine, I'm not gonna invest my money in a computer that it's doomed, well not doomed,
BAD DESIGNED OR ENSAMBLED OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA NAME IT.

**** apple, you have to put more effort in your computer than in your Ipods/Iphones.

What was first your computers or your Iphones?
don't miss the right path.

Thanks for you quick response Superrumbero!

As soon as I can (now I'm in the middle of a project) I'll take back my MBP to the AASP too. And I'm seriously thinking in putting my computer for sell in eBay...

It's good (but sad at the same time) to know that I'm not the only one with this problem. But it will be better to stay updated on what each one of us discovers about all this.

Anyone else in this forum with the same issue: Error 4SNS/1/40000000:TGOD with Apple Hardware Test after MBP Logic Board replacement?????

Add me to the list! MacBook Pro 3,1/GeForce 8600M GT circa Oct 2007. Never had a problem with internal and external displays. After 10.5.7 update wake up and start up to blank screen. Its obvious that it boots and if I wait till I know it has fully booted I can hit the power key then return key to shut it down gracefully. Multiple command s /sbin/fsck and pram resets sometimes brings it back. Other times just waiting does... This is frustrating as all #$%&

Have you guys ever tried the "oven trick":
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=606658
It's working with the "normal" Desktop PC grafic
cards and I wonder if you could put the whole logic
board into the oven.

Message was edited by: PhilipMay

My Macbook Pro Sat Rosa 2.4 bought in Novenber 2007 was dead today! It did not wake after sleeping.m
I could not restart either there is no sound at all.

Any idea what I can do?

I have finally found my unfortunate solution for my problem with the MBP2.4 Santa Rosa - I am selling it on ebay and buying a new machine. It just runs too hot. I think that is largely its problem. I am on my 3rd logic board and can't really afford to have it fail again on a job.

It's a great loss for me financially to have to do this and Apple certainly should have recalled these machines by this point, IMHO...

I'm absolutely shocked by your story.
Earlier this year I was already having problems with the keyboard and trackpad of my *Santa Rosa Macbook Pro 15''* (2.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB HDD) purchased in *September 2007* through the Austrian Apple online store.

While said problem was relatively easy to work around (the ribbon cable underneath the battery must have been broken but by exerting pressure on it I could make it work temporarily), the final blow to my laptop came a few days ago when I left it on my desk in standby. Upon coming back and opening the lid I found the laptop unresponsive with a blank screen and only the standby-LED shining.

After a bit of research on the web I learned about the issue with the 8600M GT graphics chip and Apple being so kind as to repair such devices for free. I brought my Macbook Pro to the nearest Apple store and told them about the broken ribbon cable as well as the total system failure. Today I received an E-Mail from the store.

They informed me about the assessed costs of € 749,17 for the *"PCBA, MLB, 2.4GHZ, REV2, 661-4956",* € 99,00 for the repairperson and € 66,58 for the cost estimate itself, resulting in a total of *€ 1.032,79* (including VAT and the small RAM door I wanted to have replaced which would have cost 12,49)! This is about half of what I have originally paid for this piece of junk.

Since the costs were absolutely unacceptable I called the store immediately. I was informed too, that THE TEST had spoken and this particular defect of mine is not officially covered by Apple. I told them that they should keep the laptop for now and that I would contact Apple myself in an attempt to have them pay for the repair.

By *European law,* there is an extended warranty of two years on any product for any defects which have been present at the time of purchase and were not induced by the consumer. There are a few catches however:

The seller (Apple Inc. Austria in my case) can alter the conditions in their General Terms and Conditions Act. I checked that and found that Apple has not (yet) come up with any rules of its own.

After 6 months of purchase the burden of proof, whether or not the defect was already present at the time of purchase and that you didn't cause it, is with the consumer. This is usually the reason why Apple refuses to repair any products which are not covered by their 1-year-warranty anymore. Just because they can.

I'll see what I can do. I'll have to contact the technicians at the store and ask them if they can provide any proof to support my case. Technically, however, I'm in a pretty bad situation and from hearing all the other stories about Apple's goodwill the chances aren't too good.

Message was edited by: McFossey