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

There were some people that successfully revived their MBP by reinstalling the OS via Target Disk Mode. I finally gave that a try by installing 10.5.0 on my macbook pro. Once the installation was done and two restarts later, it worked! It even restarted. Then I put it to sleep and yet again the problem appeared. Then I upgraded it to 10.5.6 and still no video. Screen sharing revealed the dreaded Intel GMA X3100 as the video card instead of the NVIDIA.

It really bugs me that I have this sort of problem in a 18 month old 2000USD machine. I know things fail and no electronic device is perfect, BUT I don't know if it's software or hardware, and what really annoys me is that the Apple Authorized Service Provider, which was supposed to know these things inside out, all they said were able to offer me was a 1000EUR repair bill and the explanation that "something is wrong with the motherboard. Maybe it's bad RAM." I'm sorry, if you are going to charge me something in the four digit range you better come up with a better explanation than that.

This is UNACCEPTABLE. The video in some "planets have aligned" rare moments works, the motherboard is just dandy, but somehow THE TEST says that the video card is OK. This can only mean that the 10.5.7 update did something to the video card that messed up the way it communicates with the OS. It happened within a day from the update and no prior problems like that were experienced. How is THAT my fault and why should I pay a lot of money to fix it?

Having had this problem and noting that it was running very hot in "sleep" mode just prior to failure I can report that the clemson47 technique did not work. At least not "solo".

I did everything, the resets, the clemson technique as well as running in target mode and shutting down, letting it cool down and re-starting. Ultimately it started when I did all that AND reset the monitor (ie held down the R key on start up).

It worked ONCE ONLY.

I sent it to be "repaired" under warranty (now I KNOW why I had this inclination to buy expensive extended warranty...) and yep- Apple's service provider simply replaced the logic board (setting the MacBook Pro a test, which it had to fail in order to qualify for a new board) and ten days later I had my computer back.

1. I feel that taking 9-10 days for a works machine (the fact that it IS a PRO model USUALLY indicates that one is using it for WORK of some sort, right?) is unacceptable.

2. The display dimming key did not work after the computer had been on for an hour. (not from System Preferences either)

3. The computer's fan is on all the time. Why? Because the computer is too hot to touch underneath. I cannot rest it on paintwork as it will blister it and the area between keyboard and display hinge is too hot to touch after just an HOUR.

I have reported this to the centre which performed the "repair" and was told to bring it in and leave it. Again. Now, I am unable to do this just now as I have already lost two weeks work through the unavailability of the computer and cannot afford to lose even more.

I do not WANT another MacBook Pro (having two already) and so will have to persevere with this one for now. But if it spends more time at a service centre over an hour's drive away (and in the UK that is a distance) than with me, I am really not a happy bunny.

Alright everyone, I have news.

I called Apple's office in Vienna, Austria today and was immediately relayed to the tech support hotline. The woman on the phone didn't even let me explain my problem.

After an eternity of listening to crappy hotline music somebody picked up the phone. Then the usual support hotline-talk began and it turned out that - drum roll - they couldn't help me out. What a surprise! At least they gave me a completely useless reference number for my case.

Then I called the Apple store again to find out that mad scientists had conducted the most horrifying experiments on my Macbook Pro. The results were, so I was told, that my computer is completely FUBAR to such an extent that they just cannot determine the exact cause of the defect which further implies that I'm not eligible for repair. As I already stated in my last post, I would now have to pay *€ 79,- for not having my laptop repaired,* which is just sick.

Finally, I called Apple's office in Vienna again and luckily somebody else picked up the phone. This very nice person advised me to send her a detailed e-mail with all the important documents attached which she would then forward to *Customer Relations*. In this e-mail I clearly explained my case and am now looking forward to the answer.

So see you in the next episode of "The Apple Strikes Back"!

I had the same problem, macbook pro 15" made within the timeframe of the faulty NVIDIA cards.

I had to wait 2 weeks before the service centre looked at it, at which point it magically started working just as i was packing it up to take it in (argh!). It broke and fixed itself a few times and then i finally got it in for repair. Another week and a half wait before they looked at it.

Thankfully apple service in Reykjavik Iceland fixed it the same day and didn't charge me anything (my warranty expired but i was within the 2 year nvidia issue timeframe). They also said i have a 1 year warranty on the repairs and that the video card is an improved build (it is the same model though, i have checked).

When taking in my macbook I ]included a printed sheet with all the problems i was experiencing and links to this thread and the KB article where apple promises an extended warranty, so this may have helped

so, as long as my macbook keeps working, i am happy
-Dan

Just thought i would add, if i logged in to my computer using screen sharing when my macbook was black screening i would get no name for the graphics card under system information. Just incase anyone was thinking that having is come up as an Intel was some sort of pre-req

-Dan

Hi,

I have the above MBP (MBP 15.4", C2D 2.4GHz, manufactured in June 2007) and had recently got repaired because of graphic problem. The MBP had been flickering and refused to show any life for sometimes and I decided to repair it. On my receipt, the local Apple Service Provider (in Indonesia) wrote:

"AppleYukon2LCD flickers. Recovering from missed interrupt"

My concern grew when a friend of mine pointed http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377 (MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues) which specifically stated refund for any customers having such issue and automatically receive extended warranty up to 3 years.

My questions are:
1. Did my MBP really have the flaw or been affected by NVIDIA GPU stated in the above KB article?
2. Am I qualified to receive warranty and refund stated in that KB article based on my MBP spec and problems?

I would really like to know this matter because when I brought up this to the service point, they said that my MBP failed NOT because of the NVIDIA issue but because of something else. They did not give satisfactory explaination when I asked them about what actually went wrong with the MBP (they told me that it was the logicboard, that's it).

I am writing this because I simply cannot afford another hardware repair that the heat of my MBP when used is just the same like before getting the repair (67C-84C) and I fear that the problem may rise again soon.

If anybody have experience about how to approach this issue, please share it with me.

As always, my gratitude to people here who cares and help each other.

Thanks.

I just dropped off my mac at PeachMac, after the infamous "Blank Screen" happened to me yesterday morning. I woke up yesterday and pushed my mac's power button, the welcome sounds came on but no video showed on the screen. Like everyone here, I tried rebooting, resetting, taking out the battery, letting it cool down and only once did it work, only to revert back to the blank screen state.

I then found the extended warranty apple had posted in their support page for the faulty Nvidia graphics card. I was immediately relieved. I had found it almost immediately on google after typing in my problem. My macbook fit the affected devices to a T...15 inch Macbook pro with 2.4 GHZ and an 8600 Nvidia card. Reading this thread has really disheartened me though, it seems a lot of people have been screwed over from what is obviously faulty hardware, whether THE TEST says so or not.

I'm waiting with bated breath whether the repair cost will be covered. I cannot afford the repair costs right now ($300 will be cutting it, $1800 will be impossible) and it could not have come at a worse time. I've only had this mac for 9 months, thinking it would last me at least until after college. I'm entering graphic design next month and bought a Mac for its reputation as a powerful graphics editor.

I'm very disappointed so far with how this hugely rampant problem is being solved. It seems apple is skirting the solution and no one is stepping up to fix this fiasco. To have my mac become unusable in less than a year is a hard blow.

If I find out that Apple will not cover the cost for this faulty hardware I will be done with their computers for good.

Message was edited by: GraphicArtist88

I too have joined the ranks of those with a dead screen due to the Nvidia issue. I was told 10-15 days store repair or 5-7 if I sent the laptop to a remote repair center. I hope this is completely resolved once the logic board is replaced.

I will say, that it is sad to have such an expensive laptop have a display failure within a 18 month period. It seems like a very widespread failure from what I am seeing through my online research. How do I know that the replacement logic board will not fail as well? This seems to be happening to others who have gone through the same repair. What happens if I have this failure after 3 years when the warranty extension and my Apple Care run out?

I love Apple products, but my faith in this particular line of MBP's is most definitely shaken.

I have read the article the too many times. I even consulted to a lawyer. Basically, if any symptoms occured in specified MBPs in the article, we all are qualified to get the repair for FREE with the extended warranty.

However, later wording of "evaluation" brings gaps to the previously airtight statement and it provides rooms that many AASP (purposedly or not) have decided to turn us away from what we actually entitled to. Although some of us (with persistence and luck) did actually get the FREE repair or refunds plus the extended warranty, the rest of the pack were simply left out cold (like me)

Since the diagnose are too technical for common people, no one really can tell what factors should be fulfilled to be entitled as the article said. I read a very long thread at macrumours that some of us experienced that even the genius are simply clueless and have no confident in clariying this issue. Some got it on first encounter, some got it after 2-4 replacements.

You can imagine how troublesome it is to deal this matter in proper manner in Indonesia. I really need help here...

Just another observation; If I leave my 23 Cinema display alone for a month or so, and then plug it into the Macbook (Feb 2007) it works first time. But then as soon as I shutdown or blink, it goes black again.

Very odd. Very frustrating.

Just adding my story:
Have a 17" Macbook Pro manufactured at the same time as the the nVidia defect and matching all the same specs and symptoms.

Then in the end of May 09, 5 months out of warranty it broke down. Was working one evening and then put the computer to sleep. In the morning it wouldn't wake up out of sleep. Restarted it and the computer starts but just displays a blank screen. No chime or keyboard lights. AASP can't run the NVIDIA test and so say it's unrelated and I'll be charged for the logic board replacement.

I've heard people describe similar symptoms after installing the smc update which I can't be sure but given the time frame it seems perfectly likely I did. I remember doing an update before the issue but can't recall if it included the SMC update.

Anyway been all the way up to Executive Relations about the problem and Apple still refuse to take any blame and repair it.

With the number of people experiencing similar problems I hope Apple will one day address this! I'm very disappointed. For now it's back to a Windows life for me...

Just thought I'd add how interesting it is to see how much different AASP charge for logic board repairs.
I saw someone quote 600 something earlier in this thread.
I've a 2 quote from a AASP in Ipswich for £785 and from one in Prague for the equivalent of £920!!
Both quotes include part, labour and tax.
Ironically enough the Prague AASP charged approx £20 for diagnosis and the one in Ipswich charged a bit under £50.

Is this NVIDIA test even %100 foolproof? It's suspicious when we have two people with the exact same computer model, manufactured in the same time frame, with the exact same blank screen symptom, yet one "passes" the test and the other "fails". This test seems too random to me, as if apple is choosing a percentage of the failed chips to fix. Maybe because $200 million isn't going to fix the crap hardware they've given everyone?

And if the test doesn't work on a computer...doesn't that mean it FAILED. Which is the prerequisite to the warranty for the faulty Nvidia chip anyway? This blatant disregard for customer fairness boggles my mind. >_<

I think there must be more than one problem here or more likely the NVIDIA test only tests for a certain fault most likely at particular stages of the chip failure.
A 17" Macbook Pro which I bought with the high-res screen and 4gb ram and the bigger hardrive back in 07 (SO VERY EXPENSIVE) should last longer than 1 year and 5 months. I was hoping to keep this computer for the next 4 years at least as my main computer.

It's a shame that Apple don't repair all their faulty hardware as although the repairs might cost more I'm sure the customers they're losing costs even more.
I'm still in university and so repairing my logic board would have ensured I probably would carried on buying Macs through my lifetime and recommended to friends and family.
After my bad experiences with my first Mac I'm fairly sure this will probably be my last. I've just ordered another laptop to replace the broken Macbook Pro and it's a PC.

Just an update to my previous post. My Macbook Pro was sent off by the local Apple Store on Monday, the 13th. The computer is now on its 4th day at the repair center and is "on hold while parts are ordered". Apple is unable to give me an updated ETA. If this nVidia issue is a common defect as evidenced by these discussion boards, then why wouldn't they have replacement logic boards on hand? I do freelance work and the personal cost to me is devastating. I just can't believe that after the investment I made in this machine I am looking at such a long repair time. Very unhappy. I can't imagine how those of you must feel who failed the nvidia test. Very sad indeed and unfortunately has made me rethink purchasing more products from Apple. Sigh.