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

@primary0:

Now that I use a Mac now it's the other way around! I never realized the hardware issues that's the ugly truth hidden beneath everything Apple. The real problem with it is that getting a hardware problem fixed takes days - and it is very, very frustrating. Ugh

That is simply not my experience. As I've said previously in this thread, I've had three Apple laptops and perhaps a half dozen desktop machines over at least a decade and a half, and I've found them to be reliable and of a very high quality of manufacture. I've had very few hardware problems, and, in all that time, only ONE faulty part (not counting the NVIDIA issue which I don't think we can blame on Apple)

Whenever I have had to deal with Apple service, I've found them knowledgeable and helpful. The only time I've ever thought I might be without my machine for any length of time was with this NVIDIA problem, and I would simply have rented another laptop and transferred my data from my backups. I would have been working again in no time. As it turns out, they fixed my problem while I waited.

It's unfortunate that you've had a serious problem with your machine, but that can happen with ANY piece of highly complicated technical gear. You only have to go to any PC forum to hear tales of woe just like yours about PCs. Sometimes **** happens.

I have to agree with you, everyone I've talked to said they've never had hardware issues with their Apple products. I suppose I just ran into some bad luck with my first one. Oh well.

As for Apple's service, I have to say it is the best after sales service there is. My Macbook Pro is out of warranty, and I do not have Apple Care (oops!). The problem I'm having is clearly not the NVIDIA issue and therefore I am not eligible for the 3 years free repairs policy.

But Apple have said they will not charge me a single dollar for the logic board replacement.

Stay classy Apple.

Nice to hear that they're treating you well. That's pretty much the attitude from Apple that I've come to know.

Hi LogicalVue,

That's interesting, your macbook pro worked with an external usb monitor? That would mean I could at least continue using it. My macbook pro unfortunately gives a warped video signal through remote desktop though, so I'm not really sure a usb monitor will work, how was that in your case?

@Manimalle2: Display through the external USB monitor was normal, which I would expect since it uses its own video card rather than the Mac's. The tricky part might be installing the drivers, because a USB monitor won't work without them. Ideally the drivers are installed before the display dies

First of all this post has an incredible timeline of like... 2 years, what's that about? Secondly, this happened to me while working this afternoon. Still under applecare I heard one of the geniuses say "That's probably that NVIDIA issue..." before even running any sort of test or diagnostic. No questions asked, the part is being ordered and the repair has been scheduled. But I really don't feel resolution, this issue is huge, why wasn't there a recall? And I mean yeah I lucked out being under warranty, but what if I'm not and this happens again? And really is it NVIDIA's fault? Or is it Apple's for not holding them to a higher standard....
Anyway, the point is at any second I could just lose my video again, and how's that for notebook security?
Either they should extend warranties to cover this, or swap them for a unibody that doesn't have the issue, this isn't Dell. And I didn't pay close to $3,000 for poorly inspected/made/shipped or whatever it was hardware. This is definitely going on Apple's permanent record for me.

Either they should extend warranties to cover this

You're not paying attention SupaRistopher. Apple HAS explicitly extended the warranty to cover this. Read the rest of the thread before you go off your head at them. My machine was out of its original warranty and Apple fixed the problem quickly, efficiently and with very little inconvenience on my part. I would expect no better service from anyone.

hi everybody!
i'm arrived here link by link... i ddin't have time to read everything, but i'm finally having my first problem after one year and half (i bought it in april 2008) with the screen...
the first is a white alone appear about a couple of month ago, with the shape of an half circle... but i didn't give importance....
and now, just turn on the computer, i listened the sound and the scrreen is completely dark! iu hu!
obviously the guarantee is expired...
what i have to do?
help me please..!

ilaria

This MBP 15" of mine has been fixed for free, logic board replaced

After experiencing similar problems as has been detailed here, specifically the black screen, I took my MBP to an Apple Retail Store and had a 'Genius' run diagnostics. He told me the problem was not with the Nvidia 8600 graphics card, but with the display itself. Apparently mirroring the screen with an external yields usability. A replacement was quoted to cost $700. Has anyone else got a similar response?

Apparently mirroring the screen with an external yields usability.

This indicates that the problem is most likely with your screen, and not the NVDIA chip. The NVDIA problem would not allow you to run an external monitor - the genius is correct.

Ok- this problem happened to me a while back, while I was still under warranty. Got logic board replaced for free, and since I have never ever had a hardware issue with Apple, I took it with a grain of salt as a fluke.

Fast forward about a year later, this happens again...I'm no longer under warranty, and a replacement is not worth it on my model anymore (~2 years old). Both of these logic board failures are on top of constantly dealing with the faulty Nvidia graphics card (8600M GT) that was only revealed/accepted as a faulty batch a year+ after release. I'm quite frustrated, as I've always been an Apple consumer and especially supported them for flawless hardware.

+Ending my rant, is there anyway I can get my HD files from my now dead-monitor MBP to a PC?+

Fast forward about a year later, this happens again...I'm no longer under warranty, and a replacement is not worth it on my model anymore (~2 years old). Both of these logic board failures are on top of constantly dealing with the faulty Nvidia graphics card (8600M GT) that was only revealed/accepted as a faulty batch a year+ after release.

You seem to be talking about several different problems here MoA. Are you saying that you've had the NVIDIA problem twice on the same MBP? Man, that's terribly unlucky! No matter - if that is indeed the case, then YOU WILL BE COVERED by the extended warranty. And 'constantly dealing with' the faulty NVIDIA issue? Wha? It happens and you get it fixed - it's not an either/or situation. If you are having problems and you think it's the NVIDIA chip, you can take your machine to an Apple service place and they will tell you straight away!

If you're complaining about a second logic board failure for a different reason entirely then why bring up the NVIDIA problem?

The bones of the matter are this: if the NVIDIA chip failure is the problem, Apple will cover you. They have said so, and this thread contains numerous confirmations of them sticking to their word. How can you expect better service than that? Seriously? And it's 'not worth it' to have a 2 yo MBP repaired for free? You must be rolling in money. I have an MBP that is nearly 3 years old that I use for high-end audio, 3D image work and video and it's still meeting every demand I place on it.

Ending my rant, is there anyway I can get my HD files from my now dead-monitor MBP to a PC?

And if ever there was a petulant dummy-spit, that's sure it.

Milkofamnesia wrote:
+Ending my rant, is there anyway I can get my HD files from my now dead-monitor MBP to a PC?+

Well, I'm not sure about getting files to a PC, but yes to another mac computer with a working monitor and firewire-to-firewire cable.
See How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode

Hi all,

This is my update on things.
I had the blank screen. Tried everything suggested (change sleep mode, rm *.mkext files, ...) but nothing worked. Turning on and off the computer for hundreds of times resulted in a corrupted hard drive. I had to use Disk Warrior to rebuild my disk. Then the screen would appear again. But then it was a very random process. Blank again. I finally brought it to an apple store in the UK. My warranty was out. They told me it was a problem with the NVidia card and so they mentioned they'll replace it free of charge. Today I got back my macbook pro after 2 weeks. It appears that they have actually replaced the logic board. They did it free of charge!!!! As they told me it was due to the Nvidia thingy. Well This might give some hope to some. Just for Info...

MG