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

Peter Miller7 wrote:

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.

The problem I'm referring to about the video card is that it is faulty--not that it causes monitor problems. The card can't display many textures with respectable FPS in videos and games.

The first time I got my logic board replaced, no mention was made of an Nvidia problem; after all, I still have the same GPU. Now, since I'm out of warranty, it's a ~$300 dollar problem, and that's not worth it to me for a 2+ year old laptop with a faulty video card and a (related?) recurring problem.

Like I said, I've always used Macs and have always been a big proponent of their hardware, but this course of events was simply frustrating.

The problem I'm referring to about the video card is that it is faulty--not that it causes monitor problems. The card can't display many textures with respectable FPS in videos and games.

It doesn't matter. It's entirely irrelevant. If the problem you are having is related to the NVIDIA chip fault, then you will get it fixed under Apple's extended warranty. If it's something else then you won't. If you're complaining that your warranty has run out and Apple won't fix another problem entirely then it's unclear why you're posting in this thread.

Another me too!

Last Saturday afternoon, I attempted to work on a job for a Monday deadline and NO video display. I also remembered that the computer was extremely hot after I put it to sleep the previous night. Thanks to everyone that posted here because after trying the recommendations and being reminded of the issue I knew my MB Pro (Sep 2007) was going to Apple on Monday. We saw a genius that verified that the logic board would need replacing and of course, he would have to order the part. A few days for that and a few days to repair and return to the store to pick up equals too long downtime for me. In turn, I asked to have the computer sent to the depot because they were faster with a couple of previous repairs (different computers). On Wednesday, the depot received, repaired and shipped it direct to my office via FedEx Priority for delivery Thursday.

The repair summary of the items replaced is:
605-1791 Logic board
605-1231 Thermal module
607-0608 Fan
607-0609 Fan

Apparently, the fans were not working or noisy and did not pass the hardware test as to their replacement. This may be the reason for it running so hot. Everything seems fine now.

As others have commented, I wish Apple had pressed NVIDIA to make this a recall. That way, all registered users with the identified range of computers would get notification and could chose when to get their computers checked versus the upheaval of the unpredictable moment of failure.

Good luck all.

Add me to the list

My MacBook Pro has been at the iCenter for almost a week now and I received the invoice today. The logic board has been replaced by Apple for free, but now it turns out my hard disk is broken and needs to be replaced! There was nothing wrong with it for as far as I was aware of.

So, a free new logic board, but still 230 Euros

Just had to chime in and add myself to the list.

Got mine back with new logic board and all is OK. Was about to sell it, until I realized my NEW MBP with the mini-display port doesn't support analog, so I can't output to composite RCA or S-Video, as I NEED this with my VJ setup, looks like I'll be having 2 MBPs. . .

Wanted to share some of my own symptoms that may be related:
Random screen glitches every once in a while solved by a simple restart. . .

Most interestingly, upon waking from sleep, my battery would always be dead, even right after being plugged in an charged all day long. One day, he just didn't wake up.

And another one bites the dust. Purchased my MBP 15" Santa Rosa in summer 2007, not a hint of bother until the screen refused to awaken from sleep yesterday evening. Bringing it into repairs tomorrow, which will hopefully confirm my diagnosis of a faulty NVidia chip. Hadn't heard anything about this issue until I started searching here last night - screen sharing would have been mighty handy had I known. About to do a Firewire Target Disk Mode salvage job on my data now before I send it in for repairs. Ironic thing is my flatmate just got his first Mac yesterday and I was telling him he'd easily get four or five years use out of the thing! Anyway, fingers crossed.

Hello All,
I am a new mac user, coming from PC. NEVER had any problem with all my old Pc's. My new macbook pro (higly expected) came out of the box with the problem in the logic board!! I was not able to use the computer for a single day. Unfortunately I live in Brazil (but bought it on a short business trip to the US), so I had to bring it to the local repair center. They will fix it (at least they said so), but my point here is I was really wishing to become another "fanatic fan" of Apple...I am not sure it will happen...

I am a new mac user, coming from PC. NEVER had any problem with all my old Pc's. My new macbook pro (higly expected) came out of the box with the problem in the logic board!! I was not able to use the computer for a single day. Unfortunately I live in Brazil (but bought it on a short business trip to the US), so I had to bring it to the local repair center. They will fix it (at least they said so), but my point here is I was really wishing to become another "fanatic fan" of Apple...I am not sure it will happen...

So, let me get this straight - you bought an Apple machine in another country, it had a problem, it's being rectified in your own country with no real ramification, and you're complaining? And you're making a damning assessment of Apple based on this one example of what a normal consumer would consider an entirely acceptable solution?

Hit me with a broom pole someone! How is it that some people in this thread are so obtuse? Apple makes millions upon millions of computers. SOMETIMES, no matter how hight the quality control, it's likely that a machine with a fault will make it into the hands of a user. It is unavoidable. In that instance, Apple's track record for rectifying the problem (read back through this thread for multiple examples) is exemplary. And this is a thread which explicitly discusses problems, so you're reading a very intense little accumulation of those stories here - you're not reading about the millions of NON problems out there.

I'm beginning to suspect that PC lovers troll these forums just to Apple bash. Call me a cynic.

Hi nclemente, please let me know if you were sorted, i'm in SA and have the same problem, but they rejecting my claim, where did you take it

Ran into what is definitely a GPU issue last night on my MBP purchased in June 2007. It does indeed have the GeForce 8600M GT, but it seems like my issue is a bit different than other users?

I am using the latest version of Leopard, but have not upgraded to Snow Leopard.

Just doing my usual internet-ing, and happened to try to load up a Flash game. Suddenly, my screen starts flashing crazy pixelated magenta, then crazy pixelated magenta stripes. During this time the mouse is completely frozen and I cannot appear to do anything such as Force Quit, etc.

I force a shutdown. Let it sit for a bit. Then restart. Screen loads the gray Apple logo, but then immediately kernal panics and I force another shutdown.

I reboot with the Leopard install disk. No problem, computer starts up to the disk. I run a verify and repair, no trouble, it says the HHD is good to go. Yay green text!

I restart again to my normal HHD. It works. I login. I attempt to open a screenshot PNG image inside of Preview. Instantly, the screen is now flashing magenta stripes again and everything freezes.

Force shutdown, restart, another kernal panic.

Force shutdown, restart from Leopard install disk, HDD verify and repair are OK and good to go.

So I just restarted again, made a final backup, and shut 'er down. And then got out my other computer to make an appointment with the Genius Bar for later this evening.


Has anyone else run into this crazy screen failure issue? it seems like I am right on the verge of having complete failure, but it has not happened just yet since I could still login successfully and do non-image/non-video related things such as a simple backup. I have not started up my laptop since I shutdown after my backup last night.

Hi! I seem to be having the same problem... Macbook Pro, purchased july/august 2007.

It was working fine until this weekend; tried taking it out of sleep mode and the screen wouldn't turn on. I can hear it humming and working as it normally would, but just a black screen. If I put in a CD it'll start reading it and will eject if I push the eject button. Since then I've restarted it numerous times using different methods.

Capslock key light doesn't come on, chime doesn't sound when I restart (sounds like it's coning out of sleep mode), and no sounds are heard when I push the volume buttons. Is this an Nvidia problem?

There's no way for anyone here to know if it is the NVIDIA problem. You have to take it to an Apple Store for them to run their test on it.

However, it certainly sounds like the NVIDIA problem to me.

Distorted video is listed as a symptom of the problem on the Apple Support Note (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377). Best of luck; I hope you are covered!

That was what I noticed as well, hopefully it will be the case! I will reply here after my appointment at the Genius Bar tonight with some more info!

Capslock key light doesn't come on, chime doesn't sound when I restart (sounds like it's coning out of sleep mode), and no sounds are heard when I push the volume buttons. Is this an Nvidia problem?

This is an indicator that it may not be the NVIDIA problem - your machine should behave normally except for loss of video (ie it should shut down and start up normally, and all keys should function). As has been said, there's no real way to be sure except to take it in to an Apple service place.