Q: MacBook Pro screen blinks

i'm really hoping about 10.6.3 update.
I read in a lot of site that one of the interest point of the developer is graphics drivers...

I really hope that it will be the solution...

At this moment my screen is completely grey and i can't see nothing (i've always spend more than 2.000$ last year for this "perfect" product)!!!!!

mikie_mbp,

There actually is a solution. Two of them:

1) Switch to the higher end graphics card option from your display properties. No more blinking.
2) Close your eyes every time the screen is about to blink. If your eyes are closed, then you don't realize that it's happening. Problem solved!

You can send your machine in for repair, where they will [supposedly] replace the logic board. I did, and the blinking went away for a few weeks. Then the blinking returned. That's when I said "eff it", and switched to the higher end graphics option. YRMV

Bonjour,

J'ai lancé un sondage à cette adresse afin de recenser le problème :

http://forum.macbidouille.com/index.php?showtopic=319263

Peux-tu remplir le questionnaire (cela prend 1 minute) ?

Tu peux aussi y relater ton expérience.

Cdt

Had the same problem with both leopard and snow leopard, my mbp is late 08 unibody. The screen would flicker only on 9400m g card and only after waking from sleep. Took it to apple authorized repair place and had it back in two days good as new. They replaced my logic board and since then there is no flickering. Have had it back only a few days but am hopeful this is dealt with.

Ok after reading a lot of stories, here is mine :

i have a late 2008 unibody macbook pro 2.53Ghz with both 9400 and 9600 512mb VRAM.

i noticed 1 night that at the last low level light setting, my screen brightness would wave a little bit. Then i got worried and follow the instruction of reseting PR RAM. (under OSX 10.6.2) and it worked.
Strangely, the problem is gone under OSX, doesnt matter which card i select, the problem is hopefully gone forever.

Now, under windows 7 ultimate, i meet the same problem. At the last level, my screen brightness would wave intermitently, which is kind of annoying.

i tried to figure out what the problem was as i had Bootcamp version 3.1 installed :

1) i downgraded my bootcamp drivers to 2.1 (problem was half solved)
2) i change my 9600m gt graphic drivers with laptopvideo2go optimized video drivers (188.25 one of the best drivers) and problem was still here

3) i finally came to the conclusion that its a software issue cause Apple didnt give us yet a new bootcamp update that would make both cards recognize by Windows.
At the moment, only the 9600m gt is visible by the system, but not the 9400.

Conclusion : fear not my friends, we may see a spectacular update in the next version of bootcamp or OSX that will get rid of this problem.


by the way, i have the 09c84 screen, use windows 7 X32 Ultimate, OSX 10.6.2

have had my macbook pro 17 back for nearly 2 weeks now and so far so good after the logic board replacement. apparently they have also replaced something else but were quite cagey as to what it was. will let you all know if it starts blinking again but fingers crossed not!

That's interesting Emily Elf - can you phone apple for us - it's an 0800 number - from your serial number they should be able to look up your records and tell you what was done...

Surely, it's their duty to inform you - and to also inform us!

That would be a great help if you can find out and let us know please. Mine's driving me bonkers and I'll be taking it back to the menders again when I can do without it for a few days (or more).

Thanks a lot

Just had my logic board replaced on late 2008 unibody with constant flickering. No flickers in 3 days.

We'll see if it sticks!

This problem has been getting worse on my Late 08 MBP. I'll probably take it in over spring break.

Giving this a little bump.

My late 2008 MBP has been giving me random "black outs" lately. It all started 2 months ago with 2 straight flickers that gave my screen dead pixels. The pixels, combined with a bluetooth problem, led to a replacement lid from Applecare. I've had another blackout since the lid was replaced. I've also had artifacts pop up wile watching a 720p video. It blacked out again a few minutes ago while I was on Yahoo Messenger.

How are you guys getting a logic board replacement? I can't seem to replicate the problem so I'd have trouble proving it to the Authorized Service Provider. It seldom happens, but I'm pretty sure it does.

I convinced them by showing them a video on my camera of the problem.

Hello all,

All the people getting replacements, are you guys using AppleCare or are they replacing the logic boards without the warranty?

Because I've bought mine on November 2008 and I've been getting crazy problems with my computer and it's obviously out of warranty and I do not have Apple Care but since this problem is so big I was wondering if they would be able to fix it for me without charging me?

So have anyone had their laptop fixed or replaced free of charge while their warranty is expired?

i just wanted to give a little follow up as well :

i took mine at different apple stores and tried to get it fixed, but the genius didnt want to do anything, since my machine is out of warranty.

i have the backlight pulsating effect on both card 9400 and 9600 (less noticeable on the 9400 though)

Also, i opened a case with Applecare and they didnt wan to fulfill a ''customer satisfaction program'', even when i joined the link of multiple forums relating this problem. (over 200-400 pages of users having flickering problem etc). Quoted from the technician : '' This is expected behaviour of the machine''

What serious BS man ! if i wanted ''expected behaviour of the machine'' i would have bought the cheapest laptop ever ! not a 2500$ machine.

So basically, all i can hope for is to live with this junk or just wait for the 10.6.3 update.

just curious about something though : if you guys used a firewire cable, and lets say you didn't know you had to use a special firewire 400, and you tried to plug an iee1394 (the firewire cable that comes with digital cameras), you had a spark then the computer shut down. Then it reboots as normal and you get the flickering problem ?

my friend who has the same problem as me, told me that the day he plugged the wrong cable, he got this spark effect in the firewire port, then the machine shut down, reboots normally and get the flicker effect.

Any thoughts ?

How did you get a video of it? I can't seem to replicate the blinking and it happens completely at random. I wouldn't know when to take a video!

fcar.gbr wrote:
Hello all,

All the people getting replacements, are you guys using AppleCare or are they replacing the logic boards without the warranty?

My MBP was under AppleCare and its main logic board is being replaced and it will take a few days. I am waiting for their call to pick it up.