Macbook Pro won't boot up :( please,please,please help

Question

Macbook Pro won't boot up :( please,please,please help

I have macbook pro (late 2007), 2.2 2gb ram and bootcamp is installed. I put it to sleep last night.

Today when I tried to start the macbook pro this is what happened.

1) the light on the front of the macbook pro glows faintly (constant)
2) the DVD spins (there is a Leopard dVD in the mbp)
3) Fans are working
4) Hard disk is working

The macbook pro does not get past these 2 stages, it does not start up, the screen stays black, the keyboard does not respond, however the processors do get warm when it is left in this state for a period of 5 minutes or more.

I have tried the following,

1) held down the power button until it beeps - it didn't beep
2) reset the pram - nothing happened
3) tried starting in safe mode - nothing happened
4) tried holding down the mouse button upon starting - nothing happened
5) held down cmd option and the other one before starting - nothing
6) Reset SMC (PMU) nothing happened
7) Tried to boot up with Leopard DVD (dvd is now stuck in laptop, I can't take it out, non of the ordinary ways of taking the DVD out works)

It seems like the keyboard is not responsive, the caps lock and num lock lights are not working. No power is coming out of the usb ports, when I try to start the mbp I plugged my ipod in and it didn't charge.

I've also noticed that the sleep light gets brighter/dimmer as you tilt the screen more/less. With the screen almost closed, the sleep light is very dim, however with the screen fully open, it is much brighter (tho not as bright as it should be).

This is the second time I'm having this issue, the first time, just 2 days ago I have fixed it with SMC reset.

Please note that currently, taking my laptop to apple is out of option as where I'm currently, the nearest apple center is 500miles away.

Macbook Pro 2.2Ghz (late 2007), Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jan 4, 2009 6:01 AM

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Answer 1

Obi2ice

Level 2

300 points

Jan 4, 2009 6:33 AM in response to Ivana Machova

I had this same issue when I changed my RAM but it's ok now. Have you tried changing this before?

I wouldn't suggest taking it out if you have not done so before.

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Answer 2

Jan 4, 2009 7:40 AM in response to Obi2ice

Hi Obi, I "played" with RAM only after this problem started, it was one of attempts to fix this, I removed both chips, than swap them, then put only one at the time but non of this worked. I even unplugged emergency battery from the motherboard (logic circuit) in order to erase PRAM (as the keyboard doesn't work) but that didn't do the trick. 😟

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Answer 3

Obi2ice

Level 2

300 points

Jan 4, 2009 8:02 AM in response to Ivana Machova

If you have exhausted all the steps at http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1367 Then your last option is contacting Apple https://selfsolve.apple.com/EXPERT/GetProductList.do

You'd need to login to proceed.

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Answer 4

Jan 4, 2009 11:42 AM in response to Obi2ice

Hi Obi, I've exhausted all of those steps. Nothing worked 😟

I have even managed to find service manual for this laptop but I couldn't find anything except more confirmations that the logic board is probably dead. I don't want to pay for the customer service if they will just go over basics with me and then suggest that this laptop should be taken to repair shop. Thanks for your help.

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Answer 5

Obi2ice

Level 2

300 points

Jan 4, 2009 11:50 AM in response to Ivana Machova

Have a look at this article http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

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Answer 6

Jan 4, 2009 12:35 PM in response to Ivana Machova

"the nearest apple center is 500miles away."
There may be one closer: AASP's Outside of the USA

Another help source: Croatia User Groups

Good luck!

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Answer 7

Jan 4, 2009 1:09 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

Hi BB, if you were familiar with the ways how typical croatian repair shop works, you would definetly try to avoid them, specially with the problem as weird as mine. In this case, if the circuit board is dead and even if it is not, Im sure they would say it is dead and they might not even replace it(but they will double charge one). In US you would probably sue them or something, here, out of the question. Customer always comes last. The bottom line is... i don't want to pay 1500$ for the repair if I can buy new one for 2000$ and also, this thing is 1,3 yrs old, I shouldn't even be writing this.

So, I'm considering an AASP in Austria, which is like 500 miles away from my current location. But before I give my laptop to anyone, I would like to figure out what is wrong with it.

Thanks for the web address, I've already posted this issue on Croatian mac users forums so lets hope someone knows something about this issue.

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Answer 8

Jan 4, 2009 1:39 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

You may want to try this.

Solution A
Start up your MBP while pressing Option (alt)|, Command, P, R until your hear 3 chimes rather than 2 as indicated by apple. This worked for me the first time.

Solution B
Start your MBP while pressing Option (alt), Command, S
Hold until you see the computer automatic routine. When it finally stops type the following followed by "return":
fsck -fy

It will probably indicate some problem related to "pcscd.pub" (should be 16 instead of 17). I haven't figured out what this means but somewhere in the Internet i read it is related to scan cards...

More importantly this routine will fix any problems with your HDD similarily to disk repair. When it ends, it will tell you if it has fixed/modified anything. If it has, run the routine again by typing again "fsck -fy"

Lastly, reboot by typing "reboot" (followed by "return")

Solution C
Start up your MBP while pressing option (alt), command, S

hold keys until you see computer commands scrolling

when the routine stops type the following, each line followed by the "return" key:
mount -uw /
chmod 775 /
chmod 1775 /
reboot

After which your computer should reboot on it's own.

Each of the above has worked for me at one time or another. Once your computer has rebooted from the DVD you can reinstall OS X. If your problems started after installing 10.5.6, then I don't suggest updating until 10.5.5.

I'm very very disappointed with my 2007 MBP, it started to give me problems after 1 year. had to change the HDD and lately when I isntalled 10.5.6 it suddenly refused to start up., My previous Mac laptop (2003 866Mhz) worked for 4 years without a hitch. Ironically I've had to use it to access the internet and find solutions for my current MBP.

best of luck

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Answer 9

Jan 4, 2009 1:59 PM in response to Kalunga Lima

Hi Kalunga, thanks for trying...

Unfortunately, keyboard is non responsive, so the startup routines from your post are not working for me 😟

I'm very disappointed with this, and while reading other people's posts about their problems with macbook pros, apple is falling more and more in my eyes. And I was very proud switcher until 2 days 😟

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Answer 10

Jan 10, 2009 3:16 PM in response to Ivana Machova

Logic Board is dead, repair here costs 1300$ and new MBP is 2000$. Thanks Apple for selling me this piece of crap.

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Answer 11

ti_to

Level 1

8 points

Jan 11, 2009 6:12 AM in response to Ivana Machova

Try what Obi2ice suggested, look at: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

This is a common problem, the nvidia graphics chip is failing. I'm getting mine replaced, even though it is out of warranty. The people in the store here did not know about the repair program, so it's likely that that they were not aware of it in your store either.

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Answer 12

LCee

Level 1

69 points

Jan 11, 2009 7:38 AM in response to Ivana Machova

All the symptoms sound exactly like defective memory.

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Answer 13

Jan 21, 2009 8:24 PM in response to Ivana Machova

I have the exact same symptoms with my Macbook Pro 17" 2.4Ghz, I have taken it to Apple and although it appears to be covered by the NVidia Ge8600 chip issue, Apple's saying it's not covered, so it look slike I have a fight on my hands.

THe official word is that it's the logic board that isn't working, well given that the faulty chip is soldered to it and overheating of the chip has a high chance of compromising the logic board too I hope I'm, come out victorious in this little battle with Apple.

I've never known a company to argue so much with its customers, normally you have something faulty, which the company acknowledges is faulty they replace it - not Apple it seems.

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