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Level 1

5 points

Macbook Pro making weird creaking noises?

I have had my Macbook Pro since early November. Recently when picking it up, shifting positions or sometimes typing, there has been creaking/cracking noises. It is really annoying. I was wondering if this is a wide spread quality issue or what.

Macbook Pro (late 2008), Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Feb 25, 2009 3:48 PM

69 replies

pppearrr

Level 1

0 points

Mar 4, 2011 10:26 AM in response to turbo95eg6

my mbp does this as well... anyone found out anything?

Apr 6, 2011 5:16 AM in response to mdonovan0190

Mine is fixed now. I removed all the screws and found some silicone grease. I got just enough that it coats the surface in the areas where the gold pins make contact with the bottom cover. I then tightened the screws in a star pattern. In the past 6 hours I have enjoyed a normal sounding machine.

Zomos

Level 1

0 points

Apr 7, 2011 4:54 PM in response to mdonovan0190

I personally think this is the best-built portable available in the market today.. period. I think everyone should just stop complaining and be thankful that they could be "chatting" and "face booking" on such a machine. I got an idea though, if you like buying Macbook Pro because you like to look cool, then the noise will only attract more attention for you, but if you truly want a dependable machine to chat and face book on, then get the Macbook, plastic works miracles... no squeaking there. I feel as if most people on this thread are the type that give Genius Bar a hard time, every time and complain about everything. And please don't touch the "springs" those are there for a reason, Apple is simple and conservative, and they would not add anything unnecessary to the design of the laptop.

Apr 7, 2011 6:31 PM in response to Zomos

OR

How about this:

I love my MacBook Pro, but despite being pretty sturdy, it's the only laptop I've owned that makes weird creaking and clicking noises coming from inside the chassis. Yes it's great at everything, but you would think that a company that is renowned for its "flawless" physical design could outwit these trivial and easily fixable minor annoyances, like clicking optical drives, creaking cases and horribly irritating "tink" noises coming from a SPRING of all things. You forget that people pay top dollar for these top-of-the line machines. Apple goes out of their way to be pretentious in their ads and make their product look perfect. The least they could do is fix these widely-experienced issues before coming up with new ports and bragging about how everything else out there is garbage and how you're stupid and uncool for not owning the right one. I'd rather have a quiet machine than this new thunderbolt port at the moment.

By the way, telling people that they essentially have no right to point out any flaws in Apple's products is just the sort of thing people hate about the company.

I still like my Macbook Pro, though.

i3inary

Level 1

0 points

May 9, 2011 1:22 AM in response to mdonovan0190

I also am having this issue on a week old 2011 15" macbook pro. Always does it when on my lap or laying down with my legs up in bed...sounds almost like glass...and kinda makes me cringe everytime I hear it. Only complain about this machine so far.

Is there a solution that works and doesn't void the warranty?

Dec 9, 2011 1:39 PM in response to mdonovan0190

124068 views of this posting... I thought I did something wrong when my MBP 15" started the clicking, scratching noise (It is just over one month old). I feel a bit better that it is a common problem, but not so happy that it's occuring. I guess I'll be using Apple Care or the Genius Bar to resolve this, as I have paid heartily for both services in addition to the cost of the machine. I don't want to open the computer, nor put electrical tape on anything inside. If I wanted to deal with that stuff I would have stuck to the old school PC's.

jtweezy

Level 1

0 points

Feb 3, 2012 8:34 AM in response to IAmGoingBolts

What kind of silcone grease did you get/use?

I've read some articles and solutions for the creaking sound that say to remove those springs alltogether, but I've also read that those springs are needed for grounding. If they're needed for grounding, it seems like they shouldn't be removed. I'd rather try your silicone trick.

Mar 13, 2012 5:57 AM in response to mdonovan0190

I have the same creaky sound - but also an electrical buzz feeling when I touch someone else or someone else touches me, while my laptop is on my lap. It is a weird electrical stickiness feeling, like when you slide your hand on someone's arm it skips as if you were touching rubber.

Anyone have any remedies?

My girlfriend won't touch me anymore when I am on my computer and thinks she isn't getting pregnant because I am "frying my boys" with electricity.

I called Apple Tech Support - and because my support expired 20 days ago (even though this problem has been going on for months) they said they wouldn't help me.

They suggested the laptop was never meant for a lap - lol... and I should only use it on a table.

Help - I'm frying here!

Jan 24, 2014 7:19 AM in response to mdonovan0190

So my creaking Macbook Pro Retina 15 was too much for me. Made an appointment with Genius Bar.

It turns out it the the springs. The Genius was able to fix the super noisey one but to fully repair it (something I didn't do to the machine and simply has to do with Apples choice of parts) I have to give my Apple up for a week. Which is completely ***** as I use my Mac for a living (music composer). I asked if we could do a swap out (I brought box/power in). "We don't do that." Fair enough, but this is the first Apple laptop that I've had with so much problems. The first one I had of the Early 2013 had all these issues with the fan running like crazy. Took it back twice, it turned out Apple needed to do a firmware update to adress the issue. Everything was fine after that but then after 6 months the Laptop starts creaking like a 5 year old machine. What the ****. I guess I have to cancel my clients for a week to get this done. Awesome.

Macbook Pro making weird creaking noises?