No display at all after 10.5.7 update install

Hi there,

Thanks for the tip. I've tried that and a few other ones on this thread, unfortunately none have worked. I can still get the iMac to boot into safe mode and I can see everything ok, although the display doesn't look quite right? Can put my finger on it but it is almost like a small checkerboard effect?

Anyway, it works ok like that (in safe mode) but if I try and boot off the install DVD or boot normally the display is either all blue and I can't do anything or its all distorted with lines and eventually crashes!

I manage to run hardware test and it showed up a fault on the display card (2ati/1/4:113-xxxxx-113). Not sure if that is causing the problems I am seeing as the mac was working fine prior to the 10.5.7 upgrade?

My problem came back again, the black screen of death. I reinstalled my mac via target disk mode again with a firewire cable like before, but this time I didn't install/update 10.5.6 (my original Leopard disk is 10.5.5) this time and left it at 10.5.5. I restarted my mac and got the black screen again. I think the 10.5.7 update did a firmware update to my graphics card rendering it useless. Now I am really disappointed with this, Apple has dropped the ball and I really hope they recognize and do something about this.

Still in the dark

mokeiko

Hi G

Good idea but it did not work. I removed all the 3100 kexts and a few of the related drivers bundles, also the mkext file you suggested. When it rebooted, it was still black and the System profile showed no chipset at all... (interestingly, it just left a blank line ... it did not say "no chipset" or "chipset: __" ... just left a blank line ... never seen that before.)

My next hunch was perhaps that the NVIDIA kexts were damaged so I went back to a library of extensions that I had on and earlier version of 10.5 (from November 2008) and extracted the GEForce kexts and drivers from that. It was odd because some of them had the same names and creation/modification dates as those on my 10.5.7 extension folder but they were not the same size (i.e., twie as large in fact). So I uploaded those GEForce kexts and drivers wondering if the system would see them and use them upon reboot. It again rebooted and did not seem to see or use them ... Sys profiler again showed there was no chipset.

So I put all of the originals back and will pack this off to the tech.

I also have no idea how to force the machine into the NVIDIA drivers and kexts but if the vid cart has been compromised in this process (then I guess that would not help).

Thanks for all of your input into this ugly process...

Jack

Mine is now in the shop but the drop-off was rather eventful. After spending five minutes explaining how everything had happened the past three days the person accepting the machine pushed the on button and sure enough it clanged and then within two minutes had booted into 10.5.7 complete with onboard display. Like everything was fine. Standing there in shock and reminding myself of Murphy's Law of Cussedness (when something can go wrong, it will, except when you bring your car to the mechanic or your machine to the tech guy), I checked the System Profiler and sure enough under Displays it said the installed chipset was the NVIDIA GEForce 8... etc that I (and others) were convinced was fried. So I asked him to do a restart in front of me and when he did the MBP obediently again opened into the dead black screen. But now I am even more confised. Anyway, the shop has the machine and I have work to do (all from my clone on a small Macbook 13"...).

J

Try this (or at least the hardware side anyway) - Worked for me - Hopefully it will for you too...

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2010034&tstart=15

teamtomsk,

I tried the reinstall again via TDM and got my mac working again, for now. I will keep that article for my notes when I encounter the black screen problems again. I appreciate the heads up.

mokeiko

I followed teamtomsk's suggestions of a reinstall via screen sharing but it didn't work for me - I still get the blank screen.
Mokeiko, did you reinstall via target disk mode by running the installer on another mac and selecting the blank screen mac's hard drive to install to?

Having spoken to applecare, I was told when I arrived at my apple service provider that there would be a charge of £60 to have an engineer look at my mac. I don't have a retail apple store close by so I'm not going to have to phone applecare AGAIN to discuss this issue.

CollectedMule,

+Mokeiko, did you reinstall via target disk mode by running the installer on another mac and selecting the blank screen mac's hard drive to install to?+

yes, I put the Leopard install cd on the working mac, restarted it, chose the target disk mac as the drive to install. I did an erase and install. When everything installs, you will go through the process of setting up your newly installed OS, Like when you first purchased your mac and filled in all the user information. Shut everything down, disconnect the firewire cable and boot up your newly installed mac and cross your fingers. I'm still crossing mine.

The only thing I don't do is let my mac sleep as that causes my screen to go black again (I verified this on my last reinstall). The best of luck to you and everyone else plagued by the 10.5.7 update.

mokeiko

After doing as much as I could with software changes (details are in this discussion topic), my problems came back.

Did some more digging around and concluded that definitely the NVIDIA chip is faulty and the 10.5.7 update just triggered the fault and the only option is to replace the logic board.

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9490902#9490902

Luckily Apple have acknowledged this:

from http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=578050&highlight=verticalbluelines

Apple says some MacBook Pros affected by faulty Nvidia chips
Apple said this week some of its more recent MacBook Pro models may contain faulty Nvidia graphics chips that produce distorted video or fail completely.

The problem

In July, Nvidia informed the Securities and Exchange Commission that it would incur a $150 million to $200 million charge to cover repair and replacement expenses resulting from "a weak die/packaging material set" in certain versions of its previous MCP and GPU products employed by various notebook vendors.

"The previous generation MCP and GPU products that are impacted were included in a number of notebook products that were shipped and sold in significant quantities," the chipmaker told the Commission. "Certain notebook configurations of these MCP and GPU products are failing in the field at higher than normal rates."

When contacted by AppleInsider shortly after the filing, officials for Nvidia refused to confirm or deny whether Apple was among the notebook manufacturers affected by the issue, citing "confidentiality obligations" to its customers that prevent it from discussing the matter.

For its part, Apple also contacted Nvidia in July and was assured "that Mac computers with these graphics processors were not affected," it revealed in a support document for the first time this week.

"However, after an Apple-led investigation, Apple has determined that some MacBook Pro computers with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor may be affected," the company said. "If the NVIDIA graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within two years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty."

Affected MacBook Pros and symptoms

Among the models affected are those that were manufactured between approximately May 2007 and September 2008. They include the MacBook Pro (15-Inch, 2.4/2.2GHz), MacBook Pro (17-Inch, 2.4GHz), and MacBook Pro (Early 2008).

Customers who own one of these systems should look for instances of distorted or scrambled video on their screen, or the absence of video on the screen (or external display) when the computer is running.

Getting your MacBook Pro repaired

"If your MacBook Pro is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed above, please take it to an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) for evaluation, or call your local Apple Contact Center," Apple said. "Before visiting the Genius Bar at the Apple Retail Store, please make a reservation."

Apple is also issuing refunds to customers who may have paid for repairs related to this issue. These customers should contact Apple for details on the refund process.

<Edited by Host>

Sorry the gremlins came back to haunt you too. I am curious to see how Apple will respond to my case which is the same as yours. My Apple tech is looking at my MBP today. I will make him aware of this acknowledgement by Apple as I am not sure how well word gets around (I am in Switzerland). I already paid him last November when he did the routine diagnostics on my MBP and the GEForce Chip and it came back "clean" according to Apple even though it was within the specified manufacture dates by NVIDIA and was acting up intermittently on my external 3rd party screen especially with various sleep issues (if I closed the lid ... it would not do external video as advertised). Apple said at the time it was a problem with my screen so did not replace the hw (even though another MB I have works perfectly with the external monitor with lid closed although admittedly there is no real video card in the MB). So I will see what they say this time.

In any event, MANY thanks for your help through the week and for these latest links. And good luck with your machine.

Jack

Last word from AppleCare is that, of those with this particular NVIDIA graphics chip, only those with VMWare Fusion installed are having problems with the 10.5.7 update.

Yeap, it seems, mine had installed it.

And its ready, I received a SMS from the Technical Service and I can go to pick it back!, lets see if it was that.

So the problem is apple's or VMWare's?

Mine didn't have VMware fusion installed. I've completely reinstalled Leopard and the combo updates to 10.5.6 and 10.5.7 and no dice. I've still got the blank screen. Mine's off to the service chaps today.

... But, did you have any remnant of VMWare, or Parallels in your system log ?

Mine also did not have VMWare or Parallels installed on the machine. never. Nada. Jamais. Still the headaches. Mine is at service but no word yet from them. I think they are swamped.

J