Macbook Pro 2.1 & MAC OS X 10.5.7 update = no screen, I need the laptop!!

Question

Macbook Pro 2.1 & MAC OS X 10.5.7 update = no screen, I need the laptop!!

I´ve a presentation this afternoon which is only stored in my laptop, ok, maybe I should have saved it somewhere else, but it is too late for that!

I´ve updated the system to 10.5.7 and the screen is not working. The update installed correctly, and after that it rebooted the laptop but now, I have no screen at all!

I´ve tried to reset the PRAM, tried to boot in safe mode... nothing, I still cannot see anything.

And there is no way I can install a new system or format the disk If I am not able to see anything!

What can I do? BIG HELP!!!

MacBook Pro 2.1, Mac OS X (10.5.6), 4GB, 320GB....

Posted on May 13, 2009 2:31 AM

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Answer 1

gumsie

Level 4

2,179 points

May 13, 2009 2:51 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

You can't get an external monitor to test/use it on for now?

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Answer 2

May 13, 2009 2:57 AM in response to gumsie

I've tried that no luck!, I've read that maybe my graphic card, 8600M GT, is dead but it's weird because it just reboot after the update and then I've no screen at all!

Could be the graphic card, one of defective 8600M that nvidia built!?

If is that, after a year and 9 months, and after I've opened my MacBook Pro to change the hard drive, I will have to pay for this repair? I hope not!

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Answer 3

gumsie

Level 4

2,179 points

May 13, 2009 3:02 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

I've no idea about your graphics issue if I'm speaking the truth I just thought if you'd not tried an alternate screen that would be my first option.
My guess would be that you have a years warranty under normal circumstances and opening to replace the HD would not invalidate it. But it's 21 months old now so who knows. Somebody here will chime in I'm sure-if not then it's the genius bar.

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Answer 4

May 13, 2009 3:17 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

Sorry, I've tried to use a secondary screen without not luck, it doesn't have signal. What else can I try?

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Answer 5

gumsie

Level 4

2,179 points

May 13, 2009 3:40 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

I'd hang around for a mo, there seem to be a couple of display issues if you look at the forum here.

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Answer 6

logie50

Level 1

0 points

May 13, 2009 4:20 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

Hi, Boot from the OSX install disk as this will bypass the software on the system and will tell you if it's a software or hardware problem. If it works then you're looking at rollback or re-install with the option of archive and install, to keep your documents.

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Answer 7

May 13, 2009 5:02 AM in response to logie50

Thats impossible, the screen doesn't work from the begining, it means that I cannot see anything after booting up the laptop!

So any new idea? Or I should just wait to come back to Spain to send it to the
Technical Service?

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Answer 8

roffey

Level 1

0 points

May 13, 2009 5:10 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

What happens if you shine a light through the apple logo on the back of your laptop after you’ve booted? Can you make out anything on the screen? If you can you could maybe navigate to the presentation and burn it to a disk.
Have you tried turning up the screen brightness? – I have to ask?

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Answer 9

May 13, 2009 5:21 AM in response to roffey

Of course I tried the brightness screen buttons, didn't work 😉

I have to tried to put a light behind the logo, even If it seems crazy in my opinion. But the computer boot up because It gives me wifi sharing the internet connection to my other laptop...

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Answer 10

May 13, 2009 5:30 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

I've tried the light thing, obviously it didn't work, I just see the apple logo in the screen, but like a blur.

Ok, Should I give up and its a coincidence that my 8600M decided to die the same day of the update?

Any other way I can try to fix it?

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Answer 11

May 13, 2009 5:32 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

Have you tried booting from the DVD while holding the C Key? If it boots up as the other poster said than it is software and not hardware. What about booting with the AHT (I believe the D key does that)

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Answer 12

May 13, 2009 5:44 AM in response to Corey Ammons

None of them worked. With the C pressed and the Installation disk I can hear how it's reading it so I think it starts the installation but I can't see anything!

And with the ALT, I cannot see anything, I've also trie, because I've installed Windows in another partition to press left and enter so I should boot up windows, but still don't see anything 😟

Hardware failure? 😟

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Answer 13

May 13, 2009 7:30 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

I have not read all the post on this yet but I had the same thing, I removed the battery and unplugged it then let it sit for a few hours. It worked fine after that. That is until this morning when it did the same thing. I think it is related to sleep, or hibernate mode.

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Answer 14

May 13, 2009 8:02 AM in response to hitmaker.luis

Do you have screen sharing enabled? How about file sharing? If so you can try using another mac to connect to yours via the network and either use screen sharing or use the Finder to at least be able to access your computer and get the files you need.

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Answer 15

May 13, 2009 8:57 AM in response to Topher Kessler

Well, know I pluged out the battery and the power cable for a few hours and lets see 😉

About connecting through the internet now is going to be more difficult because I don't know why, now it seems that the service that shares the internet connection is not working because I cannot see the wireless connection I had sharing in my MacBook Pro, don't know why!

At last if is necessary I will open the Macbook pro, it won't be the first time, and try to recover the data from the hard drive.

There is only one more problem, I had FireVault enabled! so, Is there anyway I can connect the hard drive through an USB case?

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