MBP13‘3 and External Monitor Problem (screen goes pink/ laptop hangs)

Simon Niblock wrote:
Same problem, system would freeze only when connected to an external monitor (Dell 2405) - screen freeze every 20-40 mins, sometimes pink, green or grey.

Spent many hours on the phone with Apple tech support, running hardware diagnostic tests, reinstalling systems software, then all other applications one at a time (it took weeks) The problem still persisted.
The only thing that has worked, as suggested on this site, is booting up then running in clamshell mode - have not had the problem reoccur in months. I can use the bigger screen when needed and the MBP screen is fine when I'm mobile. It's not a solution - rather a fix.

Are you still following up with support or have an open ticket? I have a lot of sympathy for the time you've wasted troubleshooting items that are clearly not the problem. After all the anecdotal eveidence in this thread, it's pretty clear this is either a problem that needs to be addressed at the firmware level or a complete design flaw at the hardware level. Don't settle for a bandaid when we clearly have gunshot wounds!

I will be taking mine into the apple store very shortly and referencing this thread.

finally!!! our problem is getting some press, because the new macbook airs are having the same problems!!! apple is going to have to address it now, won't they?

check it out:

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/11/02/new-macbook-airs-experiencing-logic-board-is sues/

"Over the weekend, Cult of Mac noted that there appears to be a rising number of complaints from users of the new MacBook Air regarding kernel panics, video distortion and other issues that could be related to defective logic boards.

Apple Discussion forum user, DanRyb, basically stated that his 11-inch model would randomly display "weird colors in vertical lines" extending across the entire screen and the machine would freeze. He was forced to power cycle the computer in order to recover.

Another forum user, Hobokendippy, reported that his 13-inch model had crashed three times twice with a blank screen and once with the screen distortion reported by DanRyb.
One user has posted a video to YouTube showing a display issue with the new 11-inch MacBook Air. ..."

I'm having the same problems under both Macosx and windows 7. It's a seriously frustrating issue. Has anyone heard back from Apple about it?

I called to polish Apple Help Center and they didn't know about this issue 😟 Why anyone from Apple can not tell us "Work in progress" or anything else ...? This is my first mac and I am a little bit ****** off.

I think Apple has diagnosed the problem and has decided that the solution is to replace the RAM. Here's why I think so.

As I reported in this thread, I visited the Apple Store in Zurich seeking a solution to the problem described in the title of this thread (but not to some of the other problems some people are experiencing who have posted on this thread), i.e., when the MBP is connected to an external monitor running in extended desktop mode, it is only a matter of time before the MBP hangs and both displays are each filled with a single color. The genius looked at the extent of this thread and decided to escalate the case without even attempting to solve the problem. He said he would call me if he received a solution. Up until then I had thought that the problem only occurred with non-DisplayPort monitors. After my visit I acquired an Apple 24" LED Cinema Display. When I connected it to the MBP 13" the combination ran about one day before the problem occurred. So I contacted the Apple Store and was informed that Apple had indeed suggested a remedy, replace the RAM, and I should bring the machine in.

Last Wednesday (i.e., one week ago) I brought the MBP 13" back to the store and the RAM was replaced. Since then the MBP 13" has been connected to a Dell FPW 2405 using the Apple Mini DisplayPort-to-DVI adapter. (Not only the first monitor that I connected to the MBP 13", a Samsung 19" TFT, and the Apple 24" LED Cinema Display had experienced the problem, but also the Dell.) Well, the problem has not occurred ... yet. So the problem seems to be associated with the RAM, and replacing it solves the problem, at least, if whatever is wrong with the original RAM is not also wrong with the replacement. Since I am not an electronics engineer and speculation is forbidden in this forum, I leave it to others to say exactly how this might be. But one thing is not speculation: the NVIDIA graphics processor in the MBP 13" shares 256MB of the main memory, as do the on-board Intel graphics processors in the MBP 15" and the MBP 17".

For those who are having trouble convincing their geniuses to escalate the problem, refer to the repair numbers of my first and second visits, R37582360 and R37982006. These numbers might enable your genius to tap into the "communications and emailing with engineering" (quoted from the Diagnosis section of the second repair form) which evidently took place between my visits. Good luck!

Same problem here running a MBP 15 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 with 4GB memory bought in April 2010. Plugging an external 23" Asus as extended display was fine until about a month ago... I can't explain why yet. Could be with an OS X upgrade? I'm now trying to switch to ethernet instead of AirPort as some advises here... Will let you know if any difference.

removed.

Message was edited by: buk_mba

No. I have been having the same problem with a MacBook Pro 13.3 purchased in May 2010. After taking it in to the Apple Store a couple of times and showing the genius this thread, Apple agreed that it must be a hardware problem. Apple replaced my logic board. Now it happens much less frequently, but it does happen about once a week. But it's completely random, no consistent pattern that would give a clue as to the cause.

It doesn't matter if it's connected to the Apple LED Cinema Display or a Samsung 24" monitor, same result. My first genius, after doing a complete diagnostic, said it must be a software problem. I completely reinstalled the system and all apps, but that didn't solve the problem. In my opinion, it can't be a software issue. I'm not running anything exotic. It can happen even when I just running one or two programs. It can happen whether I'm connected to the network wirelessly (at home) or via ethernet (at the office).

I am convinced that it is a hardware issue, some design defect in the graphics/mini-display port hardware components. I have decided to live with the problem for now (just save work constantly). I will probably move to a 13" MacBook Air after a few months, waiting until I can be sure that it does not have the same or a similar hardware issue. My MacBook Pro will be a wonderful computer for someone who never uses an external monitor (like my wife).

@Edward: But that's just the point. If the problem is really the RAM that's installed on the motherboard during the manufacturing of the MBP 13", then replacing the motherboard won't necessarily solve the problem. You might be lucky and get a motherboard with good RAM. On the other hand, if, as it seems, Apple knows which batch of RAM is faulty, then replacing it with RAM from another batch, or even from another supplier, solves it. I suspect that the problem isn't really the RAM as such, since TechTools Deluxe, which comes with Apple Care, didn't detect any problem. It probably has something to do with some specification that is just slightly out of tolerance. How long has your MBP run maximum without a glitch after the motherboard was replaced?

I am experiencing the same problem on my MBP 13" 2010 model. This is a pretty random occurence in my case, when I sent in my MBP for service, they could not reproduce the error, and therefore the MBP was returned without even being opened:/
Seeing as this seemingly only affects screen output, I doubt it stems in a ram problem, as they would be much more random, and ususally produce kernel panics etc.

@Houd.ini,

I have provided the case numbers for my visits to the Genius Bar in Zurich. It would surprise me if it weren't possible for any Apple Service person to call up the case documentation given those numbers. I cannot say whether the documentation would reveal how the engineers reached the conclusion that replacing the original RAM in my new MBP 13" would solve the problem.

My machine was not subject to the indignity of having to reproduce the problem for some genius. I simply explained the problem and gave him a link to this thread. He excused himself, disappeared for about ten minutes, returned, and proposed escalation. I presume he spent all that time reading the thread and perhaps consulting some Apple documents. A week later the recommendation to replace the RAM arrived. This coming Wednesday the MBP will have been running two weeks straight without manifesting the problem. It is connected to one of the external displays which exhibited the problem prior to the repair. Additionally, Bluetooth and Firewire devices are attached and it is connected to my network via the internal Airport. It sleeps on schedule and wakes up without problems.

I am surprised that so many people who have visited Genius Bars have not been helped.

Thanks for the info, but as my MBP was bought through an external retailer, and they have their own service center, I don't know if they can look up internal Apple service case numbers.
If it really is as easy as replacing ram modules, I could have fixed this myself months ago:/ And in my experience with ram errors, they would not only appear when a certain condition is met (external monitor connected). The monitors crashing is not always a complete crash either, as sometimes iTunes keeps playing through the play list although everything else seems unresponsive.
Perhaps I'll try switching ram through upgrading to 8GB, I am on the verge of needing it anyway.

Almost a month ago i came to this topic with the same problem you have. Meanwhile i upgraded my hdd and memory.

Some posts ago someone came with the idea that it could be the memory...

Today i connected a Dell monitor to my MBP 13" with a display-port -> D-sub connector, it worked for about 7 hours straight.

Now i'm connected to my Samsung monitor using display-port -> HDMI and it seems to work aswell.

I will keep my MBP connect as long as i can this week and keep you posted.

If this solves the problem it is really a bad thing for Apple if you ask me...

But a solution is bought for only 60 (4GB) to 130 (8GB) euro's, always a better thing than leaving your macbook at a store/servicepoint for 2 weeks!

@Richard,

Thanks for relaying your experience. As a result, Apple are giving me both a new MB and new ram tomorrow evening. I'll keep everyone posted on how things progress. Just FYI, my first motherboard replacement only worked for about 7 work days before crashing/freezing. The problems persist: I've had two crashes today.

I would encourage others not to spend money attempting to fix this problem themselves. If your machine is under warranty, you should definitely not need to resort to spending your own money to fix flawed hardware. If you are polite and persistent, Apple should be responsive. We have all spent a good deal of cash for premium hardware and it should work as advertised. Even my $300 acer netbook can push an external monitor w/o issue...

@kdubbs849 ,

Glad to hear that. I don't know anything about Apple's internal procedures, but it seems to me they could do worse than to internally investigate problems for which there are long threads in their own forums and to instruct the Genius Bars how to proceed when a customer refers to a particular thread. I.e., there should be a possibility for the Genius Bars to link from a thread in the Apple forum to any internal information, recommendations, etc. that might be available.

Before my first trip to the Genius Bar in Zurich I called Service and the Apple Store and told them I had tried to reference the thread when making the appointment online, but the session was abruptly terminated. I requested that the recommendation be appended to my record and that the genius take a few minutes to review the thread before the appointment and perhaps even consult with the engineers in Cupertino beforehand. The person at the other end of the line said that he saw no need for this, since all the geniuses are engineers. The implication is clear: a genius can solve problems alone. Thank God my genius decided to read the thread, then escalate, instead of trying to identify the problem himself. The first step in solving any problem should be to find out whether the problem is already known.