MacBook Pro chimes the lit screen but no apple logo and won't boot

You can try removing the internal hard drive. Sometimes a failing hard drive can prevent anything from showing on the screen if the failure is really severe. If you don't see a blinking folder with question mark when you attempt to boot normally without the hard drive (no key presses), then it is most likely a Logic Board failure.

You could also try removing a single memory module to see what happens. Then replace that module and remove the other one just in case on of them is bad....doubtful since you will usually get the beeping at power on if there is a memory related issue.

Try using an external wired USB keyboard to see if the special startup keys work. Make sure to press & hold the correct keys immediately after hearing the startup chime (or within a second or two at least for this older laptop). It is possible the built-in keyboard is not being recognized, or some of the keys may not be working correctly.

Do you see anything on the screen when the laptop powers on? You should at least see the backlight is on with the white/gray screen. If you don't see this, then look very closely to see if you see a faint image of the Apple logo or anything else on the screen after powering on the laptop. If you see the white/gray screen, do you see an Apple logo, progress bar, or some type of error message or icon in the center of the screen? If not, then most likely the Logic Board has failed....most likely due to a bad GPU which is common on the 15" & 17" models.

dcunia Said:

"MacBook Pro chimes the lit screen but no apple logo and won't boot: Unfortunately, connecting an external monitor did not do anything. The monitor states there is no signal and goes back to sleep. […]Could this be the sign of a bad logic board?”

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Extract the Data:

Your device is just about a decades-and—half old. So, just get a new Mac and extract the data. A 2009 MBP would have a removable hard drive. Nowadays, it is all soldered into the LogicBoard to word as one device. If it is just a black screen, and no signal is seen, then it is a sign of hardware error.

So, to recover this data:

• Place the hard drive in a computer of the same model

• Place the hard drive in an external hard drive bay of SATA

• Place the drive vertically in what is called a toaster.

dcunia Said:

"Appreciate the suggestions.: I should have added in my original post that I also tried booting to safe mode and recovery mode but the boot process never even got to the Apple logo after the chime…it simply stayed a lit gray screen. :("

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Contact to an External Monitor:

See if you can connect an ethernet monitor to your Mac. Then, using the internal keyboard and mouse, perform wha need be.

dcunia Said:

"MacBook Pro chimes the lit screen but no apple logo and won't boot"

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Troubleshooting Lagging Mac Boot:

A. Try Safe Mode:

In Safe Mode, login items do not run, and corrupt system files(i.e. caches) are intentionally reset as a way to fix issues

1. Boot: in to Safe Mode: [Hold Down: shift key upon boot].
2. Log in: as same user
3. Wait: 30 seconds
4. Restart; your Mac
5. Log in: as same user

B. See if your Hard drive is Failing:

What to Try:

• Verify your Drive: Repair your Disk in Disk Utility - Apple Support
• Go Here: If your Mac Starts Up to an Apple Logo or Progress Bar - Apple Support
• Perform the following in Recovery Mode:

1. Boot: into Recovery Mode.  Go Here:  How to Use Safe Mode on your Mac - Apple Support
2. Select: Disk Utility
3. Select: the Drive
4. Click: First Aid button

dcunia Said:

"MacBook Pro chimes the lit screen but no apple logo and won't boot: This machine I used with my classic iPod. It is the only one which allows me to run the last version of iTunes from which I can restore iPod games (something I just had to do a couple weeks ago)."

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As a side note...

Use a Virtual Machine for iTunes:

You can use iTunes on a Virtual Machine(VM). The VM can even be assigned to a separate Apple ID. This is the only way to use iTunes while booted in to the Mac that has Catalina or later installed. VM applications include VMWare Fusion and Parallels. Note that Parallels is up-to-date with being Silicon chip-compatible. So, if the Mac has a Silicon processor, then Parallels is what to use. If it has an Intel processor, on the other hand, then either VM app will work.