MacBook Pro won't boot, says to restart

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Level 1

13 points

MacBook Pro won't boot, says to restart

I have a MacBook Pro purchased March 2007 (the original dual processor, I believe. My OS is Snow Leopard. Probably with the latest updates but I'm not certain since I can't check it. When I attempt to start it up I end up with a dark grey screen and I box telling me, in several, languages, that I need to restart my computer. However, restarting leads to the same thing. I booted using the install disc and used disc repair but it said the disc is fine. Any suggestions for how to start my computer? Thanks.

MacBook Pro 15", Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Feb 17, 2011 9:35 AM

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Answer 1

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,678 points

Feb 17, 2011 9:57 AM in response to zadnor1

That's a kernel panic (or "KP"). Bad RAM can throw a KP, but so can software conflicts. See if you can do a "Safe Boot." Hold SHIFT as soon as the computer chimes and keep holding until you get a message about being in Safe Mode, or get a stable desktop. If you get a desktop, don't use the computer yet; do a normal start and see if you are running again. Safe mode disables a lot of system extensions you might need for regular use but does some directory checking and cleanup.

Before installing Snow Leopard, did you use Disk Utility on the Snow Leopard disk to verify the disk. If there were any little errors before the instal, they coud be causing the problems.

How full was the hard drive when you upgraded? Too little free space can create havoc, although I gained back 15GB of space on my MBP's 120 GB drive when I installed SL.

Excelent info on KPs here:

http://thexlab.com/faqs/kernelpanics.html

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Answer 2

Gingey

Level 1

0 points

Feb 17, 2011 10:14 AM in response to zadnor1

I had the same problem with my 07 MacBook Pro. I thought I had the problem fixed when I found I had bad RAM, but it ended up being a faulty graphics processor.

Check if you have the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT and take a look at the link below.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

I know the symptoms don't match, but having the processor/logic board replaced fixed my Mac, and Apple paid for the whole thing. I was told that the repair could have cost $700-$1300 if it wasn't covered.

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