Q: MacBook Pro 2011 17" hard freeze

I forgot to mention you can plug the computer afteward, no problem.

I'm not even sure that unplugging the power cord pushes the computer to use the discrete card but it doesn't hurt.

But you're absolutely right, it's just a temporary fix for some users how still have a computer that boots. I also have a business to run and of course I have other machines to use if this one fails but this is my main computer and on the integrated card it's still faster than my 2008 macbook pro.

When I have 5 days off I'll bring it to the store (again), and pay for the repair. - Or buy a new computer with a different logo on it but being a long time apple custommer it's not my preferred choice...

I switched to Mac because of three reasons:

1) I work as a software developer.

2) I have a rock band.

3) I also work as a freelance photographer.

I really love Linux, but 2) and 3) are really complicated on that OS. I despise Windows, which could provide 2) and 3), so I decided to go buy the expensive thing.

I've had two MacBook Pros. Zero issues with the first one (13'' Core 2 Duo) so I decided to step up and go with a 15'' i7 Macbook Pro (Early 2011 model, with the ATI 6750m discrete card. Serial number C02F944YDF8X). Problems appeared right away:

1) The audio jack got loose. I have bought a $2000USD computer that has a 3.5'' jack that was worse than the one you can find in a $20USD radio. There was no way to get a cable to stay inside the jack, the minor movement lifted it off from the jack. Really useful in rehearsals (we used the Mac to trigger Reason loops). Not to mention the stage. This is, actually, old news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W0rhmzMgBo. (more than 60,000 views!).

2) The memory card slot stopped working. Again, something that flawlessly works in most $20USD adapters you can buy in any tech store. Since then, I had to carry my external SD card slot everywhere. Not the worst problem in the world, but indeed an annoying one. This is, again, old news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbc0l-t3f1Q (almost 130,000 views!!).

3) Random glitches. The first thing I did after buying the laptop, was to update it with a hybrid Seagate Momentus XT 500GB disc. I had used my first MBP with that disk with excellent results, hence I didn't hesitate to buy a second one. To my surprise, every 8 or 10 hours, the Spinning Beach Ball of Dead would appear, and I was eager to blame the disc for that, since I could still perform tasks that did not require disk access. But later on, I discovered that it was the first symptom of something way, way worse.

-----> ISSUE NUMBER 4 <-----

This issue needs no introduction. It is widely known in the Apple community, so I'll just post the relevant links for you to refer to:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4766577?start=0&tstart=0 (119 pages!)

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4637833?start=0&tstart=0 ( 11 pages)

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2768351?start=0&tstart=0 (144 pages!)

There's even a site set up in order to raise awareness on this issue:

http://www.mbp2011.com/

And a poll in order to gather data from the affected customers:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PuJ2QS2Ri7fw9HVaNHLQ4OYZCb99zonc96HmhTWEAoY/vie wform

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsGSu8v7DhVUdFNtRzUtRVFIeE50ajJyTWJ yeVRzNVE#gid=0

Let me just address the key issues about this:

1.- Flawed design makes the Mac overheat and this leads the ATI card to stop functioning.

2.- Things go from infrequent hangs to distorted video, and they always result on the same outcome: the Mac ceases to boot, either temporarily or permanently. Most users (including myself) end up with an useless Mac that won't even boot.

3.- In most cases, issues appear after 2 years of usage, which is out of the original warranty in most cases.

4.- Users reporting to Apple got their logic boards changed (prices ranging from $530USD to $1200USD depending on the country). Almost all users reported that the replacement board only solved the issue for a couple months. Something that strengthens the idea that the design of this Mac is flawed.

5.- 0 people got a replacement Mac from Apple after reporting this issue.

6.- There are no intentions of Apple to issue a recall program for this.

7.- Known affected users are more than 300.

8.- This only occurs in certain top-of-the-line products.

Conclusion:

How come a brand like Apple forget about the main reason most people switched over to Mac in the first place?

We want the best quality. We are not afraid to paid the ridiculously high prices Apple sells their machines for.

We are professionals. We're not spoiled kids taking selfies on their iPhones. We're making Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, GitHub and all the apps that makes the computing world go round.

We're composing music and playing it live on Macs.

We're selling our photographs after editing them in our Macs.

And all we get is some mediocre hardware (performance never excelled on this machine, the i5 Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E430 running Ubuntu that I have at work outperforms my Mac every single time) that can't even hold for 2 (yes, two) years.

Furthermore, Apple is refusing to acknowledge this issue and to provide a feasible solution.

Final words:

I worked a lot to finally get a Mac.

This is what I have now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihoYFWq2LpE

Mine is now dead, totally unusable for 2 months. I understand that for Apple a few hundreds of users with the same exact problem is still a «few» regarding the quantity of early 2011 macbook pro they sold. Mine is a brick for 2 months (cannot even start it up, all the tips i had are not working anymore). I had to buy a new one (didn't want to pay for a logic board replacement has it does not solve the problem in a long term way, and need to trust the hardware i'm working with), i've lost at least 3 weeks of work, and i'm very very disapointed Apple does not want to recognise they had a problem with «a few» of these 2011 mbp. A +2000$ mac should work more than 2 years (mine was bought on refurb on december 2011).

Just take off the hard-drive from the old MBP and attach it with 2.5"-3.5" USB-Dock (cost's around 10 bucks) to Your's new MBP.

It mounts automagically

Then go to Your home directory (external hard-drive) and copy all Your valuable data to the new MBP.

Even if the display doesnt work if the computer can at least go in the booting screen (even if you dont see it)

and you have two macs you can connect them with a firewire cable and boot you computer in 'firewire drive mode' by holding «t» at the start up. Your mac will be used just like an external hard drive

Yes, did that when i recieved the new one (i have back ups too)... but i just lost time when, first i was trying to figure out how to solve this, and then when waiting (15 days) for the new mac (because of the matte screen option...).  Guaranna > The early 2011 is not booting at all, not just a screen problem. I used it with screen problems about 2 months, but as many of you, the things got worse and worse, till we just can't boot...

But you're right, if it can help others > it's totally possible to boot in target mode from another Mac even if the early 2011 mbp can't boot anymore with its own hardware...

And here's one more to the list.. Mine (15") is completely bricked and won't get farther than the bootscreen. I tried everything to solve the problem, but nothing.

It's obviously the stated graphics card problem. Yet the "genius" at the Apple Store told me after coming to the same conclusion, that Apple does not yet consider this a problem for the Early 2011 series created by Apple in the first place - but he couldn't really look me in the eye while telling me that. 500€ for a 'repair service'. At least they assured me that i would get my money back if they started to acknowledge the problem - for 2 months after the repair. Well, not good enough for me.

It's more than disappointing from Apple that you can only work for 2 years with their products now and have to throw them away afterwards or pay them a ridiculous amount of money for solving a problem they created. Until they finally help us here, it looks like the only way to at least do a little bit against such a flawed customer sevice is to tell all your friends not to buy a mac anymore and do the same for yourself..

Macbook pro  Late 2011 2.4 GHz quad-core intel Core i7 AMD Radeon HD 6770m freezing And won't boot.

MBP early 2011 2.3 GHz quad core i7

AMD Radeon 6750M

same symptoms as everyone else, currently using gfxCardStatus to still use this mbp with flickering.

I found this thread looking for a solution.

I'm looking at lenovo x1 carbon if this issue is not considered a problem, too bad that I have really liked using osx very friendly for developer. I spent over $3k for this thing.

Same here. MBP 15 2011. Blue Lines across the apple logo on start. If I boot ubuntu and disable the internal card it just works fine. Unfortunatly have not found a way to do the same for OSX. Anyway. Angr that I have a USD 3000 Brick now. Thanks Apple!

I took my drive out and copied it.  Took my 2011 MBP to apple genius and was offered $300 flat rate repair in April 2013.  I bought a mac mini in case the MBP failed again.  It failed in two months.  The second time the repair lasted a day.  I was then offered a refund of the repair price, and a higher level of repair.  I bought a new power supply for good measure, and never used the old one again.  Since July, my 2011 MBP has been working with the 3rd replaced logic board.  

Before the third replacement logic board, I bought a new macbook air to stop my research from being crippled.

My educated belief is the problem is with broken solder joints on the ball grid array of GPU. 

Outside the USA, reballing (rather than reflowing) the ball grid array (BGA) of the GPU, seems to be the most economic option.  See hnrk's post: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2768351?start=2130&tstart=0

ja .i have had the same problem so many times .and i tok it to a service but it still does the same thing.

Same for me..

Back in June, my early 2011 MacBook Pro 15" died suddenly due to a problem with the external graphic card and the only way to fix it was to take it to an apple premium reseller which charged me 650€ for a complete logic board replacement.

I'm a student and 650€ is a lot of money to pay for such a conception problem due to apple!

I really hope that apple will acknowledge this and issue a refund or a replacement program..

Even cheap laptops last much more than 2 years!

<<Users reporting to Apple got their logic boards changed (prices ranging from $530USD to $1200USD depending on the country). Almost all users reported that the replacement board only solved the issue for a couple months. Something that strengthens the idea that the design of this Mac is flawed.>>

I had the hard freeze problem with my 17-inch Mid 2010 MBP. The logic board was replaced sometime in 2011 free of charge (I have Apple Care). Zero issues afterwards.

Most people whose Macs were fixed don't report back.