Q: Lion randomly crashes - black screen

It has worked for every single person in this thread who had a logic board replacement with one from the newer batches. I had to have the logic board replaced twice before I got a newer one.

Some people are going for their third replacement with no end in sight....how do you know you received one from the newer batches? ....Just because it works, or was there some kind of marking on it?

If you replace your logic board, and the logic board isn't from the early batch, your blackout problems will be solved. Your mysterious friends are hypothetical at best, the issue is 100% hardware.

My "mysterious friends" are co-workers with identical or near identical MBP configurations...it's inconsequential that you regard them as mysterious or not. Have you become the definitive expert on this topic because of your experiences with your 1 MBP?

The only software "issue" is that Lion exposed the hardware problem - Snow Leopard didn't do that to the same extent.

Lion is a totally different animal than Snow Leopard, with security features that can cause issues like those mentioned in this forum. It's not just the next upgrade:   http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/lions-upgraded-robust-security-fe atures/

Moreover, everyone has different software installed, which can cause conflicts with Lion...hence the disparity of Lion issues on various computers...if you peruse the forums, you will see that imacs and 2011 laptops have similar problems.

No reason to keep speculating, Apple are replacing the logic boards for free, even if you're out of warranty. That is the biggest evidence it's hardware, not software.

Is that your expert conclusion from your extensive experience with 1 computer. Unlike you, I didn't say that hardware wasn't an issue. I just said that it is not ALWAYS the issue...one of my "mysterious friends" works for a major technical company and has 3 Apples...a MacPro destop16 core, 17" MBP i7 266. 512 MB Nvidia, and a 15" dualcore MBP...and the problems were ironed out without a logic board replacement....what did you say your expertise was????

Oh I forgot to ask...did you say that you worked for Gizmodo?

It's not like they're replacing them willingly... I had to go to the apple store twice just to prove it was happening AND I had to talk to applecare on the phone for hours.  An Applecare supervisor is who got me approval AFTER I had already shown the people in the apple store what was going on.  The Apple Store was not going to give me a free out of warranty replacement - they were going to charge me $526.  After I got my approval, I had to return to the apple store a third time to drop it off... the supervisor on the phone said he couldn't arrange to fix it by mail (although repair at the store is better for me).  Also, on my work order they wrote that, "this is a one time exception" because it is out of warranty and if it is not fixed that I would just have to wait for a SOFTWARE fix because "it is a blatent software issue".  I don't agree with that statement on my work order, and it seems really strange they would even agree to fix a hardware issue if they absolutely knew it was a software issue.  My opinion is that Apple still can't decide what the issue is themselves.  If they knew, I certainly wish they would tell their employees and their customers.

Spiky Jake...for now I would just go with the logic board replacement and hope that it works out...other members of this forum have stated that the logic board replacement "buys apple some time," until they can fix the issue. Personally, I think the issue is either a driver or a needed firmware upgrade, and that lands this whole thing between a software and hardware issue. I've already posted some suggestions on this forum for trying to get Lion working...as I stated before, antique printer drivers really did a number on my Lion installation until Lion slowly decided to upgrade the drivers. It would  be nice if the system was not so automatic and you could just go to the vendor's site and download drivers the old fashioned way...in any case, good luck!

I had my logic board replaced a couple weeks ago and ( lord I hope I dont regret saying this but ) not a single blackscreen or crash since. My concern now is when I first bought my 15" mid 2010 MacBook Pro in December of last year it ran great for months, never a black screen or crash until around the time 10.6.7 or 8 came out. The first black screen i exerienced was a bit unnerving but i chalked it up to all the jankey software i tend to run on it. Then a couple weeks latter it happened again then a couple days latter after a month or so it seemed to happen a couple times a week - every time i would try to repete exactly what i was doing to see if i could make it happen again, no luck. So then I figured i should go ahead and clean out all the suspect bits off my drive and upgrade to Lion - at that point my machine became literealy unusable. The third time i did a clean Lion instal i could not event get past the initial setup screen - that is when i took it into the Apple store - 5 days or so latter i got it back with a new motherboard and for a couple weeks its been like brand new (san Lion as the taste it left in my mouth is still to bitter to try it again yet). My real concern now is what do i do if a black screen hits me again? Wait a week for it to happen again or just march it back to the store agian. Additionally i am now pretty shell shocked and am always on edge when working on complex projects with several applications and doicuments open and this does not seem right as i paid a pretty penny for extra RAM just so i could do this.

Bottom line - if your mid 2010 MacBook Pro has a nVidia chip set and it's black screening - TAKE IT BACK AND DEMAND TO HAVE THE MOTHERBOARD REPLACED - it's a manufactures defect and even if it's out of warrantey

I purchased my MBP the day after they were released in April last year.

I should note that I really haven't stressed this machine at all, as I've been running on integrated graphics pretty much all the time.

"Is that your expert conclusion from your extensive experience with 1 computer."

Eh, it's not just one computer, I'm telling you what APPLE TOLD ME. Stop with your silly speculation, it's 100% hardware, and it doesn't help this thread when self-proclaimed "experts" with "friends who has 10 Macs" claim otherwise.

I'll say it again; the issue described in this thread has to do with a faulty batch of logic boards, mostly connected to the mid-2010 MacBook Pros.

If you replace your logic board, the problem will be fixed. It has nothing to do with OS X Lion, except for the fact that Lion exposes the hardware issue better than Snow Leopard did.

10 days ago I had my logic board replaced and I haven't had a single issue since.

As Mantralux has said get the logic board replaced. Yes it's an inconvienence, and you can OMG OMG OMG Apple how can you do this till the cows come home, but just go get it done.

I'm sure even those out of warranty can get it replaced if you ask nicely, if that doesn't work then go the class action or whatever you feel like doing.

Replace logic board = win!

Hi there,

I am another "me too", same issues.

I am thinking to go to the same Apple Store in Regents Street to get the logic board replaced.

Could you please tell me how long you had to wait and if you had to arrange an appointment?

Can I just go there and get the board replaced the same day?

Sorry for the perhaps dumb question but it's the first time ever that I need to go to the AS for support...

Thanks

I had a genius bar appt on the Monday, and was told 3-5days. But they could pre order the logic board and it would be one day labour.

Got a phone call on the Wed to say logic board was in so I dropped in in Thursday morning and phone call Friday afternoon to pick up.

Yes it was a pain without my laptop for the day and half but was worth it to have a fully functioning laptop running Lion again.

Good luck

"Could you please tell me how long you had to wait and if you had to arrange an appointment?"

Yes you need to book an appointment at the Genius Bar, but as wast3gat3 said - tell them to order you a logic board before you leave the machine for service. I did that, and my machine was done in three hours. However, the previous replacement I did it took them several days.

I was told Tuesdays are the best days for repair, as they have their full service team on that day, so best would be to book an appointment for Monday.

i've had my new replacement 2011 2.3ghz i7 for two days now and no bsod!

if you are having technical problems with your computer in or out of warranty kick sticking it to them.  don't let them get away with it "being a software issue" and "you have to wait" etc.  If someone at a store or on the phone gives you a dismissive response, try calling them or try a different store.  on the phone, if you are not satisfied, ask for a supervisor.  at the store, ask for a manager.  you will get the solution you want just resolve not to give up until you get that.

you can see my earlier posts in the thread to know what was going on with my 2010 i7.  i wasn't satisfied with my local apple store's service so i called applecare and had a very satisfying experience with the mail in service program.  it worked like a charm.  It took about 5-6 days to ship and receive my fixed computer. when that didn't fix it, it took another 4-6 days to receive my new macbook.

good luck all.

Eh, it's not just one computer, I'm telling you what APPLE TOLD ME. Stop with your silly speculation...

It's not speculation! In addition to black screens, I also had kernel panics and crashes, but I don't have these problems anymore, This is my experience and this forum has a right to know that. APPLE TOLD ME and many others on this forum that this is a software (driver / firmware) issue and not a hardware issue. To state that this is 100% hardware issue is flawed information. If a computer is unusable and needs a logic board, then by all means get one. If, however, your issues can be resolved with a re-installation of Lion or some other computer housekeeping, then getting a new logic board is just so much flexing of your warranty.

Some people have footballs for names, and some people have footballs for brains...

"If, however, your issues can be resolved with a re-installation of Lion or some other computer housekeeping, then getting a new logic board is just so much flexing of your warranty."

Then you're not having the issues listed in this thread. To solve the issues with blackouts on mid-2010 MacBook Pro's (re-created by going to the second page of Photo Booth effects while using dynamic graphics switching) - replace your logic board, as it's 100% hardware issue.

If you can solve the blackout issues by re-installing Lion, you're in the wrong thread.

If you can solve the blackout issues by re-installing Lion, you're in the wrong thread.

The expert speaks again...I had blackout problems for 3 weeks, not just a day or two...I didn't just re-install Lion...my numerous posts over the entire course of this forum state in detail what steps I took and didn't take with the help of Apple Care. I not only had blackouts in photobooth, but in Aperture, DxO, and many other graphically intensive programs. Please confine your opinions to your own experiences and do not pontificate for the rest of us.

So I just dropped off my Macbook Pro again at the Apple Store and I really feel like their so called "Geniuses" are not exactly Apple experts. I mean, the person who looked at my laptop seemed confused on what the issue is. I showed her the kernel panic crash log and she just looked at it like, "what the **** do these even mean?". I really just want a replacement now, it's costing me £15 to travel there almost every other day!