Q: Lion randomly crashes - black screen

Yesterday I have installed gfxstatus. I selected that my MacBook Pro should only use the Nvidia graphic card. There are no problems. I can surf, look into my emails.

MY logicboard isn't corrupt. It's a driver issue. And I hope Apple fix it in 10.7.2.

Hello all

So far so good on my driver update to the latest CUDA drivers from nVidia.  One week running and never shut down.  I have used c4d, safari, photobooth, iPhoto, iCal, iTunes, mission control with 5 virtual desktops, after effects.  With no bsod!

If you think your issue is driver related and not logic board you would give it a go.  Oh yeah... I am still using 10.7.1.

Hello BBinOZ

It's interesting. Which version CUDA you currently use?

Do you tried to perform some crash test such as a Photo Booth trick?

Hang on - Do you have to force it to always use the NVidia card or the Intel one?

I thought that the problem is on the NVidia one and therefore I should always use the Intel one.

BTW, I sill have problems even though I'm using gfxcardstatus to use Intel graphics card. Sometimes it happens after starting up - i.e computer had been previously shut down, not suspended.

@Daventry: I tried using gfxcardstatus and tested both options. Didn't help me anything no matter which card I forced it to use. Also had BSOD sometimes after start/wake up.

I am back in SL and everything is fine again.

@Lars Dalby - Thanks, I also have BSOD with both options

I should pop by the Genius Bar - Do they replace the logic board without discussion? My MBPro is still under warrany plus I've got Apple Care.

@daventry: For testing, I have forced it to always use my NVidia Card. Because some people say that this Card is the problem. But: I have no problems with my NVidia Card. I can do anything.

So I think my logicboard is ok and "only" the driver is corrupt.

EDIT: @BBinOZ: Can you post the link to the new CUDA driver of nVidia? Thanks!

@rapid10 - Lucky you!

As I said before, my MB sometimes crashes right after booting up. Pretty disappointing.

@Daventry: You can also do the test. If your Mac gets a black screen after switching the graphic card, probably your logic board has an issue. If not you could have luck too.

Is there any way to get crash information from my MBP 2010 i7 (Lion 10.7.1) following a BSOD on waking.  I have experienced this a number of times but never had any notification of a kernel panic.  I have just been hard resetting the machine to get it back on. I am a MBP novice but getting frustrated at these BSODs. Thanks in advance.

Greetings to all fellow MBP users,

Same situation : MBP mid-2010 nVidia Geforce 330GTM, got random BSOD running on OSX Lion when using Photoshop (mostly) but it could also happen randomly while listening to iTunes or using Safari. It never happened to me while using Snow Leopard.

Like many, gfxCardStatus was a temporary solution: 'integrated only' option never crached my system.

While reading many of your comments, I have decided to switch to 'Discrete only' for a week and so far, my system didn't crash yet (like it should have before) ...

I uncheck all options in performance saver (automatic sleep, automatically reduce brightness before display goes to sleep, etc.). I have all the latest upates for Lion installed. I even installed the latest nVidia CUDA drivers (4.0.50) which seemed to have a great effect on stability for my system. Flash Player and WMV Player are also up to date.

For my part, I am guessing BSOD occured when switching from integrated to nvidia chip. While sticking to either integrated or discrete option in gfxCardStatus, I do not have any BSOD so far even using mutliple applications or intensive graphic user programs.

However, my system running on Lion does not seem to enjoy switching from integrated to nvidia and a black screen often happened if I let the system decide what to choose. I have to force via gfxCardStatus either one of the solution and stick to it. So far, if I stick to 'integrated' or 'discrete' only, it seems to solve my problem.

My guess is that the issue is driver related, as Lion is making calls some systems cannot accep and therefore cause kernel panics.

Sticking to Nvidia or integrated only seemed to have solve my problem. But it is only temporary solution.

I hope Apple will make a statement soon.

I will keep updated if a BSOD happens while sticking to 'discrete' (nvidia 330GTM).

Lion 10.7.2 Build 11C62 (released yesterday)

Problem still there.

Crash when running without gfxCardStatus and auto-switching switched on (i.e. NVidia when power cable on, Intel with battery on)

Just so we are all on the same page.

When your Mac crashes and then restarts, you should press "Report" on the "just crashed" dialog that comes up after the restart. In that dialog pay attention to the offending extension. It's the 1st line under

backtrace, and should be:

com.apple.NVDAResman

going back to gfxCardStatus...

I agree.

Definitively not a proper solution but it work for me until a fix comes... And I won't downgrade to Snow Leopard!

But I am just afraid Apple will not fix this issue, forcing customers to buy a new MacBook.

Apple did not tell us you need to upgrade your computer to upgrade OSX!

I'm in the same boat. 2010 MacBook Pro crashing to black screen when using a range of apps, trying to print, on power, on battery, with external display, without external display, from a cold boot, after being on for a long time. This is under Lion. I tried all of the suggested software fixes except the CUDA drivers.

Sent it off for repair two weeks ago. First repairer replaced the hard drive as that wasn't operating to spec apparently. It came came with a fresh install of Snow Leopard. After logging in I could crash it predictably by launching Photobooth and going to the distortion effects.

Next repairer replaced the motherboard. Crash still reproducible under both SL and Lion. They took it back two days ago. Today they swapped out the battery and motherboard and display one by one. It was only with a different display in it that the crash doesn't happen. They are ordering a new display for me.

I'm hoping that this will fix it once and for all.

Hi all,

I just received a phone call from a representative of the Apple executive office, she said, quote:

"Apple is aware of the issue" and that they are "looking into the resolution" of it. She said there was "no precise ETA" on the fix, but that it is "coming quite soon".

I had sent an email to Tim Cook explaining the issues I was having and what I thought was the general concensus of the other people in this forum, not really expecting any reply or follow up.

So, I am quite optimistic that this will get fixed soon!