Sleep light flashes 5 times - no beeps. What does it mean?

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Level 1

8 points

Sleep light flashes 5 times - no beeps. What does it mean?

I have a white 2008 Macbook 2.4 Ghz. I recently installed 10.6 from scratch via Retail DVD and the Macbook worked fine. I updated via Software Update and installed all the updates that appeared. There was also a Firmware update to install, which I did after the update to 10.6.8.

But since then, the Macbook has serious video problems.

It boots okay, but the sequence is now:

- front sleep light flashes 5 times; there are no error beeps

- I hear the startup chime

- the Apple logo and spinning wheel appear, and bootup continues

- at the point where the screen goes blue, and would normally boot to the desktop, the screen now goes black and the Macbook appears to go to sleep

If I wait for a couple of minutes, when I press a key to wake the Macbook from sleep: the DVD spins up, the sleep light flashes 5 times, and I now see the desktop. But then the screen goes black after about 10 seconds.

Before the screen goes black, I can see that the boot seems to have completed okay. I have a Wifi connection and the date and time are correct.

If I go really fast, I can move the arrow to the Apple icon in the top bar and choose Shut down or Restart.

I can boot from the internal HD, an external FW HD and an Install DVD.

I can hold down the Option key and I get all the bootable volumes to boot from. I can choose any of them, then start the boot process, but at the same point - the blue screen - the screen goes black and the Macbook goes to sleep.

The Macbook works perfectly fine when connected to an external monitor. In the Display preferences, only the external monitor is available. The Macbook monitor is not listed. As well, iSight and Photo Booth report that no camera is connected.

I've found some info on the Apple site re. the 5 sleep light flashes, but it only refers to the Macbook Air, and indicates a problem with the battery.

Has anyone seen this problem with the Macbook?

Macbook Pro 2.4, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Nov 18, 2011 3:58 AM

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Answer 1

moonshot61 Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 18, 2011 4:22 AM in response to moonshot61

Update: the 5 flashes seem to have been a red herring.

I replaced the RAM and the keyboard (for good measure) and now the Macbook boots, but the 5 flashes do not appear any more.

The rest of the boot process is as outlined above. Chime, Apple logo + spinning wheel, blue screen, pause... then goes to black screen, and Macbook appears to be in Sleep.

BUT, now if I wake the computer from sleep, it goes to a Blue Screen and remains there.

It no longer goes to the desktop for 10 seconds, before going black.

External monitor continues to work perfectly.

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Answer 2

EZ Jim

Level 7

22,590 points

Nov 18, 2011 6:34 AM in response to moonshot61

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2130 may help you

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Answer 3

moonshot61 Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 18, 2011 7:21 AM in response to EZ Jim

Thanks, but as I noted in my update, after I changed the RAM and the top case (keyboard and trackpad), I don't get the 5 flashes any more at boot or wake from sleep.

And I have a 2008 Macbook, not a Macbook Air.

It would seem that there's a video problem, which would indicate a logic board problem.

But it's weird that the Macbook screen works for a bit, then cuts out and goes black. That is, the display is not "dead", i.e. permanently black.

And the Macbook does complete its boot up, even after the screen goes black. And I can get to the desktop when I wake it from sleep, but it goes black after 10 seconds.

It works perfectly with an external monitor.

And just to reiterate, all of the problems started after the 10.6.8 and accompanying Firmware update (I think it was 1.4, but I didn't look carefully at the time). Is there any chance the wrong firmware got installed?

It's a really weird problem.

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Answer 4

moonshot61 Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 18, 2011 7:26 AM in response to moonshot61

From EZ Jim's link, there was another link to this info at the Apple site, re. Power on Self-Tests:

The power on self-test resides in the ROM of the computer. This test runs whenever the computer is turned on after being fully shut down (the power-on self-test does not run if the computer is only restarted).

If a fault is detected during the test, you will not hear a normal startup chime. Instead, the system will beep as explained below. If you experience one of these beeps, you may call your Apple Authorized Service Provider for additional troubleshooting assistance.

1 beep = no RAM installed
2 beeps = incompatible RAM types
3 beeps = no good banks
4 beeps = no good boot images in the boot ROM (and/or bad sys config block)
5 beeps = processor is not usable

In addition to the beeps, on some computers the power LED will flash a corresponding number of times plus one. The LED will repeat the sequence after approximately a 5-second pause. The tones are only played once.

As I wrote, I don't get the Error Beeps. I've had these on other Macs, so I know what they are. Here, I only get the LED flashes.

What is interesting above is that they say that the Power LED will flash a corresponding number of times (as the beeps) PLUS ONE. In my case, then, if I got 5 flashes, then might it mean NO GOOD BOOT IMAGES IN THE BOOT ROM?

Anyway, it doesn't seem to have the flashing LED problem any more. No idea where to go from here.

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