2008 Mac Pro stuck at Light Blue/Dark Blue screen! HELP

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Level 1

4 points

2008 Mac Pro stuck at Light Blue/Dark Blue screen! HELP

Hi, I've had my Mac Pro dual 2.8 Ghz Quad Core w/ the standard Radeon XT card, since the end of 08, and I haven't added ANY hardware to it, since.

over the past year or so, i'll be working on my Mac Pro, and all of a sudden, it locks up, and a faint washed out, pink checkerboard pattern goes down my screen, but sound will still play, obviously forcing me to power down. SO, my problem now, is --> Just a couple of days ago, it finally did it for the last time.. I shut down, and now when I boot up, it either A) hangs at the white loading screen w/ gray apple and spinning YouTube style loading animation, or B), when I try the CMD+Option+P, R option, upon start up, or hold down Right-Click on mouse on startup, it just goes to the light blue screen (Which it always normally did before when it'd boot up), then it switches over to a darker-shade blue screen, with a dark colored Youtube style loading animation...Oh, and I can't open up the Superdrive no matter -what- I do, so I can't boot from CD? It responds to the key combinations, but not the eject key?!

Is this a videocard issue? At first I thought so, but clearly I do seem to need a new videocard, with the pink checkerboard thing happening..but I am REALLY hoping this isn't a hard drive problem.I have so many things I'll be devasted if they're lost for good.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. I did search for this issue and I found similar issues, but it was always slightly different than my problem

THANKS,

Matt

Mac Pro Dual-2.8, Mac OS X (10.5.4)

Posted on Nov 25, 2011 7:25 PM

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Answer 1

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Nov 25, 2011 7:43 PM in response to emjayen84

Do you have a backup of your boot drive that you can mount externally? If so maybe you can boot from that and run Disk Utility from there to check your problem internal disk.

By the way you might want to look inside to see if there are any diagnostic leds lit.

I'm not sure I understand the optical drive problem. Is there currently a cd or dvd stuck in the drive?

Other things to try; blow out any accumulated dust. Reseat your video card (remove and insert back in). Disconnect all additional periphials (usb's, fw's) and hard drives.

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Answer 2

emjayen84 Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 25, 2011 9:33 PM in response to X423424X

When i turn the computer on, on the RAM rack it has a red light but it only stays lit a couple seconds, then goes away. Ive cleaned ALL dust out, wasnt much.. I dot have a stuck disc, but the point is,im trying to get it open so maybe i can boot from install disc. I cant even get the screw out, it is REALlY in there, i tried to get a wrench for some torq and no luck. I tried that already. And nope, no external with HD backed up. Does it even sound like a video issue? I really need help. The mac store Is my last resort. I hope someone can help

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Answer 3

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Nov 25, 2011 10:12 PM in response to emjayen84

When i turn the computer on, on the RAM rack it has a red light but it only stays lit a couple seconds, then goes away.

That's normal. It's only a problem if one or more stay lit.

Did you try the video card reseat yet?

As for the optical drive; you pull the carrier out (as far as the cables would let you or unplug it) and you say you can't unscrew the drive from the carrier? It's the only screws I think are in there so I am not sure what other screws you are trying to undo. But if you leave the carrier hanging out, and you try to eject the tray, does it try to do it. The reason I ask is the problem might only be that the carrier isn't exactly lined up with the bezel and that might be what's blocking it from opening when fully mounted.

After this, I am not sure what else to suggest, so yes, you may need to get professional repair.

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Answer 4

emjayen84 Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 26, 2011 12:47 PM in response to X423424X

Sorry, i mean i cant seem to get the main screw that holds the video card in there. What exactly do you use to get enough torq? Its Really in there tight. As for the superdrive, it wont open when i push the button after pulling it out. Which is strange because ive never had a problem with that before and i hear it trying to work.??

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Answer 5

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Nov 26, 2011 12:53 PM in response to emjayen84

try to find photo but it is a small easy to break off 'clip' that you either press to release, or you pull out to the side.

there is no screw associated with video cards.

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Answer 6

emjayen84 Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 26, 2011 2:29 PM in response to The hatter

Okay, if its not a screw, it looks just like one. Do you have a mac pro? Its the thick bolt that has a philips screwdriver hole and you turn it. Its what holds the video card in the computer. Its a screw...

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Answer 7

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Nov 26, 2011 5:15 PM in response to emjayen84

I assume you are talking about the pci card retaining plate that's is held in place by two "thumb" screws. But the center of those screws should have what looks like a little cross which should accept a small phillips screwdriver.

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Answer 8

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Nov 26, 2011 5:36 PM in response to X423424X

(missed the 15 minute cutoff for editing...)

Here's a picture of what I described above:

Note the center of those screws. A small phillips screwdriver will work in there (been there, done that).

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Answer 9

emjayen84 Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 27, 2011 1:53 AM in response to X423424X

Yes, thank you, thats it. I have tried philips and really cannot get enough torq at any angle because of the cramped area there. Anyway, so i tried somethings: finally got the dvd drive to open, so i booted from 10.5.2 install disc, and looked at the drive with the disk utility and i ran the Repair Disk option on my HD (only Hard drivei have), and it said it was successfully repaired so i rebooted..still wouldnt boot into OS, so i ran DIsk Utility again and I can see the contents of "Macintosh HD" in the 'open' window for the "New Image" option and even the thumbnails of pictures i have stored..theyre gray'd out of course, as theyre not an *iso or image file..i am guessing this means the contents are fine but need to be extracted by a pro? Will "archive and install" feature keep my 290 Gb-worth of data? Thanks for the help! Really appreciated

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Answer 10

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Nov 27, 2011 3:11 AM in response to emjayen84

If you have another drive you could temporarily use as a backup perhaps you could just drag the data off the problem drive on to that backup drive while booted from that install disk.

But...

Someone else will have to answer the "archive and install" question. I think it will protect the data but I can't say so with 100% assurance. If it were me though, whether it can boot or not boot, I still would get another drive and attempt to backup the whole drive prior to any system update or reinstall.

If you have the complete backup then you could install anyway you want and you would still have that data on a second disk.

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Answer 11

emjayen84 Author

Level 1

4 points

Feb 11, 2012 10:28 PM in response to X423424X

well!..

its doing it again! after installing a new (additional) hard drive and having two different Users, after two months of what i can only assume is a videocard issue, its doing the thing again where theres transparent thick line patterns covering the screen at the white apple boot up screen..and wont boot past the dark/light blue screen after that. sigh. so it must be a videocard issue right? ive heard of one other person whos had this same problem with it hanging at the blue screen and it was apparently a video card issue.

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Answer 12

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Feb 11, 2012 10:42 PM in response to emjayen84

I don't know what else to tell you. I guess it could be the card.

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