B Real
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Macbook Pro grey / blue screen

MBP (2009, Snow Leopard 10.6.something - need to update my profile product) all of a sudden won't start. I shut it down properly, went out for half an hour, came back, booted up, and it stuck on the login screen with a spinning wheel for about 10 minutes. There was a crackling sound coming from inside the laptop (as if the processor is running in overtime - lasted a good minute), around the area just below the arrow keys (or if you're looking at it from a side profile, from just to the left of the CD drive). I force shut it (holding down the power button), and tried to restart. The chime started, but this time the screen just went blue / grey (was hard to tell, not obviously one colour or the other!). Crackling sound still there, but in shorter duration (10-20secs).

 

 

Following some troubleshooting tips, I've done the following:

 

 

1) boot in safe mode (using both methods: start & shift; and start & shift-cmd-v). No progress.

2) reset nvram/pram (start & cmd-opt-p-r). Screen now obviously grey, compared to the previous blue/grey colour. Did this twice. Otherwise no progress.

3) boot from install disc (start & c). No progress.

 

 

Now the install disc wont eject. Have tried to use the hardware test (start & d) but it does nothing and I can't put the Applications Install DVD in because the install disc is stuck in the drive.

 

 

The remaining steps according to the troubleshooting guide for grey screen problem don't seem applicable (it's not a peripheral problem and all my RAM is apple).

 

 

Gut feeling is that it's hardware related, largely due to the crackling sound, but not sure. Any suggestions to other steps I can take to diagnose the fault, before taking it in to a pro?

 

 

Cheers

B Real

Posted on Apr 6, 2012 2:49 AM

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B Real

Q: Macbook Pro grey / blue screen

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  • Helpful answers

  • by An_Dy_L,

    An_Dy_L An_Dy_L Apr 6, 2012 3:43 AM in response to B Real
    Level 1 (65 points)
    Apr 6, 2012 3:43 AM in response to B Real

    if you can here the apple startuptone you might be lucky. It could be the NIVIDIA issue. You have to search for the special details. May be the pro can read out an issue code, so you get a replacement. Otherwise if there is no start up tone it sounds like a broken MLB (logic Board) (The replacement is very expencive).

    To get out you DVD try to hold down F12, eject, esc before pressing the power button.

  • by B Real,

    B Real B Real Apr 6, 2012 4:18 AM in response to An_Dy_L
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 6, 2012 4:18 AM in response to An_Dy_L

    Hi An_Dy_L, thanks for the reply. Is this the NIVIDIA issue the one you're talking about:

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

     

    The symptoms on that page are fairly generic but I guess they apply - "No video on the computer screen (or external display) even though the computer is on". I'll ask the engineer to look for that, and cross my fingers I get a replacement.

     

    Cheers

  • by An_Dy_L,

    An_Dy_L An_Dy_L Apr 6, 2012 4:42 AM in response to B Real
    Level 1 (65 points)
    Apr 6, 2012 4:42 AM in response to B Real

    Yes that is the nividia issue I was talking about. May be you are lucky and it is only the GPU not the MLB.

  • by B Real,

    B Real B Real Apr 6, 2012 6:00 AM in response to B Real
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 6, 2012 6:00 AM in response to B Real

    Holy crap - £100 just to get the problem diagnosed at my local authorised apple repair shop!

     

    Just thought I'd vent a little about that.

  • by ds store,

    ds store ds store Apr 6, 2012 6:50 AM in response to B Real
    Level 7 (30,400 points)
    Apr 6, 2012 6:50 AM in response to B Real

    2009? You got about 3 years out of it, too bad no AppleCare.

     

    But since Mac laptops are lasting about 4 years now, fan vents inside get clogged with dust, keyboards and trackpads wear out, video cards give up.

     

    Likely better spending the money towards a new machine.

     

    I've got a dead Late 2007 that fell under the Nvida 4 year deadline, was having very rare but video issues, took it in under the deadline and they said it was fine.

     

    About 6 months later the video card went, I did everything, the machine booted fine off disks and hard drive, the video card was toast.  I even opened it up, pulled the fans and cleaned the vents.

     

    IMO because of the dirt and dust alone, the machine won't last more than 4 years, you'll void your warranty/AppleCare cleaning the insides, use a liquid and you can set off the moisture sensors.

  • by B Real,

    B Real B Real Apr 9, 2012 3:43 AM in response to B Real
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 9, 2012 3:43 AM in response to B Real

    Well it wasn't the graphics card. It was the hard drive that went. I booted it up using a friends hd and it worked fine. Thank god I didn't waste £100 getting the shop to diagnose that. Time to crank up the capacity of my laptop!

     

    Any tips on getting the data off the broken hd? My friend tried to read it on his MBP using disk utility, but it just wouldn't show up. I've seen them get data off hard drives that have just been blown up by some C4 on CSI so it must be possible.

  • by B Real,

    B Real B Real Apr 9, 2012 4:20 AM in response to B Real
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 9, 2012 4:20 AM in response to B Real

    In case anyone is curious how to retrieve data off a broken hard drive, I found this useful user tip:

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1689