Retina Macbook display problems

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Retina Macbook display problems

New Retina Macbook arrived today - all was going well until last hour or so. Since then the display freezes after about 5 minutes use - sometimes with glitchy artefacts on screen, sometimes not. Generally it either:

1. Seizes up - the pointer may still move around but everything else is completely frozen. Sometimes the pointer freezes too (I think). I then have to hold down the Power button to force a reboot

2. Screen goes black suddenly, then auto reboots with a warning screen and propmt to 'press any button'

The only thing I can think I have done to it in the last hour or so is install Nvidia's CUDA drivers - could this be the problem? I am thinking so. But I have also managed (inbetween crashes) to remove the following files:

/usr/local/cuda

/System/Library/Extensions/CUDA.kext

/System/Library/StartupItems/CUDA

If anyone can advise if there are further CUDA files to remove / replace I think that might be a start.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jun 20, 2012 12:57 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 20, 2012 12:59 PM in response to Steven Kirby

'press any button'

That is a Windoze prompt. Did you install Windoze?

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Answer 2

Steven Kirby Author

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Jun 20, 2012 1:19 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

No I did not - it is part of the OS X reboot screen, I may have got the words slightly wrong. There is a big power button icon behind all the text at this point

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Answer 3

Steven Kirby Author

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Jun 20, 2012 3:05 PM in response to Steven Kirby

Update - I reinstalled Lion via internet recovery, and created a new user. The problem still persisted. I have now disabled automatic GPU switching in Energy Saver preferences which seems to have alleviated the problem. Just before installing CUDA drivers I had also installed the gfxCardStatus menulet, which is feeling like it may have been related, although how anything it installed remained after an OS reinstall I don't know. I will carry on testing things and switch back to integrated GPU and see if the problem reoccurs.

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Answer 4

Jun 20, 2012 4:20 PM in response to Steven Kirby

If you did not erase the disk, any third-party items are left intact by a re-install.

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Answer 5

ds store

Level 7

30,705 points

Jun 20, 2012 4:33 PM in response to Steven Kirby

Steven Kirby wrote:

then auto reboots with a warning screen and propmt to 'press any button'

Kernel panic

The only thing I can think I have done to it in the last hour or so is install Nvidia's CUDA drivers

Uh, yea.

You don't install drivers on a Mac, Apple controls them and their source.

One is supposed to just use a Mac, not treat it like a generic PC which it is not, even though it has Intel processors.

Just before installing CUDA drivers I had also installed the gfxCardStatus menulet, which is feeling like it may have been related, although how anything it installed remained after an OS reinstall I don't know.

Since it's a new machine, command r boot and disk utility > erase the Macintosh HD partition and reinstall Lion, then reboot/setup and then shutdown and reboot again, hopefully this will clear out the EFI firmware.

You'll also need to reset the SMC and the PRAM here, run a hardware test afterwards

Step by Step to fix your Mac

Still having trouble, take the machine in for service at the Genius Bar.

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Answer 6

Steven Kirby Author

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Jun 21, 2012 4:54 AM in response to ds store

I followed your advice. The OS9-like Hardware test came up with this error code:

4HDD/11/40000000:SATA(0,0)

If anyone can comment on this it would be appreciated.

I'm now on my second erase+reinstall. The first time everything appeared to be back to normal until I restarted the Mac after installing Avid Media Composer 5 (amongst other things, though not CUDA) - I am hoping that by not installing Avid I can fix the problem as I am running out of time now and it's costing me money.

Only other comment is that it appeared to be a fault related to the Intel GPU only. By using gfxCardStatus or System Preferences to force the Nvidia GPU on all the time, I could stop the panic's occurring. Usually as soon as I re-enabled the Intel GPU, a kernel panic would ensue. If not immediately then within minutes.

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Answer 7

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Jun 21, 2012 5:46 AM in response to Steven Kirby

I believe that error reflects a problem with your hard drive. Copy your data and then off to the Apple store genius bar.

Ciao.

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Answer 8

ds store

Level 7

30,705 points

Jun 21, 2012 5:58 AM in response to Steven Kirby

Steven Kirby wrote:

I followed your advice. The OS9-like Hardware test came up with this error code:

4HDD/11/40000000:SATA(0,0)

You have a hardware problem with the hard drive, you'll need to take the machine in for service and show the error code.

Usually as soon as I re-enabled the Intel GPU, a kernel panic would ensue. If not immediately then within minutes.

You need to communicate this to the Genius folks and will likely get a replacement machine if not too much time has passed since you bought the machine.

It's not a software problem, you have hardware problem we can't resolve.

Take it in and good luck. 🙂

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Answer 9

Steven Kirby Author

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Jun 21, 2012 6:01 AM in response to Steven Kirby

Well it was purchased online so Apple have decided to send out a courier to collect and a replacement from stock. I just pray the replacement doesn't have to ship all the way from China, behind several other Retina MBP's, because I desperately need this machine for a job.

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Answer 10

GTCA

Level 1

21 points

Jun 21, 2012 6:56 AM in response to Steven Kirby

Sorry for the problem Steve, if it does come out of China, I watched my iPad 3 come out of China and was stunned when it hit my door in two days.

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Answer 11

Jun 26, 2012 12:23 AM in response to Steven Kirby

I was just curious. Is the Cuda drivers something you decided to add? Doesn't the system already come loaded with all the drivers installed as part of OSX? If these are other drivers, I'm just wondering why you would do that? Or is that something that is supposed to be done with the retina MBPs.

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Answer 12

Jun 26, 2012 12:42 AM in response to Barry Fisher

Barry,

No, no additional drivers need to be installed on any Mac. If new drivers are needed, they will usually come in the form of a software update - very seldom a firmware update. Just leave the drivers to Apple - most of the time. Now printer drivers can be a different duck...

Clinton

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Answer 13

Steven Kirby Author

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Jul 5, 2012 7:25 AM in response to Steven Kirby

Just wanted to add an update. I received a replacement rMBP yesterday, installed almost all my software and began putting it through its paces. Everything was going swimmingly - Cinema 4D, After Effects etc were all working nicely with my external NEC display all morning, and I would describe myself as a power-user.

Then about an hour ago I installed Avid Media Composer 5, which requires a restart. Immediately after the restart, applications and the Finder all become intermittently unresponsive. With Activity Monitor open I see Mail, Firefox and Finder go red (not responding) and spinning beachballs almost every time I click on something in the Finder. So logically I run Avid's uninstallers immediately, which report that they have completed. But problems persist.

I created a new user and went in to that account, but to no improvement. I'm currently reinstalling OS X only as it takes a few hours for me to set up all my apps and everything. Will report back here when complete.

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Answer 14

Maziyar

Level 1

15 points

Jul 5, 2012 7:51 AM in response to Steven Kirby

Hi Steven

Thanks for update the situation, but I think since this is a new issue and it's not a display problem anymore it's better to open a new thread to let others know you have this problem in a MPB retina display. They could help you better in a new thread related directly to the issue.

Thanks for your update, please keep us posted.

I appreciate it.

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Answer 15

Steven Kirby Author

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Jul 6, 2012 4:48 AM in response to Steven Kirby

Well, last post here I hope - Reinstalling OS X did nothing to help the problems, in fact they got worse until I was experiencing kernel panics again. So, I erased the entire HD and started over with a fresh copy of Lion from Internet Recovery, Software Update etc etc and put all my Adobe software etc back on. So far everything has been perfect again and I will not be installing Avid MC 5 this time, that's for sure.

In 10 years of using Macs daily I've never seen a piece of professional software that could bring the system down so seriously that an uninstall of the software, new uder account AND reinstall of the OS didn't fix it (not to mention SMC and PR RAM resets). What else is there on the thing that could have been touched by Avid?

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