MacBook Pro screen goes black at random ... does anyone have this resolved?!?!

@willoP

I'm aware of the repair extension program. Unfortunately it is only valid for mid 2012 to early 2013 rMBPs. Do you think they will still take a late 2013 rMBP into consideration for a replacement?

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I've just had my rMPB inspected at the Apple Store for a few days. Today I went to pick it up and they told me they weren't able to find or even replicate the error, thus just giving it back to me without any replacement. So I went home, turned it on and what do you know...three minutes in the screen went black and I had to reboot. It has happened 4 times in one hour now. I don't understand how the Apple technician wasn't able to get this error.

Side note: Whenever an external display is connected to my rMBP the error does not occur.

Does ANYONE have a solution to this problem? Please, I'm desperate!

Getting tired of mac to be honest , as a college student I see all my peers shoveling out money that we don't have to a company that's makes it immensely unaffordable for any one not making a significant amount of money. It's not a user friendly company and I'm tired ...legit over it . $1000 for a computer almost $100 for a charger and $40 for a phone charger ....no reason nor care for ones life . I can't afford them ...so sue me...

I have the same problem, the only solution I've found so far is putting my phone flashlight right into the MacBook camera.

Even though the auto adjust for brightness is not checked, this is the only way I've been dealing with the issue whilst waiting for the repair people to arrive.

Hope this helps 🙂

same problem. man in apple uk showed me this link:

https://www.apple.com/uk/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

and told me go to a store to get repaired..... I don't think they have stopped recall?

MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues. The affected computers were manufactured between approximately May 2007 and September 2008.

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010): Intermittent black screen or loss of video. Affected computers were manufactured between April 2010 and February 2011.

I have the same issue on my macbook pro, which I often use an external monitor for. I've noticed the screen only goes black (and any audio playing starts to skip until I manually shut it down) when I'm navigating a webapge, never when I'm using a downloaded program. Although the screen goes black at almost any point, I find it most often happens when I make a video fullscreen.

I took it to be repaired and the technicians couldn't duplicate the problem so they sent it back... So far nothing I've been able to do has remedied the problem, but it does seem to be very random (shutting down several times in one day, then not having any issue for a few weeks).

The source of so much stress in my world, ugh.

I'm having the same problem. Has been there since I bought the machine new. Damned if I'm paying $850 for a new mainboard after having payed premium price for the machine in the first place. Local Apple reps could not replicate the fault while under warranty so they did nothing. I suggested that the mainboard might have a defect and they were not interested in covering the replacement costs.

(My diagnosis was not an arbitrary one - I have a BS in Electronics and have been in hardware design for many years. I know a hardware fault when I see one. Particularly an intermittent/randomly manifesting one like this).

We must have been the unlucky bunch that happened to buy machines with a defective batch of motherboards that marginally passed QA during manufacturing.

Thought about selling the machine but I cannot do so without disclosing the fault to a prospective buyer. Which means I will get nothing for it. So I'll just keep it as a rather expensive reminder never to be fooled by Apple's slick marketing/product design again. Rather have an ugly computer that just works.

This is the first & last Apple computer I'm ever buying.

You need to take your computer into a Genius Bar at the Apple Store. The repair you're referencing is far less expensive than the numbers you quoted. Trust me on this.

Thanks @venturakid. That's exactly what I did 2 plus years ago. The "genius" ran diagnostics on the machine that passed everything. I went home & put the Macbook in the cupboard.

I now need to dev an application that needs to run on OSX. On Monday I took the machine back to the nearest Apple store and the guy there ran diagnostics. Apple must have updated the diags because this time they failed my display controller.

The guy at the store is going to try for a warranty replcement of the mainboard even though it is now 3 years down the road and I don't have extended warranty. I have no way of proving that this problem has existed since I bought the machine. It just ****** me off to have to pay for a defect repair that has been with the product since day 1.

I have upgraded to Mountain Lion and now the machine doesn't just blank the screen but it does a reboot. Even more fun!

Hopefully there is recognition by Apple that some machines of mid2010 vintage slipped past QA and they can identify mine as being one of those by the serial number and they will honour the warranty on this basis.

I'm not holding my breath though. Here in South Africa Apple does not have a subsidiary. It operates through a distributor. This distributor, I suspect, does not have full access to Apple's infrastructure for support etc. since they're not wholly owned and simply middle men.

The MacBook Pro 6,2 is the subject or a recall to evaluate whether there is a fatal Hardware flaw in the graphics subsystem.

Take a printout of this article with you to hedge against the genius not being familiar with this program, and make a genius bar appointment. Do not leave until they have run the special VST test for this problem, which ends in a spectacular PASSED or FAILED screen. (The overnight bake test will NOT find this problem, they should run VST for you on the spot.)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010): Intermittent black screen or loss of video

If the result is FAILED but the genius is hesitant to replace the mainboard, ask the store manager to intervene on your behalf. Be polite and business like.

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If you are far from an Apple Store, contact Applecare by Phone or Fast Lane email and ask them for a courier-pack to send your Mac in for an evaluation under this specific recall program.

Hey Artevino I admire your loyalty (no sarcasm, genuine admiration). Clearly you've had good experiences with the brand.

The source of my frustration with Apple products is not exclusive to the Macbook.

I bought a new iphone 4 which dropped 1 out of 4 calls consistently and had an abysmal battery capacity. I eventually replaced it with a phone made by a phone company - Nokia Lumia and the thing just works - all the time.

My iPad (1st generation) battery needed replacement after 3 months - purchased it new. I sold it and bought a Samsung Series 7 Windows 8 TabletPC.

I have been in IT for 30 years and have had numerous computers over the years. I am being totally honest when I say that I have never had a hardware failure. Plenty of software issues (95% driver related) .I've come to expect hardware to just work. As far as I'm concerned extended warranties are for cars and washing machines. Devices with no moving parts should not require extended warranties. Electronic devices do not wear out. I understand that spindle bearings in hard drives and CPU fans may wear out and hard drives occasionally crash but in my mind replacing these is not expensive and it is an acceptable risk to not insure for these types of failures.

iphone 4 which dropped 1 out of 4 calls consistently and had an abysmal battery capacity.

That is a symptom of low cellular signal in your area, not of a defect in the phone.

My iPad (1st generation) battery needed replacement after 3 months

... and it was replaced under warranty. They made tens of millions of these devices, and yours had a problem. That is called a SAMPLE DEFECT.

I say that I have never had a hardware failure

Then you have been incredibly lucky. Devices are getting more complex all the time, and just like cars, things fail sometimes, and it is not a conspiracy.