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Striped screen on my Macbook Pro

I have a 15.5" Macbook Pro ('09). What is causing my screen to go fully opaque with gray & white vertical stripes? Sometimes it will go all gray. I can't access the cursor so I have to fully shut my computer down. It happens randomly but it is happening more and more. I took it in to the genius bar and the guy said he'd tighten up the cable that was attached to the video card. That didn't solve anything. This just started about a week ago.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jan 8, 2014 9:54 PM

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Posted on Jan 8, 2014 9:58 PM

This is etiher a graphics processor issue or a display issue. Either way, it is a hardware issue for which no online troubleshoot exists.


To test, however, the next time it occurs, take a screen shot


If the distortion appears on your screenshot, then the problem is with your graphics processor and you to get your logic board replaced. If the distortion does not appear on the screenshot, then the issue is with your display and you need to get your display replaced.


Best of luck.

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Jan 8, 2014 9:58 PM in response to jogoesgufi

This is etiher a graphics processor issue or a display issue. Either way, it is a hardware issue for which no online troubleshoot exists.


To test, however, the next time it occurs, take a screen shot


If the distortion appears on your screenshot, then the problem is with your graphics processor and you to get your logic board replaced. If the distortion does not appear on the screenshot, then the issue is with your display and you need to get your display replaced.


Best of luck.

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Jan 9, 2014 1:10 AM in response to monochase

Interesting. Sorry that's happening to yours as well. Mine covers the entire screen and is more of a 2 color stripe 😉 Mine is also on its way to being a book title. It went to a darker shade of gray this evening.


I had my laptop standing on its side one night and I have a feeling that my dog knocking it over might be contributing to the problem? If just tipped over onto carpet though. Who knows. My previous Macbook (not a pro), fell on asphalt twice, from 4 feet up out of my backpack, and worked perfectly fine afterwards.

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Apr 17, 2015 3:17 PM in response to jogoesgufi

I have a gray screen and then rebooted (start and shift) and now I have wallpaper looking red and black stripes even though I am now logged in.


jogoesgufi - were you able to get your laptop fixed? And if so - what was the problem and how were you able to fix it?


Thanks!

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Jan 8, 2014 11:01 PM in response to nbar

Thank you. Yeah, I'm taking it back to the genius bar so they can send it out to be fixed.


I have taken a picture of my screen in the last hour when this happened. I had to take the pic with my phone. I can't take actually take a screen shot (shift-cmd-F3) when this happens because I can't use the keyboard at all when the screen goes striped or gray.

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Striped screen on my Macbook Pro

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