Q: Macbook Pro (15" early 2011) horizontal lines on screen and not booting...?

No, nothing to do with Mavericks, everything to do with 'timing' - and I'm predicting (although not wishing it upon you) that your problems will return. The problem, essentially, is caused by a defectively soldered GPU. When it gets hot enough, the contact 'breaks' and you first get graphic glitches and, in the end, a machine that won't turn on at all.

Just be prepared!

Clinton

indeed. The problem returned. Tried a fresh reinstall of osx. Same issue still. had to deliver it for service repairs. They are now replacing the motherboard :-(

Yikes! Did you actually have to pay for a new logic board? I sure wish that you'd gone the reballing route - much less expensive and a certain fix.

My machine was 'repaired' with a new logic board in January - just because I still have AppleCare. When my machine (inevitably) chokes again, I'll let Apple put in a new board under AppleCare but if I'm no longer under AppleCare, my machine is definitely going the reballing route (perhaps even the day that my AppleCare ceases and before my machine does a nosedive again).

Good luck to you, though...

Clinton

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS Mavericks 10.9.3, 16GB RAM, 960GB SSD, 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display

YEah' I have a feeling  it's gonna come back anytime soon. This issue is been going on lately. Apple must do something about it. I'll have it checked anyway .. But good to know It was not the logic board (hopefully) that causing the problem. if the problem persist ' I rather buy a new one.. or try the reball for less cost. it's just frustrating coz I just upgraded the ram' changed the battery' bought new charger few days ago .. and then boom! another problem came. So do you have any suggestion to prevent it? What is this gfxCard? Does it really helps? Thanks.

Hackintosh_User,

The only true fix for the problem is reballing. gfxCardStatus may help you temporarily by disabling the discrete video card but since the discrete card is checked and activated at startup, it's no real solution.

Sorry,

Clinton

I will give that a try .. Thanks for your time Clinton. *cheers

Hello I'm having the same problem, my macbook 15'' late 2011 A1286 model freezes while watching YouTube and I had to force shut down. After it gave me this screen:

And then white grey screen and the fans start to run full throttle and very loud that I had to force shut again as the top frame was getting super hot.

I called apple support, they where kind enough to assist me for free and even call me back so I don't have to pay for the call on my mobile phone even when I am not covered by phone support ( which was ok but I have a 2000 euros machine that didn't last 3 years and sadly I don't have apple care ) and after a combination of keys, pressed did reset nvram and gave me this screen:

Ps:( this a picture from another user but exactly same) So after tried safe startup, and gave me a blue screen Internet recovery and other key combinations nothing pass this screen and the following grey screen of death.

My data isn't backed up so that is one of my main worries right now ( does somebody had the same issue and get their data back? ), I'm going to apple store soon but I know the would most likely offer me to change the logic board for a fair expensive fee ( Is reball really a solution? There is some it companies that offer a chip replacement and reball but not more than 6 months warranty and that obviously are not supported by Apple)

I have been researching and seem to be a very common manufacture/assembly problem.... There was a problem with nvidia that made apple to extend the warranty to 4 years offering a free replacement on the affected models back in the day so....

When is Apple going to acknowledge this widespread problem and issues a recall for affected customers?

Hi All,

I just been through this, details description of issue is as follow:

• red horizontal lines display right after you startup,
• it will go on to show you the apple (still in red horizontal lines),
• then it show the gray screen,
• and your fans start running like crazy.
• If you switch to window OS
  • you will be able to run on safe-mode, and the screen look like... well you know

My conclusion is the RAM. not normal issue, a special RAM issue. I followed these steps and fixed it.

• Take out one RAM
• reboot on recovery mode, (press and hold: command + R)
• then it will display a crappy screen again still the apple sign
• then it will turn blue.
• Dont panic, shut it down
• this time do the RAM boot (press and hole command + option + P + R)
• if the RAM you are using is ok, everything should back to normal.
• if not, then replace it with the one you just took out and do the whole thing again.

i try command + R singly, and it not work. I tried reboot RAM (press and hole command + option + P + R) alone, it not work. only when i combine them, then it working. Also, it you put the faulty RAM in and take it out, even though you are on the "ok" RAM, the problem still exist without doing the process that i just described

Hope this help, and stop paying apple for non-sense things.

P/s: I keep wondering why all macbooks suddenly have the same issue at the similar period. If Apple do this on purpose to make us purchase new stuffs ?

<Edited By Host>

My early 2011 mbp 15" just started this behavior in the past 2 weeks.  Without any real consistency each time (after resetting PRAM, SMC, multiple reboots, etc) I was somehow able to get back in.

Yesterday was a bad day, but I managed to get a SuperDuper copy of my hard drive and then late last night poof, system froze and could not recover at all.  At this juncture I just want the pain to stop as I've already been researching used mbp's as well as pc/laptop for a replacement.

This morning was the worst.  While googling and youtubing for help I must have tried rebooting and resetting about 40 different times, including using Internet Recovery (cmd + R) multiple times.  Not sure how but I eventually got in.  I thought what the heck I may as well upgrade from OS 10.7.5 to Maverick.  Since the internet OS upgrade appears to occur at the base level with an internet connection, the entire upgrade completed without a hitch.  Upon reboot, everything came up quickly and normally.

Without hesitation, I invoked a time machine backup and another SuperDuper disk clone which took about 3 hours total. 

It's now been up and running without a single glitch for about 9 hours.  I've yet to reboot again as I'm too afraid and I hold my breath with every keystroke/typed.  I'm sure it's just a matter of time but this afternoon was a good day for the mbp.

I am gearing up for a pc/laptop replacement as I think it's appalling that IMO Apple hasn't found a fix, issued a recall, or stood behind their product.

One thing I'm convinced about, is that this is primarily a software issue, not hardware.  Why?  Because upon immediate reboot almost every time hot or cold I get the appropriate gray screen with the apple in the center and the gear turing.  However basic, that's still complete control of the graphics in my opinion.  It's only after the gearing stops and advances to the next screen to open the system up that I might get a blue screen, stripes, split, scrolling lines, or a simple blank gray screen.

Moreover, this morning when I performed a complete Maverick upgrade via the internet that upgrade process took complete control of all the nice graphics without a single hitch.  If it were hardware, I'm convinced I never would have made it through the OS upgrade. 

Moreover, since the upgrade, I've attempted to conduct business as usual without a single hitch and not once have the cooling fans engaged.  Normally the fans will turn on 10 - 20 times per day over the past 6 months.  If anything, the fans should have engaged somewhere during the backups after the OS upgrade as I was transferring several hundred GB's in a very short time while also browsing the internet and caught a video or 2 during the process.

So IMO, the hardware story is bunk. It's either in the firmware or OS and perhaps the Maverick upgrade corrected the problem accidentally.

Before going to bed, I will try a clean reboot or two.  But right now I'm just enjoying what I have.

One more note.  When closing the mbp and then reopening, it now almost instantaneously brings up the backdrop screen and login prompt.  Whereas, prior to the Maverick upgrade, it could take 5 - 10 or even 20 seconds to appear (if at all).

So maybe, just maybe something was inadvertently corrected during the OS upgrade.

Time will tell.

Rebooted several times last night after being on for several more hours.  No issues and reboot was as quick as it's ever been.

This afternoon I'm back on my mbp 15" early 2011.  Again desktop screen and login prompt appear quickly when the lid is still only half open.

Since the upgrade to Mavericks, I don't recall the cooling fans engaging even once.

No telling what tomorrow may bring, but I'm suspecting my supposed issue with the "graphics card improperly soldered to the logic board" has subsided.

I'll try to post once or twice more over the next few days or weeks.

Last note. Based on my successful Internet Recovery/Mavericks upgrade taking full control of all graphics (successfully) at the low level boot stage and no issues since, I have to believe that hardware is not the issue, but rather at the firmware or software levels when attempting to open up the OS for general use.

For this effort, I think Apple should give me free hardware for one year (with Apple Care of course).

MBP Config:

mbp 15" early 2011

256GB SSD sata III

16GB RAM 1600 MHz DDR3

CPU:  I7-2820QM @ 2.3 GHz

GPU:  AMD Radeon HD 6750M(1024MB) + Intel HD Graphics 3000 (512MB)

From About this Mac:

  Model Name:    MacBook Pro

  Model Identifier:    MacBookPro8,2

  Processor Name:    Intel Core i7

  Processor Speed:    2.3 GHz

  Number of Processors:    1

  Total Number of Cores:    4

  L2 Cache (per Core):    256 KB

  L3 Cache:    8 MB

  Memory:    16 GB

  Boot ROM Version:    MBP81.0047.B27

  SMC Version (system):    1.69f4

  Serial Number (system):    xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  Hardware UUID:    xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  Sudden Motion Sensor:

  State:    Enabled

I Have just ran into similar problems described in the last two pages; starting last night the screen went googoogaga, glitching and froze, had to force restart, only to get glitchy screen same as posted pics, some times go to dark blue glitchy screen instead of all grey, then gets extremely hot and noisy has to be forced off again.

Tried everything short of replacing hardware. I use my mbp for work, so I'm losing business.

Shocking to see how many others have same problem. Light bulb conspiracy comes to mind. Devastated. Please continue to post possible fixes!

In my opinion, you're experiencing what thousands (upon thousands?) of 2011 mbp users have been experiencing for over 2 years solely due to Apple's failures.  Those failures include but are not limited to the following:

1.  Apple failed us by incorporating a bad AMD chip and/or connection at the logic board.

2. Apple failed us a 2nd time by not owning up to their first failure and offering a cure or recall at their expense.

3. Apple really failed us a 3rd time by not forcing the video control back to the integrated Intel chip at every reboot.  This 3rd failure by Apple is FAR worse than failures 1 or 2 as this seems to be the failure that renders most mbp's useless.

4. Apple failed us yet a 4th time by not even bothering to diagnose and address their 3rd failure.

5. Apple failed many of us yet a 5th time by suggesting many of us have our mbp's repaired at a cost to us of $150 - $700+ USD only to have the same failures 1 through 4 to continue to persist.

But since Apple fails to engage in any responsible way, it's all just a SWAG.

did you have to pay for it?  how much?

is apple admitting this is an issue.. i'm having this issue now