17" MacBook w ss drive won't boot. It was powered off for several days. I hear the chord and the cd drive spin up, then nothing.

Hi ronging,

Welcome to the Support Communities! If you are hearing the startup chime, and the CD drive is spinning, then the issue may be with the video on your MacBook Pro. Try the steps below:

Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201177

Reset the system

You can reset the Mac's parameter RAM and SMC.

Reset the resolution

Start by resetting the Mac's parameter RAM. If the display does not come up, was previously set to an unsupported resolution, and still results in no video:

1. Start up in Safe Mode.
2. From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences.
3. Choose Displays from the View menu to open the preferences pane.
4. Select any resolution and refresh rate that your display supports.
5. Restart your computer.

OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode? - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

Starting up in Safe Mode

Follow these steps to start up into Safe Mode.

1. Be sure your Mac is shut down.
2. Press the power button.
3. Immediately after you hear the startup sound, press and hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be pressed as soon as possible after startup, but not before the startup sound.
4. Release the Shift key when you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.

After the Apple logo appears, it may take longer than usual to reach the login screen. This is because your computer is performing a directory check as part of Safe Mode.

To leave Safe Mode, restart your computer without pressing any keys during startup.

Starting in Safe Mode without a keyboard

If you don't have a keyboard available to start in Safe Mode but you have remote access to your computer, you can configure the computer to startup in Safe Mode using the command line.

1. Access the command line by either opening Terminal remotely, or by logging into the computer using SSH.
2. Use the following Terminal command:

   sudo nvram boot-args="-x"

   If you want to start in Verbose mode as well, use this instead:

   sudo nvram boot-args="-x -v"

3. After using Safe Mode, use this Terminal command to return to a normal startup:

   sudo nvram boot-args=""

How to tell your computer is started in Safe Mode

You can check to see if your computer is started in safe mode:

• The words Safe Mode appear in the upper right corner of the login screen .
• The Software section of System Information lists the Boot Mode as "Safe" instead of "Normal".
  

If your computer does not start up after following the troubleshooting steps above, refer to this article:

Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/TS1367

If you are still unable to start up your computer after trying each of these steps, visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) for further diagnosis. If you plan to visit an Apple Retail Store, make a reservation at the Genius Bar using http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/ (available in some countries only).

Note: Diagnostic fees may apply for issues not covered under warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan (APP).

Last Modified: Oct 22, 2014

I hope this information helps ....

- Judy

" the tech had "reset the SMC","

Well there's resetting the SMC and RESETTING the SMC!

What he most likely did was what we discussed here:

Late 2011 Macbook Pro refuses to boot. SMC reset doesn't work

So disconnect all power and periferials, open up the bottom, disconnect the battery, push the power button, wait a few minutes reconnect charger and battery. Try to restart. Sometime try without the battery connected.

That's basically the reset sequence when it was easy to take out the battery.

Hi ronging,

I'm happy to hear you were able to get your MacBook Pro serviced and working again. Have a great day!

- Judy