MacBook Pro - Keeps Restarting (Cycling) and there are horizontal stripes!

Question

Level 1

8 points

MacBook Pro - Keeps Restarting (Cycling) and there are horizontal stripes!

I am really hoping someone can help me!

My Macbook Pro jusr started shutting off while in use and restarting on its own. There is sometimes white noise on the screen as well as stripes of various colours!. It will get about 1/4 of the way through startup on the screen with the apple and then restart again on its own. Every once in a while it will boot all the way and allow me to use again only to shut down while using.

I brought to Apple store and they tried a few things. This started happening after I updated system to Yosemite. I have no idea if related but I have read other posts that say the same thing. Apple said they think they have an idea of what it is but the repair will be $600!!! I have hooked up an alternate screen to my laptop and it is not the screen with the problem. Now after living with it this way for a few months it will no longer start up all the way and I cannot use it at all.

If you have any idea or if this has happened to you please share how you have resolved. Did you have to bite the bullet and pay Apple a large sum of money?!

Thanks!

Shers_74

MacBook Pro, iOS 7.1.2

Posted on Apr 23, 2015 6:20 PM

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Answer 1

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Apr 24, 2015 8:38 AM in response to Shers_74

It will make it easier to help you w/ your problem to know know more information about your computer; size, exact year built, RAM installed and OS you're running. Any history prior to you incident would also be helpful.

There is this:
Apple Recall

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

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Answer 2

Shers_74 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 24, 2015 7:29 PM in response to spudnuty

I am so sorry that I did not include any info at all!! Duh! I am very new to this!! I have a 15inch MacBook Pro from late 2011. Everything was working great and then I upgraded to Yosemite. Computer worked fine after that and I was enjoying all of the great updates! I am not sure of the exact timeline but I think it was about a couple of weeks later my machine would go black screen or a screen with white noise or stripes and I would have to power down and restart. It would work fine when I restarted for a day or two and then it would happen again. It seemed like it was any time that I would look at photos or watch videos. If I was just checking email with text only or using iMessage it was all good. I brought it in to the Apple store and they did some stuff to it and the very last time they did some kind of reformatting and wiped the computer clean. I came home and downloaded my backup and then it all started to happen again. I use to be able to get by just restarting it or it would go black and restart all on it's own but then it started to happen more and more often until now. Now a restart will not work at all. They told me that if the other stuff that they did would not work that I will need to replace something (cannot remember) but that replacement or repair would run me $500-$600!! I feel like it has to do with Yosemite but perhaps it is just coincidence? I have read others that have had issues after installing. Perhaps my machine is too old to run it? But how do I get back even of that is the case? I am totally at a loss. If you need more info about my computer please let me know and I will provide it for you but anything that I would have to look up on my computer itself, I cannot access because it will not boot up. Since buying this computer I have always treated it very gently as I have only ever used it at home so it has not dropped or been abused in any way. Thank you for looking at my post and I look forward to hearing any thoughts you may be able to offer. I plugged my serial number into that website you gave me and this is all that it says...

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) IMEI: Serial Number: MEID: C02GX8KPDV7L

Perhaps it is not the right link to see if I qualify for the free repair?

Can you see if you can find out if I qualify?

Take care and thanks again! You are so kind!

Sheri

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Answer 3

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Apr 25, 2015 4:09 PM in response to Shers_74

"I have a 15inch MacBook Pro from late 2011."

"black screen or a screen with white noise or stripes"

" It seemed like it was any time that I would look at photos or watch videos."

So that sounds like classic recall behavior.

There's a recall on this particular model:

Apple Recall

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

"I plugged my serial number into that website you gave me and this is all that it says...

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) IMEI: Serial Number: MEID: C02GX8KPDV7L"

This is the list of affected models:

"

Affected Models
MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)	MacBook Pro (17-inch Early 2011) MacBook Pro (17-inch Late 2011) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15 inch, Early 2013)"

So yours is definitely on that list. Print that page out and take it in to your local Apple Store. (Official Apple Store, right?)

Make sure when they test it they're doing something graphics intensive. (Photoshop, watching videos.)

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Answer 4

Shers_74 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 25, 2015 3:25 AM in response to spudnuty

Thank you so much for your advice! I will be sure to make my appointment right away!! Just two more questions if you don't mind....

I just want to verify that this recall is in Canada. I know that there are some recalls in USA that do not apply in Canada. Fingers crossed it applies in Canada and the USA!!

Also, when I did a bit of looking online and have you ever heard of this kind of thing happening as a result of upgrading to Yosemite? When this started happening I tried to google info about it and ended up coming across a couple of people that reported the same problem and mentioned their upgrade to Yosemite.

Thanks again for your assist with this my friend!

Sheri

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Answer 5

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Apr 25, 2015 4:09 PM in response to Shers_74

"I just want to verify that this recall is in Canada. I know that there are some recalls in USA that do not apply in Canada."

On that site you can choose your country. When I check on Canada the recall notice does not go away. So I figure that's a good sign.

"have you ever heard of this kind of thing happening as a result of upgrading to Yosemite?

Yes. Can you go back?

You can buy Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain lion now at the Apple store now. You can't get

However if anything is potentially wrong with your logic board you should have it replaced before the recall ends. Before the recall, people paid to have their boards replaced but the boards were probably the original production boards that carried the same faults. I'm assuming that the ones they're using now are "refurbished" boards.

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Answer 6

Shers_74 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 25, 2015 4:13 PM in response to spudnuty

Ok Spudnuty!!!! Thank you so so so so much!!!!!! I appreciate all of your help with this as well as your patience while answering all of my questions!! I took my MacBook Pro into the Apple Store today and when they hooked it up they were able to verify that it qualifies for the repair!!! You have no idea how happy you have made me!! 3-5 days and I will have my computer back in perfect condition!!!!

Thank you again for sharing your knowledge!!

Shers_74

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Answer 7

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Apr 26, 2015 1:05 AM in response to Shers_74

Hooray! The best of all possible outcomes!

Well that's why we're all here.

Especially for something like this when there were thousands of people suffering for years with the GPU problem in this set of MBPs. There were complaints lodged and a class action suit started that finally ended in a recall. Here was the thread that ran:

4813982 Views Previous 1 … 853 854 855 856 857 Next 12,846 Replies Latest reply: Apr 24, 2015 3:16 PM

Re: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Glad you were one of the ones to benefit!

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Answer 8

Shers_74 Author

Level 1

8 points

May 8, 2015 8:24 PM in response to spudnuty

Thanks for sending me the link to the thread…very interesting. I got my computer back, they only needed it for 3 days. It is perfect now!! I have been living with this fail for quite a while and it is almost weird to use it…I keep expecting it to shut down or give my a scrambled screen!! I cannot thank you enough!

Thanks so much for answering the questions of people like me that need a little help now and then!

Take Care!

Shers_74

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Answer 9

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

May 8, 2015 9:40 PM in response to Shers_74

Glad to help. Thanks for the checkmark.

"I keep expecting it to shut down or give my a scrambled screen!! "

Yup like PTSD. Someday that will all seem like a bad dream.

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Answer 10

Npthao

Level 1

4 points

Sep 9, 2016 7:07 AM in response to Shers_74

HI Shers_74,

I have the same problem with my macbook. Just want to ask if you were able to back up all your documents before have it repaired? I just want to recover my files and docs but it won't start for just a little bit.

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