Startup screen garbled/distorted after PRAM reset

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Level 1

27 points

Startup screen garbled/distorted after PRAM reset

Hi,

I've been having several problems lately with my 15-inch MBP 2011. Installing new OS X versions and point updates make it beep three times and restart several times in quick succession. Those point updates will then appear as installed six times in the App Store app's Installed Updates list.

Thinking this could be an issue that could be fixed with a PRAM reset. I performed it and noticed that the after the PRAM is reset, the startup screen is garbled. Picture attached:

Could it be that once again my AMD GPU is degrading?

Thanks in advance.

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), 15-inch / 2.2 / Early 2011

Posted on Feb 17, 2016 3:38 PM

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Answer 1

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Feb 29, 2016 3:51 PM in response to LeVeL5

5 beeps indicate a RAM issue.

You may be experiencing a kernel panic. Check via these instructions and post it if there is one:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201753

Run an Apple Hardware Test:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201257

Note that an error free AHT is not conclusive.

Be aware of this program;

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

Cioao.

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Answer 2

TildeBee

Level 7

31,923 points

Feb 17, 2016 3:58 PM in response to LeVeL5

LeVel --

Some questions/comments for you:

1. When do you hear the 3 beeps? On startup or at random times?

2. There used to be a S.M.A.R.T. status report on Disk Utility, but I think it may be gone.

3. GO into your Applications folder, then open Utilities, and then open Disk Utility.

If you click on the entire disk (Above the one labeled Macintosh HD) do you see S.M.A.R.T status?

If you do, does it say "verified?"

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Answer 3

LeVeL5 Author

Level 1

27 points

Feb 19, 2016 7:12 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

Thank you, OGELTHORPE.

Even though only three beeps sounded, I suspected may RAM may have gone bad (it happened before). I powered it on with Command+D and ran the ADT. It ran for over two hours and found no issues.

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Answer 4

LeVeL5 Author

Level 1

27 points

Feb 19, 2016 7:17 AM in response to TildeBee

The three beeps only sound when the system needs to restart to finish applying a point update. It happens on every one Apple has released.

The SMART status does say Verified. I bought a Mercury SSD from OWC less than a year ago because the Apple factory drive died. Maybe it's because of the SSD? I'll put on a regular hard drive and do a test.

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Answer 5

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Feb 19, 2016 7:35 AM in response to LeVeL5

Were you able to look and see if you had any kernel panic reports stored?

Go through these basic steps:

Reset the SMC and the NVRAM:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063

Then try a safe boot:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

Any change?

To test the RAM, download an run REMBER from the Kelly Computing we site:

http://www.kelleycomputing.net/rember/

Run it overnight so that sufficient loops are executed.

Ciao.

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Answer 6

LeVeL5 Author

Level 1

27 points

Feb 22, 2016 3:58 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

Reset the SMC and that didn't help. Resetting the NVRAM always causes the garbled screen for me. Normal boot doesn't show any video artifacts.

Removed the 16 GB DDR-1600 RAM I had installed and put in the original 4 GB DDR-1333 Apple RAM. No change.

Removed the Mercury Electra 6G SSD and put in the original 750 GB Apple HDD. No change.

I erased the HDD and installed El Capitan from scratch and the installation didn't finish correctly: when it was finishing installing and had a few minutes left, the screen went black for a long time (around 15-20 seconds) and then it sounded a single, very long beep. Then it restarted a couple of times in quick succession with the screen still black (I know because the Superdrive always does a seek at every startup) and then finished booting in to El Cap. OS seems to be OK, applications seem to be OK, Console doesn't show anything especially grave...

Any ideas? I'm thinking of dropping it off for service...

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