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User profile for user: Brad Cook
Brad Cook Author
User level: Level 1
35 points

MacBook Pro booting with green Apple logo

My MacBook Pro (early 2011) has been acting funny for a while now. I was concerned it could be a hard drive problem.


I rebooted using Command-R and ran Disk Utility. It said it found corruption on the disk and couldn't repair it. I wasn't sure if that was a software issue or a hardware one, but I quickly backed up my stuff last night and planned on using Disk Utility today to erase the disk and reinstall OS X, hoping that would fix the problem.


Unfortunately, here's what I saw when booting it up. I have never seen this before on a Mac. The Apple logo is green and has thin white lines running through it. The progress bar is green and doesn't run in a straight line.


User uploaded file


After letting it sit there for a while, it moved on to a blank screen. The fans started going, so I rebooted and the same thing happened. It's been sitting on a blank screen for several minutes now.


I tried rebooting with Command-R, but that didn't work.


Am I correct in assuming this is a dead hard drive?


If so, I looked at HD prices on OWC and saw some decent ones. It doesn't look like it's too hard to replace it either. (I replaced the HD in my first-gen Intel iMac and, OMG, that was insane. This looks like a walk in the park compared to that.)


But if I put in a fresh hard drive, how do I get OS X on it? I stupidly got rid of my OS X install discs a while back. I had several versions of OS X on disc, including Snow Leopard (I've lost track of which OS X versions are which and which ones I had on disc).


Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.


- Brad

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Feb 11, 2017 1:28 PM

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User profile for user: S.U.
S.U.
User level: Level 6
9,601 points

Posted on Feb 13, 2017 8:29 AM

Unfortunately, this looks more like a graphics issue, the one covered by a program that expired at the end of 2016:


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


If so, a new hard drive won't necessarily cure it.


However, it does sound like the drive has problems, and may have actually failed. So good that you have a backup. Is the backup a Time Machine backup or a bootable clone? If a clone, you could try booting from it from its USB attachment.


Do you have another Mac? If so, another option would be to buy a new drive with an enclosure and mount it on your other Mac and go to the App Store and download Sierra and select the new drive to install it on when it says "Show all disks". You could migrate from your backup using Setup Assistant. That would give you a working drive with an OS to install.


Unfortunately, the Snow Leopard retail disc won't work because it's Mac OS X v.10.6.0, and earlier than the OS your Mac originally shipped with, 10.6.6 or 10.6.7. If you have to purchase something, it would need to be Lion or later. If you have purchased Lion or later in the past, it should be available for download.


Do you have access to an Apple Store? If so, you might try making an appointment at the genius bar and asking them to run a hardware test for you. They could also boot the Mac from their store feed and should be able to tell you if the problem really is the hard drive or if you are actually seeing the video issue. That's something to ascertain if you can before spending any money.


Good luck!

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: S.U.
S.U.
User level: Level 6
9,601 points

Feb 13, 2017 8:29 AM in response to Brad Cook

Unfortunately, this looks more like a graphics issue, the one covered by a program that expired at the end of 2016:


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


If so, a new hard drive won't necessarily cure it.


However, it does sound like the drive has problems, and may have actually failed. So good that you have a backup. Is the backup a Time Machine backup or a bootable clone? If a clone, you could try booting from it from its USB attachment.


Do you have another Mac? If so, another option would be to buy a new drive with an enclosure and mount it on your other Mac and go to the App Store and download Sierra and select the new drive to install it on when it says "Show all disks". You could migrate from your backup using Setup Assistant. That would give you a working drive with an OS to install.


Unfortunately, the Snow Leopard retail disc won't work because it's Mac OS X v.10.6.0, and earlier than the OS your Mac originally shipped with, 10.6.6 or 10.6.7. If you have to purchase something, it would need to be Lion or later. If you have purchased Lion or later in the past, it should be available for download.


Do you have access to an Apple Store? If so, you might try making an appointment at the genius bar and asking them to run a hardware test for you. They could also boot the Mac from their store feed and should be able to tell you if the problem really is the hard drive or if you are actually seeing the video issue. That's something to ascertain if you can before spending any money.


Good luck!

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User profile for user: Brad Cook
Brad Cook Author
User level: Level 1
35 points

Feb 13, 2017 8:32 AM in response to S.U.

Thanks for the info. I don't have an Apple Store in my town, but I work in the Bay Area during the week, so I could probably set up an appointment at a store there.


In the meantime, I'm using another Mac. Since I got all my data off the other one, I may just write it off and see if I can buy a decent used one as a replacement. Someone at my job was selling a 2012 MacBook Pro for $550 this past weekend, but it was snatched up before I had a shot at it. I'll keep looking.

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User profile for user: S.U.
S.U.
User level: Level 6
9,601 points

Feb 13, 2017 9:42 AM in response to Brad Cook

With the release of the new Macs and people upgrading, there seem to be a number of used and refurbished Macs available, and that could be a good option given the potential problems with your early 2011. Keep an eye on Apple's refurbished and clearance items and also OWC's used computers. Apple refurbished Macs come with a 1 year warranty and you can get AppleCare on them if you want. There don't seem to be any refurbished MBP's available now, but there is a new one on clearance. Some of OWC's Macs are also Apple refurbished, and for both the supply of Macs is constantly changing. And there will be some retailers who have leftover earlier new Macs that should sell at a discount.


There have been a number of postings about the early 2011 Macs starting to have video issues, and there seems to be no good solution since it is now considered vintage and new repair parts (like logic boards) are no longer available through Apple. There may be some around elsewhere, but even so, they could develop the same problem over time, as there seems to be an intrinsic design defect involved.


Good luck and happy computing!

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User profile for user: S.U.
S.U.
User level: Level 6
9,601 points

Feb 14, 2017 12:56 PM in response to Brad Cook

That might get you by for a while, but it's older hardware than you have now and is actually considered obsolete. If you could swing it, a mid-2012 Unibody would be a better bet--a little newer and able to be upgraded to 16GB of Ram and be able to run the latest version of the OS, macOS Sierra. The 2008 can only take 6-8 GB of RAM (depending on whether it is an early or late 2008) and can only be upgraded to El Capitan.


Are you still on Yosemite? If so, I think you could migrate your data to the older hardware if it's also running Yosemite or El Capitan. If you are actually on Sierra, there would be some difficulties because a number of things have been upgraded and wouldn't run on an earlier version of the OS.


Happy hunting!

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MacBook Pro booting with green Apple logo

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