MacBook Pro Screen Problem

[penguinlord14]

I got my MacBook Pro about a year and a half ago, and I have never experianced problems with it untill recently. My MacBook Pro screen has started turning has started freezing, dispaying a pinkish color, and slowly going grey. The sound works fine while it is doing this, but it won't go back to normal. I have tried not using it for a few days, hoping it would stop, but so far it continues to do this. After waiting a few minutes I can turn on my MacBook Pro again, and it will be fine, but only for a little, after about a half hour, it will go pinkish again. The screen itself is not turning pink, but is displaying a pinkish color.

Thanks

[Soulwar]

You could try recalibrating the display. System Preferences-Displays
Something else to try.
http://bergdesign.com/supercal/

If you can, use an external display and see if the problem is also on the external. If it is, then there is likely a problem with the video chip. If not, then the problem is likely with the built in display.

[penguinlord14]

It isn't a problem with the calibration I don't think. The screen doesn't always have a pinkish hue, the screen freezes after being on for a little while and turns pinkish and then slowly grey. I tried connecting to an external monitor, and when my MacBook Pro's screen went pink, the external display didn't change at all.

[cwa107]

It isn't a problem with the calibration I don't think. The screen doesn't always have a pinkish hue, the screen freezes after being on for a little while and turns pinkish and then slowly grey. I tried connecting to an external monitor, and when my MacBook Pro's screen went pink, the external display didn't change at all.

My gut feeling is that you have a hardware problem. Try running the Apple Hardware Test and report back.

[penguinlord14]

Ok, I ran the hardware test, and I tried changing the calibration. The calibration change didn't do anything, my Macbook Pro still had the same problem. The hardware test said that nothing was wrong.

[cwa107]

Ok, I ran the hardware test, and I tried changing the calibration. The calibration change didn't do anything, my Macbook Pro still had the same problem. The hardware test said that nothing was wrong.

Can you tell us a little more about the problem?

1. Does the problem occur on specific occasions (i.e. when certain programs are open, when you're performing a particular task or only after a certain amount of time running)?

2. When the problem occurs, does a reboot solve it (even temporarily)?

3. What version of Mac OS are you using and how is your MacBook Pro equipped (any aftermarket memory?).

4. Do environmental conditions impact the problem (i.e. does it only happen when outside or at certain temperatures).

5. Did anything change on the system around the time the problem started to occur?

The answers to these questions, even if they seem irrelevant, may help us to narrow down the problem. I would also recommend creating a new user account and logging into that and performing your normal tasks. If it happens under another user account, then we know that the problem is system-wide and is not specific to any one user.

[penguinlord14]

"1. Does the problem occur on specific occasions (i.e. when certain programs are open, when you're performing a particular task or only after a certain amount of time running)?"

No, it does not seem to have anything that triggers the screen going pink. I have found that the problem does not usually occur for at least 15 minutes or so though.

"2. When the problem occurs, does a reboot solve it (even temporarily)?"

Yes, a reboot will solve it for a little while. Sometimes I have to wait 5 or 10 minutes before turning it on again, but rebooting helps temporarily.

"3. What version of Mac OS are you using and how is your MacBook Pro equipped (any aftermarket memory?)."

I am using OS X version 10.4.11

"4. Do environmental conditions impact the problem (i.e. does it only happen when outside or at certain temperatures)."

Environmental conditions do not affect it at all, I have seen it happen in cold waether, hot weather, etc.

"5. Did anything change on the system around the time the problem started to occur?"

Nothing changed on the system exept for the screen going pink and then slowely going grey.

[cwa107]

"1. Does the problem occur on specific occasions (i.e. when certain programs are open, when you're performing a particular task or only after a certain amount of time running)?"

No, it does not seem to have anything that triggers the screen going pink. I have found that the problem does not usually occur for at least 15 minutes or so though.

"2. When the problem occurs, does a reboot solve it (even temporarily)?"

Yes, a reboot will solve it for a little while. Sometimes I have to wait 5 or 10 minutes before turning it on again, but rebooting helps temporarily.

Those two things make me suspect heat problems. But the fact that many times it goes away after a reboot is surprising if that was the case.

"3. What version of Mac OS are you using and how is your MacBook Pro equipped (any aftermarket memory?)."

I am using OS X version 10.4.11

Are you using the original memory that Apple installed from the factory?

"5. Did anything change on the system around the time the problem started to occur?"

Nothing changed on the system exept for the screen going pink and then slowely going grey.

What I mean by that is whether you installed any new software packages or added any peripherals around the time the problem started. In particular, software packages like Photoshop can come with tools that attempt to better calibrate the display and I wonder if something got installed accidentally that impacts the color.

This seems like a tough one to diagnose remotely. Any chance you could take a picture of what the screen looks like when the problem starts?

[penguinlord14]

I am using the original memory that my MacBook Pro came with. I haven't installed any software packages resently, and I hadn't had this problem untill a couple a weeks ago. I will try to get a picture of the problem.

[cwa107]

I am using the original memory that my MacBook Pro came with. I haven't installed any software packages resently, and I hadn't had this problem untill a couple a weeks ago. I will try to get a picture of the problem.

Cool, thanks for bearing with me.

[penguinlord14]

Ok, I got some pictures of the problem.

This is a few seconds after the screen froze:
0327082112.jpg

This is about a minute after the screen froze:
0327082112a.jpg

This is 2 or 3 minutes after the screen froze:
0327082113a.jpg

Hope that helps.

[cwa107]

Holy cow! Much worse than I had originally imagined.

My guess would be a bad video card. What would confirm that would be if the same thing occurs on an external display. By chance, do you have a monitor you can hook up externally and see if the problem carries over to it?

[penguinlord14]

I though it was the video card for a while to, but when I hooked it up to an external moniter, the external moniter didn't have any problems, and didn't dispay the pink and grey, but what the screen looked like before it froze.

[Soulwar]

Did the system freeze as well or just the display?

Holy cow! Much worse than I had originally imagined.

Took the words right out of my mouth!

[penguinlord14]

Only the display froze, when I connected my MacBook Pro to an external display I could use it as if it were normal (exept looking at the external display instead of the screen), the sound worked fine, as did everything else exept for the screen.