MacBook Pro 15" (pre-unibody) - fried logic board?

I'm trying to fix my friend's A1150 which has just stopped booting up. Turn it on and we get to the question mark folder icon, and if I boot it up in target disk mode the drive does not appear to mount.

However, I can hold Alt to access Startup Manager and view either a USB stick with an OSX Mavericks installer, or my own MacBook Pro in target disk mode... selecting any of these results in going back to the question mark folder icon. In short, it won't boot from any drive/partition that I have tried.

I do not have access to an OSX install disk.

I have tried removing the RAM to check if it's the logic board, and removing the RAM and attempting to boot results in the front LED flashing (the one on the lid open button) but no beeping.

Could it be a fried logic board? Any ideas?

EDIT: Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, but as the laptop powers on and at least gets to the grey screen I figured it could be a software issue...

sailingthrough said:

I'm trying to fix my friend's A1150 which has just stopped booting up. Turn it on and we get to the question mark folder icon, and if I boot it up in target disk mode the drive does not appear to mount.

However, I can hold Alt to access Startup Manager and view either a USB stick with an OSX Mavericks installer, or my own MacBook Pro in target disk mode... selecting any of these results in going back to the question mark folder icon. In short, it won't boot from any drive/partition that I have tried.

Click to expand...

My first thought is it sounds like a dead hard drive. So either buy a new HD...or borrow an extra one from a friend so you can troubleshoot further.

sailingthrough said:

I do not have access to an OSX install disk.

Click to expand...

Once you have a known working HD installed...you should be able to use that Mavericks installer (make sure it is a bootable installer)...or purchase a OS 10.6 Snow Leopard install disk for a small sum of $19.95:

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.)

- Nick

Thanks for the advice. I just pulled my HD out of my laptop and threw it in the non-working one... question mark folder. So... I guess it isn't the hard drive?

sailingthrough said:

Thanks for the advice. I just pulled my HD out of my laptop and threw it in the non-working one...

Click to expand...

When you say "my laptop"...is this an Apple laptop? If so...what OS is on this hard drive?

- Nick

Yes, it's a 15" late 2011 MacBook Pro running OSX Mavericks

sailingthrough said:

Yes, it's a 15" late 2011 MacBook Pro running OSX Mavericks

Click to expand...

Ok...thanks for the info...got the answer for you.

This 15" MacBook Pro (A1150) is basically an "ancient" 15" MacBook Pro from 2006. It cannot run Mavericks. The "newest" OS it can run is OS 10.6.8. Thus if you don't have a Snow Leopard (10.6) install disk...you need to purchase one (link above from the Apple Store).

And it probably needs a new HD as well to install Snow Leopard onto.

HTH,

- Nick