Fed up with Apple

[rezwits]

Here is the fix for 2011 MBPs, DON'T REPAIR the Video Card, they just die again eventually. This is the FIX and is best to use like Mountain Lion or even Snow Leopard, and just MAX.

SOLVED: MacBook Pro 2011 GPU Glitch - MacBook Pro 17" - iFixit

Takes some patients, use a backup drive to CCC. And you'll be fine. The reason to use the older OS is because you get sleep functions and no lag or jitter in the screen, i.e. the MBP will use the Intel GPU 100%.

Have fun!!

 

[ThisIsSparda]

Not putting words in Dennis' mouth.... but I believe he was stating that the OP should find someone in Germany who could do repairs like Louis Rossman. You took Dennis' statement out of context.

I have the 2011 Macbook Pro 15 inch with the Legendary Graphics card-chip

After Apple replaced my Logicboard with "revised" Logigboards 3 times (yes THREE it failed a few months outside "Warranty"

I had it repaired 2 years ago in Munich buy a repair shop and it runs smoothely like a kitten ever since. They told be the use "re-balled" chips to replace the failed Graphics chip.
Dont know what "re-balled" means on a technical level but it works reliably since then.

Hope this information helps someone

The best repair shop i know. In Munich-Germany. Its called "MacLabor" . I think i paid 200-250 euros? something around that. Best spend money ever!

 

[jga40]

I run a MacBookPro late 2011 edition Laptop and the graphic card has failed but on contacting Mac Support and their agents have been told they no longer support this version and will not be able to repair it! These machines are not cheap and mine with advanced memory etc even more expensive so I'm pretty p***** off that my machine now is worthless. OK so they no longer support early versions but what about hardware spares, why not supply them? I will be checking around to find someone who does repair MacBooks, a non agent, but just wanted to register my displeasure that Apple can just dismiss customers who have used their equipment for years!

I've just had to scrap a 15" MacBook Pro & a 13" MacBook Pro because Apple cannot get the parts as the laptops are obsolete. To make sure no data could be recovered I drilled several holes in the area where the hard drive is. A few months ago I bought a 27" iMac from Macworld for just £850.00. It would have cost about £2000 from Apple Refurb Store. Also bought recently a 13" MacBook Air Retina for £850 from PC World, cost from Apple UK around £1200.

In my opinion Apple develop new operating systems far too often. For example, no sooner do I become familiar with Mojave, when out pops Catalina. I had to download osMac 10.15 aka Catalina three times before it would work properly. Other places to buy Apple products than Apple. England, UK.

 

[kitsch]

Also, people do send the guy in New York their Apple stuff not just from the USA. Just a heads up. There are others though like Louis Rossman in other areas and countries. He gives courses in Micro Soldering and people from all over have taken them.

Apple is NOT going to fix it for him so either you toss it in the bin or go to a professional if you like the machine and want it to work again.

Louis Rossman won't even touch these Macbook Pros. He did a video on them and basically threw it in the trash.

 

[steveken]

I run a MacBookPro late 2011 edition Laptop and the graphic card has failed but on contacting Mac Support and their agents have been told they no longer support this version and will not be able to repair it! These machines are not cheap and mine with advanced memory etc even more expensive so I'm pretty p***** off that my machine now is worthless. OK so they no longer support early versions but what about hardware spares, why not supply them? I will be checking around to find someone who does repair MacBooks, a non agent, but just wanted to register my displeasure that Apple can just dismiss customers who have used their equipment for years!

I suggest sending it to Louis Rossman in NYC. You can look up his work on YouTube. He fixes all sorts of stuff like that. He can probably fix you right up. Oh, never mind. I see in the reply prior to mine that Rossman won't do it. Oh well. Sorry.

 

[aOf8T3OD4AO]

I'm still using my 15" early 2011 MacBook Pro with no problems.
I had the death screen repaired by Apple under the extended warranty many years ago. FYI I had to discover this myself as no one at the local Apple store "seemed" to know about it.
Last year the repair failed. I was told my computer is obsolete. However a knowledgeable non-Apple repair shop told me that the graphics cards are soldered onto the logic board and so are very expensive to repair. And resoldering a replacement is very time consuming and tricky with tiny contact points. He told me of a place in Florida that specialized in repairing older Macs very inexpensively and that several folks he had passed on to them were pleased with the work. I sent my laptop, had a turnaround in a week, cost about $100. Called to ask a few questions, the owner answered the phone, listened, explained various options to me, etc. etc. One of the better experiences I've had with techy stuff. Still running nicely.
You can find the shop at https://www.ebay.com/str/jmindustries11
Highly recommended.

 

[jga40]

Not very practical if you live in Germany (like the OP)

Just destroyed a 13" MacBook Pro because it had a German Keyboard sorry.

 

[chscag]

You can find the shop at https://www.ebay.com/str/jmindustries11
Highly recommended.

Looks like a great place to get those tough out of warranty repairs done. Also notice that he does repairs on liquid spill Macs. Prices seem right.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[tlmurray]

Macs have always been extremely reliable, superbly engineered computers. Lots of long-time Mac users will tell you that they replaced one or more old Macs because they just wanted a newer one, not because the old one wore out.

Agreed. I replaced a few because my ex-wife ran over one with her car, threw one out a tall window, melted the keyboard of another with cigarette ashes, and somehow — and I never found out how — bent one in half. But in mine — that is, those that *I* kept, the only failures were that darned optical drive, and even that was after many year of use.

Note the “ex.”

 

[chscag]

Note the “ex.”

LOL, I guess you're just lucky to be alive. Sounds like your "ex" had a rather bad temper.

 

[warmtone]

I own a 2011 MacBook Pro which is still working fine - perhaps I’m lucky!

These machines when fitted with a modern SSD and 16gb of RAM can do virtually all office based tasks with ease and still boot in under 15 seconds.
There is no reason to consider this machine as worthless just because it doesn’t support Apples business model of planned obsolescence.

Replacement with a current MacBook Pro is expensive for very little practical gain for most users.
I would search around for a replacement motherboard and have a go at fixing it - nothing to lose!

 

[pm-r]

I have a couple of old motorcycles that are the same way.

Primo Classics International, LLC - Lakeland, FL

Very nice, but it doesn't look like an old motorcycle. ;-)



- Patrick
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[pm-r]

I own a 2011 MacBook Pro which is still working fine - perhaps I’m lucky!

These machines when fitted with a modern SSD and 16gb of RAM can do virtually all office based tasks with ease and still boot in under 15 seconds.
There is no reason to consider this machine as worthless just because it doesn’t support Apples business model of planned obsolescence.

Replacement with a current MacBook Pro is expensive for very little practical gain for most users.
I would search around for a replacement motherboard and have a go at fixing it - nothing to lose!

I tend to agree with your comments, and as we just inherited a 2011 27" SSD iMac that will replace my wife's 2007 24" still working fine iMac, I didn't feel it was excess ordering a 16 GB set of RAM chips from OWC for it yesterday, I will give it 20 GB total. I didn't want my wife to experience any spinning beach balls!!! But hey, neither did the 2007 24" iMac running El Capitan with a maximum of 6 GB RAM!!!


- Patrick
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[chscag]

we just inherited a 2011 27" SSD iMac that will replace my wife's 2007 24" still working fine iMac

The 2011 iMac is a good solid machine. I used mine for 3 years before I gave it to my granddaughter who is still using it today. I gave it to her back in 2013 after buying a 2013 model. The 2013 eventually was given to my son who still has it. An iMac can last a long time if you take care of it.

Rumor at Apple is that they will be refreshing the iMac Pro later this year. Of course with all that's going on with the Corona Virus, it's likely that will be delayed.

 

[pm-r]

Rumor at Apple is that they will be refreshing the iMac Pro later this year.

I hope some Mac users can use them and some Pro users can probably benefit from them, but at $7,100cdn just for the current base model is well beyond this guy's budget and for any of my needs for that matter.

Heck, my 2011 27" iMac meets most of my needs at this point.



- Patrick
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[jpdemers]

I got my daughter the 2011 MacBook when she went off to college. Troubles almost immedieately, but thanks to AppleCare she got the logic board replaced at no cost. Then the HD failed - I installed an SSD. Then the battery stopped charging, then the video went out...
The 2011 model was an all-around disaster. She basically tossed it into the trash - and is now using a Windows machine (an LG "gram", which looks like a MacBook clone.) Can't say I blame her.

If I were on a limited budget, I'd look to replace it with a 2015 model, which is the complete opposite in terms of good design and reliability. Pop in an SSD and 12-16 GB of ram, and you have a nice, capable machine for not a lot of money.

 

[chscag]

The 2011 model was an all-around disaster. She basically tossed it into the trash - and is now using a Windows machine (an LG "gram", which looks like a MacBook clone.) Can't say I blame her.

Unfortunately, when you get a lemon it sours your future choice. It can happen with an Apple device, brand new auto, wash machine, etc.

 

[Horsa]

Purely my personal feelings here, but... at the kind of prices Apple charges for its hardware, there shouldn't be any lemons!

 

[chscag]

Purely my personal feelings here, but... at the kind of prices Apple charges for its hardware, there shouldn't be any lemons!

LOL, my brother-in-law purchased a brand new Mercedes SUV that was a lemon. Like I stated above, it can happen with anything you buy.

 

[pm-r]

LOL, my brother-in-law purchased a brand new Mercedes SUV that was a lemon. Like I stated above, it can happen with anything you buy.

As they say, avoid the products made on a Monday or was that a Friday???? As if one could find out that information for any vehicle.

Maybe one could have better luck for the manufactured date for any Apple product with the serial number lookup:
Klantenservice: Serienummers


- Patrick
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