MacBook Pro (2010 13") curious screen fault

[Voinian]

Hello,

One of our older machines has started acting strangely: I've seen green 'clutter' appear on the desktop, followed by the machine locking up as soon as you do something like closing a window. Sometimes the screen fails a quarter at a time, filling each quadrant with 'static' before locking up.

I think it's related to the video hardware. Operations like bringing up the dock or closing a window seem to cause the failure. The graphics chipset is NVIDIA GeForce 320M - which as far as I know has NEVER offered a driver update under OSX.

I tried various startup key combinations, e.g. to reset the NVRAM. When started in safe mode, the MacBook is fine, and never exhibits the video failure... although it runs a bit sluggishly. (I assume this is normal?) But if a machine works OK in safe mode, doesn't that indicate a software problem rather than a hardware one?

The machine is a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. Faults have appeared shortly after the machine was cracked open for the first time (I had a store put in a new HDD and max the RAM). The machine has also spontaneously started reporting Battery Not Charging Condition: Replace Now - although there was no warning of a decline in the battery's health before this happened.

So I'm wondering: has my Apple retailer botched the upgrade and stressed some cables, leading to these failures... or are these just symptoms of old age? (Because I'm not wanting to spend further money on a laptop's battery if it's on its way out anyway.)

Anyway, all thoughts appreciated!

 

[badshoehabit]

Have a look at this, though it was 15 and 17":

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

I recently had my 2011 MBP exchanged for a brand new model as a result of the fault described here. The page will only tell you whether the serial number comes within the timescale; you then have to go to an Apple store for them to run a check.

 

[Voinian]

Thanks. I'm somewhat encouraged to know that this isn't an isolated incident... and somewhat disappointed to read about all the other mid-2010 Macbook Pros that are reported to have failed in this way. Still no acknowledgement from Apple, of course... but I might as well go and see a "genius" and add our case to the growing body of evidence that the 13" models were faulty as well.

Smart advice gleaned from tonight's trawl of the Internet seems to be not to pay for a logic board replacement, since it'll be just as likely to fail as the one it replaces. Apple have never actually resolved the issues with failing GeForce 320Ms.

Incidentally, restarting with 'd' pressed doesn't bring up the hardware test. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[armyant69]

Have a look at this, though it was 15 and 17":

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

I recently had my 2011 MBP exchanged for a brand new model as a result of the fault described here. The page will only tell you whether the serial number comes within the timescale; you then have to go to an Apple store for them to run a check.

WOW! They only offered to repair mine with a new Logic Board. Im just glad to have it back and working.

 

[techiesteve]

As the 13" MBP utilises some of your systems memory, its worth popping back in the original memory. If you still have a problem it's likely a logic board fault. Quite often a Mac with some GPU faults will boot normally in safe mode and fail after normal boot. There are no known issues with your MBP's video chipset. At work I see no more logic board failures in the 2010 model than any other model. Batteries are consumable devices, and will always fail with age and use. There was an REP long ago for the 15" and 17", but that expired after 4 years. The faults you've described, likely logic board and battery, can occur simply due to the age of your MBP.

Re the last post, the normal procedure with GPU related issues on the two 2011 15" and 17" models is, and only if they fail Apples video system test, is to replace the logic board. badshoehabit, you did well to get your MBP swapped out.

 

[badshoehabit]

Re the last post, the normal procedure with GPU related issues on the two 2011 15" and 17" models is, and only if they fail Apples video system test, is to replace the logic board. badshoehabit, you did well to get your MBP swapped out.

The swap came after a third logic board failed; and I obtained a refund on the first one that I'd paid for. Frustrating at times but great customer service from Apple in the end.