Restarted MBP, Will Now Only Boot With Black Screen

shane82388 · Mar 11, 2010

When i go to turn it back on it just has a black screen. It does actually do the startup chime. I can tell its working because i can hear the drive spinning and what not. If i stick a disc in it will spin it like normal and then if i press eject it will eject it...It seems like a display issue.

anyone have any suggestions, i really need to figure this out ASAP!

thank you

Collin Bl · Mar 11, 2010

What if you power on - insert install disk - hold C key. Will that allow u to boot off the disk?

shane82388 · Mar 11, 2010

i dont have an OSX disk on me at the moment because im not at home but I'd assume it would work, its just the screen. Everything seems to work except the screen after the restart...

davieb769 · Mar 11, 2010

try increasing the brightness. sounds real dumb and obvious but thats what happened to me one time

shane82388 · Mar 11, 2010

haha...tried that one already...thanks

clayneal · Mar 11, 2010

I would plug in your ex monitor and see if its a graphics card or display problem . Then if you get a picture on your ex display go to display pref and click detect displays I have seen a machine " get stuck" between monitors....

Hope it helps
Clay

shane82388 · Mar 11, 2010

Thanks clay, but no go... Plugged it in to my 23" cinema display and nothing just totally black...

Now that I think about it...over the past week or so the screen would occasionally glitch/artifact when I had a lot of tabs open in safari and would open a new one....I dono if that has anything to do with the prob but I'm just racking my brain...

clayneal · Mar 11, 2010

I really hope someone comes along to say I am wrong but...Sure sounds like a graphics card failure . Hopefully its still under warranty ? Looks like a trip to the Apple Store in your future. Sorry .

Clay

shane82388 · Mar 11, 2010

Nah got it in august of 2007 I believe. I'm scared to find out the price if I have to fix it... def sounds like a graphics failure to me as well but it's weird how it did it exactly on a restart and not just randomly (the moment it failed). Which is why I'm not totally convinced it's a hardware failure.

I heard of people going into comp through other comp and deleting a display file or something causing the error or something...anyone know anything about that? Like the gpu can't be recognized because of it or something?

I had been installing final cut pro before I restarted it...never seemed to finish install after I let it sit foooorever...so I just quit it and it seemed to be installed and running fine actually so I just thought it was a tiny glitch...basically just said it was finishing up install but never said it fully finished...although final cut worked actually. Compressor seemed a bit weird as a file I selected to open in it would open it but wouldn't actually open IN IT... Thought id uninstall and restart to try another install but screen never came back on after restart. Id imagine this could have something to do with it maybe?

Collin Bl · Mar 11, 2010

Try powering on and holding down the T key - does that give the Firewire symbol on screen? If so u could use firewire cable to try and install a new OS from attached Mac.

shane82388 · Mar 12, 2010

Nah, shows nothing on the screen still...

MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues << this link is essentially what is happening and says it should be repaired for free but the people at the apple store sorta brushed me off and "checked it" in the back in about 2 min and said "that will be $1300 please!"

They told me my computer is dead, (expensive paperweight) if I can remember the guys quote correctly. yet I can still see it on my wifi network and what not...I don't know what to do?

shane82388 · Mar 14, 2010

So i went to the apple store, guy who was helping me didnt seem to know what planet he was on, let alone anything about macs, but he was nice...i showed him the page MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues and he just sorta glanced at it and said he would take it to the tech in the back...about 2 minutes later he comes out and tells me the tech says "I have a really expensive apple paperweight. It will cost $1300 to fix." and the logic board is the problem and its totally shot.

I went home and turned the laptop on, and went on the mac mini...i saw that the laptop was showing up on the network, i was able to connect to it, retrieve my files off it, etc...

For some reason im skeptical that the computer is shot if it essentially works perfectly, minus the display...

anyone have anything to tell me different or should i try going to another apple store or something since it seems that its a graphics problem and should be covered under this >>> MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues

6string · Mar 15, 2010

I'd either go into a different Apple store, or call Apple!

Quoted from that link:

Resolution

If your MacBook Pro is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed above, please take it to an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) for evaluation, or call your local Apple Contact Center. Before visiting the Genius Bar at the Apple Retail Store, please make a reservation.

Apple is issuing refunds to customers who may have paid for repairs related to this issue. Please contact Apple for details on the refund process."

gort · Mar 16, 2010

Exact same thing happened to my 17" macbook pro today (purchased summer of 2007!)

I have a genius bar appointment for thursday! I have the link for that display issue bookmarked on my iPhone to show them at the store if they give me a hard time. This sucks because I love surfing the web on my laptop while I lay in bed before I go to sleep. I hate sitting at my desk for long periods of time. QQ

gort · Mar 21, 2010

Hi all, just providing an update on this. Apple repaired the macbook pro for free. The quoted price on the receipt they gave me was $1,300! My 3-year coverage on this defect is set to expire in June of this year too. Man did I luck out!

6string · Mar 21, 2010

gort said:
Hi all, just providing an update on this. Apple repaired the macbook pro for free. The quoted price on the receipt they gave me was $1,300! My 3-year coverage on this defect is set to expire in June of this year too. Man did I luck out!

Good to hear

I hope that the OP takes my advise and has the same result.
Happy Mac'n

shane82388 · Mar 21, 2010

yeah got mine fixed at a different apple store. just got it back a couple hours ago. seems alright. when i open a program it will occasionally "artifact" or sorta glitch or whatever but all is well at the moment.

6string · Mar 22, 2010

Glad you got it fixed, but if it's not perfect.... I would take it straight back!