Retina Macbook Pro Won't Power On (No water damage)

[rubaiyat]

Hi everyone, I have a macbook pro retina (2012) and it will not power on. This seemed to happen out of nowhere. The laptop's never seen a drop of water, so that's out of the question.

The battery still charges, and I can even perform an SMC reset (the charger light will change colors briefly). But when I press the power button, I get absolutely nothing at all. Clearly, the power button is being recognized, since I can perform an SMC reset. Anyone have any idea? I would hope this $3,000 laptop didn't already die in just two years. :/

Is it more or less than 2 years since you bought the Macbook?

Under Australian/EEC consumer law Apple (or anyone) must provide a reasonable warranty commensurate with the reasonable expected life an electrical product, which the ACCC/EEC has declared as 2 years.

If it is under 2 years take it up with Apple who is obligated to repair it at their expense.

Either way I would search for any known issues with your model. If there is you have further rights to have that rectified.

One thing you did not make clear was is the issue with the battery or mains power?

 

[chas_m]

Ignoring, for the moment, the discussion about the value of extended warranties ... as mentioned, you could get a FREE diagnosis of what is ACTUALLY wrong with the machine by going to an Apple Store, so that should be step 1. They won't repair until they have a) told you what the issue is and b) told you what the cost would be. Which you can refuse to have done if you want to have a go yourself.

The fact that you jumped immediately to the "I didn't spill anything on it" defense and that you have immediately assumed that it MUST be the logic board (when in fact, from the MINISCULE information you've provided, sounds to me more like an LED or inverter failure) makes many of us -- including some of us like myself who have worked as Apple techs, repairing thousands of Macs -- a little skeptical. But we'd be very happy to be wrong if you would just take it in and get a diagnosis and find out what the ACTUAL problem is.

 

[techiesteve]

Is it more or less than 2 years since you bought the Macbook?

Under Australian/EEC consumer law Apple (or anyone) must provide a reasonable warranty commensurate with the reasonable expected life an electrical product, which the ACCC/EEC has declared as 2 years.

If it is under 2 years take it up with Apple who is obligated to repair it at their expense.

Either way I would search for any known issues with your model. If there is you have further rights to have that rectified.

One thing you did not make clear was is the issue with the battery or mains power?

Within the EU it's not so simple. For us the Mac must have been bought from a supplier within one of the EU's 28 countries. When I enter a repair job in Apple's GSX, I am prompted to select wether a European Consumer Law Claim is applicable. For it to be applicable there has to be a hardware fault and no sign of damage. Most importantly, this does not cover business users, only consumers. If the Mac was bought under a business name it will not be covered. Also, another must is the the owner must have his original bona fide receipt or invoice, and it has to show the suppliers details. If no receipt then there's no claim. A claim form is completed and signed and the fault diagnosed. If the Mac is under 2 years old the repair will go through automatically if the submitted paperwork pdf's are in order, if over 2 years old it's marked for review by Apple and there is a small delay before approval. I've never seen any justified claims refused. I've no idea if similar schemes are available elsewhere.

As already mentioned, take the MBP to an Apple Store Genius Bar for a free diagnosis. If you attempt the diagnosis yourself be careful not to damage any of the connectors, some are fragile if you are not used to releasing them. If you buy a used logic board it will contain the serial # of the MBP it was stripped from and can cause software issues. Additionally, you don't know what care was taken in removing the board. Some people have never heard of ESD precautions.

MacBook Pro Retina logic boards do fail, as do the retina displays, as any electronic part can. Even electronics built to military spec costing multiple times more than a MBP fail, I know as I used to repair them, so a high cost doesn't indicate a product will never fail.