Two months ago, I had a serious problem with my Macbook Pro (purchased July 2007). When I booted it up, nothing appeared, just the dreaded blank screen of death. I could hear the hard drive whirring away but nothing else happened. I took it to the Apple Store and they told me that the logic board needed to be replaced. So they sent it to a repair place in Texas. I got it back within a week. But it cost me a little over $300.
Today I read on the 37 Signals blog about the same Macbook Pro blank screen of death. The author of the post says that every Mac he has ever owned has failed. None of my Macs has ever failed; this Macbook Pro is the first one so perhaps I’m lucky.
I also found out that many people have this problem. See the Apple Discussion boards on the Mac Book Pro blank screen problem.
UPDATE: Apple will repair this problem free of charge. See my latest post.
UPDATE (6 October 2009): I have to highlight this comment from Lavina:
WOW, I just got off the phone with apple and they told me the nvidia video card is covered whether you have a warranty or not because it is a known issue and they will continue to support the replacing of the card, since it is nvidia who is paying in the end. 1-800-275-2273 is the number to call apple.
http://www.apple.com/support/contact/phone_contacts.html is the web page.
When you call you cannot expect the customer service rep to understand. you must be transferred to a tech specialist who is aware of these problems and will start a case # for u. whether you have paid already or not. So sweet!
3 January 2009 at 01:00
Thank you so much for posting this. I turned on my MacBook Pro yesterday morning (less than a year and a half old, previously working fine) and was shocked to discover that the screen was black, but the keypad obviously responsive. I've tried various ways of getting it to work with no result, and on the advice of many I had been convinced I was going to have to shell out for another one – I'm a student, and would have to get badly in debt to do so – but your post has provided me with a glimmer of hope. $300 is a large sum of money of course, but it is nothing compared to the thousands I was expecting to probably have to fork out. I'll keep a bit of pessimism, but once again thank you for a rational and detailed post on a vital issue.
13 January 2009 at 11:14
yhad the same problem last night….i turned on my mbp & there was no display….this had happened once before but it came back after a few restarts so i thought it might have been a one time glitch…but when i got online i found that literally hundreds of people seem to have this same problem…i turned it into the service centre today (fortunately i just extended my applecare last month)….im thinking its the same dreaded logic board issue…hope things work out well for us…
21 January 2009 at 23:14
You shouldn't have to have paid anything.
Apple have accepted this as a known issue with defective NVIDIA 8600M GPUs
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377
You can even claim back your $300
21 January 2009 at 23:59
I called Apple Support and they confirmed that I am entitled to a refund. I need to go to the Apple store where I initially tried to get the laptop repaired because they were responsible for sending it out to the repair center.
2 May 2009 at 12:46
Same thing happened for me. About a year and a half old, I opened my computer up, and the screen never turned on. It was still on warranty, but its nice to know I would have been covered anyway. They also found out in the process that the PRAM was defective, not allowing the computer to reset properly, so I got that replaced too.
14 May 2009 at 03:45
same thing happened to mine last week, took it in after the screen went black and was told they have to replace the logic board…luckily my 6 yr old one still works
17 May 2009 at 06:14
For those affected – Have a look at my post here. I seem to have fixed the black screen of death on my MacBook Pro. Thing is, you will need another machine to operate it via screen share…
Hope this is of use to someone!
http://blog.ginkgostudios.com/2009/05/just-a-note-of-caution-this-worked-for-me-i-hope-it-works-for-you-but-obviously-i-cant-guarantee-that-i-just-thought-i-wou.html
22 May 2009 at 18:31
Echo… happened two months before the 3-year warranty period on my 17″ MacBook Pro was up). Apple fixed it (quickly and professionally. Sent it in to the site here in Houston and it was back in two days. First time anything like this happened… been using Macs since ‘93.
26 May 2009 at 07:17
I had the same problem and was stressed for about a week. Very pissed off with Apple. Then I searched the Apple forum and the screen failure was known to happen to some of the macbook pro’s of this generation (07-08). Apple acknowledged the problem as a failure of the Nvidia chip and will replace the logic board of any macbook with the this problem free of charge even if the Macbook pro is out of warranty (like mine was). So I took my Macbook pro to an AASP here in Melbourne Australia and within a week they repaired it and I didn’t have to pay a cent
They even refunded my $75 booking fee. So not happy that it malfunctioned in the first place because of a manufacturing defect, but I’m glad Apple acknowledged it and provided the repair free. Hopefully the new logic board (Rev 2) will last…
26 May 2009 at 17:54
17” MacBook Pro (2.5 years old) no APP. Logic board failed. Factory defect graphics card, Symptoms: while working, stripes on screen, goes blank and would not turn on, hard drive made noise. Apple Fort Lauderdale sent it out and fixed for free.
1 July 2009 at 11:40
A week ago I turned on my 17in mac book pro which was purchased in Nov. 2007. The screen was black.
I was so happy that I spent the extra money on the extended warranty. I took my mac to the apple store on Thur. evening Monday morning fed ex was at my door with my mac. We have a total of 7 macs, this is the first one we have had any problems with. I am still a mac fan.
My husband and I had a lot more problems with any dell we owned.
7 July 2009 at 05:39
I had this problem and paid $500 for a new logic board. I then tried to get apple to cover it after reading about the defective graphics cards in this generation of machines but they said it wasn’t related= raw deal!
7 July 2009 at 08:22
Adam,
$500 is very painful especially during this recession. I am surprised they did not offer to reimburse you. If there is another Apple store in your vicinity, why not try there? This is a well-known problem that is the fault of the manufacturer, not yours, and they have known about it all along.
11 July 2009 at 10:01
Immediately on restart after updating my OS from 10.5 to 10.7, the screen would not come on. Just stayed black, even though the machine was on, keys worked.
Apple genius claims without any testing or diagnosing under the hood that it is a bad logic board.
I tried deleting the sleepimage as recommended on the forums. That brought back the screen. Then how is it a hardware problem? Only for some reason the black screen of death returned.
When I asked the Apple genius to explain this, he said that the update must have brought out the problem.
This contradicts Apple’s statement:
“About Mac OS X 10.5.7 Combo Update
The 10.5.7 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard version 10.5 to 10.5.6, and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.”
My Macbook Pro is no longer stable as an immediate result of installing the update!
I asked the genius how could i be making screen shots of working software if the logic board had failed? He could only guess it was the GPU, at which point I realized he was willing to tell me a price to fix the machine when he did not actually know what was wrong. It seems the logic board replacement is a “catch all” fix at my expense, or else one should suspect the logic boards are defective, at the rate they are replaced. Yet there is a precedence noted in the apple forums of dozens of people getting their logic board fixed free, and a lot of problems eerily similar to mine regarding the Nvidia 8600 chipset which is the same as mine!
Still, the Apple genius claims that my specific Nvidia chip is not covered in the warranty extension! How can the chip manufacturer predict that my chip isn’t defective if it did not know there was problem with the specific range they are covering when they sold them???
This is a clear case of a defective product, and there is a precedence set for free replacement, and yet Apple is so set on profiting from my misfortune that they cannot see how they are shooting themselves in the foot. I will never buy Apple again because they do not stand behind the quality of their product, and I will make sure everyone I know will not make the same mistake. $300 saved prevents tens of thousands in future purchases. Good luck with your genius tactics Apple.
11 July 2009 at 10:21
Apple is having a lot of problems with NVIDIA and may dump them. Other vendors are experiencing similar woes:
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/07/apple-may-be-dumping-nvidia-graphics-for-next-gen-macs.ars
21 July 2009 at 19:54
Where did you get your logic board replaced at in Texas? I live in Texas and I had my fan die on me as well. Total cost that the genius predicted: $1200.
AND I have APP!!!
22 July 2009 at 05:36
I took my Mac Book Pro to the Apple store in SF and they sent it to Texas so I did not send it myself. I don’t know where in Texas.
28 July 2009 at 14:06
Same issue and guess what? Apple is no longer footing the bill. I guess I just missed it, because I have an August 2007 MBP and suddenly the blank screen of death and it’s gonna cost me. I asked about the refund after reading online. It’s not applicable according to the phone rep I talked to. So I’m out of warranty and my shitty hardware that is apparently known defective to Apple is no longer covered. So everyone who got theirs fixed for free, Apple isn’t being nice, they are covering their asses. They aren’t fixing everyone’s defective hardware free, just the initial waves that would cause a stir about it otherwise. I guess now they feel it’s far enough into the future to not worry about the few straggling failures that are few and far between.
13 August 2009 at 09:15
Samuel, Apple is still footing the bill for this. I just took mine in last week along with the Apple article about it being a bad video card, and they gave me no problems. They said the problem is covered for up to 3 years from original date of purchase. Nvidia is footing the bill, according to the guy I talked to at the store.
Search for the article, print it out and go in armed. There’s no reason they shouldn’t repair it free of charge. I’m sorry I don’t have the link to the article but it is on their own website.
Good luck.
17 August 2009 at 15:45
I just had the same problem with my macbook pro. I sent it to TX and got it back 4 days later (this morning) and they replaced the logic board, battery, and thermal module, all for nothing. GET APPLECARE!!!!!! i almost didnt get it at first but then i spent the extra and being a student it was a lot extra but with all the problems ive had its paid for itself time and time again esp this time.
26 September 2009 at 23:24
well, this is the second time my mb has a logic board failure.
its not even 5 months old yet… wtf
5 October 2009 at 07:50
Is it because it costs more money in the end to have an iPhone?
________________
unlock iphone 3g
6 October 2009 at 17:18
WOW, I just got off the phone with apple and they told me the nvidia video card is covered whether you have a warranty or not because it is a known issue and they will continue to support the replacing of the card, since it is nvidia who is paying in the end. 1-800-275-2273 is the number to apple. http://www.apple.com/support/contact/phone_contacts.html is the web page.
when you call you cannot expect the customer service rep to understand. you must be transferred to a tech specialist who is aware of these problems and will start a case # for u. whether you have paid already or not. So sweet!
6 October 2009 at 17:27
Lavina,
Thanks for your post. I cut and paste it into the main article so that people won’t have to scroll all the way down through the comments.
Esme
8 October 2009 at 06:29
I had all these symptoms on my late 2007 model mbp (black screen of death, but hard drive still running). I was excited to hear that even though I was out of warranty, it might be covered by Apple because of the nvidia problem.
But – when I took it to my local apple repair shop, they said that it was a logic board failure, but not caused by the nvidia card…they then told me it would cost $1400 to repair!!!!
Not impressed, I phoned apple and complained…a lot! They eventually agreed to repair it for a flat rate out of warranty fee of $329. Here’s the kicker though – because I’m Canadian, I had to find an American address to send from and ship back to.
This was a huge hassle as I had to go through a friend of a friend. After over a month, I had my mbp back…but the repair slip said all they did was clean it up and replace the hard drive. Within 2 hours of having it back, the screen was coming up black again. I promptly called apple – this time they said I could take it to my local apple repair shop and that all labour and parts would be covered.
In the meantime, I have been without my laptop for almost 2 months. As a student, I rely heavily on my laptop – so I’ve had to buy a new one (a lovely dell). Once I finally get the mbp back, I’ll be selling it to pay for the dell. And I will never ever ever buy apple again!!!!!!!
15 October 2009 at 04:11
Well I’m very unhappy. My MBP 17″ 2007 also died this week, out of warranty and asked for $2300 to repair it. I pointed out the Graphics Chip and they said unrelated.
But reading the posts someone described getting a series of stripes on the screen. It happened to me a couple of weeks ago then came good after a power down and restart.
Did anyone else see stripes on their display before their MBP died?
20 October 2009 at 10:34
@ Mike. Video issue with stripping and plaid artifacts cropped up 7 days ago, while overseas. Repair spot in the Philippines quoted 3 weeks (yea, right!). Back home in VA, the Apple store said normally they would cover my issue (dude didn’t even run a test, just opened the laptop, powered on, and saw the stripes), but because I had a noticably large dent on the right side of my laptop, between the firewire and displayport ports, they wouldn’t cover it. $1200 to replace the bottom half of the case, then “free” warranty coverge on defective logic board/video chip set. I don’t have the black screen, just the stripes. However, I can’t boot into Mac OS X. Windows OS works, but the screen is crazy.
27 October 2009 at 10:37
update: still having the same black screen problems after the second repair!! I promptly phoned apple and within a few hours got the news that apple will be sending me a brand new macbook pro!! too bad it has taken so long (3 months) to get to this point – I will still have to sell the new macbook pro since I already purchased a new dell!!
5 November 2009 at 08:37
I was looking around for some clue to what might have happened to my new MBP, now I know…
Bad thing, with mine happened as soon as out of the box, but I bought mine in the US and flew back to Brazil (where I live). Due to that I could not replace for a new one, instead I took to a local repair center and was told they will fix it. This is my first Mac, and after reading a few of the posts here I have to confess that I am a bit concerned about keeping this machine with me after it is fixed…too bad!!
9 November 2009 at 04:53
same problem, black screen of death and the agent here tells me its the graphics card. My question is, how can one be helped if they are staying in east africa because we have no stores or agents yet we use apple products too. Somebody please help
+256772438795
9 November 2009 at 07:38
Augustine,
I don’t live in Africa so I don’t know exactly who supports Apple products where you live. But try contacting the Apple Support team in South Africa and ask them:
http://www.apple.com/za/contact/
23 November 2009 at 20:15
I think this just happened to my Macbook. I was just surfing the net, and it conpletely froze, so I shut it down. When I pressed the power button, the power light turns on, and I can hear the hard drive but nothing else responds. I tried putting in the install disk, but the drive won’t even accept it. So I was wondering if this is the problem, would I be able to get it fixed for free as well?
PS: It’s a regular MacBook from 2006, I think. I bought it used.
24 November 2009 at 09:10
Eric,
You should take it to an Apple store or to a Mac repair shop. Otherwise, check out the other article: http://www.pjentrepreneur.com/2009/01/21/update-mac-book-pro-blank-screen-problem/
24 November 2009 at 14:43
I recently had the black screen of death. Because I had apple care, they fixed it for free and were very prompt. They also said that it was the logic board that was defected. Everything works perfect now!
p.s. MBP 17″ purchased in Aug. 2007
15 December 2009 at 18:24
My video card just went out – took it to the apple store, had to be sent out, they replaced the logic board, sent it back to my house in 3 days. No bill, no charge! Great!
30 December 2009 at 15:22
Okay, I got my second opinion after they were able to run the Apple required test. Sadly, mine is due to the logic board failure not the graphic card. I don’t have Apple Care because its just too expensive, however I read that you can get it on ebay for a reasonable price. I don’t know how reliable the information is though will have to look into it. At this time I am working with a third party with whom I did get a warranty through to get my laptop fixed. I also started looking up information on Apple logic board failures and found that its not just the Macbook pro but others starting with the imacs. I am also looking to see what class action lawsuits have been filed pertaining to just the logic board and not the graphic card problem. I am not looking to sue Apple but there are a lot us out there with logic board failures and Apple seems to be little to correct the problem. I’m hoping the next time I write it will be from my laptop.
30 December 2009 at 18:02
Mori,
That is very unfortunate. Apple’s computers are not cheap and many people who buy them are students who do not have a big budget to pay for Apple Care or replacements of things that break down (which should not). I encourage you to look into this further and post your findings on this blog. I am very upset that so many things go wrong with Apple’s logic board – not just Mac Book Pros – but also iMacs. The company should be ashamed.
4 January 2010 at 14:51
Esme Vos,
There is a lot of pages of this stuff and I have to use the library so my computer time is limited. I started thinking would it be possible to collect data on how many macboook pro users have had their logic board failed. I know Apple won’t give me that information so I thought I could start a blog like yours asking macbook pro users to tell me their experience. That way I would have a good idea of how bad this situation is but I don’t know how to get started. Could you help me?
18 January 2010 at 08:33
“UPDATE: Apple will repair this problem free of charge.”
NOT TRUE, you have pass their little NVIDIA Test first, then and only then will Apple fix it for free.
19 January 2010 at 17:02
Hello All!
I had the same problem. Started a bit more than a month ago. I went to 2 different official Apple service here, in Hungary. They said: NO! This is not the Nvidia problem. This Logic Board. No boot, just only the power led, both reaction for power on/off. The test was not ran, so they said, i have to buy a whole new Logic Board. 4weeks fight, no result, no hope. But I did not gave up. I was looking everywhere. I found a very professional and hard core but 3rd party service. They did an independent test. They said: “off course this is the known Nvidia problem” aaaand…. They fixed for the next day. I’m using again that MacBook pro right know. Obviously the Apple knew exactly what is the problem, but they not gonna fix it. Apple, Apple… You should though that, finally somebody find a way to fix it what you can`t or just don`t want. Shame on you! How many people got this problem from you, everywhere in the world, and you still not take the responsibility in 100%, just partly. And How many people had to buy a new Logic Board, or a whole new Computer. This is insane…
20 January 2010 at 14:38
Holy Mackerel, THANKS!!!
Thanks for posting this info. My computer came down with BSD (Black Screen Death) and I thought that for sure I would have to replace the computer considering it was 2 yrs old, and no Applecare coverage.
We called Apple Customer Support, they walked us through a few tests, then scheduled an appointment at our local Apple store. Took it in, they fixed it – no charge. Awesome. That doesn’t happen very often in life. Thanks for the info!!!
10 February 2010 at 03:08
I got the the black screen of death in December 09. First it failed during watching a video, but a restart solved the problem. Happened twice more, and then restarts no longer worked. Read all about the Nvidia problem. Took it into the Mac dealer. Nvidia test passed, so they said it was a logic board problem and NOT covered for repair. My 4k AUD macbook pro will now cost $2300 AUD to get fixed! That was a brilliant 2.5 year investment (bought it July 2007).
For that price I could by a top of the line PC every year and still be on out less money. VERY dissapointed with apple. Will definately complain, maybe then they will start to cover all their faulty crappily made logic boards and not just the faulty crappy Nvidia chips.
The apple repair rep was very appolgetic, even tried extra to get the chip to fail. Made me think this is happening quite a bit. When I pressed the issue, he stopped short of saying the logic boards are crap, but did say I should definately call apple and push the issue.
The dirty, evil, theiving robbing b***rds!
12 February 2010 at 11:03
Well, baking bread smells better and is easier to be successful with. Although you might be running lucky if you try baking Mac Logic Boards. Sometimes…. lets say less than FiftyFity…more just one third of you efforts have a slight chance of being successful. If you want to raise your odds leave it to professional folks who know what they doing. Most of the time they have extremely expensive infra red soldering machines to fix that well known technical fault.
If you wanna get rid of your broken / damaged “apple-stuff” such as iphones, ipods, macbooks, ibooks, ipads…. etc let me know. Reinhold.Kemper@gmx.net or gimmie a call on +49.177.13.111.31, Berlin Germany