Comments on: Update on Mac Book Pro blank screen problem

By: peglegpug – WWAD? aka What Will Apple Do? -Updated-

peglegpug – WWAD? aka What Will Apple Do? -Updated- — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:56:35 +0000

[...] he hooks it up to nothing shows. After some further sulking and being depressed, he came across an article that stated that this guy went through the same thing not too long [...]

By: Takki

Takki — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:14:57 +0000

Update on my MacBookPro 15″ SR 2007: I picked it up from the store yesterday. They said the graphic card was replaced because mine was one of the defect ones. When I got home I started working with the computer. Was working fine, but then I realized that it is dead silent!!! Checked for sound and there is no sound at all! Very strange. Now I have video, the screen is working fine, but no sound. Called the repair shop and all they said was that it was checked and was working fine. How then can it be when I start it it is not working properly?

By: E.M.

E.M. — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:57:44 +0000

I am an expat, originally from new york, now living in the Philippines (Metro Manila). I bought my MacBook Pro 15′ from CDW in the states about three years ago. I too have a blank screen or better said a “dim screen.” I went to a local APPLE authorized service provider (Senco Link Technologies INC.) and they wanna charge me a lil over $650 for a fix.

My questions are as follows :

Will an apple authorized center repair a 3 year old 15″ MacBook Pro 2 GHz Core Duo (with an ATI card) for free? even if it is a logic board problem?

AND is it possible an external monitor can be connected to a “dim screen” macbook pro laptop? the laptop works in everyway except that the screen is so dim it can barely be seen… will an external monitor, at least, allow me to see my desktop?

By the way, this post is being written on my dim screen with the use of my trusty Coleman lantern! I mention this to show that the laptop is functional in every other way. My eyes however is suffering from ” retina blur.” LOL

Any help that anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated as I am a ‘ field worker’ and need my laptop badly.

By: Christie

Christie — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:20:43 +0000

I have an MBP 15″ that, tonight, gave me a black screen. Same issues as listed above… restarts, hear the little “ding”, keyboard lights up… nothing on the screen. I’ve read above about the NVIDIA cards, logic boards etc. being the issues. Here’s my question, I bought this from PowerMax just 1 yr ago, so it was refurbished. How do I find out when my laptop was manufactured first of all? Second, I do not have any paperwork on this MBP due to a move which left everything in storage 500 miles away… how do I determine “what” my MBP is and if it would qualify for the repair?

Thanks all
C

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:51:46 +0000

I am an expat living in Taiwan (oh, and I should mention that I actually work in the computer industry as a system architect/designer), I purchased my 17inch MacBook Pro in October 2007 from a local Apple dealer here in Taiwan, never had any problems with it until just recently, then 2 weeks ago BLACK screen, nothing works, took the machine to Apple Approved Service Provider for advice and was informed that they would need to send my MacBook to a repair center, the guy in the retail outlet was very good and managed to backup all the data from my hard drive to another Mac machine and then to a portable hard drive. I figured ok, as long as I get it back repaired. Off to the repair center it goes and 24 hours later I get a call to tell me that the logic board is dead, that there is no power present and that it will cost $22,000NT (about $700US) to replace.

I requested that if I was to pay that much money for a new motherboard I wanted them to give me back the old one as well… No can do sir, not without you paying an additional $13,000NT.

So I asked them to tell me EXACTLY what had failed on the logic board… No power sir, thats the only detail we have.

Have you checked if its the nVidia card I ask… yes sir, we ran the test script that nVidia supplied and it shows no problem.

Isn’t that the same test script that Apple says doesn’t show the problem I ask… it’s the only test we have sir, and anyway your nVidia card is not one of those affected by this issue as the batch number doesn’t end in x91, x92 or x94

Well that’s the first time I’ve heard that little nugget of info, not seen any mention of batch numbers in any other postings.

Well now I’m stuck, there is no Apple employed agent/techie that I can talk too here in Taiwan, so cannot check the validity of the repair centers diagnosis…

Advice please anyone

By: VikkiW

VikkiW — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:11:57 +0000

I have a refurbished laptop. Was working just fine when suddenly this morning the screen started to flicker and then just froze. Later on, when I re-started it it did the same thing. So I stopped it again. Turned it on again a little later and this time it flickered and got lines going through it and acted almost like there was a short or something going on. I turned it off right away just in case. I can not afford to get another computer…just wondering if anyone has any ideas.

By: JamesC

JamesC — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:29:57 +0000

I got the black screen on my 17″ MBP and took it to the Genius Bar. After a few minutes of testing he decided it was the Logic Board and $320 to fix.

Two days later it’s back and working BUT, it seems like now they no longer claim there’s a video card problem – that they cover. It appears that now it’s getting blamed on the Logic Board and being charged to the customer.

This thread shows that the logic boards are failing at a very high rate and should be covered by Apple – or is it an open door for a class action lawsuit?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:42:15 +0000

Had a blank screen over the weekend (MBP purchased October 2007). Brought it to the Apple Store today. They ran the diagnostics and confirmed it was the graphics card, so there will be no charge for the repair. I’ll be without my laptop for 7-10 days, but at least it will be fixed.

By: Takki

Takki — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:46:14 +0000

My MacBookPro 15″ SR had a black screen on Sunday. Brought it to the Apple Store. Will post when I hear anything about it. I am surprised how many people have problems with their macs. I had my MacBookPro turned in several times for all sorts of problems. In Dec. I bought a iMac 27 ” and guess what – had to turn it in for repairs.

By: Nicola

Nicola — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:36:12 +0000

Thanks for all the help on this website. A colleague of mine sent it to me. I had this black screen of death and in disbelief I tried to start up my MBP about 6 times and then sat and sulked the the past 13 days. I called Apple last night and they tried a test on my machine which didn’t work. They gave me a ticket number and referred me to an authorized dealer here in Ontario. Turns out they have to run another test but appears that the video card is shot (the 8600GT) and Apple is covering the $1500 cost to fix it for me on the extended warranty because of the failure on these cards. I won’t have it back tomorrow but have been told Monday or Tuesday so that’s not bad – only a 3 business day turnaround. Wish I’d taken it in earlier. Happy I don’t have to pay!