MacBook Pro tech question

[Jeffrey Hergan]

Greetings.

I have a MacBook Pro from, I'm approximating 4 years ago. It wasn't the top model, it was the second best, at $1999. USD. 15 inch. I'm thinking it was 1.8gzh. I don't know exactly because I can't make it start. It is an Intel. Before the larger clicking trackpad.

The problem is very odd. In short, I turned it off and although I can hear the drive spin up, there's no sound and the screen remains black. When the laptop is open, there is a dimmed but still lit green power light. When I close it, the power light gets bright, as though the lid is open and it's running.

This ocurred when I had it hooked up to my television. The output was set to the TV--the ini dvi cable and an optical audio out to stereo receiver. I started experiencing strangeness--it would sleep and then not wake up, it would wake but I didn't have any video on the tv or the laptop screen.

I tried everything I could think of: booting into different modes, booting from dvd, even zapping pram. Tried with and without video output cable to tv. It actually booted up normally again once or twice, would run for a day or two and then die again. I got it to run afew times, but now it's dead. I never had ram die before, but wonder ing if it's that simple. Or HD? Or video card? The thing was barely used and is otherwise in fantastic shape. I'm wondering how to proceed?

Thanks folks.

I hope you all are having a fabulous year!

Jeff H

PS I saw the FB page but I'm wondering if anyone is using it?

[Stuart Mallett]

Try. Both

Remove battery and power cable and hold power button for 5 secs. Replace battery and power.

Hold command+alt+p+r. And press the power button hold all buttons until the laptop restarts three times on third restart let go.

This should reset the board and get you going if not then you need an AASP

Stuart


Sent from my iPhone

Post by Jeffrey Hergan
Greetings.
I have a MacBook Pro from, I'm approximating 4 years ago. It wasn't the top model, it was the second best, at $1999. USD. 15 inch. I'm thinking it was 1.8gzh. I don't know exactly because I can't make it start. It is an Intel. Before the larger clicking trackpad.
The problem is very odd. In short, I turned it off and although I can hear the drive spin up, there's no sound and the screen remains black. When the laptop is open, there is a dimmed but still lit green power light. When I close it, the power light gets bright, as though the lid is open and it's running.
This ocurred when I had it hooked up to my television. The output was set to the TV--the ini dvi cable and an optical audio out to stereo receiver. I started experiencing strangeness--it would sleep and then not wake up, it would wake but I didn't have any video on the tv or the laptop screen.
I tried everything I could think of: booting into different modes, booting from dvd, even zapping pram. Tried with and without video output cable to tv. It actually booted up normally again once or twice, would run for a day or two and then die again. I got it to run afew times, but now it's dead. I never had ram die before, but wonder ing if it's that simple. Or HD? Or video card? The thing was barely used and is otherwise in fantastic shape. I'm wondering how to proceed?
Thanks folks.
I hope you all are having a fabulous year!
Jeff H
PS I saw the FB page but I'm wondering if anyone is using it?
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[Jeffrey Hergan]

Post by Stuart Mallett
Try. Both
Remove battery and power cable and hold power button for 5 secs. Replace battery and power.
Hold command+alt+p+r. And press the power button hold all buttons until the laptop restarts three times on third restart let go.
This should reset the board and get you going if not then you need an AASP
Stuart

Thank you for your reply, Stuart. I tried both. As soon as I press the power button to zap pram, the power light turns on but dimly. I can hear the hard drive spin up, but then nothing at all. No video at all and no chimes or restarting. If I shut the lid, the power light goes full bright. (That may be normal behaviour that I never noticed before.) I also tried holding power for five secs without power or battery; inserting the Snow Leopard disk, and booting from the dvd. I hear the dvd spin up, but again, nothing. I know my battery is bad but have always been able to run with the power cord attached.

If you were to guess, what 'might' it be? I don't want to invest a great deal in this machine. Would maybe just as soon get the kids an iPad. My nearest Apple pro is in Baltimore--nearly four hours away.

Thanks agin for your thoughts.

Jeff

Post by Stuart Mallett
Sent from my iPhone

Post by Jeffrey Hergan
Greetings.
I have a MacBook Pro from, I'm approximating 4 years ago. It wasn't the top model, it was the second best, at $1999. USD. 15 inch. I'm thinking it was 1.8gzh. I don't know exactly because I can't make it start. It is an Intel. Before the larger clicking trackpad.
The problem is very odd. In short, I turned it off and although I can hear the drive spin up, there's no sound and the screen remains black. When the laptop is open, there is a dimmed but still lit green power light. When I close it, the power light gets bright, as though the lid is open and it's running.
This ocurred when I had it hooked up to my television. The output was set to the TV--the ini dvi cable and an optical audio out to stereo receiver. I started experiencing strangeness--it would sleep and then not wake up, it would wake but I didn't have any video on the tv or the laptop screen.
I tried everything I could think of: booting into different modes, booting from dvd, even zapping pram. Tried with and without video output cable to tv. It actually booted up normally again once or twice, would run for a day or two and then die again. I got it to run afew times, but now it's dead. I never had ram die before, but wonder ing if it's that simple. Or HD? Or video card? The thing was barely used and is otherwise in fantastic shape. I'm wondering how to proceed?
Thanks folks.
I hope you all are having a fabulous year!
Jeff H
PS I saw the FB page but I'm wondering if anyone is using it?
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http://lists.tit-wank.com/mailman/listinfo/osx-nutters

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[LuKreme]

Post by Jeffrey Hergan
If you were to guess, what 'might' it be?

Hard to say, if you don’t get a startup chime of any kind, that’s generally bad. It could be the video controller, which seems plausible since you started having issues with it after having it hooked to an external display.

I have an old intel MacBook (white) that has a broken screen, but still works fine connected to an external display. sadly, it lacks the horsepower to play 720P video very well, so I don’t really use it, but this type of setup does work, even long term.

[Jeffrey Hergan]

Post by LuKreme

Post by Jeffrey Hergan
If you were to guess, what 'might' it be?

Hard to say, if you don’t get a startup chime of any kind, that’s generally bad. It could be the video controller, which seems plausible since you started having issues with it after having it hooked to an external display.

OK. It isn't a huge deal for me, because it was a backup machine that I used to play video and audio for a couple of years. A year ago I grabbed a new MBPro that I use for real work. This one has been in a closet since I had this prob and I'm just wondering if it's worth the 4 hour drive to take it to an Apple store. Might they be able to at least diagnose it there? I'd just as soon use the thing for parts or something, even give it away, or maybe get an enclosure for the HD.

Ultimately the kids both need something they can use to do schoolwork (middle school (11-14 years old) and high school (my 15 and a half year old). The older one could really use a computer, but the younger could easily do with an iPad. I'd not waste $100 on gas, 8 hours of driving, and then maybe more than $100 extra just to diagnose it. On the other hand, if I could find out the issue, I'd have a better chance of determining whether it's worth the dough to fix what's wrong.

Thoughts? I wonder also whether my older child, Sarah, might be able to do with an iPad through High School. She writes, paints and does art. No real science or programming or anything like that.

I'm pretty thrilled with the way Lion is running on my newer laptop. But the kids would just as soon each have an iPad. I want to be sure they can what they need to before I get them each an iPad, though.

Thanks so much for your thoughts.

Grateful,
Jeff

[Phreken Kolitus]

Hey just noticed this thread. I have a MacBook Pro from around 2008 which had similar symptoms and was way out of warranty. Long story short, Apple replaced the mother board, at no cost, because of a know problem with the nvidia graphic chips. Take it to a genius, they'll start it form a disk that can tell if your machine is "one of those"

cheers!

Post by Jeffrey Hergan

Post by LuKreme

Post by Jeffrey Hergan
If you were to guess, what 'might' it be?

Hard to say, if you don’t get a startup chime of any kind, that’s generally bad. It could be the video controller, which seems plausible since you started having issues with it after having it hooked to an external display.

OK. It isn't a huge deal for me, because it was a backup machine that I used to play video and audio for a couple of years. A year ago I grabbed a new MBPro that I use for real work. This one has been in a closet since I had this prob and I'm just wondering if it's worth the 4 hour drive to take it to an Apple store. Might they be able to at least diagnose it there? I'd just as soon use the thing for parts or something, even give it away, or maybe get an enclosure for the HD.
Ultimately the kids both need something they can use to do schoolwork (middle school (11-14 years old) and high school (my 15 and a half year old). The older one could really use a computer, but the younger could easily do with an iPad. I'd not waste $100 on gas, 8 hours of driving, and then maybe more than $100 extra just to diagnose it. On the other hand, if I could find out the issue, I'd have a better chance of determining whether it's worth the dough to fix what's wrong.
Thoughts? I wonder also whether my older child, Sarah, might be able to do with an iPad through High School. She writes, paints and does art. No real science or programming or anything like that.
I'm pretty thrilled with the way Lion is running on my newer laptop. But the kids would just as soon each have an iPad. I want to be sure they can what they need to before I get them each an iPad, though.
Thanks so much for your thoughts.
Grateful,
Jeff
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[Jeffrey Hergan]

Post by Phreken Kolitus
Hey just noticed this thread. I have a MacBook Pro from around 2008 which had similar symptoms and was way out of warranty. Long story short, Apple replaced the mother board, at no cost, because of a know problem with the nvidia graphic chips. Take it to a genius, they'll start it form a disk that can tell if your machine is "one of those"
cheers!

Thank you so much! I always loved this machine and used it for all of my media. I guess I will make the effort to get it to a genius and see what pans out. I've used nothing but Apples since 1986 and my SE 30, which _still_ runs. After26 years of loyaty I'd ask for some consideration, and would probably get it. We'll see. Apple has been really good to me in the past, when I had a problem with a 266mh laptop.
Thanks again, to you and all who replied. I'm very grateful. I'll be sure to send an update to let you know what happens.
Jeff

[GG]

Post by Jeffrey Hergan
Thank you so much! I always loved this machine and used it for all
of my media. I guess I will make the effort to get it to a genius
and see what pans out.

FWIW, here's Apple's article on the issue:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

You might want to call before you make a (long?) trip to an Apple
Store. They may be able to tell you if your model is covered.

[Stuart Mallett]

That REP has ended for most but you may be lucky, and they will still cover it. Speak to apple and if at first you don't succeed......

Sent from my iPhone

Post by GG

Post by Jeffrey Hergan
Thank you so much! I always loved this machine and used it for all
of my media. I guess I will make the effort to get it to a genius
and see what pans out.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377
You might want to call before you make a (long?) trip to an Apple
Store. They may be able to tell you if your model is covered.
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[Jeffrey Hergan]

Post by GG

Post by Jeffrey Hergan
Thank you so much! I always loved this machine and used it for all
of my media. I guess I will make the effort to get it to a genius
and see what pans out.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

I think I may be a model too early. I just figured out that I have a MacBook Pro, 2.16Ghz, Core 2 Duo
6x DL Supredrive, Model T7400, with 120gb HD. Not sure if this has the same graphics card. I thought it was a year newer.
And again, thanks so much for the info!