Can logic board be messed up, but able to be in safe mode?

[Hutchcreative]

Hi, the other night my macbook pro (15 inch, late 2011) started acting strange after I had updated to 10.10.5. Since then:

• Freezing when I tried to do anything at all (beachball)
• Slow restarts (freezes at about 50%)

Since then I tried booting back up in Yosemite, update to El Capitan, but nothing seems to work. I've been able to boot in safe mode and do limited work like this.

I'm about to send it away for support, but am worried this is a logic board problem, which I can't afford to fix.

My question is, does the fact that I'm still able to boot into safe mode mean that it's not a logic board issue?

Thanks in advance.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Hi, the other night my macbook pro (15 inch, late 2011) started acting strange after I had updated to 10.10.5. Since then:

• Freezing when I tried to do anything at all (beachball)
• Slow restarts (freezes at about 50%)

Since then I tried booting back up in Yosemite, update to El Capitan, but nothing seems to work. I've been able to boot in safe mode and do limited work like this.

I'm about to send it away for support, but am worried this is a logic board problem, which I can't afford to fix.

My question is, does the fact that I'm still able to boot into safe mode mean that it's not a logic board issue?

Thanks in advance.

As it sounds like the issue is with the graphics card, your 15" 2011 is covered free-of-charge.

 

[tubeexperience]

https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

 

[grahamperrin]

... macbook pro (15 inch, late 2011) ... does the fact that I'm still able to boot into safe mode mean that it's not a logic board issue?

If you can boot in safe mode and find no video issues in that mode: probably yes; not a board issue.

I have an early 2011 15" MacBookPro8,2 that required repair under Apple's MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues. Before the repair, the video issues were evident both with and without safe mode.

 

[treekram]

If you went from Yosemite to 10.11.5, it's pretty common for drivers/extensions/etc. that worked in Yosemite to cause problems in El Capitan. That could explain why Safe Mode works. If you did come from Yosemite, I would try running EtreCheck in Safe Mode and if you need help with the results, post it here.

https://etrecheck.com/

 

[Hutchcreative]

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[JTToft]

Thanks so much for your help!

- What did the outcome end up being?