15" uMBP issue occurred while watching a youtube video

[MB98XJ]

First off, my computer is a uMBP mid 2009 2.53 ghz model. I was watching a youtube video when all of a sudden a dark shade came down the screen and the audio skipped. Then the MBP froze up with a message that said something like "Restart your computer by pressing the power button. Turn it on by pressing the power button again." (something like that) Anyway, so I turned it off by the power button, turned it back on and I logged in using my username and password. The background loaded and the shade appeared again with the same message. Now when I restart my computer a loading bar appears below the Apple logo during startup and the computer just shuts off without allowing me to log in. I still have applecare but I don't have the technical support. I bought mine at the University bookstore. What should I do? And what do you think the problem is? Is there anyway to salvage my files?

 

[spinnerlys]

What you experience is a so-called Kernel Panic.

As you bought your Mac less than a year ago, you still have warranty for technical failures not induced by you.
It doesn't matter where you bought it.

It seems the problem persists and the MBP is somehow having a failing hardware component, the GPU maybe.

You can get to your files either by using Target Disk Mode with another Mac that has a Firewire port, or you can take the HDD out (page 37) for yourself, it will not void the warranty.

 

[SA22C]

It would be instructive to know what is causing the kernel panic. If you boot while holding Option-v, you will get what's called 'verbose' boot. Then when the panic occurs, you'll get a dump, including the offending kernel extension that is causing the crash.

You might be able to troubleshoot that error yourself, rather than waiting for warranty support. Just a thought.