2011 Macbook Pro 17 dead screen?

[Shed209]

My 2011 Macbook Pro 17 has hit a rather stark functionality problem in that the screen will not turn on any more (is just black). I can still hear the chime when I press the power button, but I'm struggling to ascertain whether the rest of the computer is still functioning and it is just a screen issue. I plugged a mini display port->HDMI adaptor into the thunderbolt port and hooked it up to my computer monitor, but so far nothing. The fans are spinning and I get the chime, but that's about it.

Is there any way to check if it's just the screen that has died?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ZapNZs]

Does it turn on, chime, and then go to either a white or black screen, then the computer gets hot as crud, and the fans ramp up to full power?

 

[Shed209]

The screen just stays black.

 

[ZapNZs]

So it just goes black, but does not heat up and the fans do not spin up to max, correct? I ask this because of the 2011 MacBook Pro's history of GPU failure, and a blank white (and sometimes black) screen, huge amounts of heat, and very high fan speeds are symptoms of the failure.

Have you tried resetting the PRAM & SMC?
Are you near an Apple Store or Apple Repair Provider?

 

[Shed209]

I wouldn't say it goes black - it's always black. If you have in mind a sort of crash error where the Macbook is in use then the screen goes black and the fans spin up, that's not what's happening here. I'm talking about when I just turn the macbook on, the screen never comes on, but I hear the chime, and the fans come on (at low speed).

I suppose I could boil the question down to this: Should I be seeing some sort of image outputted from the Thunderbolt port on my external monitor if it's just a dead screen? Is there some special key combination I have to press to get it to output via the Thunderbolt port?

 

[sheffieldmacrepairs]

My 2011 Macbook Pro 17 has hit a rather stark functionality problem in that the screen will not turn on any more (is just black). I can still hear the chime when I press the power button, but I'm struggling to ascertain whether the rest of the computer is still functioning and it is just a screen issue. I plugged a mini display port->HDMI adaptor into the thunderbolt port and hooked it up to my computer monitor, but so far nothing. The fans are spinning and I get the chime, but that's about it.

Is there any way to check if it's just the screen that has died?

Thanks in advance.

most common fault is that your gpu has failed or back light has failed power on and shine a tourch into the screen and see if you can see a picture if you cannot then failed gpu if you can then failed back light

 

[Fishrrman]

As others have mentioned, the 2011 15" and 17" models have a history of GPU failure.

This was known as "Radeongate", and until last December, Apple would often offer a free motherboard replacement.

Unfortunately, that replacement program has ended.

You might consider taking it to the nearest brick-n-mortar Apple Store, and let them evaluate it. One never knows, they -might- be able to get you fixed up "for free" (not likely, but worth a try -- don't delay this).

Other than that, you'd probably do best to start shopping for something new, or at least "newer"...