Finally getting around to hopefully fixing my MBP... need some advice.

[pbjunkie87]

Hello everyone,

I come to this forum searching for hopefully a definitive answer on what is going on with my MBP, and what steps to take to resolve the issue.

My MBP has the following specs, per Apple's Tech Specs site:

-Early '08 model
-2.4 Ghz Intel Pro Duo
-NVidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor
-200 GB HD

Nearly ever since I had the computer, it has run really warm. At times it would get so hot that it'd burn my legs when it was on my lap. I have it on an alumminum stand with plenty of air flow. I feel like that's part of the reason I'm on my third battery in 5 years. And the current battery is broken and does not hold any charge.

but anyway, about 9 months ago, my MBP started randomly shutting down on me. Didn't matter what I was doing - streaming Youtube, playing a game, writing a paper - it would just shut down. Sometimes it wouldn't come back on until it had cooled down. About 6 months ago, the same thing happened. BUt it wouldn't turn back on. I press the Power button, the sleep light turns on to full brightness and I hear the hard drive start spinning up. The screen never comes on, it stays dark, and the sleep light goes dim and starts flickering, then it shuts off. Hooking up to an external monitor does nothing. Even holding down the Power button does nothing. If I do that, the Sleep light just stays flickering until I release the button, then it shuts off.

I've searched high and low online, and I've seen posts that people have had similar problems as me, but in a majority of them, their screen comes on. I feel like since my screen doesn't come on, it's a power issue. When it first shut off and wouldn't turn back on, I took it to my local Apple store, and the Genius there told me it was a logic board issue, and that Apple could fix it for $320, plus an additional $100 to recover data. Since I dont think this is a HD issue, all my data should be ok, correct? I then took it to a local computer repair store, who told me it was dirt in the MagSafe adapter slot, and to take it home and clean it out and it should work. It didnt. So then he told me to bring it in and for $50 he could diagnose the problem. He told me it was the logic board (which I already knew, a waste of $50...).

After putting off fixing it due to financial issues, I finally am able to fix my computer. But after doing more research, some people are saying it's a left I/O board issue, not a logic board. Again, my symptoms are similar, but not exactly like many of the other posts I've seen on here and other tech websites. Some blame the I/O board, others the logic board, still others the NVidia board...

I don't want to buy the wrong board and have it put in. So I could to you MacRumor community, hopefully you can assist me in diagnosing the problem and brining my computer back from the dead. Any info or assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pentad]

I stopped reading at:

"NVidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor"


That is a ticking-time-bomb for you. I'm sorry to tell you this but those chips are flawed and Apple will replace it the LB for you when it goes. The problem is, they just give you a new LB with another ticking-time-bomb.

I know you wish to fix it but I'm not sure that is a good idea. If it had a different GPU in it, then it might be worth it.

Have you thought about selling it for parts on ebay and taking all the money and buying a newer used MBP?

I am not trying to be a jerk, but that GPU is problematic. I would hate to see you put money into it, get it running, and have the GPU die on you.


Just some thoughts,
-P

 

[someoldguy]

I had the same machine as my work laptop . Got it in 2008 and a couple of months later , my video went squirrely one day , and the next day I was in the same shape you're in now . Apple fixed it under warranty as it was less than a year old . Still ran hot though , GPU temps often in the 90's C.. .
Anyway... you've got a 4+ year old notebook . Assuming you got it new you had 4 years of use out of it . In order to get it up working , with Apple doing the repair , it'll cost you 320 for the board , 100 for 'data recovery' , and figure another 100 for a battery , plus the 50 you're out from the other shop . So a total of 570 to resurrect a 4 year laptop . If you fix it yourself , you have no guarantee the board you're buying is going to last . Either way you'll have a 2008 machine that's known to have some design problems .

Pentad's suggestion might not be bad , a good used or refurb. unibody i5 or i7 cMBP might be the best way out . Even though it costs you more , it may very well end up costing less over the long haul.

 

[pbjunkie87]

Thank you for the responses. I apologize for the delay in replying.

Sigh.... I am to the point where I've decided to take your advice and give up trying to fix it. Unfortunately funds are super limited at this point in time (my wife is expecting our first child any day now), and there will most likely be a slight delay in buying a new or used MBP in the future. I will attempt to sell it for parts on Ebay or Craiglist. Guess I'll have to use my Lenovo netbook in the meantime (yuck...)

However, I do want to retrieve the data on the hard drive. Since it's not a hard drive issue, I should be able to recover most, if not all the data still on there. Since I am unable to keep the MBP powered on, how would I go about recovering data? I'm thinking hard drive removal, but I was wondering if there was an easier way. Maybe somehow bypassing the power supply to the hard drive and plugging in an external? I have an external HD already formatted for OSX. I'm not worried about the programs, just documents, some pictures, and my music. I'll do what it takes to get the data off there. Any answers would help!

Thanks again!

 

[scaredpoet]

Unfortunately, if it's not powering on, you're going to have to physically remove the hard drive and hook it up to some other SATA interface, maybe getting an external hard drive enclosure for notebook drives and using that.

There's no physical way to bypass power and divert to only the drive, outside of complete removal. There is Target disk mode, but that still requires a good portion of the computer itself to still be functional.

 

[foxf8]

you would have to remove the hard drive from the laptop and use something like this to connect it to another computer and from there its a big flash drive just navigate to your folders and copy what you want off of it