Graphics card issue? HELP

[trlyka]

Back about a month ago, I had some crazy stuff happening on my screen where it split and moved around etc...just wouldn't respond. I rebooted and got the striped screen with Apple logo and then a white screen and that's as far as it went. I rebooted a few times, but eventually went online looking for answers. I found a site telling you to do this or that as it was booting up and it worked. I hadn't thought about what could of happened figuring it was a glitch and fixed itself....>FF to last night and it happened again. I can't remember what I did to fix it and had read about a recall of some sort for the graphics card and it was covered for repair?

I made an appt. for Friday at the Apple Store hoping to get it fixed for free.

My biggest concern is the info on it. I don't think it's the hard drive so I'm hoping I can still recover/backup what's on there.

Any info on what I can try until I take it in on Friday? I would appreciate it. I have a My Passport, but because of a move, I didn't know where it was until today

Thanks

 

[MadDane]

The computer still boots, correct? In that case you can just make a Time Machine backup on your My Passport and then you should be fine. I would recommend you started performing the backup as soon as possible.

 

[trlyka]

The computer still boots, correct? In that case you can just make a Time Machine backup on your My Passport and then you should be fine. I would recommend you started performing the backup as soon as possible.

No it won't boot up all the way. I get the pin stripe screen with the Apple logo and then just a white screen. Is that considered booted up??

 

[MadDane]

No, I would not consider that being booted up. Do you have access to another Mac with Thunderbolt/Firewire/Ethernet? Then you could boot the MacBook Pro in target mode and extract the data from there. Alternatively pull out the HDD and make a clone of it to your My Passport from another computer. This will require that you put the HDD in an enclosure though.

 

[trlyka]

No, I would not consider that being booted up. Do you have access to another Mac with Thunderbolt/Firewire/Ethernet? Then you could boot the MacBook Pro in target mode and extract the data from there. Alternatively pull out the HDD and make a clone of it to your My Passport from another computer. This will require that you put the HDD in an enclosure though.

Unfortunately I don't have access to another Mac. I may actually have the enclosure from when my ex was moving information from other Windows laptop hard drives that were on their way out. Would that work even if it was for Windows machines?

 

[MadDane]

Here is a guy with a similar issue a few years back and a solution for how to back up your data with a Windows machine:
https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/61749/How+Do+You+Do+Clone+A+Mac+Drive+using+Win7+OS

 

[trlyka]

I went to the Genius Bar, and in traditional Apple style, they took me within 5 minutes of my appointment time. The gentleman helping me did a quick video test which failed. When I questioned if it was covered as part of the recall, he said yes it is.....

He removed my HD and gave it to me to hold onto. Now I have to wait 3-5 days for the repair which is fine with me

I may not get it back before Christmas, but I'm ok with that.....

 

[MadDane]

Sounds like good service from their part, and I am glad they are covering it. Also, remember to make a backup of your HDD as the first thing when you get the machine back

 

[trlyka]

Sounds like good service from their part, and I am glad they are covering it. Also, remember to make a backup of your HDD as the first thing when you get the machine back

I will definitely make a back up first thing, as well as make it part of regular maintenance. Thanks so much for all the info

 

[ron1004]

I will definitely make a back up first thing, as well as make it part of regular maintenance. Thanks so much for all the info

My 17" has also had the recall repair.

Consider an SSD - this turned my 17" into a speed demon.

 

[maxsix]

I will definitely make a back up first thing, as well as make it part of regular maintenance. Thanks so much for all the info

If more people would_do_backups to local media as a regular routine, Cloud services wouldn't be so pervasive. Not that they're bad, but I sure won't trust any company with my personal data.

Yet it's millennials that don't seem to understand the value of privacy. They love to say "I have nothing to hide". What a blindly naïve attitude. I'm just sharing an observation, not intending to be critical. One can only hope as they grow up, wisdom appears.

 

[maflynn]

I will definitely make a back up first thing, as well as make it part of regular maintenance. Thanks so much for all the info

Apple has a handy utility built into OS X, called Time Machine, it easily automates backups, I recommend it. I use it, among other tools, and its helped save my bacon a number of times.

 

[snaky69]

If more people would_do_backups to local media as a regular routine, Cloud services wouldn't be so pervasive. Not that they're bad, but I sure won't trust any company with my personal data.

Yet it's millennials that don't seem to understand the value of privacy. They love to say "I have nothing to hide". What a blindly naïve attitude. I'm just sharing an observation, not intending to be critical. One can only hope as they grow up, wisdom appears.

Not trying to be an ass, but chances are you're neither important nor interesting enough for anyone to bother snooping through your data. Cloud services have better things to do. Seeing as nearly all you do on your computer is being monitored by the friendly NSA, your data isn't all that private to being with.