Help with my MacBook Pro (won't turn on)

[iJesus]

First of all, I am becoming way to used to going to the Genius Bar with this machine. I have an early 2008 MacBook Pro and it has suffered around 4 or 5 hard drive failures since then, had it's logic board and super drive replaced, and is still giving me a headache. The last time the Genius Bar replaced the HD on my MBP was on New Years

Anyways, here's what's going on.
I woke up this morning ready to tackle writing my college admissions essay. I open my MBP up (I always leave it on), and nothing happens. Okay, I press the power button and nothing happens again! Oh no. I don't hear the HD spin, actually, the machine emits no noise whatsoever. I tried all the suggested steps online that I could find including this one (Troubleshooting a MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro that won't turn on: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1365) and it still won't power up

I made an appointment with the Genius Bar at 2:00 PM today but I'm wondering if I could do anything to figure out what's wrong so I don't have to do the now ritual 45 minute drive north to Reno. Yikes.

 

[tsvb]

Snip

Well I would make sure I reset the smc and the pram. If that doesn't work then you are probably looking at another logic board replacement.

Mine is out for one right now since the video card went bad. Stupid Nvidia.

 

[iJesus]

So I booked my MBP in for repair earlier today at the Genius Bar. The Genius said he'd replace the logic board and take a 'deeper' look into the machine to see if something else was up.

I got a voicemail from the Genius at 6 tonight telling me to call him back tomorrow between 11-9 and that the message was regarding my machine. I hope this isn't any bad news.

 

[creator2456]

So I booked my MBP in for repair earlier today at the Genius Bar. The Genius said he'd replace the logic board and take a 'deeper' look into the machine to see if something else was up.

I got a voicemail from the Genius at 6 tonight telling me to call him back tomorrow between 11-9 and that the message was regarding my machine. I hope this isn't any bad news.

Bad news can only be that they aren't honoring Apple Care because of a dent or something. Most likely they will be telling you that they are doing some repairs and that it will take a couple days or they are going to give you a new MBP as a replacement.

If it is the second one, I would politely thank them and make sure they know you are pleased but would like some extra compensation for the 2 hrs driving each time...like a new iPod or Time Capsule...something.

 

[natebookpro]

Bad news can only be that they aren't honoring Apple Care because of a dent or something. Most likely they will be telling you that they are doing some repairs and that it will take a couple days or they are going to give you a new MBP as a replacement.

If it is the second one, I would politely thank them and make sure they know you are pleased but would like some extra compensation for the 2 hrs driving each time...like a new iPod or Time Capsule...something.

or just thank them for a brand new machine...

 

[iJesus]

Bad news can only be that they aren't honoring Apple Care because of a dent or something. Most likely they will be telling you that they are doing some repairs and that it will take a couple days or they are going to give you a new MBP as a replacement.

If it is the second one, I would politely thank them and make sure they know you are pleased but would like some extra compensation for the 2 hrs driving each time...like a new iPod or Time Capsule...something.

The Genius did book my MBP in as "Cosmetic Condition: Good, with minor dent on clamshell". Oh well. The guy didn't tell me how many days it would take for them to fix it. To be honest, I kinda walked in, said "it's acting up again", signed the paper, and left. I've kinda gotten used to it.

I'll call him back during my lunch break tomorrow though.

 

[hishat]

The Genius did book my MBP in as "Cosmetic Condition: Good, with minor dent on clamshell". Oh well. The guy didn't tell me how many days it would take for them to fix it. To be honest, I kinda walked in, said "it's acting up again", signed the paper, and left. I've kinda gotten used to it.

I'll call him back during my lunch break tomorrow though.

From my knowledge of apple, dont they replace the entire machine if the same component, especially one as expensive as the logic board fails more than 3 times?

can anyone second me on that?

 

[iJesus]

Well, I just finished getting off the phone with them. The guy told me that he'd like to replace the entire computer. He told me it'd take 14 days for me to get a new one since I bought it online. I'm really hoping for a unibody but I'll probably get an early 2008 like my old phone. Dang.

I can still cross my fingers though.

UPDATE: I wrote a letter to Steve Jobs yesterday regarding this issue. Today at 2:30 I received a call from Cupertino, on behalf of Steve Jobs, that they would call the Reno Apple Store in order for them to just give me a new Unibody MacBook Pro. I can pick it up tomorrow or Wednesday. yay.

UPDATE: (01/06/09) So today kinda went uphill then downhill fast. At noon I talked to the rep from Apple, she said that she talked to the Apple Store and that I would later receive a call to come pick it up. I call the Apple Store at 2 since I hadn't gotten a call and they said that the store contact was busy with a customer and that they'd call me back. Apple Store calls and tells me that they're filling out the paperwork, it'd take them around 20 minutes and they'd call me back in order to drive to the Apple Store to pick up the new MBP. The guy even said he was about to go grab one off the shelves. I get another call back, "can you repeat your mailing address"? I did so and I asked what it's about, the guy just said he needed it. He calls back 1/2 hour later telling me that they went ahead and ordered one online for me. Seriously? I need that laptop for schoolwork, they told me I'd have one for today (I got excited since that meant I could do some in class presentations with it) and then they totally drop the ball and lie to me.

Fun stuff Apple.

 

[Ochire]

Mate i've had the same problems. Two logic board replacements and a hard drive failure in just over a year. Just tried turning it on and nothing happens. When yours was plugged in, did the adapter light turn on? Mine is green, though I doubt it has any battery. It went orange once, but every other time its green.

Tried using with all combinations of power sources and nothing happens.

Going to call Applecare tomorrow. I'd like a new computer. I can't keep bringing this thing in. The hard drive failure was only about two months ago and it's took me a month to locate all my files on other computers/sites. Thank god I backed up with timecapsule and superduper recently.

 

[PghMike]

This is a known problem that Apple will fix w/o charge

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

Apparently the nvidia graphics chips fail at an abnormally high rate for Macbook Pros manufactured in some much of 2007 and 2008. I just got a call that my machine has this problem (4 machines at my 20 person office have had this already since March 2008).

Note that even though the article makes it it sound like all that's bad is the video, in real life it seems that the machine won't actually even boot once this chip goes bad. At least, that's what happened to my machine.

An important note is that even if you didn't buy the extended care warranty, Apple will replace the part for free for up to 3 years after the system was purchased. My problem is that since my first adapter is going bad 2.5 years into my warranty, the next one will probably go bad after the 3 years is up

As an aside, from the Apple article, it sounds like Nvidia lied to them about the problem, and Apple is pissed.

 

[electroshock]

Well, I just finished getting off the phone with them. The guy told me that he'd like to replace the entire computer. He told me it'd take 14 days for me to get a new one since I bought it online. I'm really hoping for a unibody but I'll probably get an early 2008 like my old phone. Dang.

I can still cross my fingers though.

UPDATE: I wrote a letter to Steve Jobs yesterday regarding this issue. Today at 2:30 I received a call from Cupertino, on behalf of Steve Jobs, that they would call the Reno Apple Store in order for them to just give me a new Unibody MacBook Pro. I can pick it up tomorrow or Wednesday. yay.

UPDATE: (01/06/09) So today kinda went uphill then downhill fast. At noon I talked to the rep from Apple, she said that she talked to the Apple Store and that I would later receive a call to come pick it up. I call the Apple Store at 2 since I hadn't gotten a call and they said that the store contact was busy with a customer and that they'd call me back. Apple Store calls and tells me that they're filling out the paperwork, it'd take them around 20 minutes and they'd call me back in order to drive to the Apple Store to pick up the new MBP. The guy even said he was about to go grab one off the shelves. I get another call back, "can you repeat your mailing address"? I did so and I asked what it's about, the guy just said he needed it. He calls back 1/2 hour later telling me that they went ahead and ordered one online for me. Seriously? I need that laptop for schoolwork, they told me I'd have one for today (I got excited since that meant I could do some in class presentations with it) and then they totally drop the ball and lie to me.

Fun stuff Apple.

Dang, that sucks -- sorry to hear.

So how'd the saga turn out in the end?