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Late-2011 15" MacBook Pro not loading / White screen

wahit

wahit

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 29, 2005
83
4
Portugal
Hello everyone.

My wife’s MacBook Pro is not loading. When I turn the Mac on I get the grey apple and the loading bar, but then it disappears and it's just the white screen. I’ve already tried this:

  • removed all the peripherals attached
  • boot in Safe Mode
  • reset the PVRAM and NVRAM
  • boot Disk Utility (doesn’t boot either)
  • tried to reinstall macOS from the internet using the Command+Option+R keys. Here I managed to connect online and a download was made, but when rebooting I got the white screen again.

This is an old computer. I searched for information using the serial number and in theory it’s exactly this:

MacBook Pro 15” - Core i7 2.2 - Late 2011

  • Model: A1286
  • ID: MacBookPro8,2
  • 4GB RAM
  • Crucial 2.5 SSD 250GB 6Gb/s SED
  • VRAM 512MB
  • 8X DL SuperDrive

Maybe the problem is the actual disk drive? What else can I do?

In case it is the drive, can I swap this for another SSD one? If yes, can you point me at some specific brand/model? I don’t need it to be super good or super good.

This computer, again, is pretty much for my wife to go online, check emails and light 2D CAD work.

It’s been working flawlessly until yesterday. After a Microsoft Teams session it never managed to boot properly again.


Thank you very much for your help!
 
You could be having one of the GPUs failing. The 2011 15" & 17" have 2 GPUs and had major problems with the dGPU AMD Radeon. Look for Radeongate on the internet. MacRumors also have some long threads.
Here is one of them:
forums.macrumors.com

Force 2011 MacBook Pro 8,2 with failed AMD GPU to ALWAYS use Intel integrated GPU (EFI variable fix)

If you don't have time to read my story (which also describes some interesting technical approaches) just scroll down this thread until a "100% WORKING SOLUTION" text Discrete AMD GPU of my 2011 MacBook Pro 8,2 has finally failed because of the reasons mentioned here (...
forums.macrumors.com forums.macrumors.com

I had a failed dGPU on my late 2011 15" MBP.
 
CoastalOR said:
You could be having one of the GPUs failing. The 2011 15" & 17" have 2 GPUs and had major problems with the dGPU AMD Radeon. Look for Radeongate on the internet. MacRumors also have some long threads.
Here is one of them:
forums.macrumors.com

Force 2011 MacBook Pro 8,2 with failed AMD GPU to ALWAYS use Intel integrated GPU (EFI variable fix)

If you don't have time to read my story (which also describes some interesting technical approaches) just scroll down this thread until a "100% WORKING SOLUTION" text Discrete AMD GPU of my 2011 MacBook Pro 8,2 has finally failed because of the reasons mentioned here (...
forums.macrumors.com forums.macrumors.com

I had a failed dGPU on my late 2011 15" MBP.
Click to expand...

Wow, so much information there... so, is there anything I can do about it or it is the end of the line for this computer?
 
CoastalOR said:
You could be having one of the GPUs failing. The 2011 15" & 17" have 2 GPUs and had major problems with the dGPU AMD Radeon. Look for Radeongate on the internet. MacRumors also have some long threads.
Here is one of them:
forums.macrumors.com

Force 2011 MacBook Pro 8,2 with failed AMD GPU to ALWAYS use Intel integrated GPU (EFI variable fix)

If you don't have time to read my story (which also describes some interesting technical approaches) just scroll down this thread until a "100% WORKING SOLUTION" text Discrete AMD GPU of my 2011 MacBook Pro 8,2 has finally failed because of the reasons mentioned here (...
forums.macrumors.com forums.macrumors.com

I had a failed dGPU on my late 2011 15" MBP.
Click to expand...


Ok, spent the time to read all that. Dude: you are my hero!

It's working now!


Thank you very much!
 
  • Like
Reactions: CoastalOR
wahit said:
Wow, so much information there... so, is there anything I can do about it or it is the end of the line for this computer?
Click to expand...
The only choices that I know of are to find a way to disable/bypass the AMD GPU, replace the logic board that will also have the same problem eventually, or not spend money on a 10 year old computer and replace it with a newer computer that does not have the design flaw.
 
CoastalOR said:
The only choices that I know of are to find a way to disable/bypass the AMD GPU, replace the logic board that will also have the same problem eventually, or not spend money on a 10 year old computer and replace it with a newer computer that does not have the design flaw.
Click to expand...

Ah, sh*t. It's messed up again!!!
 
Hm, frozen at white screen during boot - does that really sound like the GPU? I had the infamous GPU failure on my late 2011 MBP and I do not recall it hanging like that at boot as a result.

Faulty drive perhaps? And yes you can swap it for some other model. I'd recommend the Samsung 8xx series but I guess any SATA laptop drive will do for a test.

Anyway, I had the dGPU fixed and ever since keep it turned off via utility (gfxcardstatus). Laptop has been running cool and quiet ever since I fully switched to the Intel. With the AMD I always had issues with GPU switching and the fans came on really quickly. AMD GPU is only used during boot on my machine and it still works (6 years and counting).
 
Last edited:
th0masp said:
Hm, frozen at white screen during boot - does that really sound like the GPU? I had the infamous GPU failure on my late 2011 MBP and I do not recall it hanging like that at boot as a result.

Faulty drive perhaps? And yes you can swap it for some other model. I'd recommend the Samsung 8xx series but I guess any SATA laptop drive will do for a test.

Anyway, I had the dGPU fixed and ever since keep it turned off via utility (gfxcardstatus). Laptop has been running cool and quiet ever since I fully switched to the Intel. With the AMD I always had issues with GPU switching and the fans came on really quickly. AMD GPU is only used during boot on my machine and it still works (6 years and counting).
Click to expand...

Clueless about what to do...
 
wahit said:
Clueless about what to do...
Click to expand...

Is there a way to make sure if it's the GPU causing the issue? Any logfiles that could be retrieved from the filesystem, hardware test utility giving a definitive result, etc.

Else I would take the SSD out and try to install the OS on a fresh disk (hooked up external drive via TB/USB doable perhaps?).
 
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