LED backlight on, but no picture?

[supaflyryan]

I have a 2.2 Santa Rosa 15" MBP, and an odd thing happened last night. I wasn't running any unusual applications, and had a few things open and was browsing in Firefox. All of a sudden my screen went black, and wouldn't come back up.

The computer is still running just fine, and it didn't go to sleep. The LED backlight is fine, as the Apple logo is lit up and if I change the brightness I can see the backlight changing (the "black" screen gets less "black", if that makes sense), however the actual display panel isn't projecting any picture at all.

I've restarted a dozen times, reset PRAM, and did the unplug battery and hold power button trick, all to no avail. There's no flicker of a picture or anything... it's as if the monitor is completely dead (aside from the backlight being fine).

If I plug in an external monitor, I can use the computer just fine. So it's not like the video card is dead all the way.

Any tips or ideas before I make an appointment at the Apple store?

 

[TheSVD]

im afraid, my friend this would be the 8600M GT's inevitable failiure. Tis well known problem, just look around!
SOrry to hear you are just one of many victims
Hoping you have applecare, good luck, and keep on prayin you get a unibody

EDIT: didnt see the bit about tah external monitor, that is odd...
any way the intenral cable to the screen could have come loose?
(correct me if im wrong on how the screen connects to the graphics!)

 

[supaflyryan]

I just wanted to update this with some new information.

I took the laptop in to the Apple store, suspecting the NVIDIA issue and even though I'm out of warranty, hoping to get it fixed since I fit their criteria.

We tested the computer and the Genius explained that because the external monitor works, it isn't the NVIDIA issue.

My options were to pay $788 from Apple to get a new LCD, or to take it to an independent for closer to $500.

I've been holding off due to being busy, and have just been running my Macbook Pro with the external monitor the past few weeks. However, last night a new issue arose: I can't get the external monitor to work.

I started up my MBP in target disk mode and made an image of my HDD in case this is something worse, but now that there is no video being displayed either through the internal LCD nor the external DVI port, could I be experiencing the 8600M GT problem? I hope so, because that means it's covered by Apple.

 

[apersianboyCOM]

I just wanted to update this with some new information.

I took the laptop in to the Apple store, suspecting the NVIDIA issue and even though I'm out of warranty, hoping to get it fixed since I fit their criteria.

We tested the computer and the Genius explained that because the external monitor works, it isn't the NVIDIA issue.

My options were to pay $788 from Apple to get a new LCD, or to take it to an independent for closer to $500.

I've been holding off due to being busy, and have just been running my Macbook Pro with the external monitor the past few weeks. However, last night a new issue arose: I can't get the external monitor to work.

I started up my MBP in target disk mode and made an image of my HDD in case this is something worse, but now that there is no video being displayed either through the internal LCD nor the external DVI port, could I be experiencing the 8600M GT problem? I hope so, because that means it's covered by Apple.

I hope so too because $788 is a lot of money to pay. Take it to Apple again! I think it sounds like it this time especially as the external monitor won't work either.

 

[drewmac]

I have a 2.2 Santa Rosa 15" MBP, and an odd thing happened last night. I wasn't running any unusual applications, and had a few things open and was browsing in Firefox. All of a sudden my screen went black, and wouldn't come back up.

The computer is still running just fine, and it didn't go to sleep. The LED backlight is fine, as the Apple logo is lit up and if I change the brightness I can see the backlight changing (the "black" screen gets less "black", if that makes sense), however the actual display panel isn't projecting any picture at all.

I've restarted a dozen times, reset PRAM, and did the unplug battery and hold power button trick, all to no avail. There's no flicker of a picture or anything... it's as if the monitor is completely dead (aside from the backlight being fine).

If I plug in an external monitor, I can use the computer just fine. So it's not like the video card is dead all the way.

Any tips or ideas before I make an appointment at the Apple store?

I have experienced this same thing except my external monitor is still working. Ryan what was the conclusion of this? One thing with mine is that the macbooks screen will randomly turn back on and even work for a few days until it justs turns off in the middle of working.

Help anyone!

 

[TheSVD]

Definitely take it into apple now, get your free repair

 

[NickZac]

The thread is about two years old. Drewmac, the results of the search and subsections by default list them topics in chronological order, hence the most recent topics will be in the beginning and the oldest at the last page of results.