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MacBook Air 08 boots to white screen (no apple logo/folder question mark?)

M

Mikey323

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 15, 2011
9
0
Hi,

I have this 08 MBA and when it powers ON now all I get is this White screen. The apple logo never shows up and there is no flashing folder with a question ? mark.

I can hear the chime, if I wait about 15secs or so I can press the volume buttons up/down and I can hear the sound go up/down. I can adjust the brightness of the screen up/down and see it getting brighter/darker. I can also press the CAPS lock button to turn ON/OFF the green light.

What might be the issue and what can I do to fix this issue myself?
 
Wow, thanks for the quick reply....I have snow leopard on a disk from previously buying it for my older white MacBook that will work right?

I have a USB DL drive (non-Mac super drive) think it should work anyway right?

So even if the OS is corrupted why is it that I am still able to adjust the volume/screen brightness aren't those controlled after the OS loads....just curious?
 
So you have backlight but no video is the issue, considering you can interact with a loaded operation system. One of the follow three things most likely went bad, the LVDS cable, the connection for the LVDS cable on the logic board or the LCD itself. I'd start by checking the connection of the LVDS cable to the logic board. It's unlikely the graphics chip itself went bad as you typically would end up with a failed POST (and therefor no boot) or graphical artifacts.
 
I tried installing snow leopard with an extra disc drive held down C key and saw that the drive was loading and reading the disc but still noting on the screen.

I went out and bought a mico-dvi to VGA adapter cable and hooked it up to my tv and sure enough I was able to view the main screen and was able to use the laptop.

So something is wrong along the lines of what your saying...I tried reseating the LCD cable but still same thing just loaded to the white screen again.

So my options are the lcd cable it's self is bad or the LCD is bad....there is no way to eliminate which one it is huh? Seems like taking apart the LCD is tough and a challenge.
 
Me too

I bought 9 of these mac book airs.

3 have this white screen problem and if anyone figures this out let me know. here is what I can add.
Just like the other member said with an external video cable hooked up and nothing else plugged into the motherboards you get a white screen on laptop screen and you get the file on external. also I have the luxury of having a tested complete display assembly. so when I unplug the video cable from the one on the laptop an plug into a complete display assembly still the same thing. I reflow video chips as parts of my business and the way to identify if its the video gnu ( in most cases) is if the screen is messed up but the external works it is not usually the gnu. in most cases its lcd or video cable.

thats what makes this so weird.
It works on external monitor. it does not matter what is pluggeg into motherboard like drives or anything for that matter (I tested it with nothing but video and power hooked to motherboard and still the same.) I test it with actually two good complete screen assemblies and it done the same thing to them. just white backlight with no video signal getting through.
like I said I have three of these at this point that are in the parts pile so if anyone figures out a fix let me know.

also just for the heck of it I reflowed the intel video chip which almost never melts down by the way and don't wast your time it did not work. I guess its just a bad mother board but if anyone finds the chip or trace or what ever please let me know so I can fix these.
 
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