Macbook Pro 15" won't boot, blank screen

[therealdeal74]

Hi,

I'm trying to fix my GF's Macbook Pro. This thing since day 1 has had so many little issues she's replacing it with a Dell.

Anyhow, I want to try to fix the computer and I'm very good with computer hardware, just not familiar with troubleshooting Macs. The computer when turned on doesn't make a sound, it just sits at a blank screen with the power LED on the front lit solid. I have tried resetting the PRAM, resetting the SMC, and reseating the memory. I even swapped the memory.

It's the same behavior each time, just sits there, nothing comes on the screen. No noises. It does get quite warm sitting there powered on, though not obscenely hot. I can power it off with the power button as well. I have heard of trying to boot off of the restore CD or something but I feel that won't work and the problem is most likely hardware related. Nothing strange happened before this computer stopped working. It was not dropped, no water, or anything like that.

What else can I do short of paying to get this fixed by Apple?

Specs are the machine is as follows:

15" Macbook Pro 2.2 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB, 128MB VRAM, 120GB 5400 RPM Drive

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[kastenbrust]

If you still have Applecare and its had loads (more than 3) Recorded problems that Apple acknowledge they usually replace the laptop for free if you ask nicely. As long as the problems were caused by Apple.

 

[therealdeal74]

If you still have Applecare and its had loads (more than 3) Recorded problems that Apple acknowledge they usually replace the laptop for free if you ask nicely. As long as the problems were caused by Apple.

Thanks for the quick response, but no more Applecare. The laptop has had issues with the power connector and they fixed it. Applications crash a lot. The hard drive had some kind of a partition issue that wouldn't allow the installation of Bootcamp (I troubleshot it for hours and couldn't fix it). It's just been a myriad of problems, it would be nice to get it replaced but that's not an option now. I'd like to fix this thing without paying for repairs.

 

[HBOC]

im afraid to say it is most likely a logic board failure. I bought my MBP in october (got a smokin deal on the classics) and the logic board failed in december.

How old is the computer/what specs..?

 

[bcaslis]

Hi,

I'm trying to fix my GF's Macbook Pro. This thing since day 1 has had so many little issues she's replacing it with a Dell.

Anyhow, I want to try to fix the computer and I'm very good with computer hardware, just not familiar with troubleshooting Macs. The computer when turned on doesn't make a sound, it just sits at a blank screen with the power LED on the front lit solid. I have tried resetting the PRAM, resetting the SMC, and reseating the memory. I even swapped the memory.

It's the same behavior each time, just sits there, nothing comes on the screen. No noises. It does get quite warm sitting there powered on, though not obscenely hot. I can power it off with the power button as well. I have heard of trying to boot off of the restore CD or something but I feel that won't work and the problem is most likely hardware related. Nothing strange happened before this computer stopped working. It was not dropped, no water, or anything like that.

What else can I do short of paying to get this fixed by Apple?

Specs are the machine is as follows:

15" Macbook Pro 2.2 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB, 128MB VRAM, 120GB 5400 RPM Drive

Thanks in advance!!!

Why do you feel it won't boot from the CD? Have you tried it? It's probably one of two things:

1.) Bad logic board
2.) Bad hard drive.

If it's under warranty bring to Apple. If you have a spare hard drive you could install that and try. I had a hard drive fail with symptoms just like yours. The bad drive effectively locked things up so it wouldn't even boot from the CD. Replacing the drive fixed things. If it's a bad logic board and it's not under warranty, the genius bar used to have a program where you could get a MBP fixed for a flat $300 no matter the problem. Ask about that if you need to.

 

[therealdeal74]

Why do you feel it won't boot from the CD? Have you tried it? It's probably one of two things:

Hi, I don't think it will boot from the CD because there is a CD in there and it doesn't make a sound like it's trying to read the CD at all. I guess I'm expecting that it should try to read the CD. It's actually stuck and I tried the credit card trick and can't get it out. I'm going to open up the computer later tonight to try to get it out.

One strange thing I should mention. The CD in the drive was spinning at one point as I stuck my business card in there and I heard the card scrape against the CD. Now it doesn't spin anymore as I can stick a card in and there appears to be no activity.

1.) Bad logic board
2.) Bad hard drive.

If it's under warranty bring to Apple. If you have a spare hard drive you could install that and try. I had a hard drive fail with symptoms just like yours. The bad drive effectively locked things up so it wouldn't even boot from the CD. Replacing the drive fixed things. If it's a bad logic board and it's not under warranty, the genius bar used to have a program where you could get a MBP fixed for a flat $300 no matter the problem. Ask about that if you need to.

It's no longer under warranty unfortunately. I will remove the hard drive tonight to try to salvage the data from it using HFS explorer. Thanks for the tip about trying another drive. I will give it a shot tonight as I have some drives lying around. I didn't expect it to be the hard drive because you would think that something would come up on the screen regardless.

Thanks also for the info about the Genius Bar.

 

[therealdeal74]

im afraid to say it is most likely a logic board failure. I bought my MBP in october (got a smokin deal on the classics) and the logic board failed in december.

How old is the computer/what specs..?

The computer is about a year and a half old I think. How much was the logic board replacement? I assume logic board and motherboard are the same thing? Specs are
15" Macbook Pro 2.2 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB, 128MB VRAM, 120GB 5400 RPM Drive

 

[HBOC]

u didnt buy apple care? mine was under warranty. I think people have been quoted about $800 or something for the logicboard. I have also heard of $1200 and you trade in your computer for a newer model?? i may be totally off. I am buying applecare no doubt. A buddy at work had his logicboard just go out (3rd time) and he got a brand new uni body. His was like 2 or so years old.

 

[Bearxor]

There's been an awful lot of threads about mid-2007 MBP's dying lately...

 

[therealdeal74]

I found the logic board by itself about $500 on eBay and it seems easy enough to replace. Wondering if that's even worth it since she bought a whole new Dell notebook for $550 shipped on sale with very similar specs. Might just fix it for resale or it's probably better to sell the system as is for parts.

 

[Barky7]

The same problem

This problem has happened to my MBP 15" core duo as well. The problem started a few months ago and I have been struggling to get it going ever since. The system has been fairly trouble free for the the first 2 yrs I had it. Standard config no upgrades. I think it is a 2ghz machine. Using it one afternoon the day after a round of updates came out (which I have become more and more skeptical of) I was watching a Netflix online movie and it just locked hard with a stuttering of the movie sound sound. I had not rebooted since the updates and was forced to do a hard shutdown. (hold in the button for 8 seconds) When I pressed the power button to restart it… I got just what you described. No chime no screen etc. After much … and I mean much trial and error I have discovered that if I removed the battery and the ram and then put the ram back in one time… it will boot! (But only with the battery removed!) If I try to reinstall the battery it locks up hard. If I try to boot with the battery in place it does that same no chime black screen trick. There are other abnormalities that lead me to believe that the SMC section is fried on the logic board. I would really like to flash it back to original rev of firmware but after looking at the restore cd and trying it won’t work on this machine. Long and short… if you still have the machine please try to remove the battery and just start on ac power only. Let me know if you find the same results.

 

[Barky7]

Also thanks for the rub about Apple Care! That always helps a person who is already in the crapper with a dead machine. What you didn't get apple care?! You musta got manure for your brains! Never did see anybody so ***** all stupid as you mister! Really helpful stuff.

 

[therealdeal74]

Well, we don't need no stinking Apple care. Spent 500 bucks and got a computer with better specs, faster, easier for her to use, more software choices, and it just works. There were quite a number of Wintel only apps that she's able to use now. Still have the dead MBP lying around and I think we'll toss it up on eBay and find a sucker to buy it for parts.

Apple wanted about $1200 to repair this POS. Trust me, I called them a few times. I know there are some that love their MBPs to death and that's great that you had good experiences. My GF's an average computer user and I probably fall into that 1% of expert users that have grown up in the industry and have made a career of it. This MBP experience has been nothing but a nightmare. I've had my share of bad PCs too, but nothing as ridiculous as this Mac saga.

 

[desmoboy]

Well seems like you gone through all the possible options...if you are happy with the Dell then stick with that and move on by selling the MBP....however there is no guarantee you won't get problems with the Dell so best learn from this and buy some extended warrenty

 

[therealdeal74]

Well seems like you gone through all the possible options...if you are happy with the Dell then stick with that and move on by selling the MBP....however there is no guarantee you won't get problems with the Dell so best learn from this and buy some extended warrenty

I always get asked when I buy things from Bestbuy or electronics stores if I want an extended warranty. I've learned to do the same thing, decline. The difference is (actually we bough an HP in the end) is that the HP is $500. She could buy 2 brand new replacement computers for the price of the MBP logic board and have change left over. The motherboard replacement for this laptop would be a few hundred at most, not $1200.

I don't recommend buying extended warranties but some people feel its worth the extra peace of mind. If you're buying an Apple product though, I would recommend the Applecare extended warranty. Actually, I have another completely computer illiterate female friend who won't buy anything else than a Macbook and I insisted that she buy the warranty.

 

[AzureX120]

I would like to first say that Mac sucks and linux is amazing, but that aside. My friend had an issue exactly as described in this thread. The laptop wouldn't boot. Would only make a slight sound from the disk drive and then the status light would stay dim. The were no system sounds and no screen activity. He took it to apple and the desk told him after looking at it for awhile that either the hard drive was dead or it needed a new logic board. They quoted him 500$ to replace the hard drive. He ended up buying a newer macbook pro.
When I found out, I offered to take a look at the hard drive and see if that was the issue (thought I could replace it for cheaper than apple was charging). Turns out that the only thing I had to do to make the laptop work again was disconnect and reconnect the superdrive (I also reseated the memory, but im pretty sure thats not what fixed it). Of course it was a bitch to open up the laptop, but it works now and now he has two working laptops. I doubt this will help therealdeal74, as I am posting much much later, but hopefully somebody else will stumble across this.