Macbook Pro (2007) black & white horizontal lines & doesn't boot up

[tsam19]

There's some known documented issues concerning the Nvidia graphics chip in the particular model of macbook pro I have.

Basically when turning on the machine, the screen is filled with black & white horizontal strips like a piano keyboard, but thats it - it doesn't actually boot up fully at all, you cannot hear the hard drive running !

Would the hard drive have anything to do with this ?

I explained this to apple telephone support & they informed of the article

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/feedback/MacBookPro_video_failure.html

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

& stated that the symptoms were linked.

On taking the mac to an apple store they ran a special 'firmware' boot up 'test' using an instore ipod to determine if it was a faulty Nvidia chip, so as to prove to Nvidia, the company funding the repairs whether it is that to blame.

Because the machine didn't even boot up & complete the 'test' they couldn't say whether it was the graphics chip - so 'no free repair' under extended warranty & the final answer was as usual ' buy a new logic board' that will cure it !

Has anyone else experienced this & what solved it ?

Thanks

 

[RITZFit]

I don't think the graphics card is your only issue in that case. It seems a new logic board is generally the only fix. Hoepfully you still have apple care?
My friend recently had the logic board on his SR mbp replaced but not specifically for the nvidia card. components stared failing on his (usb ports > fans > super drive )
try looking through here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/515067/
some people in that thread had issues w/ both their graphics cards and other components.

 

[trainby4]

have you tried your special commands?

if it happens to start to the chime...or you hear the CD drive become active. then you could try resetting the PRAM (command-alt-p-r) or you could try booting into verbose mode or single user mode which uses 8 bit visuals. (verbose=command-v, single user=command-s)