MacBook Pro (2012) stuck on blank sign on screen on startup

[Shaunna]

Ug! I live far from an Apple store and the wonderful peopleat Apple seem to think us Canadians don't need a mail-in service. A 10 hour drive to drop off and a 10 hour drive to pick up a few days later is NOT my first option.

I took my computer in to an authorized repair store (only 4 hours drive) as I had an issue with my charging port. They wiped and reinstalled my system and sent my computer home a few days later. A few days later I sent it back with the request to install the new port I asked for the first time.

A few hundred dollars later,.....

Now every couple of days my computer gets REALLY slow and basically stops working. I reboot and as the computer restarts it goes to the sign-in screen. But the screen is completely grey (no blurry desktop image in the background) except for the sign-in box and icon. When I enter my password an installation bar comes on the screen below the sign in box and slowly loads. There is no percentage given. When the bar is full it proceeds to do nothing. It will not go past this screen. I have left it overnight.

I have been on with Apple and been talking to a supervisor who has tried a few things. If I erase the computer and install the operating system it will not let me go back to a previous version - only High Sierra. I can install and start from scratch (everything is backed up, but I am just using what is in the cloud - Photos are reinstalling on their own) and it works for a day or two, but then it dies again.

First-Aid says everything it fine. Diagnositcs is good. SMC has been reset.

Unfortunately the person I have connected with at Apple has 15 minutes left in her shift and is then off for her weekend. My computer has decided to wait until the last minute to die (it is all about timing) and I have little hope she will be able to get back to me for a few days now.

Ideas anyone?!?!?!?!

 

[mikecwest]

My 2011 MBP does that sometimes....what I do to get it back up and running may or may not work for you, but with my computer it is an issue with the graphics card. You have a different model, so maybe the issue is not the same. Are you getting any other graphics related issues.... like squiggly lines on the login screen? Possible discolors lines in the upper or lower portion of the screen?


If I enter Single User mode, (hold CMD S after starting the computer, until you get to the terminal prompt....

I type this at the terminal prompt

nvram fa4ce28d-b62f-4c99-9cc3-6815686e30f9:gpu-power-prefs=%01%00%00%00

press enter, then type

reboot

press enter

I have to do this almost everytime I reboot.

 

[Shaunna]

My 2011 MBP does that sometimes....what I do to get it back up and running may or may not work for you, but with my computer it is an issue with the graphics card. You have a different model, so maybe the issue is not the same. Are you getting any other graphics related issues.... like squiggly lines on the login screen? Possible discolors lines in the upper or lower portion of the screen?


If I enter Single User mode, (hold CMD S after starting the computer, until you get to the terminal prompt....

I type this at the terminal prompt

nvram fa4ce28d-b62f-4c99-9cc3-6815686e30f9:gpu-power-prefs=%01%00%00%00

press enter, then type

reboot

press enter

I have to do this almost everytime I reboot.

Thank you Mike.

I took a photo of this and will try it in a couple of days (hope it lasts that long) when it messes up again.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:
VERY important question:

Is your 2012 MacBook Pro a retinal model, or a non-retina model?

IF it's non-retina, I'll bet that your internal hard drive ribbon cable has "gone flaky" on you. This is a very common failure on 2012 "classic" MacBook Pros.

The symptoms of a failing cable (to the user) look pretty much like those of a "failing drive" -- won't boot, locks up, can't seem to "find the OS", etc. But the drive is actually ok -- it's the cable that's bad.

If the folks who previously worked on the MacBook didn't realize this -- they could have never found the actual problem.

Apple recently had a FREE REPLACEMENT program for the ribbon cables on these (not sure if it's still in effect).
But since you're so far from an authorized Apple repair facility, I would suggest that you order the cable (they're pretty cheap) and change it yourself.

Opening up a classic MacBook Pro and changing the drive/cable is VERY easy.
ANYONE can do this.
This means that YOU can do it, in about 15 minutes.
Most of the time involves removing/replacing the screws on the back cover.

Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved (they have well-illustrated repair guides).
They can sell you the cable, and THE RIGHT TOOLS to use.
You'll need a Phillips #00 driver and a TORX T-6 driver.

If you decide to do this, and you still have the original platter-based hard drive inside, it would be a good time to install an SSD, as well.
Doing this will make it seem like a completely new, faster MacBook.
I'd suggest a 250 or 500gb SSD, they're not expensive either.
(If you just want to fix the cable now, go ahead and do it -- you can always add the drive later).

Again, this replacement is so easy that you should not pay someone else to do it.

The ribbon cable is what you need to change.

Also -- I'd put Low Sierra back on it for now. High Sierra has too many problems.

 

[Shaunna]

OP:
VERY important question:

Is your 2012 MacBook Pro a retinal model, or a non-retina model?

IF it's non-retina, I'll bet that your internal hard drive ribbon cable has "gone flaky" on you. This is a very common failure on 2012 "classic" MacBook Pros.

The symptoms of a failing cable (to the user) look pretty much like those of a "failing drive" -- won't boot, locks up, can't seem to "find the OS", etc. But the drive is actually ok -- it's the cable that's bad.

If the folks who previously worked on the MacBook didn't realize this -- they could have never found the actual problem.

Apple recently had a FREE REPLACEMENT program for the ribbon cables on these (not sure if it's still in effect).
But since you're so far from an authorized Apple repair facility, I would suggest that you order the cable (they're pretty cheap) and change it yourself.

Opening up a classic MacBook Pro and changing the drive/cable is VERY easy.
ANYONE can do this.
This means that YOU can do it, in about 15 minutes.
Most of the time involves removing/replacing the screws on the back cover.

Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved (they have well-illustrated repair guides).
They can sell you the cable, and THE RIGHT TOOLS to use.
You'll need a Phillips #00 driver and a TORX T-6 driver.

If you decide to do this, and you still have the original platter-based hard drive inside, it would be a good time to install an SSD, as well.
Doing this will make it seem like a completely new, faster MacBook.
I'd suggest a 250 or 500gb SSD, they're not expensive either.
(If you just want to fix the cable now, go ahead and do it -- you can always add the drive later).

Again, this replacement is so easy that you should not pay someone else to do it.

The ribbon cable is what you need to change.

Also -- I'd put Low Sierra back on it for now. High Sierra has too many problems.

Thank you! It is the "classic" edition, so I will order the parts. Thanks!