Macbook Pro black screen os x but windows works?!

[mrbulldog84]

Hi everyone, so confused with this problem even as an apple user of 16 years.

I have a mid 2009 macbook pro 17" 2.8ghz

Started it up this afternoon, normal boot sound but black screen only?! fully boots up, sound works, backlit keyboard, dvd drive. But no screen?!

Tried resetting PRAM and resetting SMC, no luck. Black screen even at boot, no grey screen or apple logo. So decided to try a hunch....

Turned on whilst holding option (alt) to reach the partition list. I knew i had windows bootcamp, so pressed my right key to move to that, pressed enter.

BAM....WINDOWS LOADS UP FINE?! Infact just posted this message off it now.

But OS X just won't load to a screen? I'm really confused as to why it won't even show me the partition menu at boot, even that screen is black...?????

 

[Knoodles]

Boot from your OS install disc that came with the MBP. What happens?

 

[mrbulldog84]

Will try tomorrow at apple store, don't have my disc with me anymore.

However l have had a startling discovery I THINK. This macbook has 2x graphic cards, i remember under OS X i was running the slower 9400m. However windows is forced to use the 9600m.

I bet a pound to a penny the bloody 9400m graphics card has gone n ********* failed!!!

But l have absolutely no idea how to remedy this now without being able to see the screen to change the selected graphics card in system prefs

 

[Knoodles]

Just for fun, try booting holding down the "shift" key.
I'm assuming you have already tried the brightness controls on the keyboard?

 

[mrbulldog84]

well i know my laptop is fine, i have enabled voiceover and i can hear everything etc. I can open up system prefs but i have no idea of the key combos to get any further to the energy saver and alter the display.

Would anybody here be so nice to try with voiceover and let me know how they do it (As they can see as they go!!)

 

[bluespaceoddity]

well i know my laptop is fine, i have enabled voiceover and i can hear everything etc. I can open up system prefs but i have no idea of the key combos to get any further to the energy saver and alter the display.

Would anybody here be so nice to try with voiceover and let me know how they do it (As they can see as they go!!)

Start System Preferences.
This puts you on the System Preferences Toolbar.
Press the TAB key repeatedly to go to the Energy Saver Button. (Voice Over will let you know the other prefs you pass along the way.)
Press Control Option Space keys to go into the EnergySaver preferences. (This will put you on the Toolbar at the top of the Energy Saver preferences.)
Use the TAB key to jump from the Toolbar and go to the Radio Buttons for selecting the graphics card. (You just jumped to the graphics card you currently have enabled by pressing that TAB.)
Press the Down Arrow to jump to the other button (That should select Higher Performance.)
(Voice Over should now inform you that you are on a Text element. It is the drop down with the Cancel or Log Out Button.)
Press Tab to go to the Log Out Button
Press Control Option Space to Log Out.
Hopefully you can now see your screen again.

 

[mrbulldog84]

THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU IT WORKED!!!

IT IS BACK!! lol. Knew it, what a complete hunch. The 9400m card must be buggered, as soon as i switched to 9600m it came on immediately