Macbook Pro Display Playing Up on Boot Up

[tsam19]

There are some issues with the Macbook Pro I own.

Basically its a 'Santa Rosa 2007 Model', yes the model that's renowned for its faulty NVIDIA Graphics chip.

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

However I am unable to convince Apple that I have one of these faulty Macbook's, as I have taken it to them twice now & they refuse to accept that this is due to a faulty NVIDIA graphics chip.

I have until next Sept 2010 to convince them, that is when the extended recall warranty runs out.

I have taken a few pictures of what I am experiencing for the last year, this issue started just after the initial 1 year warranty that you would get with any electrical item that is brand new.

On boot up, you hear the 'chime' then the black & white stripes appear & nothing else happens.

On the odd occasion the machine actually boots up as it should, Apple logo etc & works ok ?

On another note I also have a boot camp partition with windows on it, so I tried to boot into windows.

With the black & white lines appear on the screen I 'HOLD' down the 'ALT' key which initiates the boot up chioce menu & the screen should show 2 hard drive icons, but it doesn't.

I just go through the motions anyway, when timed correctly & press 'ENTER' the screen goes black as if it were booting into Windows, after a while the Windows boot up 'chime' is heard - but nothing appears on the screen in this mode.

However the 'CAPS LOCK' & 'NUM LOCK' keys on the keyboard illuminate ?

Has anyone any else experienced this & if so how can I convince Apple that I have a FAULTY machine due to the FAULTY NVIDIA CHIP ?

This machine in total has only been used a handful of times & as mentioned the problem started occuring around 14 months after initially buying in 2007.

Any useful help would be grateful, thanks for reading.

 

[ziggyonice]

Strange that they say it isn’t. Have they run any tests on it when you've brought it in to them? Is there an Apple Authorized Service Provider you could take it to instead? They need to run a test on the machine to see if it qualifies for repair.

 

[kolax]

Definitely looks like the GPU is playing up. What Apple Store did you take it to?

 

[tsam19]

Macbook Pro Display Playing Up on Boot Up

I originally brought the issue up on the telephone at the Apple phone service just over a year of owning the machine as i thought it was odd a new machine breaking just after a year.

Having explained the symptoms to the tech guys, they automatically pointed me in the direction of the afore mentioned defect article & said I had a FAULTY Macbook & that if I took it into the genius bar it would be fixed under the extended warranty.

I've taken the machine back to the same approved Apple store twice over the last year now & at the Genius bar they connect an 'Ipod' (apparently with some special firmware installed into to) to the Macbook Pro & wait for the Mac to boot up so they can run 'their' test.

The firmware I was told is to either update the Mac or test the screen, they weren't too informative on why they were connecting the ipod.

They just told me that the NVIDIA company are the one's footing the repair bill for all these FAULTY mac's & this test would be proof that my machine needed repairing - ie a new logic board.

Also before NVIDIA would PAY for the repair on any machine they wanted proof of the fault 1st, hence the instore ipod test.

But because the machine doesn't get past the black & white lines the Apple store say they are unable to carry out the full test & cannot go any further !

There answer was buy a new logic board as that will cure the black & white lines ?

There not playing ball in my view, as I thought the faulty chip is part of the logic board ?

I have some Apple diagnostic discs that came with my machine, if I can get the machine to boot up will these tell me if the screen display is faulty ?

Alternatively can I take legal action ?

 

[tsam19]

Macbook Pro Display Playing Up on Boot Up

The machine was taken to the Apple store in the Trafford Centre in Manchester, England.

The same guy looked at it twice in a period of over a year, said he got the same results & fobbed me off with - buy a new logic board that will get rid of the lines !

Also mentioning that Apple aren't familiar with this type of display problem ?

I wouldn't mind but Apple have been pretty good in the past where repairs are concerned as this isn't the 1st bit of kit I've bought from them which have had problems over the years.

Not to mention that I was advised in the Apple store by the Genius bar tech guy its apparently NVIDIA paying for the repair NOT Apple.

If thats the case then it should be repaired without question !

 

[ziggyonice]

I guess it's *possible* that it's not the nVidia card, but it really seems like it. See if you can go on a day that guy isn't working. Maybe he just doesn't like you.

 

[tsam19]

Macbook Pro Display Playing Up on Boot Up

I've thought about that, but what else could it be besides the Nvidia Chip causing the lack of screen display in both Leopard & Windows ?

Especially that model which is renowned for its display defect fault.

As for the guy not liking me, well I don't know about that I'm just a customer at the end of the day with the same rights as anyone else ?

Following the telephone instructions from the Apple tech guys, who after giving my machine serial number told me about the 'defect display article'

The guy that looked at twice is the head honcho on the Genius bar, he wears a different colored t-shirt to everyone else, he must be really special

If Apple in store technicians are basing their repair methods or techniques on whether or not they like you is not very proffessional.

Its not very encouraging to take it elsewhere or even trusting to buy from Apple ever again is it ?

Where else could I take it without being fobbed off again ?

 

[ziggyonice]

Where else could I take it without being fobbed off again ?

Pretty much, the only other thing you could do at this point is get a second opinion. Are there any other Apple Stores in your area? Sometimes, instead of taking it to an Apple Store, you could try an Apple Authorized Service Provider — essentially they're places that fix Apple computers but they're not Apple-owned. There's a map of Service Providers on Apple's website.

 

[tsam19]

Macbook Pro Display Playing Up on Boot Up

I will consider that option, but its not going to be cheap is it?

If I do pay for a test & if the results do confirm my theory, how can I use that info at an Apple store to get my macbook fixed & also a refund of the test fee if possible?

I'm trying to find out whats available in my area by clicking on the map on the Apple website, but nothing is coming up in the UK.

 

[Designer Dale]

You have an '07 and the video issue was attributed to a batch of GPUs used is '08. It seems that you have a bad (obviously) video system, but Apple people may be reluctant to offer the covered repair because of this.

Dale

 

[kolax]

That is a load of BS that your local Apple Store says they won't repair the faulty GPU because they can't boot up their "firmware" tests. I'd be raging at them! That is utter crap. If the GPU has failed or is failing, they can't test anything! The display will show rubbish like your photos.

I'd take it back, say the GPU has failed, and that you are well aware of the NVIDIA issue associated with the 8600GT, and you want it to be fixed.

Sorry, but I wouldn't be able to contain myself if some stupid employee said they couldn't test some BS firmware therefore the GPU hasn't failed.

My MacBook Prohttps://forums.macrumors.com/threads/576270/ died because of the 8600GT. Though that was with John Lewis (retailer that offers a 2-year warranty on top of Apple's 1 year) I'd be fuming if they didn't fix it.

 

[tsam19]

Macbook Pro Display Playing Up on Boot Up

Believe me I was near to that point after being fobbed off yet again.

I thought the Apple tech guy would 'spot' the fault straight away when I explained & he actually saw the screen but refused to acknowledge it !

You don't need to 'run' any firmware tests to see the screens not right.

I'm not giving up on the matter, I know I have a faulty machine due to this chip.

I was playing around with the machine most of the night trying to boot either leopard or windows & 1 in every 40 times the display would appear relatively normal.

I've included some more pictures.

Basically the keyboard lights up & the screen display contrast can be adjusted via the Fn keys but no picture.

I also managed to load an Apple diagnostic disc up for this machine & ran the all the hardware tests - although there wasn't one for the 'screen display' all the same everything 'PASSED' even the logic board that I was originally advised to replace !

If I can use the pictures I've taken to show what I'm experiencing at home it may go in my favour.

I will re-phone Apple in the morning.

 

[tsam19]

Macbook Pro Display Playing Up on Boot Up

I spoke to Apple tech guys over the phone again who seemed concerned that nothing had been done to repair my machine even though it had been taken in twice over a year.

I was basically passed over to an Apple 'supervisor' tech guy who took down the details & who also seemed concerned too, but confirmed they would have to speak to the instore tech guy who originally tried to test the machine twice over the past year.

Hours later the same 'supervisor' phoned me up to say I was 'not' entitled to have my machine fixed under the NVIDIA repair program because the instore tech guy had not been able to run this special TEST program due to the scrambled screen & the machine not booting up !

Again I was told by the supervisor the Logic board is faulty & the problem ??

Even after I explained that I had photos to back up my claim, photos which I've included here in this thread that the 'logic board' passed the EFI diagnostic hardware test - how dumb can people be ?

The story does have a good ending though, yesterday I arranged another Genius bar appointment at another store as advised on here a few days ago.

Surprise surprise, I watched in delight as the Genius tech guy managed to get the NVIDIA test to RUN from their EXT hard drive on the machine & the GPU test 'FAILED' producing a 'SPECIAL CODE' which was proof to the Apple instore tech guy & PROVED to me I'd been correct all along for over the last 14 months.

The NVIDIA chip in my machine was one of the faulty ones !

The whole logic board was replaced free under the extended warranty, within 2 hours of me taking it into the store in Manchester !

As for the advisors I spoke to over the phone, I think they need a career change.

Thanks for everyone's posotive response regarding my thread on this matter, there is justice after all !