My '08 MBP won't start - not battery issue

[jackkoby]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to this forum and I tried searching but most of what I found was due to battery issues. Heres the quick story.

For the last year my MBP hasn't started without being plugged in.

I bought a Retina MBP and 3 days before it came in the mail, my '08 completely died with all my information in it.

I bought a new battery (very cheap one) for 20 dollars on Amazon. I figured I just needed it to run while plugged in for a few hours so I could get my stuff off of my computer.

Well, said new battery did absolutely nothing.

When I turn my computer on, it makes the normal 'turning on' sound (IDK what to call it, but it's normal) and then one second later shuts off.

If I hold the button, it goes for a couple seconds then the sleep light flashes rapidly and the computer shuts off.

What is wrong?

Just as a note: I bought a hard drive casing and took my hard drive out and put it in the casing to get my info out of the computer. Now I'd just like to get it working to have as maybe a second computer...

Id be willing to put 100 ish dollars into it if it would fix it, but no more than that. If it is dead though, any ideas on projects I can do with it? Maybe take out the key board or do something with the screen etc....

I love my retina. CS6 is just fine on it until adobe releases the update. I was worried about that.

Thank you so much to anyone that even read all of that. I really appreciate it.

 

[Macman45]

I'd be inclined to take it to a genius bar and have them check it out..Won't cost you anything to find out...Third party batteries are always a bad idea...Genuine Apple are the way to go. If they say it just needs a new battery, then your good to buy a proper replacement.

 

[jackkoby]

I'd be inclined to take it to a genius bar and have them check it out..Won't cost you anything to find out...Third party batteries are always a bad idea...Genuine Apple are the way to go. If they say it just needs a new battery, then your good to buy a proper replacement.

That's probably my next move... Does anyone know if they'd have a battery there I could try before buying one? Frankly, the computers not worth 130 dollars to me to get it to work..

 

[declandio]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to this forum and I tried searching but most of what I found was due to battery issues. Heres the quick story.

For the last year my MBP hasn't started without being plugged in.

I bought a Retina MBP and 3 days before it came in the mail, my '08 completely died with all my information in it.

I bought a new battery (very cheap one) for 20 dollars on Amazon. I figured I just needed it to run while plugged in for a few hours so I could get my stuff off of my computer.

Well, said new battery did absolutely nothing.

When I turn my computer on, it makes the normal 'turning on' sound (IDK what to call it, but it's normal) and then one second later shuts off.

If I hold the button, it goes for a couple seconds then the sleep light flashes rapidly and the computer shuts off.

What is wrong?

Just as a note: I bought a hard drive casing and took my hard drive out and put it in the casing to get my info out of the computer. Now I'd just like to get it working to have as maybe a second computer...

Id be willing to put 100 ish dollars into it if it would fix it, but no more than that. If it is dead though, any ideas on projects I can do with it? Maybe take out the key board or do something with the screen etc....

I love my retina. CS6 is just fine on it until adobe releases the update. I was worried about that.

Thank you so much to anyone that even read all of that. I really appreciate it.

Does the maglite indicator turn orange when you try to charge the new battery? Have you tried starting it up with no battery installed?

----------

That's probably my next move... Does anyone know if they'd have a battery there I could try before buying one? Frankly, the computers not worth 130 dollars to me to get it to work..

They will have a battery at the store that you can try. I had a similar problem with a 2006 mbp recently, they let me try out one of their batteries before I bought a ridiculously expensive new one from them...

 

[Orange Furball]

That's probably my next move... Does anyone know if they'd have a battery there I could try before buying one? Frankly, the computers not worth 130 dollars to me to get it to work..

When I took my '08 MacBook into mine, I got a battery, paid $130, took it home and installed it, and my problem wasn't fixed. Took it back the next day with no problems. Even if they have to order one for you I think the outcome would be the same. If it doesn't work, take it back

 

[jackkoby]

Does the maglite indicator turn orange when you try to charge the new battery? Have you tried starting it up with no battery installed?

It was orange and then went green when charged.

----------



They will have a battery at the store that you can try. I had a similar problem with a 2006 mbp recently, they let me try out one of their batteries before I bought a ridiculously expensive new one from them...

I'd like to try it with the battery at the store.

When I took my '08 MacBook into mine, I got a battery, paid $130, took it home and installed it, and my problem wasn't fixed. Took it back the next day with no problems. Even if they have to order one for you I think the outcome would be the same. If it doesn't work, take it back

It's not worth 130 to me to get this computer to work. I will ask my brother if he wants the computer and I'll tell him that it'd be 130 to get it working... It'd probably be a good deal for him... heck some new memory and a nice new HD and it'd be a fine computer. It wouldn't be good enough for the design program I'm entering this fall, but it'd be fine for what he does...

 

[Badrottie]

I'd like to try it with the battery at the store.



It's not worth 130 to me to get this computer to work. I will ask my brother if he wants the computer and I'll tell him that it'd be 130 to get it working... It'd probably be a good deal for him... heck some new memory and a nice new HD and it'd be a fine computer. It wouldn't be good enough for the design program I'm entering this fall, but it'd be fine for what he does...

I am afraid the 3rd party battery might be bad/dead when they sold it to you.