Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

pamon

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 12, 2006
307
88
Ok. so my MBP was working 2 days ago and I went to Fry's to replace the HD with a 640GB model thinking larger storage - win. Replaced in and the orange ribbon cable got disconnected between the keyboard and the logic board. Went frantic and after a visit to the Apple Genius, they plugged it back and thought i was fine. Nope, and now the unit won't turn on. Plugged it in and got the green light and battery charges, but the MBP won't power on. Any suggestions? I made sure the HD was plugged in securely, the orange ribbon connected fine, and the power button cable was secure. The drive worked fine as I did a superduper transfer of the old data to the new drive the night before the crisis and it worked fine. Thoughts?
 
Dude I would take it back to apple store if I were you and let an apple genius look at it. It is possible another plug fell out somewhere, and that is very likely the case. Whether it is an issue with the HD or not, I dunno.
 
Those orange cables (flexible PCB) are easily torn, ripped or 'nicked'. Even where there is a "fold" if flexed back and forth too many times the copper track can split along the fold. Also, if the connector isn't correctly seated on the square black connector, it won't work (obviously) and sometimes getting these to "mate" properly can be a small pain.

I'd try resetting the SMC. If you have a USB keyboard and mouse (to facilitate shutdown), you can try powering on the laptop with the top case removed. There are two pads that can be shorted (with say a jeweler's screw driver) to power on the machine. Take care not to knock any components. The location varies depending on your model (knowing which you have would be an advantage - 17", 15" Ghz).

Unfortunately, if connectivity to the power button is lost somehow, resetting the SMC won't work. There are pads on the logic board for doing this too but again, the location varies depending on the specific model.

To find Apple's naming convention for your model, plug your serial number into here.

EDIT: There should be an "821-" number on the orange cable. Apple only supplies this as part of the "Top Case Assembly". If the cable is visibly split, you might get one by searching eBay for the "821-xxxx" part number.
________
Ford Five Hundred history
 
Last edited:
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.