Screen flickering new 17" MacBook Pro

[RHD]

My lovely new 17" penryn standard res (old style, not the new LED) screen has developed a random flicker that makes the light flicker like an old flourescent light about to fail for some 10 to 30 seconds and then stops again. It's subtle but eye watering. It took about a week to show up the first time and is quite intermittent. I can be using SketchUp or reading on the net with Safari.

Rang Apple the first time and the guy talked me through a complex process to try and fix it and it was fine for a couple of days but now it's doing it again and this time Apple want me to trail into a Genius bar which doesn't thrill me at all. Anyone else have any ideas?

For the sake of completeness I'll describe what they made me do over the phone the first time in case anyone knows what it was about:

Power down. Remove all plugs. Remove battery. With battery out, hold down Power button for 5 seconds or so.
Re-assemble. Re start. As it starts up hold down R key, P key and I think it was ctrl and cmd.
Let it bong three times. Let go of keys and let it start up.
Fix permissions three times.
Verify permissions once.

Was he just making me do the Hokey Cokey or was there a reason that might indicate what's possibly wrong with my screen if I knew what it was?

Thanks chaps.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

they told me this as well. I believe it is to verify that it is not some unknown software issue. It didn't work for me and I had to get my powerbook's display replaced by Apple Care. I would try it so you don't lose your baby for five days, but chnaces are you are going to want to go into Apple and have them replace it.

 

[MacDaddy08]

What he had you do is a couple of basic resets that can be the fix of many problems with Macbook and Macbook Pros. If it didn't work, I would check your EFI firmware version to see if it needs an update, AKA boot rom. Click here to see if you are current and download updates if needed. If still no luck then it sounds like maybe the inverter for your LCD screen is bad and needs replaced in which case I would take it to the Apple store. Especially if you just bought it.

 

[RHD]

Oh Woe!

I was afraid of that.

It doesn't do it very often or for very long, will it just get worse if left does anyone know?