Strange Problem on my 17" 2011 display

[iamjohnsname]

I don't really know how to describe it other than to say that when I open up a window that I have centered in the screen, and I drag it around the screen, I can a "ghost" of the window running all the way to the left and right edges of the screen.

The areas of highest contrast in the window are most visible. It is not a clone of the image, just a very obvious "shadow" of it. I cannot see it running from top to bottom, just left to right, regardless of which window or software I have open.

Is this a common thing?

 

[Detrius]

No, it's not common. Can you take a screenshot of it? shift-command-3

 

[iamjohnsname]

Good thinking.

I created a simple Excel Spreadsheet with a couple of black rows so that you can see the effect all the way to the edge of the screen.

What is the explanation for this? It happens regardless of which GPU is engaged and regardless of the brightness on setting of the screen.

I[m not sure if it's appearing in the screenshot or not. It's difficult to explain, but when I place another window over the top of the captured image and cover up the black bars, the strange effect disappears even from the screenshot...

 

[phyrexia]

There are no artifacts present on that image when I view it.

I would try to reinstall the OS in case it is an issue with a corrupt driver or file. If that fails I would take the machine in repair as it is hardware related.

I am betting it's hardware related since the screen capture doesn't have any issues.

Victor

 

[iamjohnsname]

I would try to reinstall the OS in case it is an issue with a corrupt driver or file. If that fails I would take the machine in repair as it is hardware related.

Did that yesterday (for other reasons) and it is still there. I had hoped that it would disappear but it didn't.

I am betting it's hardware related since the screen capture doesn't have any issues.

I would stake my savings on it, given that it is a 2011 17" MBP - I have never had so many problems in all my computing years as I've had with this one machine.

 

[eagandale4114]

Did that yesterday (for other reasons) and it is still there. I had hoped that it would disappear but it didn't.



I would stake my savings on it, given that it is a 2011 17" MBP - I have never had so many problems in all my computing years as I've had with this one machine.

Applecare is amazing. They will help you. I will be doing a OS reinstall on the weekend to fix a graphic related issue myself. If that fails its out the apple store.
My issue is different from yours but involves the system not waking from screensaver. Nothing but the blue startup screen.
Im on SL 10.6.8
Is it possible that we got corrupt cards?
Also did these errors start recently? Mine started after the TB/Lion Recovery EFI update.

 

[phyrexia]

I would stake my savings on it, given that it is a 2011 17" MBP - I have never had so many problems in all my computing years as I've had with this one machine.

Hush, mine is only a month old!!!

When was yours built? Mine is week of June 13 I think.

 

[Detrius]

Since it didn't show up in the screenshot, it means the issue happens after the data leaves the video card, which means you almost certainly have a bad LCD.

Bring it in.

(and why did someone -1 my previous post? The answer to the question of whether you CAN take a screenshot is horrifically important. If the issue shows up in the screenshot, it absolutely narrows out the LCD and LVDS cable. If it doesn't, it narrows out software and video memory.)

 

[vincebio]

Since it didn't show up in the screenshot, it means the issue happens after the data leaves the video card, which means you almost certainly have a bad LCD.

Bring it in.

(and why did someone -1 my previous post? The answer to the question of whether you CAN take a screenshot is horrifically important. If the issue shows up in the screenshot, it absolutely narrows out the LCD and LVDS cable. If it doesn't, it narrows out software and video memory.)

ill tell you why...because the majority or people on this forum 'think' they know what they are doing or are talking about.

your 2 posts are the most valid on the thread

 

[iamjohnsname]

Applecare is amazing. They will help you.

Do I need to ring them first or just take it into a store? Book a genius appointment?

I have owned it since April so it's well out of the three month period where you can call for anything.

In fact last time I called (to report wireless dropouts every 15 minutes, overheats, hard freezes, refusal to wake from sleep, the "0" key falling off, graphics card not swapping, and my OWC SSD not being detected) the guy just told me to "keep using it for a week to see if it is still happening and then call us back." By then it was out of that three month period and when I called back I was told I would have to pay for phone help.

So to me, AppleCare (in Australia) are totally unhelpful.

 

[eagandale4114]

Do I need to ring them first or just take it into a store? Book a genius appointment?

I have owned it since April so it's well out of the three month period where you can call for anything.

In fact last time I called (to report wireless dropouts every 15 minutes, overheats, hard freezes, refusal to wake from sleep, the "0" key falling off, graphics card not swapping, and my OWC SSD not being detected) the guy just told me to "keep using it for a week to see if it is still happening and then call us back." By then it was out of that three month period and when I called back I was told I would have to pay for phone help.

So to me, AppleCare (in Australia) are totally unhelpful.

How busy are the stores down there? If they are packed set up an appointment else just walk in.

 

[iamjohnsname]

Is it possible that we got corrupt cards?
Also did these errors start recently? Mine started after the TB/Lion Recovery EFI update.

Mine has been this way for a long time.

I contacted AppleCare on the phone and they booked me in for an appointment at my nearest Apple Genius Bar, which is an hour from me.

I drove there and the "genius" recognized it and straight away said it will need to be replaced but couldn't be done then and there because they would need to order in a new screen. So I would have to drive back a second time to drop it off next week and a third time to pick it up a few days later.

She said it's not a GPU thing, just a screen thing, so that's the part they're replacing. I asked her if it could be graphics related because my system does not dynamically switch to the integrated GPU, but instead just lets the battery drain on the discreet GPU, even with no software open. She said "It doesn't switch automatically." I replied, "Yes it does, it's called Dynamic Switching." She started at me as though I hadn't even spoken.

So I moved on to the other problems. First, the broken zero key. She replaced it then and there and it took me writing this post alone for it to fall off again. Seriously.

As for these issues:

wireless dropouts every 15 minutes
overheats
hard freezes
refusal to wake from sleep
kernel panics at random times under zero load

I was told "Just keep testing it to see if you can figure out what's causing the other problems."

I'm pleased they're replacing the screen, as they're obliged to do under warranty, but is that really amazing service?

 

[Detrius]

The automatic switching of GPUs depends on the model. The first two models didn't.

Not fixing everything at once like that is bad--by Apple's own standards for third-party AASPs. If you brought the machine back a week later with a new problem, we'd get a huge penalty.