Video card issues...Apple has no idea either!

[rotobadger]

I have a 2010 MBP. I have been running on dual external monitors with no problem. Today, when I unplugged the monitors (still hot) my laptop monitor froze with a solid screen of multi-colors. Reboot, reset pram does not work. Here's what I found:

Output works fine to monitors. Everything works in Bootcamp. When I turn on automatic graphics switching in OSX the computer screen freezes (this is switching to the integrated intel vid card). Everything works fine with the discreet graphics card.

So, I thought the integrated graphics was fried. Apple store genius agreed and wants to ship my MBP for new logic board.

BUT:

I pulled my hard drive out and put the original hard drive in to ship and THE PROBLEM CAN'T BE DUPLICATED NOW.

This leads me to believe that it's not a hardware problem. I put my regular hard drive back in and same problem. Can't run on the integrated vid card. Tried again with the factory hard drive. NO PROBLEMS.

Can anyone give me some insight as to how to fix this? I am completely stumped. Can the video card be "reinstalled"?

I really need this fixed!!!!

 

[tjb1]

Have you tried Disk Utility or Repair Permissions?

 

[rotobadger]

Have you tried Disk Utility or Repair Permissions?

Tried that. No dice.

 

[rotobadger]

Saw an Apple Genuis last night and just got off the phone with Apple tech. They are completely baffled.

Is there a way to re-install video card drivers in OS X? Or does OS X work like that. If this was a Windows machine that's what I'd do.

This is really getting to me...

 

[tjb1]

Time Machine and reinstall and just pull what you want off the time machine.

 

[rotobadger]

Time Machine and reinstall and just pull what you want off the time machine.

I think you're right. It just drives me crazy that I have to re-install the entire OS because of one component issue.

I assume I can re-install OS X on just the Mac partition leaving the Windows partition intact?

 

[I'mAMac]

I think you're right. It just drives me crazy that I have to re-install the entire OS because of one component issue.

I assume I can re-install OS X on just the Mac partition leaving the Windows partition intact?

Yeah you can do that and it seems that it is really your only option left. If swapping the HDD out fixes the problem then a fresh install would probably fix your problem.

 

[tjb1]

I would not restore off the Time Machine though, just use it to document what you have and then pull what you can off it manually or use it to find the programs to reinstall and uninstall any programs you currently have on the drive that require a serial code activation.