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Question

Odd video display problem on '08 MBP

Jun 20, 2011 9:27AM PDT

<span id="INSERTION_MARKER"><span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Macbook Pro boots up and video display get stuck on apple logo with grey background, the OS continues to load and I can hear ichat login. I can see the share drives over network, and can send chat to it, and hear the chat alert, but video won't display the desktop, it just show the apple logo boot up screen only. I tried zapping PRAM (CMD+OPT+P+R) and reseating the RAM. It always boot up and get video get stuck at the logo. This is a MPB 15" 2008 (non-unibody). I think my Apple care just ran out. Please help.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
It's funny
Jun 20, 2011 11:46AM PDT

It's funny, because I've had a laptop in almost the same model, with an almost identical problem.

Video works fine until the GUI starts to load, at which point the video just craps out.

So, there are two possible solutions I've found, and unfortunately both of them require you have access to another Mac.

The first solution is to put your MBP into target disk mode, and then using another Mac, boot the OS on your MBP's HDD. IIRC, and I've never tested it with USB, target disk mode requires a FireWire 400 or 800 connection to work. This will reset the resolution in the OS preference files, and so when you shut both systems down and reboot yours, it SHOULD work. However, on the system I was dealing with, that only lasted for 1-2 boots. Not sure why.

The other solution, credit goes to one of Apple's support people for coming up with this one. You again need to boot in target disk mode, and then delete the following files:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist
Displays preferences

(never found this one, so not entirely sure where it's supposed to be)
~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.preference.XXXXX.plist
~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.windowserver.XXXXX.plist

and anything dealing with it in the /Library

Then reboot and clear the PRAM just for good measure. And ~/ is Unix speak for your user directory. So /Users/{YourUserName}/Library/

In my testing that last one lasted for at least 5 boots in a row. A month or two later the person sent the system back in for the same problem, but my job is fixing broken hardware, I only tend to do software issues when they either intrigue me and I have time or I figure I can solve it in under 10 minutes.

Ultimately, some program or device that is causing your display preferences to become corrupted. I have no idea what it may be, so you're on your own there unless someone here has some ideas. My guess, based on the one time I've run into this issue before, is that nothing short of an OS reinstall is going to permanently fix it.

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Fixed for now
Jun 20, 2011 3:53PM PDT

I assumed it was over heating, possibly due to the Geforce 8600GT, so I threw it in the freezer for 10 mins, then let it sit for 10 mins on my desk, then I boot it without the battery, it boots up just fine.

Thanks for the suggestions, Jimmy. I'm gonna try to delete those display pref files as you suggested, although I still think it is a overheating problem because I had Windows 7 on boot camp and it would not boot it either.

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That reminds me
Jun 20, 2011 11:14PM PDT

That reminds me, I was also going to add that you should take that system to an AASP or Apple Store and tell them to run the nVidia graphics chip diagnostic on it. MBPs of that era with nVidia graphics chips in them, have a recall out on them. This is from nVidia finally fessing up to the fact that they shipped a crapload of bad chips, and failed to successfully cover it up. Also couldn't hurt to have them run a diagnostic on your battery. It quite probably is consumed by now, and may well be dangerous.

Anyway, if your logic board fails, you're entitled to a free replacement if you've owned the system for less than 4 years, and if you bought it in 08, it should qualify. The battery would be up to you whether or not to replace, but if it's consumed, then I would strongly recommend you remove it from the system at the very least. Given enough time, the battery will start to swell and cause irreversible cosmetic damage to your laptop, if not damaging some of the internal components. It will ultimately explode, and while this typically takes years of neglect, laptop batteries have been known to go from zero to lap full of hot battery acid in a matter of minutes on rare occasions. And not just the Sony made batteries that were all the rage for news reporting circa 2003-2004. Also, if they're going to replace the logic board anyway, it's a simple matter to make sure the heat sink grilles are free of crap. Those non-unibody models almost always have stuff literally caked onto the grilles of the heatsink. It's like the lint trap on a dryer that hasn't been emptied in a month or two.

You REALLY should not put electronics in a freezer however. There's moisture in the air, which will condense at lower temperatures (think morning dew), and that could cause liquid damage to the logic board compounding your problems. Apple is extremely uncompromising when it comes to liquid damage. They've told me to decline a repair for something to do with the logic board because there was a small amount of liquid damage on the opposite side of the laptop. Funny thing about that one, is the customer complained when they got the system back, and was saying how they didn't think it would cause the problems they were reporting, which means they KNEW about it when they checked it in, but neglected to mention it. Still, if there's even a WHIFF of liquid damage, Apple will refuse to have anything to do with a system.

Since you've already done the freezer thing, I'd take the system in ASAP to get checked for the nVidia thing, because the longer you wait the greater the possibility signs of corrosion may start appearing on the logic board. Get it checked and replaced before that happens, since generally speaking Apple stores ship everything to their depots, and that'll add another 2-3 days onto things.

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8600GT = Drum roll.
Jun 21, 2011 6:21AM PDT

Google 8600GT RECALL to learn that this can't last that much longer. Apple did a great job in prolonging the life span of that chip but in the end, it's the end.