MacBook Pro: Black Screen of Death

[ekwipt]

It's GFX card switching, I've had the same problem in the past 2010 MacBook Pro.

There might be updates you can patch directly from Apple, not through the software updater


And you can try this app and force it to only use the nvidia card

http://screenshot-mac.com/gfx-card-status-tool/

[shr3dder]

Exactly. The odds of you being able to repair your own computer is slim to zero.
Just make a few phone calls. Try the nearest apple store.

Well that's not true at all. Lots of people are capable of fixing their own computer, I generally can replace most things on a laptop without a technician... and I have no formal training or IT job experience.


Back on topic.

OP - My old house mate had a similar problem with his old MBP.... bizarrely enough it turned out to be faulty RAM.

He only discovered this though after trying replacement logic boards, hard drives etc.

[spadenation]

hey ill help you out. i used to fix computers as my job. bored today surfing the web i guess.
anyways try the program that ekwipt said and select discrete only. also check if there is a patch on the apple website for switching

then see if your computer immediately turns the screen off.
if it does you have a bad discrete graphics card.

if it doesn't lightly and i mean lightly tap the left side of the computer edge with the screen up. don't tap the screen. tap the side of the computer (don't do it so hard you nock it off the table and break it, use common sense) and see if the screen turns off. if it does you have a bad discrete graphics card that was caused by vibrations.

the problem with these MacBooks is the graphics cards are soldered on to the "logic board"
you'd have to replace the whole logic board cpu and all if you needed to fix it. and thats usually about as much money as the computer is worth. plus they are a pain to pull out and reinstall.

if its still on, well your in luck its a software issue and probably has to do with a bad .kext

so back up every thing on your computer that you want or need. and i mean everything! don't forget anything or it will hurt later. watch out for traktor installs or the like and make sure you make your old purchase codes useable as if you were getting a new computer.

then download or obtain your original copy of mac osx and format your hard drive and then reinstall the operating system.

anyways if the card is bad you probably want to do a fresh osx install anyways. it just might fix your problem if it was bad in the first place. and if its still bad when your done well now your ready to go sell your computer on the evilbay as a broken laptop with only integrated graphics. haha the cycle continues!!!

unless you can manage to get that logic board replaced for cheep. but stay away from craigs list for this brain surgery. they will break it.

good luck