Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

quaccOS

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 19, 2020
126
208
MacBook Pro was running without internal display until it unexpectedly failed to boot up one morning
  • Hinge broke a while ago – I've been using a MiniDisplay Port to HDMI cable (I don't know how to fit the display back on)
  • I left my device plugged into my TV's HDMI port overnight. No screws in backplate, the top case just rests on top
  • Next morning, the device would not boot up: fan spins momentarily, sleep indicator light turns on & off – will sometimes repeatedly attempt to boot until power is disconnected
  • I removed the optical drive because I thought it was to blame, I reset NVRAM/PRAM & SMC, disconnected & reconnected battery cable
I'm not sure what went wrong. I was only using it for video editing and light browsing. The Mojave patcher did not cause any problems either. Please do not hesitate to give your thoughts on this, I'm not sure what to do.

:apple: MacBookPro 8,3 (EveryMac.com Specs Page)
17-inch, Late 2011
macOS Mojave 10.14.3 (dosdude1 Patcher 1.2.3)
2.4 GHz Intel Core i7
AMD Radeon HD 6770M 1024MB (Intel HD Graphics 3000 512MB)
8GB DDR3 240GB SSD (original 750GB HDD failed)
About This Mac | Storage
Mini DisplayPort to HDMI (TV)
Boot Failure (momentary fan spin)
Bottom Case MBP8,3
17 inch Display
 
Last edited:

Queen6

macrumors G4
2011 15" & 17" MBP are notorious for failure of the AMD Radeon dGPU, plugging an external display will force the dGPU to be on constantly, with one of the indicators of failure being not able to boot.

I've still a 2011 15" and I do as much as is reasonably possible to not use or stress the dGPU as I know that will be the end of it. Ultimately they are approaching 10 years old and video editing is a heavy workload...

Q-6
 
  • Like
Reactions: quaccOS

quaccOS

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 19, 2020
126
208
Is there a pattern to the blinking of the sleep indicator light? If so, so here:
:apple: If the SIL flashes one or more times after you turn on the computer, and the pattern repeats after a brief pause, the computer may not have successfully passed POST.
:apple: When you press the power button to turn on the computer, the SIL also turns on. As the computer starts up, the SIL stays on until the processor (GPU) has initialized and the display turns on. When the GPU initializes properly, the display turns on and the SIL turns off simultaneously.
The SIL flashes once, the fan spins for a second, and then it turns off. Most likely, the GPU doesn't initialise, and the display can't turn on: the display is my TV connected by a Mini DisplayPort–HDMI cable to my device.

2011 15" & 17" MBP are notorious for failure of the AMD Radeon dGPU, plugging an external display will force the dGPU to be on constantly, with one of the indicators of failure being not able to boot.

I've still a 2011 15" and I do as much as is reasonably possible to not use or stress the dGPU as I know that will be the end of it. Ultimately they are approaching 10 years old and video editing is a heavy workload...
I think you are right, and pushing the whole display's frames down a small cable to a big TV wasn't really a great idea. Apart from the GPU, the failing HDD I replaced with SSD, and display that you could only see if you shone a light really close to the glass…It wasn't that badly damaged…maybe.
I'm thinking if I fix it up, I could make a hidden defect case with Apple. It'd probably mean finding all the missing screws, replacing it with an original-looking Toshiba 750GB HDD, fixing the hinge and making the display work properly, reinstalling the optical drive and putting native High Sierra on the machine. Some people are saying you can make it start temporarily by heating the logic board up? I'm not so sure.
 

quaccOS

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 19, 2020
126
208
I re-fitted the optical drive and found the original HDD that I thought I binned!
It's now…still terribly broke. The SIL flashes once quickly & the fan spins momentarily, and if the MagSafe cable is connected, it will repeatedly attempt to boot indefinitely) – which indicates it passed the POST Power on Self Test, but the GPU failed to initialise (and the next boot process step is the display, which is not connected anyway).
It's a fried AMDlette 🍳… [MacBookPro 8,3 – Late 2011, 2.4 GHz]
MacBookPro8,3
 

Queen6

macrumors G4
The SIL flashes once, the fan spins for a second, and then it turns off. Most likely, the GPU doesn't initialise, and the display can't turn on: the display is my TV connected by a Mini DisplayPort–HDMI cable to my device.


I think you are right, and pushing the whole display's frames down a small cable to a big TV wasn't really a great idea. Apart from the GPU, the failing HDD I replaced with SSD, and display that you could only see if you shone a light really close to the glass…It wasn't that badly damaged…maybe.
I'm thinking if I fix it up, I could make a hidden defect case with Apple. It'd probably mean finding all the missing screws, replacing it with an original-looking Toshiba 750GB HDD, fixing the hinge and making the display work properly, reinstalling the optical drive and putting native High Sierra on the machine. Some people are saying you can make it start temporarily by heating the logic board up? I'm not so sure.

You can always try, as long as you meet the criterion, as Apple for obvious reasons will not want to be replacing 9 year old notebooks with new 16" MBP's, especially ones they fully know have design flaws.

You can apply heat to the dGPU and it may revive it temporally, however you'll need to remove the Logic Board and apply direct heat to the chip using a heat gun with care or literally bake the Logic Board it in an oven.

When I revived my 2011 15" MBP last month, it had sat for best part of a year untouched until I really looked at it. The display backlight was also out, however after leaving it on & powered up for some time (60 min approx.) the display now functions. I'm assuming that the electronics (caps etc.) were completely drained of power and took time to power up fully, nor has it replicated the issue.

TBH my 2011 doesn't owe me anything and had more than paid for itself when I gifted it. Having it back today and getting up and running is a bonus, equally I have no illusions that it could fail at anytime, as it's been literally hammed over the years. It's usage is limited as I have far more powerful systems on had today and I limit the usage of the dGPU as much as possible in SW.

Q-6
[automerge]1587595704[/automerge]
I re-fitted the optical drive and found the original HDD that I thought I binned!
It's now…still terribly broke. The SIL flashes once quickly & the fan spins momentarily, and if the MagSafe cable is connected, it will repeatedly attempt to boot indefinitely) – which indicates it passed the POST Power on Self Test, but the GPU failed to initialise (and the next boot process step is the display, which is not connected anyway).
It's a fried AMDlette 🍳… [MacBookPro 8,3 – Late 2011, 2.4 GHz]

It's done... You may have a case, equally Apple will look over the notebook in fine detail as they don't want to be on the hook for a new 16" more importantly set a precedent. Anything out of stock configuration and or evidence of internal intrusion by the user, Apple will walk away. That's just how Apple is and in B&W.

In all fairness to Apple the computer is 9 years old, nor am I a fan of Apple as it is today by any means. If the notebook was stock you might have a fighting chance, it's not and Apple will point that out.

You can also consider to have the dGPU replaced, I believe there is an alternative chip, however of a lesser spec yet more reliable. Even then something else may fail as it's approaching 10 years old. All in all in time to replace it IMHO...

Q-6
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: quaccOS

quaccOS

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 19, 2020
126
208
You can always try, as long as you meet the criterion, as Apple for obvious reasons will not want to be replacing 9 year old notebooks with new 16" MBP's, especially ones they fully know have design flaws.

You can apply heat to the dGPU and it may revive it temporally, however you'll need to remove the Logic Board and apply direct heat to the chip using a heat gun with care or literally bake the Logic Board it in an oven.

When I revived my 2011 15" MBP last month, it had sat for best part of a year untouched until I really looked at it. The display backlight was also out, however after leaving it on & powered up for some time (60 min approx.) the display now functions. I'm assuming that the electronics (caps etc.) were completely drained of power and took time to power up fully, nor has it replicated the issue.

TBH my 2011 doesn't owe me anything and had more than paid for itself when I gifted it. Having it back today and getting up and running is a bonus, equally I have no illusions that it could fail at anytime, as it's been literally hammed over the years. It's usage is limited as I have far more powerful systems on had today and I limit the usage of the dGPU as much as possible in SW.
–––
It's done... You may have a case, equally Apple will look over the notebook in fine detail as they don't want to be on the hook for a new 16" more importantly set a precedent. Anything out of stock configuration and or evidence of internal intrusion by the user, Apple will walk away. That's just how Apple is and in B&W.

In all fairness to Apple the computer is 9 years old, nor am I a fan of Apple as it is today by any means. If the notebook was stock you might have a fighting chance, it's not and Apple will point that out.

You can also consider to have the dGPU replaced, I believe there is an alternative chip, however of a lesser spec yet more reliable. Even then something else may fail as it's approaching 10 years old. All in all in time to replace it IMHO...

24 hours and a f*ckload quite a lot of heat later…it unbelievably booted up, very slowly, like a lawn mower, with strange worrying noises & colours. I immediately transferred the gfxCardStatus app in from an external hard drive.
Definitely can't shut it down now… (o_o)/

The display is lying flat with no backlight…I just used a light against the screen to take a screenshot.
I ordered new hinges and I just gotta figure out how to fix the backlight, and we're done – done as in, I'm going to try have a pleasant conversation with Apple about "hidden defects" & "EU laws" ;)

iGPU SELECTED.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sanpete

theluggage

macrumors 604
Jul 29, 2011
7,978
8,390
I ordered new hinges and I just gotta figure out how to fix the backlight, and we're done – done as in, I'm going to try have a pleasant conversation with Apple about "hidden defects" & "EU laws" ;)

I fear that, even with "EU laws", you're not going to have much luck with a computer approaching its 10th birthday. I believe the limit in England is 6 years, and Apple did offer a GPU repair program for something like that period...
Even where the limit is "reasonable expectations" I'm afraid that 9-10 years for a computer is is about 87 in dog years...

If the kill-or-cure heat treatments don't work, time to stop throwing good money/effort after bad, take it out behind the woodshed and do the Old Yeller thing, I'm afraid (I sympathise - I have a 2011 17" MBP with a dead GPU...)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Queen6

Queen6

macrumors G4
24 hours and a f*ckload quite a lot of heat later…it unbelievably booted up, very slowly, like a lawn mower, with strange worrying noises & colours. I immediately transferred the gfxCardStatus app in from an external hard drive.
Definitely can't shut it down now… (o_o)/

The display is lying flat with no backlight…I just used a light against the screen to take a screenshot.
I ordered new hinges and I just gotta figure out how to fix the backlight, and we're done – done as in, I'm going to try have a pleasant conversation with Apple about "hidden defects" & "EU laws" ;)

Well it costs nothing to ask 🙂 At least it's running again to some extents, backlight is potentially related to a bad invertor.

Q-6
 
Last edited:

Sanpete

macrumors 68040
Nov 17, 2016
3,695
1,665
Utah
Looks like you may have already seen the thread about the 2011 and the EU hidden defects law, but just in case:


If you have trouble getting the dGPU to stay out of the loop, there's a long sticky thread at the top about how to do that.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.