MBP 2011 - GPU is hardware disabled - will brightness control never work again?

[leonsk1978]

So yesterday i finally got a repair dude to disable the AMD gpu on 15” Macbook Pro Early 2011

Everything works fine except the brightness/dim control:

I’ve tried:
Snow Leopard
El Capitan
Sierra
High Sierra

It doesn’t work for me in any of them, if the AMD chip is disabled on a hardware level is the brightness/dim option stuck at 100% forever now?

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Have you tried resetting the SMC?

 

[jav6454]

Even with a disabled GPU, that shouldn't matter.

 

[leonsk1978]

Have you tried resetting the SMC?

I did, but I haven't in awhile...I'll try it again, just trying dosdudes mojave to see if that works atm

UPDATE: Resetting the SMC didn't work, it also doesn't work in Mojave. I'm actually gonna try installing Windows 10 to see if it works in that

 

[jav6454]

I did, but I haven't in awhile...I'll try it again, just trying dosdudes mojave to see if that works atm

UPDATE: Resetting the SMC didn't work, it also doesn't work in Mojave. I'm actually gonna try installing Windows 10 to see if it works in that

I was about to suggest this same approach. Try Win.

 

[leonsk1978]

I think i may have found the problem & solution which you read more about in here:

MacBook Pro (Late 2011) sound issues in Windows 10 (no Bootcamp)

I recently installed Windows 10 on my MacBook Pro (Late 2011). I installed the drivers I could find from the internet (I installed this package https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1721?locale=en_GB) and

apple.stackexchange.com

I need the Windows 10 drive to be a MBR disk not a GPT, having either a MBR install or a drive that is converted to MBR fixes the problems

The brightness slider & sound problems all seem to stem from GPT installs of Windows (I use Win 10 mainly on my macbook),

I think this is the source of most peoples hardware problems in regards to 2011 macs running windows either via bootcamp or a native install

I use macrium reflect to restore an image from my studio computer to my macbook to save me alot of time reinstalling music programs ect

 

[leonsk1978]

So it looks like once the the GPU is hardware disabled, windows just shows a black screen on boot with an MBR disk (legacy mode)...anyone have any ideas?

 

[Dimvol]

The Open Core Legacy Patcher among other talents, can install software demux for the MBP 8.2. After applying the patches, the brightness will be adjusted again.

 

[leonsk1978]

The Open Core Legacy Patcher among other talents, can install software demux for the MBP 8.2. After applying the patches, the brightness will be adjusted again.

Can this be used in windows 10? Or is it only for mac os?

 

[Dimvol]

Of course only macOS.
The work is half done, it turns out. Either they change the gmux firmware, or they output a signal from the hub. In both cases, the brightness is adjusted without further action. In your case, only the program method remains.
I don't know how it will work in Windows.

 

[h3x0r]

Hi guys, I am facing same issue, I need some suggestions do I go for windows 10 or use open patcher?