[ero2]

So, I got home from work, went to turn on my pro, and keyboard backlights...no picture. Figure it's just being quirky, wait a while, still nothing. Reset the pram and the PMU, nothing...I firewire it to my fiance's macbook, and it shows up as an external drive, so I boot from it, and everything is there, but I have 2 questions.

1) If I get a external drive that has firewire and usb...can I boot using the firewire and then back it up using the USB? I would plug the drive into the macbook since I am using that systems hardware correct? Or would it be plugged into the pro?

2)I have not yet purchased Apple Care but bought the computer in June of last year, so it is still under manufacture warranty, should I TAKE it to the Apple Store that is a little over an hour and a half away, or call and get it sent in? I don't know what the send in process is like, and how much faster the turnaround is by taking it in...any recommendations?

From what I have read, it is apparently the logic board if the whole computer works, but the screen doesn't, and if when you hook it up to an external screen, the screen still doesn't work...it's the board?

Thanks in advance, need my comp back asap, so any help or advice is MUCH appreciated!

[Cold Warrior]

I'd call the Apple Store to see if they're capable of replacing a motherboard in-store (and if they have any in stock for your exact model). I called one last week to ask if they are able to open up a MacBook's screen to get to the iSight for replacement, and they said yes.

However, if they can do it in-store, they may not have the time to do it right then while you wait.

I've had to send only 2 back to Apple over the last 10 years from the 12 Macs I or my family have owned. With one, a Wallstreet Powerbook G3 233MHz, call-to-return was only 3 days. For the other, a MacBook CD with the staining defect, it took 14 days.

[ero2]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior 

I'd call the Apple Store to see if they're capable of replacing a motherboard in-store (and if they have any in stock for your exact model). I called one last week to ask if they are able to open up a MacBook's screen to get to the iSight for replacement, and they said yes.

However, if they can do it in-store, they may not have the time to do it right then while you wait.

I've had to send only 2 back to Apple over the last 10 years from the 12 Macs I or my family have owned. With one, a Wallstreet Powerbook G3 233MHz, call-to-return was only 3 days. For the other, a MacBook CD with the staining defect, it took 14 days.

great! I will call them first...any clue on whether that backup method would work? Booting onto my macbook from my MBP, then using USB to backup the MBP to my external drive since firewire is in use to boot it?

[seanc]

The solution that sounds most simple to me is, boot your MacBook Pro in Target Disk Mode so and hook it up to your MacBook so that it shows up as an external drive, then hook up the external USB drive to the MacBook and copy data from your MacBook Pro to the USB drive via the MacBook.

[ero2]

SO... interesting turn of events... while I was playing around with my MBP last night pulling out the battery, charging it, trying everything before making the drive the Apple store today, I realized that my fiance or my daughter must have switched my charger with one of the MacBook chargers in the house (1 MBP, and 2MBs in the house). I am not sure how much impact this would have on my computer, but I left it plugged in ALL night with the correct charger, and this morning, the screen turned right on...I am running hardware tests right now. Is it possible this was the cause of the problem? It just needed a good charge with the right charger?

I am a wow AND photoshop addict, so whenever my computer is on, it's being pretty taxed to the fullest...

[ero2]

Originally Posted by ero2 

SO... interesting turn of events... while I was playing around with my MBP last night pulling out the battery, charging it, trying everything before making the drive the Apple store today, I realized that my fiance or my daughter must have switched my charger with one of the MacBook chargers in the house (1 MBP, and 2MBs in the house). I am not sure how much impact this would have on my computer, but I left it plugged in ALL night with the correct charger, and this morning, the screen turned right on...I am running hardware tests right now. Is it possible this was the cause of the problem? It just needed a good charge with the right charger?

I am a wow AND photoshop addict, so whenever my computer is on, it's being pretty taxed to the fullest...

nevermind LOL, I shut it off, and now the screen won't come back on...damn