Our friends at Groundwork Opportunities sent us this article from the Sao Sary Foundation that shows one of our donated MacBook Pros in use at a project in Cambodia. Awesome!
You can check out the article here.
The Sao Sary Foundation teaches children new skills.
Symptom: After waking your MacBook Pro from sleep, the computer is frozen or the video is badly distorted. You’re unable to control or shutdown the Mac. You have to power off the machine by holding down the power button. After restart, everything appears normal.
Mac Types: MacBook Pro 15″ & 17″
Likely Causes: This kind of freezing or distorted video is usually caused by overheating of the GPU or CPU. While in sleep mode, the Mac should not be running hot so this issue can be kind of tricky to diagnose.
Usually one of two things are happening. 1) The Mac is waking up with the lid closed causing the machine to turn on and potentially overheat, especially if it’s being transported in a laptop bag or case. 2) The graphics firmware is encountering a problem during the wake up sequence and the video components or logic board fail to work properly.
Solutions: The first step of course is to isolate the issue as best you can by fixing permissions, checking for Software Updates, and closing programs before sleep.
Next step would be to check and see if the MacBook is waking from sleep with the lid closed. This can be caused by a faulty sleep sensor which an AASP like MyService can replace.
If the issue persists, the MacBook Pro should go through the ASD tests that Authorized Service Providers like MyService provide. We can check the CPU and GPU under load and look for common errors that may point to defective logic components.
If your MacBook Pro is still covered under your Apple warranty, you should have the problem checked out before the expiration as it usually requires a logic board replacement. You may also want to look into purchasing AppleCare if the issue is intermittent.
MyService offers a free diagnostic that will test these components and offer solutions for repair or replacement.
Symptom: Backlit keyboard is dim or not coming on at all.
Mac Type: MacBook Pro 15″
Troubleshooting: Cover the ambient light sensor (right next to the iSight camera) with your finger and press F6 to test wether or not the backlit keyboard is working and at full brightness.
Likely Causes: If the backlit keyboard still does not illuminate, the issue could be with the backlit keyboard connector to the logic board. If this cable is loose or damaged, the backlit function will not work.
Other causes could be the ambient light sensor in the display housing has failed or an issue with the top case (keyboard) or logic board.
Solutions: After troubleshooting, the first step is to check the backlit connector to the logic board. Next steps would be to isolate and test the other components (top case, ambient light sensor and logic board.)
MyService offers a free diagnostic that will test these components and offer solutions for repair or replacement.
Customer Provided Symptom: “I have a Macbook Pro where the bezel is cracked and ocassionally the bottom half of the screen grays out. By pressing on the cracked area, the screen comes back.”
Mac Type: MacBook Pro 15″ (Silver Keyboard)
Likely Cause: The LCD or LED screen is most likely broken. If you can bend the upper section (display housing) and sometimes get the screen to show normally, but other times sections gray out or go black, this is usually due to damaged or broken connectors inside the screen. This issue is usually caused by the screen over flexing or damage due to impact or drop.
Solutions: Replacing the LCD or LED screen is required to solve this issue. Depending on the damage to the bezel and/or display housing, these may need to be replaced so that the new screen is not damaged when opening and closing the laptop.
MyService provides new screen replacements and also stocks a complete line of display parts.
Customer Provided Symptom: “When the Magsafe charger is plugged into the computer, the light blinks green (does not blink green AND orange) and does not charge the battery. Computer does not turn on even with PRAM reset and SMC reset.”
Mac Type: MacBook Pro 13″
Likely Causes: This is most likely caused by a power issue with the DC-In or logic board. It’s also possible that the internal battery or MagSafe adapter itself has failed.
Solutions: The first step would be to try a different MagSafe adapter. If the problem persists, then the next step would be to have your Mac checked out by an Apple Authorized Service Provider like MyService.
We often see this issue after a liquid spill, however It could just be a shorted out or failed part. Our diagnostic steps include replacing the battery, swapping out the DC-in board and finally diagnosing the logic board itself. MyService can replace or repair any of these parts.
If your MacBook Pro is experiencing this problem, you can send it to MyService for our Free Diagnostic. We’ll determine which part(s) have failed and provide you with options to fix the issue.
Customer Provided Symptom: “When I turn on my laptop I get a black screen and a 3 loud beeps that indicate there is no ram installed. Of course there are 2 1gb ram cards installed. I suspect that the problem is not with the cards but the board that reads them, but I have no way to tell?”
Mac Type: 15-inch MacBook Pro
Likely Cause: 3 beeps with a black screen when you power on a Mac is a memory error message. This can be caused by one of 4 things: 1. A problem with one or more RAM chips. 2. An issue with the logic board concerning the RAM connections. 3. Loose RAM chips. 4. No RAM chips are installed.
Solutions: If your comfortable working with RAM and have a static free station, then the first step in the above situation is to remove and re-seat (reinstall) the RAM chips and reset the PRAM.
Second step would be to isolate the RAM. If you have two sticks of RAM, try removing one and test, then swap the location of that chip and test. Repeat the steps with the other stick of RAM. This can help determine if one of the RAM sticks has failed or if one of the RAM slots is having an issue.
Third step would be to remove all RAM and try other compatible RAM (if you access to some.)
It’s possible that if all of the above doesn’t work or identify the problem, that the issue may be with the logic board itself. MyService can diagnose this issue and provide options for repair.
Apple released new $999 MacBooks today.
This refresh of the white, polycarbonate unibody MacBook brings updated graphics, faster CPU and longer battery life.
Here are the new specs:
The screen and most other components look to be the same so this is more of a model refresh than anything else. The updated (longer lasting) battery is probably the biggest new selling point. We’ll have to see if the previous generation can support the new battery (turns out that yes, the previous generation can used the newer battery.)
We still think the upgrade to the 13″ MacBook Pro is worth it in most cases, however the white unibody MacBooks have held up well so far and are great value.
[ The New MacBook ]
Machine:
MacBook Pro 15″ 2.6Ghz
Symptom:
Fans run high on boot. Even with little or no use, the fans run on full. Fans run at or near 6000rpm at rest (1000rpm would be normal at rest.)
Possible Causes:
Loose or failed temperature sensors. Logic board issue – often caused and covered by the NVIDIA logic board recall.
Solution:
Have an Authorized Apple Service Provider (like MyService.com) test the logic board and see if it’s covered under the NVIDIA recall (only AASP’s have the means to test and see if the board qualifies.) Even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty, this repair may be covered.
Contact one of our Service Advisors for more information.
Apple has announced the latest generation of MacBook Pros. New 13″, 15″ and 17″ models with Intel Core i5 or i7 processors are available today (or within 3 days for the 13″ MBP.)
The overall body design remains unchanged with the biggest news being the speed of the computers themselves. New dual video chips (NVIDIA for the high end stuff and an Intel chip for low end work) coupled with new Intel Core i5 & i7 processors deliver speeds that are stated to be twice as fast as the last gen.
Longer battery life is also being advertised (up to 10 hours on the 13″) by better managing the processor flow and continued improvement of the batteries themselves. New trackpads also promise faster scrolling.
As usual, the RAM and hard drive capacities have gone up across the board, with a new 512GB SSD option available.
My favorite bit of news is that the 15″ MBP gets a high res option (brings it from 1440 by 900 to 1680 by 1050) which is available in both glossy and matte:)
The new logic boards, top cases (trackpads) and batteries are most likely not backwards upgradeable to previous generation MBPs, however there is a chance that the high res 15″ screen may work in previous models (we’ll do some testing and update in the coming weeks.)
You can read all of the specs here and check out pricing here.
15 inch MacBook Pro - Cracked LED, glass is fine.
How do you repair or replace a broken screen on a MacBook Pro?
MyService makes is fast and easy.
The screen itself is composed of the LED itself (cracked in the pic to the right), the glass cover (the part that says “MacBook Pro”) and the display housing (the back cover with the Apple logo.)
Option 1: Glass Replacement
If the glass has been cracked, but the LED underneath and display housing in the back are not damaged, the glass can be replaced by itself. This is the least costly option and most common repair.
Option 2: LED Screen Replacement
If the LED underneath has been cracked (like the one on the right) and the glass and display housing are ok, MyService can just replace the LED.
Option 3: Glass & LED Replacement
If both the glass and LED are cracked, both are replaced. This is probably the second most common screen repair.
Option 4: Upper Section Replacement
If the display housing is severely bent (to the point that a new LED or glass won’t fit) the entire upper section may need to be replaced. New upper sections are only available from Apple or Authorized Service Providers, like MyService. The upper section consists of the LED, glass, display housing, hinges, clutch cover, airport module, and display cables. i.e. the entire upper section of the MacBook. This is the most expensive option but is often needed in severe impacts or liquid spills. MyService offers these at a significant discount over going though Apple directly.
MyService offers all of these services on all 13 inch, 15 inch and 17 inch MacBooks Pros. All of our parts are brand new and come with a 1 year warranty and Zero Dead Pixel policy. We are the only company that will guarantee that our screens have no dead pixels.
If you’re not sure which screen repair option you need, our techs perform a free diagnostic which will give you the options and costs of service before you commit to any repair.
Learn more about MyService Screen Replacements and MacBook Pro Repairs.
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