Computer's on, but the screen is blank

[LABachlr]

Here is what a friend of mine emailed me today:

I turned on the Macbook today, it didn't come on. the screen was just blank. It was on, but blank. Just now, (maybe an hour after being on) an icon of a folder with a question mark on it is flashing in the middle of the screen, and then it turned off. It was probably letting us know the battery was low. Someone mentioned to me something about putting the os disc in and holding some button down at the same time. Is this what we should be doing?

Any ideas what he is experiencing and how to fix it?

 

[Satcomer]

Did you show him Giaguara's HOWTO] Use Apple Hardware Test and other diagnostics to test for hardware?

 

[LABachlr]

Great. Thanks. I'll also have him run a disk repair with the install disk and see if that helps.

 

[ScottW]

Did you recently apply a firmware update? Read something over the weekend about many people reporting the same issue after applying what I believe was a firmware update.

 

[simbalala]

Did you recently apply a firmware update? Read something over the weekend about many people reporting the same issue after applying what I believe was a firmware update.

See ars technica today: MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.5.1 fixes blank screens

 

[LABachlr]

Thanks. Is that for the Macbook as well? It says it's for the Macbook Pro.

Since they are still under warranty, they are just going to take it in. Luckily there are no clicking sounds.