Macbook - Black Screen Upon Boot

V

VeganChick

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Hi all,

So here's the deal, I have an early 2006 macbook that's having a couple problems. The 2nd one I'd like to see if you all know what's going on...

Problem #1: My macbook is about to be sent into Apple for repairs--the casing cracked so badly that the corner holding the battery in place pops out. The computer is out of extended warranty, but it's a recall issue that they're willing to repair...so if you think the problem I'm about to describe might be connected to this, let me know and I'll wait to worry until it comes back repaired.

Anyway, on to Problem #2: I was about to transfer all my needed files to my external and/or a borrowed laptop. (I also have a drive running Time Machine, so I have most of the files I need hidden away in there.) However...I hadn't gotten to this yet and there are a few files that aren't included in the latest backup.

This is what's happening:
  • The screen won't come on and the sleep light is on all the time. If I press a key, the screen lights up faintly (usually with a blue screen, like when you log in and there's a brief blue background), but the sleep light doesn't go out. The screen is lit up for around 3 seconds, the fan whirrs on, and then it goes back to sleep and the fan shuts itself off.
  • When I rebooted, I got a faint boot screen for 3 seconds with fan activity, and then the screen shut off. I waited for it to boot, then pressed a key, and I saw the login screen briefly. So I know it's doing something while the screen is black.
  • I've reset the PRAM/NVRAM, the SMC (PMU), let the computer cool down with the battery out, and replaced the 3rd-party RAM with the original RAM the computer came with.

A few things to note:
  1. The computer only powers up if it's plugged in. So apparently the battery isn't working right even though it's fully charged (most likely related to problem #1 above).
  2. If I boot from my install disc, it seems to run fine.
  3. There are a few things on the macbook that I'd like to recover (an updated application and a handful of files not included in the backups).

Also, the only things I have at my disposal is a second computer (with multiple small accounts that aren't mine, so I can't wipe the hd to reinstall), an external data/music hd (with 70GB free or so), and the time machine drive with the backups from the dying macbook.

Any takers? Thanks in advance!
 
VeganChick said:
Problem #1: My macbook is about to be sent into Apple for repairs--the casing cracked so badly that the corner holding the battery in place pops out. The computer is out of extended warranty, but it's a recall issue that they're willing to repair...so if you think the problem I'm about to describe might be connected to this, let me know and I'll wait to worry until it comes back repaired.

Anyway, on to Problem #2: I was about to transfer all my needed files to my external and/or a borrowed laptop. (I also have a drive running Time Machine, so I have most of the files I need hidden away in there.) However...I hadn't gotten to this yet and there are a few files that aren't included in the latest backup.
Click to expand...

1) The cracked casing thing they are talking about is the top case, which is covered. However a cracked top case has nothing to do with the other issues you are having. I'd be really surprised if the fixed all the issues it had without charging you for it.

2) You really should get what data you need before it goes. Apple takes no responsibility for customers data with mail-ins, and they will not warn you before they erase the drive. But, if they only fix the top case like I'm assuming they will do, your data will be unaffected.
 
Thanks for the quick reply, djackmac.

I explained the casing issue to apple tech support in detail and they said it was a free-of-charge repair. They may now have a different recall or they're lumping it in with the top case recall, since cracking along the bottom case edges is a problem with most macbooks I've seen, though I haven't yet seen it to the extent mine is in.

As for data loss, I know that they may wipe the drive. That's the point of the post...I have most of the data, but there's some new data that's stuck on the macbook unless someone has some options that may fix the macbook enough to grab my data.

If you have any ideas as to what's going on or anything I might be able to try, please let me know!
 
You can try to get the macbook into target disk mode by powering up holding the "T" key and connect it to another Mac via firewire to get what you need off of the Macbook. If it successfully mounts to the other Mac it will appear as another volume on the desktop of the Mac that you have it connected to. If it won't go into target disk mode the only other option is to remove the drive and put it into an external HD enclosure and transfer the data that way to the other Mac.
 
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