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Flashing blue screen, at first very seldom, now almost constant

Hello Everyone,

As mentioned above, I have a serious problem with my MacBook 2.4.

It started a few weeks ago, the cursor freezed for a second, and suddenly the screen turned blue. After a few seconds it came back to the normal screen. It appaered now and then, the last few days there was nothing. It was the silence before storm. Since yesterday it's impossible to work with the machine. Constant bluescreens with very short usable time.

A few things a interesting, during bluescreen typed words appear when the screen comes back.

If I manage to be quick enough and run a full screen application, e.g. a game, it works fine. No bluescreens.

It is strange and sad.

Anyone an Idea?

Thanks a lot in advance

hanno

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

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To isolate your problem we need to know if it works with an external monitor. We also need to try a few things. First start up holding down the shift key. This is safe mode. If problem persists, insert your system install disk and start holding the shift key. Next start up with the system disk in and hold the "D" key and run diagnostics. Let me know the results and we'll go from there.

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19 Comments:

this is a software problem not hardware

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Thanks for your reply, mayer.

Here's what I've found out so far.

All shift tests showed the same problem.

The Hardwaretest ( the complete one), didn't find any problems.

I have to buy a mini-dvi adapter, before I can try out the external monitor.

Probably thos afternoon.

Thanks for the support

by

Ups,just read your comment.

Software?

Although a reboot from disc shows same problem?

I'm more then willing to believe you.....

by

Do I still have to check it with an external Monitor?

by

Ok,to check for a software issue, I did a new installation from OS X.

Same thing is going on. Randomly, very frequent flashing bluescreen.

Inteteresting is, if it happens while playing a movie, the sound continues...

I realy need some help with this....thanks

by

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I had the same problem. The only way I could 'fix' it was to completely disable sleep in the Energy Saver system preferences moving both sliders to 'never sleep'. That seems to be working, for now...

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Glad it works for you.

I read that is sometimes only happening, when awaking it out of sleep mode.

But in my case it is sometimes happening almost constantly...

Hope to find a solution.

hanno

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Hi Mike,

at the end, it was maybe your tip, that helped me on this.

Since one month no blue screens any more. As you said, it worked, for now.....

Thanks for your time and support.

hanno

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Hi Hanno, that's great news. Glad to have helped.

by

Hi Mike,

oh man, as mentioned above, the problem showed up again...puh, very strange issue. but it is usable. just a few times a day....

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I was looking around for an answer to this.

In the end, I opened the macbook up and re-seated the video cable on the logic board.

The blue screen hasn't flashed for awhile now and my use of the computer since has basically been an attempt to egg it on.

So, time will tell, but it's probably worth a shot.

Cheers

Ben

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1 Comment:

never mind. it just flashed again :(

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Hu, thanks Ben for the Info.

Had some thoughts and observations about the topic, too.

It is not happening, when a mini-DVI adapter is plugged in.

The logic-Board seems to be somewhat unstable. When lifting the MacBook on one side, this seems to provoke the error. Wasn't able to find something on the board. Some mini-tiny break somewhere maybe.

But realy strange is, that it never happened when runnning some program in real full screen mode....

And this Blue-screen realy looks the same like the one when switching between different monitors, or?

So maybe this crack makes the MacBook search for some connected monitors....how knows.....hm. but why not in full screen? Often it happens right when leaving full screen....

Hm, I like driving old cars, too. They are always a little bit special, with personality. So I managed to live with the topic. But am always somewhat afraid of this happening in front of some customers.....uhhhhhh

Wish you good luck with this and everything else.

hanno

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I had a similar issue and simply unclicking the box that shows displays in menu bar fixed it. Not sure the technical explanation, but definite fix, as it went from almost useless to no blue screen flashes at all.

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I have the same problem and still not find the solution. I plugged in my mac to a TV with HDMI and the blue flash stopped.

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Hello,

I have an older MBP 17" that started doing this a year or so ago. It started getting more frequent and with a week left in my Square Trade warranty sent it in. They repaired/replaced system board, CPU, Video Card, Sound Card. When it came back, it started blue screen blinking right away. It seems to happen if I jiggle where the external monitor plugs into the laptop. I'm going to work on it a bit myself before I send it in. With as many people having this problem, you'd think there would be a fix.

Frank

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Hanno will be eternally grateful.
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