Apple macbook pro User Manual

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — General Information 181
Hold down “D” and restart the computer.
2.  
Follow the on-screen instructions.
3. 
Note: Previously, the option key was held down to boot into a boot picker.  You are no longer 
able to see the AHT volume using boot picker.
Apple Service Diagnostic (ASD) 3S101
Notes:
ASD 3S101 is not backwards compatible with previous Macintosh notebook computers.
• 
Starting with MacBook Pro, like AHT the Apple Service Diagnostic version numbering 
• 
changed.  All ASD will be number sequentially starting with the prefix “3S.” This approach will 
provide each ASD release a unique version number and eliminate confusion between the 
same version across different product lines. 
Troubleshooting Aids and Tips
Power Button pads on logic board
With the top case removed, the power button is disconnected. Instead of having to reconnect the 
top case to turn on the system, there are two pads on the logic board that can be shorted across 
(with a tool like a flat blade screwdriver) to act as the power button.
These pads are located near the edge of the logic board, just above center of the hard drive. It is 
marked POWER BUTTON. The pads are separated with a vertical white line. 
						

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — General Information 18 2
Resetting the Power Manager (SMC)
Power management is now handled by a chip called SMC.  Previously, it was handled by the 
Power Management Unit (SMC). To reset the SMC:If the computer is on, turn it off.
1.  
Disconnect the power adapter and remove the main battery.
2.  
Hold the power button down for five seconds, then release.
3. 
Install the main battery and connect the power adapter.
4.  
Press the power button to restart the computer.
5. 
System powered test using Caps lock LED
There are situations when the system is giving indications that it is shut down (no sleep light, no 
hard drive access, screen is dark, no fan, and so on). However, the logic board may still be running. 
In this case, the logic board is drawing power and generating heat.
Warning: In this situation, if the computer is put in an enclosed environment like a carrying 
bag, the computer can overheat.
Check this situation by pressing the caps lock key. If the LED glows, the power manager is 
running on the logic board. After pressing the caps lock key and perhaps other methods of 
waking it up fails, including closing the lid to go to sleep and try waking again, hold the power 
button down for six seconds to force a shut down of the computer. Restart the system to check if 
it boots up normally.
Note: Previously when the keyboard was connected directly to the power manager this method 
worked under all conditions, however as a USB device, the OS may be hung and the keyboard 
cannot respond. So if the caps lock light does not come on, the computer may be drawing power. 
If in doubt, hold the power button down for six seconds to force a shut down of the computer. 
						

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — General Information 18 3
Software Troubleshooting Tips and Tools
Mac OS X 10.4.5 or later only
Starting with the MacBook Pro, the system requires Intel compatible system file. The system 
software has to be Mac OS X 10.4.5 or later.
Login window and account
Mac OS X requires at least one user account to be established. This is the Administrator’s account. 
By default, the Accounts system preference pane has the “Log in automatically [Admin’s name]” 
check. This automatic login setting allows the system to boot into the Finder without having a 
log-in prompt. However, if this box is not checked, you will need a password to get to the Finder. 
In addition, you will need to create a user account after you re-install system software.
Customer forgot password
If the customer forgot the password for the computer:Insert the MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install Disc 1 DVD.
1.  
Restart the computer while holding down the C key on the keyboard.
2.  
When the installer appears, chose Reset Password under the Installer Utilities menu
3. 
Follow the on-screen instructions.
4.  
Safe Mode
Safe Mode is the state Mac OS X is in after a Safe Boot. A Safe Boot is a special way to start Mac 
OS X when troubleshooting. Starting up into Safe Mode does three things to simplify the startup 
and operation of your computer:
It forces a directory check of the startup (boot) volume. It is identical to using Disk Utility’s 
1.  
Repair Disk or the fsck –fy terminal command.
It loads only required kernel extensions (some of the items in /System/Library/Extensions).
2.  
It disables all fonts other than those in /System/Library/Fonts
3. 
It moves to the Trash all font caches normally stored in /Library/Caches/com.apple.ATS/(uid)/, 
4.  
where (uid) is a user ID number such as 501.
It disables all startup items and any Login Items.
5. 
To start up into Safe Mode (to Safe Boot), do this:
Be sure the computer is shut down.
1.  
Press the power button.
2.  
Immediately after you hear the startup tone, press and hold the Shift key.  
3. 
Note: The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone but not before. 
						

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — General Information 18 4
Release the Shift key when you see the screen the gray Apple and progress indicator (looks 
4.  
like a spinning gear). During the startup, you will see “Safe Boot” on the Mac OS X startup 
screen. To leave Safe Mode, restart the computer normally, without holding any keys during 
startup.
Knowledge Base Articles 
These troubleshooting articles can be searched from http://www.apple.com/support.  
107392 What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode? 
107394 Safe Boot Takes Longer Than Normal Startup 
106692 Mac OS X: Troubleshooting Installation and Software Updates 
106693 Mac OS X: Troubleshooting Installation From CD-ROM
Application compatibility
With the transition to Intel Core Duo microprocessors, previous applications written for the 
PowerPC microprocessor have to be re-compiled to be able to work directly with this new 
microprocessor chip.  As with other microprocessor transitions, Apple has formed bridges for 
users and developers to aid in the changes, Universal binary and Rosetta.
Universal Binary
Universal binary is a Mac OS X application created by a developer who modifies and recompiles 
an application so it runs natively on either a PowerPC-based or Intel-based Mac. This application 
can run on older systems and the new MacBook Pro. 
A universal binary application can work directly with the Core Duo microprocessor. As discussed 
in the following section, older non-nativve PowerPC applications can still run on MacBook Pro, 
but requires a Mac OS X technology called Rosetta to translate for the Core Duo processor.
Universal binary applications are marked with the following logo:  
Rosetta
Rosetta is a Mac OS X technology which allows PowerPC application to run on an Intel-based 
Mac. Rosetta works behind the scenes to translate an existing, native, non-Universal application 
(one that was designed to run natively a PowerPC-based Mac, not a Classic application – see 
note) so that it can run on an Intel-based Mac—all you have to do is double-click the application! 
						

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — General Information 18 5
Note: The Classic (Mac OS 9) application do not run on MacBook Pro. Recommend customers to 
upgrade to Mac OS X versions.
Knowledge Base Articles 
These troubleshooting articles can be searched from http://www.apple.com/support.
 
303207 Intel-based Mac: How to tell if an application is Universal 
303129 Intel-based Mac: Forcing a universal application to run with Rosetta 
303137 Intel-based Mac: Do Classic applications work?
  
						

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 186
Hardware Symptoms
How to Use the Symptom Charts
The Symptom Charts included in this chapter will help you diagnose specific symptoms related 
to the product. 
In this release, a section is dedicated to the normal start up of the Intel-based MacBook Pro 
with dedicated chart to identify and troubleshoot “no power, no video” and “power, no video” 
symptoms.
The steps to solve a symptom are listed sequentially. You might not need to perform every 
step before the symptom is solved. Start with the first step, and then test for the symptom. If 
the symptom persists, replace any modules you removed, go to the next step, and test again. 
Continue down the list until the symptom is solved.
Startup
Startup Sequence
The Intel-based MacBook Pro starts up very much like the previous professional Macintosh 
notebook computers. If power is available to the system, after pushing the power on button, the 
system will start to boot up.The screen will stay dark. The sleep LED will glow solid. This will last a few seconds.
• 
As the system boots, a Power-on test will be performed. See Error Codes listed below for 
• 
failure results.
If the system is not muted, you will hear a boot beep. The backlight will turn on and the 
• 
sleep LED will turn off. 
The screen is gray in color. The Apple logo will appear and then the turning gear will appear.
• 
The desktop pattern will show up, as well as the menu bar start populating.
• 
No Power, No Video
The computer will not power on (no fan movement, hard drive spin up and display is not lit)
Remove any connected peripherals and eject any ExpressCard.
1.  
Check that the battery has enough charge to start the computer by pressing the button next 
2.  
to the LEDs on the battery. At least one LED must light solid (not flashing).
Connect a known-good Apple 85W Portable Power Adapter and power cord or plug to a 
3. 
known-good power outlet; make sure the DC plug is properly inserted. The DC plug should 
light up, if not, replace left I/O board. If not go to the troubleshooting, MagSafe connector. 
						

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 18 7
Try powering up without the battery installed If it boots, replace battery connector cable.
4.  
Reset the power manager. See new procedures under the “Resetting the Power Manager)” 
5. 
heading in the Hardware Troubleshooting Tools and Tips section.  
Warning: Resetting the power manager will permanently remove a RAM disk, if present, 
and all of its contents. You will also need to reset the date and time (using the Date & 
Time system preference pane).
Boot up the system and check the sleep indicator. If it turns on solid and turns off, the main 
6.  
logic board is getting power and completing the boot cycle. If no video appears, there is an 
issue turning the video turn-on or system software is corrupted. Try booting off the Mac OS 
X Install DVD. If the light does not turn off, the boot cycle is not being complete. This may be 
cause by the hard drive not being seen by the system, system software corrupted or possibly 
a hardware issue.
Press Caps Lock key to see if key light comes on. If it does, hold power button down for six 
7.  
seconds to shut down the computer and restart.
If it still doesn’t start, verify power button cable is connected properly to top case flex cable 
8.  
assembly and that the flex cable is connected correctly to the logic board, if power button is 
not functioning correctly or damaged, replace the top case.
Disconnect keyboard completely. Inspect connectors. Restart with keyboard disconnected.
9. 
Remove any additional RAM.
10.  
Try removing the AirPort Extreme card from its socket and start the computer. If it starts, 
11 .  
shut it down and check the flex cable connector and the connector on the logic board and 
replace the damaged parts.
Reseat these flex cables:  
12.  
• Left I/O flex cable 
• Hard drive flex cable (will boot to flashing folder) 
• Optical drive flex cable 
• Trackpad flex cable
If the computer starts up, inspect the flex cable connector and its connector on the logic 
13 .  
board for damage and replace the damaged parts.
Try known-good Left I/O board.
14.  
Replace logic board.
15 .   
						

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 188
Error Codes
The computer automatically performs a power-on self test when it is turned on after being fully 
shut down (not a restart). This section describes what to do if beeps are heard during the startup. 
When this occurs, the sleep LED will stay on—occasionally flashes.
MacBook Pro relies on a combination of tones and blinking sleep LED to display Power On Self 
Test (POST ) error codes.
If the computer detects no SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory, also referred 
to as RAM) or the RAM installed does not meet the appropriate specifications, the screen will 
remain black but the power LED on the front of the computer will blink once per second to 
signal the error. This error condition may be due to physically damaged RAM, installing the 
incorrect type of RAM, or not having RAM installed.
Some RAM may appear to pass the Power-On-Self-Test (POST ) but still cannot be used by the 
operating system. In this case, the computer will display a gray screen, sound three tones and 
blink the power LED on the front of the computer three times, pause, and repeat the blinking 
until the computer is turned off.
Related Knowledge Base articles: 
303083: Intel-based Mac Power On Self Test RAM error codes
Blue screen appears (a spinning disc cursor may also be visible),   
Prohibitory Sign appears,  
Restart dialog box appears (Mac OS X 10.2 kernel panic window), or Gray screen 
during startup 
						

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 18 9
Kernel Panic dialog box
Make sure all external devices are disconnected and any ExpressCard ejected. If kernel panic 
1.  
goes away, troubleshoot the external device by reconnecting each device until the panic 
occurs.
If there are two RAM cards installed in the expansion slots, remove the top card and restart.  
2.  
• If symptom repeats, replace bottom card with known-good RAM card.  
• If symptom does not repeat, replace top RAM card with known-good RAM card and restart.
For assistance in software troubleshooting, go to Knowledge Base article 106464: Mac OS X: 
Troubleshooting a Startup Issue. 
						

							MacBook Pro Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 190
Flashing question mark appears on the screen
Note: This system will only boot the Mac OS X system that shipped with this computer or later. It 
does not support booting into Mac OS 9.Start up from the MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install Disc 1 DVD that came with the computer 
1.  
(hold down the “C” key during restart).
When the Installer opens, from the Installer menu under Utilities, select Disk Utility.
2.  
When the Disk Utility opens, on the left hand side, all disk and volumes are listed. If you don’t 
3. 
see the internal hard drive, the system is not recognizing it. Skip to the next step. Otherwise, 
select the internal hard drive icon and follow the instructions under the First Aid tab to verify 
the hard disk, and repair if needed. Restart the computer.
If the hard drive is not recognized, check the hard drive flex cable for damaged connectors 
4.  
(connector peeled off the flex cable, for example), and if bad replace the hard drive flex cable.
Reseat the hard drive flex cable. If still not recognized, replace the hard drive.  
5. 
Important: If the computer is under warranty and data recovery is required, refer 
to Knowledge Base article 31077: DriveSavers: Hard Drive Data Recovery & Warranty 
Implications, for important information.
Reinstall system software using the MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install 1 disc.  
6.  
Note: Don’t forget to install both the Mac OS X and software. 
For assistance in software troubleshooting, go to Knowledge Base article  
88410: SMART: A Brief Description 
152349: Mac OS X 10.3: Replacing a disk before it fails
Computer begins to power up, the fans and hard drive are spinning, pressing caps 
lock key and LED turns on, but there is no startup chime or video
Reset the power manager. See new procedures under the “Resetting the Power Manager Unit 
1.  
(SMC)” heading in the Hardware Troubleshooting Tools and Tips section.  
Warning: Resetting the power manager will permanently remove a RAM disk, if present, 
and all of its contents. You will also need to reset the date and time (using the Date & 
Time system preferences pane).
Check all cable and flex connections to the logic board. Try restarting.
2.  
Replace the logic board.
3.