MacBook Air blank screen, no start-up and three beeps - but now fixed?

Hi - My MacBook Air 2011 11in 64GB wouldn't start up for the last three days. It was working fine, then the screen went bonkers and I turned it off by holding down the power button. When I hit the power button again, there was no start-up, the screen stayed black and there were three beeps, short delay, three beeps again. I Googled and it seemed that it was a RAM problem, so I was planning this morning to take the machine to Dr Apple. But just to be sure there was still a problem, I tried starting it one last time and it started up as normal and seems to be working fine now.
Should I still get it checked out? I had been travelling and using it in some pretty hot temperatures when it died, and it's now back at home where it's cooler - could the problem have been something to do with the heat, do you think?
Don't want to use it if I'm making a problem that's there any worse. Much appreciate any advice. Thanks.

Before taking it, run Apple Hardware Test. If your Mac came with an USB drive, insert it and press D key while your Mac is starting. Then, run an extended test and check if it shows a problem.
If your Mac didn't come with an USB drive, press Option and D keys while your Mac is starting and run an extended test. If you see an error message, copy it here

Similar Messages

  • Macbook pro: blank screen on start up? help!

    my macbook pro had a blank screen on start up. I tried restarting it and nothing worked. I could hear the computer running, but nothing would show up on the screen. When I would shine a light at the screen on start up I could faintly see the apple, but after startup it would go completely black. Then, off a whim, I tried plugging it in to our tv via an HDMI cord and it shows up now on the TV but still nothing on the computer display. How do I fix this?

    Can you try Command+S for Safe Mode boot? OS X Mavericks: Start up in safe mode
    What year/model is your MBP?
    You can also see Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on.
    SMC reset may also help - Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

  • HT1338 My MacBook air has loads of battery,about 90 percent earlier,but now I just have a blank screen

    My mac book air has loads of battery but I have a blank screen?

    Plug in the power adapter. Now can you get a display?
    If not, press the power button to turn off the Mac Then startup again.
     Cheers, Tom

  • MacBook Air does not finish start up and has a white screen, any suggestions?

    It seems like the start up disk is full, but I can only restart or shut down

    Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing the Drive
    Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
    Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
    When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list.  In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive.  If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
    Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
    Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
    Freeing Up Space on The Hard Drive
      1. See Lion's Storage Display.
      2. You can remove data from your Home folder except for the /Home/Library/ folder.
      3. Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on freeing up space on your hard drive.
      4. Also see Freeing space on your Mac OS X startup disk.
      5. See Where did my Disk Space go?.
      6. See The Storage Display.
    You must Empty the Trash in order to recover the space they occupied on the hard drive.
    You should consider replacing the drive with a larger one. Check out OWC for drives, tutorials, and toolkits.
    Try using OmniDiskSweeper 1.8 or GrandPerspective to search your drive for large files and where they are located.

  • Whenever I plugged in HP laserjet M1132 printer usb to my Macbook air,a screen pop-out "the disk inserted are not readable by this computer".I uninstalled

    Hi,I'm new here and I think my problem were discussed few times before.However,I tried to follow the solutions similiar to my condition but it does not work.My problem is whenever I plugged in the HP printer (Laserjet M1132 MFP) usb to my Macbook Air,a screen will pop-out and read as 'the disk inserted is not readable by this computer'.I even bought my Mac to the Mac store but the situation remains the same.Okay with other printer but not with my HP.Sigh.The HP printer worked just fine with other computers (not Mac).I'm really sick of it.Please help me.I once plugged in an external hard drive & started Time Machine with it.The printer problem started after that.However, the hard drive plug-in works just fine.
    Your attention of above matter is highly appreciated.Thank you.

    Here is what worked for me:
    I reset the System Management Controller on my MBA.  To do so requires shutting it down, keeping it plugged in to power (I also unplugged both USB connections), and then from a powered off state I simultaneously pressed Shift + Ctl + Option + Power (I did this once and it did not work so I tried again and did it 3 times just to be safe), then released them at once, then I pressed the power button.  Problem solved.
    http://macs.about.com/od/usingyourmac/qt/Resetting-The-Smc-System-Management-Con troller-On-Your-Mac.htm
    I also tried uninstalling the using the repair Disk Permissions with Disk Utility and moved the HP Printer software accessories to the trash (you can search the web for how to do that but that did not solve the problem either).  Neither of these options worked.

  • I've had my MacBook Air for not even a year and about 2 months ago i tried opening my Iphoto, but it continually sits with a blank screen and the loading wheel just spins. Someone help :(

    I've had my MacBook Air for not even a year and about 2 months ago i tried opening my Iphoto, but it continually sits with a blank screen and the loading wheel just spins. Someone help

    Option 1
    Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.
    If that fails:
    Option 2
    Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
    This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
    Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.  
    Regards
    TD

  • Every time i start my MacBook Air i get the spinning wheel and have to soft boot (shift, control, option, power) it three or four time s before it starts

    Every time i start my MacBook Air i get the spinning wheel and have to soft boot (shift, control, option, power) it three or four time s before it starts. It has only been over the last week or so I also found Safari will not load up and tyou have too open then shut from the drop down then restart it to get a page, any help pleas?

    Do this:
    Reinstall Lion, Mountain Lion, or Mavericks
         Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the
         COMMAND and R keys until the Utilities menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and
         after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears.
         Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
         Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
         Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
    After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list.  In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive.  If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
         Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks: Reboot from the Recovery HD. Select Reinstall
         Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks from the Utilities menu, and click on the Continue button.
         Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is
                    three times faster than wireless.

  • When starting the macbook pro, the screen was flashing black and white, then to color to color, any suggestion to fixing this problem?

    When i am starting the macbook pro, the screen was flashing black and white, and then to color to color, and the whole process repeat all over again, is there any suggestion in solving this, or is there no way to solve this and i need to bring it to the apple support?
    My computer Spec:
    Macbook pro Version 2011

    Sounds as if you're having a problem with your GPU (graphics card). Only Apple can diagnose and fix this, so the best thing would be to take your machine into your local Apple Store or an AASP.
    Clinton

  • Firmware update was done on my MacBook Air while connected to power source and now I cannot start up. It keeps shutting down. Any ideas??

    Firmware update was done on my MacBook Air while connected to power source and now I cannot start up. It keeps shutting down. Any ideas??

    Start by doing an SMC reset http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964 and see if that resolves it.

  • Cleaned files and apps with "app cleaner" and now MacBook Air turns off during start up. What happens? What can I do? Please help

    Cleaned files and apps with "app cleaner" and now MacBook Air turns off during start up. What happens? What can I do? Please help

    The "app cleaner" managed to do bad things to the file system so that it is unable to boot any longer.
    This is the primary reason I always recommend that any of those so called "cleanup" apps never be used. They do more harm then good.
    Try a safe boot by holding down the shifgr key when you hear the boot chime. Maybe that can fix the damage.
    Let us know what happens.
    Allan

  • Blank Screen after start-up chime, won't start

    I'm rather perplexed as to what's happened to my PowerBook. I'll run throught it
    PowerBook 12" 1.33 768
    Background:
    I've just updated it to 10.4.4, which caused it to get stuck at the Apple symbol and spinning wheel. I had to restart in single user mode and run applejack, restart again and it was fine.
    Recently the PowerBook started to not wake from sleep, I'd have hold down the power button then restart it. I thought it had done teh same thing today, but this time it makes the start-up chime but gets no further than a blank (dark, black) screen.
    I tried inserting the Mac OS X CD and start up holding down the C key, but still same blank screen (with the added benefit that I'm now unable to remove the CD)
    I tried plugging it into an external monitor, but nothing.
    I've tried resetting the Preference RAM and the PMU. With some limited success. On occasion after resetting the PRAM, turning it off then back on, it starts with something like a extra blow of air from the fan and white blank screen instead of a black one. It then won't turn off at all, the only way is to pull the power and the battery.
    I've noticed that when the ac adapter is plugged in and i've the white screen it flashes very quickly, orange.
    I tried starting in Tartget disc mode connected to an iMac, the disc doesn't appear.
    I tried starting up with an external firewire drive attached, nothing.
    I've tried starting holding the keys for open firmware mode, nothing.
    I've removed the AirPort card, no change.
    I removed the extra 512mb RAM with no change.
    The screen is clearly working, has anyone any ideas how to get it started?
    Any help would be appreciated, it's a second hand PowerBook and so has no AppleCare.
    Cheers
    Stuart

    I had the EXACT same problem happen to me, Stuartea71. My PowerBook crashed on the on Feb. 4th and I still can't figure it out. I had just dowloaded the 10.4.4 update, bought iLife 06, and ordered a new battery.
    I tried every single thing that you did above. I finally called customer support, and walked me through a few things which I had already tried, but she finally pin pointed something in disk utility that I missed. My disk would not mount. In red letters it said "failing." She told me that was a internal HD problem that needs to be fixed by a certified tech.
    I did something I'd never done before. I put my HD to sleep to optimize battery performance. I work with podcasts and downloaded a large file. Unfortunately I forgot my battery setting. I chalk it up as a lesson learned, and just bit the bullet and ordered a MacBook Pro.
    BTW... if you all customer service they basically read directly from the Apple Website. I paid $49 dollars for someone to tell me my mac was broken and send it in.

  • MacBook pro blank screen

    Blank screen on start up

    anyone experianced any similar problems as me and rebooter ??
    i just delivered my mbp to the apple retailer i bought it, and it will take about a month to get it back, didnt have time to try anything else, since ive basicly tried EVERYTHING already
    as i wrote, the screen is completly black, i can adjust the sound, the is NO start up chime, if i press CAPS LOCK it lights, and i can transfer files from it via firewire to my old macbook .. for me it sounds like the display is dead, but its very strange since it only happended after i upgraded the firmware, and mistakenly closed the lid in the process (as i wanted to view the screen on my cinema display instead).
    Thank you for your reply.

  • My MacBook Air has OSX Version 10.9 and suddenly I can no longer access iPhoto including all my photos on my computer.  I have tried to update iphote but the message says I signed on with a different password and I can't update.

    My MacBook Air has OSX Version 10.9 and suddenly I can no longer access iPhoto. THe message says, 'You can't use this version of the applicaitonn iPhot with this version of OS X.  You have iphoto 9.3.2." When I try to update iPhoto, I get a message saying I signed in with a different apple ID and password.  This all happened about the same time I got a new iphone.  The iPhoto icon has a circle with a line through it.

    southiechics wrote:
    HEY APPLE! We need help with this. I'm having the same problem. What gives?
    Start a new discussion and post it in the iPhoto forum.
    Ciao.

  • I'm getting the grey screen during start up and can't boot the computer. I did a cmnd R but worried it would automatically wipe my hard drive and reinstall OS.  Is there a risk at cmnd R will result in wiped HD without me actively making that choice?

    I'm getting the grey screen during start up and can't boot the computer - MacBook Pro with lion.
    I did a command r after doing some research but got nervous that it would automatically wipe my hard drive and reinstall OS.
    I was nervous because it asked me for language for software use before any options were presented (such as repair via disk utility). It looked similar to an OS install.So I powered off....Is there a risk at command r will result in wiped HD without me actively making that choice?

    Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions - Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion
    Boot to the Recovery HD:
    Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
    Repair
    When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list.  In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive.  If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported then click on the Repair Permissions button. When the process is completed, then quit DU and return to the main menu. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
    Reinstall Mountain Lion or Mavericks
    OS X Mavericks- Reinstall OS X
    OS X Mountain Lion- Reinstall OS X
         Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is
                    three times faster than wireless.

  • MacBook Pro Blank Screen (Built - in & External) - continued

    This thread is a continuation of [MacBook Pro Blank Screen (Built - in & External)|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1478474]. The thread was getting too long and some browsers were timing out.
    Thank you,
    Apple Discussions Staff

    I brought mine into the Apple Store last night. I had not left it for service last time as I had not cleared it of some confidential client data. This time, I encountered a much more knowledgeable Genius who seemed to have heard of the Nvidia problem.
    So, my MBPro is on its way to the depot. It will apparently be $310 total, flat fee, supposedly ready within a week.
    I do expect Apple will do the right thing eventually and extend warranties for the defective Nvidia subsystem. However, I can't wait until they do. I need my Macbook Pro to be functional.
    Again, my strong advice...
    *At the first hint you are getting this problem, turn on screen sharing.*
    If you have this specific Nvidia problem, you will still be able to access the machine remotely, which can be incredibly valuable in terms of saving data before you send it for repair. When you hand it over, you will initial a statement saying you have backed up your data and Apple is not responsible if the machine is wiped during repairs. Set up screen sharing so you can operate the machine during the Nvidia failure.

Maybe you are looking for