Macbook problem - this is a complicated one...
MacBook Pro - snow leopard - 15inch, 2.53ghz dual mid 2009
I've been using macs for some 20 yrs, this current machine has served me well for some 5+ years, so I consider myself an experienced user, I'm totally at home with mac gear, fitting ram, hard drives etc etc (the machine is factory standard, apart form a new hard drive fitted as an attempt to resolve these problems)
The problem started last week when the spinning beachball appeared on startup when one enters the password/selects the user. No matter what, the ball persisted. I reset, pram, nvram, smc, reinstalled all my files etc from a time machine back up, all to no avail. Any and all peripherals have been detached to check it wasn't a conflict issue there, even the apple power cable.
Days have been spent on this. I've run the apple hardware test (extended) on the utilities disk - all ok. I've run diskwarrior, techtool pro deluxe, onyx.... all find no hardware faults whatsoever - only software ones: minor file issues which have all been resolved without issue.
I've reset permissions, disk verification etc..
Then I've 100% erased the disk and reinstalled the entire system software and then it would start up, but hang once one it got part way through the numerous questions - eg: select language, country, etc..
I then installed a different hard drive - a new hitachi 1tb disk 7200rpm. At the same time I used a blower to remove any fan dust etc while the machine was open. All system software installed ok, but again it stalled with the beachball at the select country etc stages (I was not trying to transfer any data from another mac/time machine backup, rather going for a clean new install).... Faced with this failure I selected the option that I wanted to move data from a time machine back up instead and this time it worked, but again the machine hung on startup after the time machine back up had completed.
Then when starting up the machine it would hang at the password stage, or startup and then when the desktop appeared hang, or once it made it even further allowing me to boot up software programs but later froze. Now its back to hanging on the password/user startup page.
So everything has been reset, clean installs, thorough hardware testing, software conflicts ruled out as I've done totally clean installs purely from apple original dvds, rest every parameter. Run every diagnostic I can find and ruled out the idea its a secondary minor battery issue as I believe these MacBooks do not have a small battery to remember minor things rather using a capacitor charged from the main battery.
Perhaps its a very random breakage somewhere, fractured solder etc, but would prefer not to buy a secondhand tested logic board and tentatively install when the issue may not be this at all.
Finally the ram is the original apple installed units and has passed every diagnostic test...
So any ideas would be appreciated... many thanks
Hi, Kairty,
I see you're new here. This is a user-to-user forum. Apple tech support doesn't actively participate. It's a big holiday weekend for many people so, it may take a little while for someone to get over Xmas dinner, log on, see your post and know what the answer is. You can contact Apple directly using the info found through the link "Contact Us" which is found at the lower right of every page.
You might also try searching for your problem in search box that appears under the words "Search Discussions" (as opposed to the one at the very top of the page).
Happy New Years!
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Cheers!Hi, Kairty,
I see you're new here. This is a user-to-user forum. Apple tech support doesn't actively participate. It's a big holiday weekend for many people so, it may take a little while for someone to get over Xmas dinner, log on, see your post and know what the answer is. You can contact Apple directly using the info found through the link "Contact Us" which is found at the lower right of every page.
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