My macbook pro screen blinks every 10 seconds

Is there any solution for a blinking screen?
Seems to be blinking about every 10 seconds, makes it very had to compose an email as when it blinks i will lose my typing ability.
I think it started around the time of the last OS upgrade.
Has anyone else experianced this problem?

I have the same issue with mine and sadly I missed the date to get Applecare on this machine (they usually call but this time around they didn't). ***** that I didn't get this resolved before my warranty ran out .. I'm certainly not going to shell out for a replacement motherboard out of pocket. I now use the 9600 graphics exclusively and can almost watch my battery drop by the minute.
On a side note I'm not very impressed with the quality control Apple has had with their portables in the last few years. I bought this unit refurbished and it took two units to get one that worked properly, and even then this one never did as it's had this video blinking issue since day one. The problem is I didn't really notice it until recently when I started using it running more often on battery and decided to use the mobile chipset to save battery time. This is the third MBP I've had and their 3rd MBP that's had motherboard issues.
When it comes time to replace this one I'm seriously considering going with a macbook air or something else. Can't justify spending the money on more MBP's with such terrible track records.

Similar Messages

MacBook Pro screen blinks

My new MacBook Pro display screen is blinking or flickering every few minutes now. I've only noticed it when I've switched to the integrated 9400M graphics processor. I don't recall seeing any blinks when using the discrete 9600M GPU. Usually it is only the top half or so of the display that blinks or flickers for a split second. Anyone else having the same problem?

Hi,
you can change the graphics chip via the systempreferences under the "energy saver" lightbulb icon.
In addition to earlier postings in this thread, I changed over to the faster graphics chip and the blinking and visual artifacts dissapeared. The good news is (at least for the moment) that when i changed back to the native chip the problems seem to have gone.
Another thought is that, after reading the link/article on malfunctioning N chips, the problem seemed to have to do with over heating, which to my mind seems illogical as i had usually had the problems directly after a (cold) start-up.
So considering that the problems dissapered after switching back and forth between chips and that the original problems occured while the comouter was still cold, does imply some sort of soft ware problem. Come on Apple, let´s have a fix.

Mid-2010 MacBook Pro Screen Blinks

Hello, the evening before going abroad, my MBP screen began to blink on and off to a black screen before returning to a temporary normal state. I have tried a PRAM reset and noticed that the boot screen runs fine with no flicker, but both the login and desktop screens blink? The battery is due for replacing soon, but I don't see the this having any impact on the screen blinking? I have searched for an appropriate EFI update but have not seen one
Has anyone come across this before on the 13"? Or has anyone got suggestions to resolve this issue?
Many Thanks in Advance!!!

I have the same problem with my late 2011 MBP 15
http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/160161/apples-2011-macbook-pro-lineup-suffering -from-sporadic-gpu-failures
It seems to be a common problem, and a pretty expensive one to fix. I am hoping to be able to use the consumer rights we have in Sweden to get it fixed for free.

Nvidia GeForce 9400M makes my MacBook Pro screen blinks

I am using a Macbook Pro 2.4MHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB 1067MHz DDR3.
That's the one with the Nvidia GeForce 9400M and the Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT.
Using the Nvidia GeForce 9400M, as my default video card, seems to make my screen blinks. That is random.
Apple's Hardware Test show no problems.
When I am using the Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT the screen blinks stops.
I am sure that all started after updating to Mac OS X Snow Leopard. I am currently running Mac OS X 10.6.5.
Is this a software problem or there is a problem with the Nvidia GeForce 9400M chip?
Does any is experiencing the same problem?
+the problem withe the screen blinking is quite old. I am mostly using my Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT as my default video card with no problem at all, but I want to be able to use my Nvidia GeForce 9400M because of the better battery life.
Any help will be valuable.+
Tom.

I have the same issue with mine and sadly I missed the date to get Applecare on this machine (they usually call but this time around they didn't). ***** that I didn't get this resolved before my warranty ran out .. I'm certainly not going to shell out for a replacement motherboard out of pocket. I now use the 9600 graphics exclusively and can almost watch my battery drop by the minute.
On a side note I'm not very impressed with the quality control Apple has had with their portables in the last few years. I bought this unit refurbished and it took two units to get one that worked properly, and even then this one never did as it's had this video blinking issue since day one. The problem is I didn't really notice it until recently when I started using it running more often on battery and decided to use the mobile chipset to save battery time. This is the third MBP I've had and their 3rd MBP that's had motherboard issues.
When it comes time to replace this one I'm seriously considering going with a macbook air or something else. Can't justify spending the money on more MBP's with such terrible track records.

Macbook pro screen blinks after connecting it to LED Cinema Display

Hello, just bought a 27 LED Cinema Display to connect my macbook pro 17 (early 2009).
Everything fine until today. After disconnecting my laptop to the display the screen of laptop blinks.
Never had this problem.
I would appreciate any help.
Thanks
Ignacio

...but I need to be sure that my macbook will not stop working if I leave the problem with the screen blinks.
Of course you do — we all need to be sure our machines will keep working properly. Unfortunately, there's never any certainty about that, even if one's machine is working perfectly right now. But if it's any consolation, I've seen nothing posted in these forums to indicate that the blinks commonly foreshadow anything worse, so I think you can be reasonably confident that your machine isn't at the start of a predictable course of deterioration.

Macbook Pro screen blinks - Possible solution

I have a MacBook Pro and the display screen blinks randomly. I changed Energy Saver in System Preferences from "Better battery life" to "High performance" and it seems to have solved the problem -- the screen no longer blinks. Just wanted to share this with other users.

Follow these documents.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509

Macbook Pro Screen blink with Genius bar. What should i expect?

Hello!,
I have to say in my almost 20 years of being a mac user i've never had a problem with any of my mac's. I now have a minor issue with a brand new Macbook Pro that i bought on New years day. The screen has an odd blink on the upper 1/3 portion of the screen. So i've decided to make an appointment with my local Apple store to show it to a genius. I was actually able to capture the blink on video so that i can show it to the genius.
Now my concern. If its a software issue, thats fine, i'll wait for a patch. But i feel weird about Apple fixing the machine. I feel like the laptop will lose its "magic". The receipt said there is a 14 day return policy, i guess im over that otherwise i would have paid the restocking fee to get a brand new one. Do you think I am just being dumb?

Rany,
This is a support forum. Your question isn't really something that anyone that here can answer. Only someone that knows you will be able to say if you're being "dumb"
Of course it's a bummer when you get a brand new computer... especially a high end one like a MacBook Pro... and you find you have a problem with it. Apple's service has always been among the best. If you do have a hardware issue... bring it in and have them take care of it for you. If you get it back and discover there is something more wrong with it than when you brought it in, then address it. I wouldn't not get it serviced for fear of it losing its "magic". If you're just slightly over your return period... there's no harm is asking them if they would be willing to replace it. There's no guaranty that they will, but they have the flexibility to do so. The worst case scenario is that they fix the one you have.

MACBOOK PRO GOES BUSY EVERY 5 SECONDS

MACBOOK PRO MID 2012
CORE i7 2.3 GHZ
QUAD CORE
4 GB RAM
JUST INSTALLED MOUNTAIN LION
THE MOUSE CURSOR BECOMES UNRESPONSIVE EVERY 5 SECONDS!
EVERY 5 SECOND LATER THE MOUSE WONT MOVE AND WONT WORK!
SAME HAPPEND WHEN TYPING !
HAVENT INSTALLED ANY THIRD PARTY APPLICATIONS OTHER THAN OFFICE.
WHAT TO DO NOW?
PLEASE HELP !

Intel-based Apple Portables: Troubleshooting unresponsive trackpad issues
Portables and Magic Trackpad: Jumpy or erratic trackpad operation
Typing in caps is considered shouting and very hard to read.

Macbook Pro Turns off every two seconds

Macbook Pro keeps turning off every two seconds, not completely, it just goes to sleep, I cant even log in cause it just turns off, i really need help, someone please help me!?

It would be helpful if you indicated the model/year MBP that you have and the OSX.
Perform SMC and PRAM resets;
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295
http://web.archive.org/web/20140711222006/http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379
Then try a Safe boot:
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262
If no success, make an appointment at an Apple store genius bar for a free evaluation.
Ciao.

MacBook Pro screen blinks (Some new questions to ask)

Hello everybody, I have exactly the same problem:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1807105&start=480&tstart=0
My laptop is out of warranty, the Apple service in my country (Bulgaria) is very poor and I want to get the things in my hands. I have some questions:
1) My laptop display bliks - ok, its alright, maybe anoying but everything else works. Is it a problem to work with the display blinks or after few months my laptop will have other problems or will stop working?
2) Is it possible to found parts on the internet and repair it. Someone told me that I can found the needed parts on ebay but I see only logic boards for over 700$ I have only this issue with my laptop - the screen blinks, everything else is fine.
I'll be happy to hear some opinions from users who already have solved this problem. Thanks

...but I need to be sure that my macbook will not stop working if I leave the problem with the screen blinks.
Of course you do — we all need to be sure our machines will keep working properly. Unfortunately, there's never any certainty about that, even if one's machine is working perfectly right now. But if it's any consolation, I've seen nothing posted in these forums to indicate that the blinks commonly foreshadow anything worse, so I think you can be reasonably confident that your machine isn't at the start of a predictable course of deterioration.

Macbook Pro, one beep every 3 seconds.

Hi,
All of a sudden getting one beep every 3 seconds. Reseated the RAM, ried each module alone and reset the PRAM. Any help is appreciated.
Pat

Hello Patrick Campagnone,
Go through the below link as according to the below Apple Support kb " 1 tone, repeating every 5 seconds: This indicates no RAM is installed".
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5860?viewlocale=en_US
If you have an option then also try Interchanging the Ram to a different port as well from where it is currently placed and still if the issue persist as you have already tried with one Ram at a time then the best option would be take a Genius Bar Appointmennt and get your Macbook Checked.

Macbook pro screen dims after waking from sleep?

Does anyone know why my macbook pro screen dims when waking from sleep or waking from my screen saver? I can't get it to stop doing this. Thanks.

It sounds like I have the same thing happening. It's more like the colors are washed out, like there is less contrast. I have a hot corner set up for my screen saver. Once I activate the screen saver for a second and then deactivate it, the Macbook screen goes back to normal. I have a 30" Samsung 305T monitor set up as a second (main) screen for when I'm working at home, which is most of the time. I haven't had it unplugged from the Macbook since this started, so I don't know if it happens by itself. I do know that the Samsung looks fine when waking up from the screen saver at the same time.
I tried to find others with this problem in this forum, but got tired of looking through all the other posts that had nothing to do with this problem.
Can anyone help us?

Small MacBook Pro screen scratch: Are they normal for a 2+ year old computer?

Hello,
I am writing about a topic that may have been mentioned around on these forums multiple times, scratches on the MacBook Pro screen display. In August 2010, I bought my 2010 MacBook Pro and since then I have been very careful with the screen by avoiding to touch it and clean it around every two to three months. However, today, I was cleaning my MacBook Pro screen and a way I examine the screen cleaness is by placing my iPhone 4S LED flash light illuminating the screen which shows the smudges and dirt that the screen has. Unfortunately, today I found 2 scratches on my MacBook Pro screen which run horizontally, these scratches are very small at around 1mm in lenght. They are not noticeable when the screen is on, which is why the scratch may have gone undetectable up until today when I used my iPhone's LED.
Off course I am a little dismayed because through all my carefullness when I clean the screen (I use a gentle up and down motion to clean the screen), still I was not able to prevent a screen scratch. When I close my MacBook Pro, I still use the plastic material that came on top of the keyboard to avoid any contact of the screen and the keys; I always shake that plastic material before placing it on top of the keyboard . So here's my question is it normal for a almost 2.5 year old computer to have two small scratches as the one I am speaking about.
I did find the screen bezel at Amazon and I may buy one as a spare and store it in a secure place and use it if there are more pronounced screen scratches.
Thanks in advance for any answers and suggestions to my predicament.

Thomas A Reed wrote:
I have a 2010 MacBook Pro. I do not take any care to put anything in between the keyboard and screen... I just use it as it was made to be used. I don't take any particular care when cleaning the screen... often, it's just rubbing off a fingerprint with my sleeve or the tail of my shirt. No scratches whatsoever.
How your screen got scratched is not something anyone here can answer. We can speculate, at most, but that's not likely to be very useful. I'd recommend not putting anything between the screen and keyboard when closing the machine. That could very well be the cause of the problem, if something got stuck to that material when you closed it between keyboard and screen.
Thanks for the suggestion... I will apply these changes to my MacBook Pro's storing procedure and remove the plastic out of the equation. What bugs me is the fact that because the scratch is 1mm long and horizontal it tells me that a force dragged the material. The only thing I can recollect is when one time a family member accidentally passed close to my MacBook Pro with his headphone jack disconnected and hanging, unfortunately the metal part scraped over the screen but there were not scratches to detect. The impact area as I recollect is close to the scratch but the force of the impact and travel distance was not something as forceful to create such damage. Maybe the plastic is the culprit which makes me feel disappointed because I was using it to avoid problems rather than creating one. Anyways, I think I'll buy a spare bezel for my MacBook and in case there are more future and pronounced scratches, I will send it to repairs to an Apple Authorized Service Provider and give them the bezel.

On starting up, my macbook pro shuts down after 25 seconds of booting up.

Hi there. On starting up, my macbook pro shuts down after 25 seconds of booting up. The time bar comes on for a while before it simply goes blank and switches off without any notification. Battery iappears charged. Could it be a virus? Help please!! O

Reinstall Lion, Mountain Lion, or Mavericks without erasing 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
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.
Reinstall Mountain Lion or Mavericks
OS X Mavericks- Reinstall OS X
OS X Mountain Lion- Reinstall OS X
OS X Lion- Reinstall Mac OS X
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet
if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

Apple logo blinking every 3 seconds - nothing to do with iphone

Hi all!
I was using my iPhone, with its battery more than 70%, but suddently it tuned off by itself. I tried restarting though on/off button and home button, but it didn't start. I tried recharging and it didn't work as well. When I tried to connect to iTunes, the phone was not detected as usual. Then, the screen only showed the apple logo blinking every 3 seconds. I also tried updating my itunes, yet it still had no effect. Any other advice how to solve this problem? Thanks.

Force the phone into recovery mode, as described here, & restore it:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1808
If that doesn't work, make an appointment at any Apple store.

My macbook pro screen blinks every 10 seconds

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for