Screen goes black/stays black

[christopher allen]

I have a macbook from 2009 and for the past few months the screen will go black on startup, not come back until several repeated attempts of restoring the PRAM, and sometimes just goes black all of a sudden 20 minutes or so after I start using it. Once the screen is black, it will never come back up. In safe mode, it doesn't seem to do this. Please help, any advice is much appreciated.

 

[oldscribe]

Hi and welcome,

Have a feeling this could be due to faulty or failing RAM.

 

[christopher allen]

I did just get a new hard drive around December.

And thanks for the welcome.

 

[oldscribe]

Hi,

I still go with the RAM as in safe mode only three things really happen.

1) It forces a directory check of the startup volume.
2) It loads only required kernel extensions (and maybe a few items in /System/Library/Extensions).
3) It runs only Apple-installed essential startup items (you should find some of the items in/Library/StartupItems and /System/Library/StartupItems).
Thus using much less RAM so if you have a faulty stick it may not show while in safe mode.

But please remember re my NO3 that the startup items in the Library folders are different from the Login Items in the Users & Groups System Preferences pane.

Also have a look here re Apple hardware test.
http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_use_os_x_boot_options_troubleshoot_your_mac

 

[AndreaM]

I had a (black) MacBook around 2009 which had a fault with the backlight. It would mostly happen when I lifted the lid, awaking it. The screen would be bright when I started to lift the lid and then go black. Nothing I did would make any difference. Sometimes, when the lid was almost closed, the screen would light up again. I could sometimes keep the light on by lifting the lid very, very slowly. It wasn't until I noticed that I could just about see faint images of what was on the screen so I realised that it was a backlight problem.

It was still covered by Applecare so the entire lid and screen was replaced and that sorted the problem. Unfortunately, there was also another problem with serious overheating on that particular model and I updated it when I could before it died on me.