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[dicebumlets]

Cary Grant is on my shitlist. My computer Cary Grant, that is. This evening it began making an unhappy fried buzzing sound, like something is clicking out of gear. it continued to work normally for a while and then got slower, finally refusing to respond to anything. Then it wouldn't restart past the grey screen and the little light on the very

Comments

[macapple]

To me, it sounds like your main logic board is failing. This is a hardware component in the machine that contains the processor, graphics card, I/O controller, USB and firewire ports and blah blah blah. Main logic board failure happens, and it probably wasnt something you did. Unless you spilled Bailey's, or your martini on your computer, or dropped it into a deep abbys, then its just caused by normal wear and tear. The main logic board in a portable computer fails sometimes, mainly due to heat, and extensive use. And it also is not a defect in the product. If main logic board failure were a defect in the machine, then I would be getting many more of these cases at my genius bar. This type of hardware issue is rather rare, but it does happen here and there.

What I need to know from you is: where is the buzzing coming from? Cause it could be your speakers or your fans making these noises. All you have to do is predent to be a doctor and put your ear on the speaker grills and listen if the speakers are making the noises. (If you come into my store, I use thes "unconventional" metods to diagnose machines. Fuck hardware tests when you have your ears!).

My suggestions right now are as follows: 1) Dont bother downloading norton updates because a virus would most likely not cause this. Viruses on the mac are so rare too, so its highly doubtful that some bug is screwing with your machine. 2) backup as much of your essential data as you can. Backup your user data (i.e. documents folder, pictures folder etc etc) to cds, dvds, external hard drives, and ipod, idisk...the list goes on. 3) If you have this, you can run AHT (apple hardware test) on your machine. AHT is loaded on the first restore CD that came with your computer. The restore discs are these gray CDs that came with your computer when you bought it. To run AHT, you put disc 1 into your cd slot, restart the computer and hold down the 'Option' key. Your computer will boot to a blue screen, and display these square "button" looking things with different icons. One will be your hard drive, the other will be a CD looking icon that says "Mac OS X Insall" and the other one will also look like a CD and have "Apple Hardware Test" written under it. After about a minute, your pointer will go from a clock (your computer is thinking) to an arrow, and click on "Apple hardware test" and press the button that has an arrow pointing to the right. This button is on the right hand side of the screen. From there, give the machine a good 2-5 minutes to load AHT. Then click the button "extended test." make a note of any errors that the machine may give you. When it is finished, click the button that says "Restart" and press and hold the mouse button. This sends a signal to the machine to eject the CD in your computer. Keep holding the mouse button down till the CD ejects.

Running AHT might provide you, me, and AppleCare as to what's going on with your machine, hardware-wise. And it is possible that the machine will pass the hardware test too...i've seen machines with hardware failure that pass the hardware test.

Once all this is done, report back to me, and I'll figure out what to do from there...i'll help you out as much as I can. You'll most likely need to call AppleCare as some point, but I'll instruct you to do so. If you need help with anything, I'm at work today, so you can call my store (301.951.6100 ex 5) and ask for me...i'm in till 7pm today. Or ring the mobile any time (for emotional support and whatnot) 301.233.1523. Hope this helps.

[dicebumlets]

Roman--thank you so much for your help thus far. I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you earlier, but I've been busy with the start of classes and with trying to back up my data. I'll probably call you later today or tomorrow afternoon after I've run AHT. Again, thanks so much. You rock. I should probably look up your email address so we won't be communicating through livejournal.