Mac won't sign, hangs, restarts. Help appreciated

Wilko121

Hey I hope I'm posting in the right place,

I'm having some reall problems with my Mac and it would be fantastic if anyone has some tips or an idea of what's going on.

It's a MacBook Pro, late 2011 unibody. Bought from a certified resseller and both ram and HDD have been upgraded.

Since the beginning it was a little troublesome, once every other week it would resboot randomly. No specific app that I know of but generally more graphics hungry. I considered an issue with GPUs overheating in the 2011 model but haven't gotten round to bringing in for a service.

My charger has been acting up here too, it's the cable it need to sit just right.
Because of that the battery has been draining full and the Mac powering off on empty, not ideal I know.

About two weeks ago, took a couple of tricks to get her on, can't quite remember what but when I did the date was off. Sounds like Pram (or cmos battery?) but there doesn't appear to be one installed.

Now the Mac won't boot past sign in, is hangs after the progress bar and the password.

It won't boot to safe mode (holding shift key at boot), it just loads to regular login page.

Aht works for about 1minute and finds a problem with ram(this was here form day one I'm sure)

Have tried have tried cmd r but the Mac reboots before the options page, have tried option cmd r but after its loads whatever it needs to from the network it reboots.

Reset SMC, reset pram.

It did login for some reason around here, I think I was in safe mode somehow too.
I launched a program assuming everything was a-ok.
Weird lines across the screen, blue screen. Reboot.

Hanging on login. Safe mode not working. Can't access disk utility.
Tried pram reset again, safe mode and nothing.

Just tried to boot in Safe verbose mode or all this text show up but seemed to not do anything.
I don't understand the trxt but I'll attach.


Next steps I'm gonna try is USB OS X update to Sierra.
FireWire to another Mac try and fix and backup.

any ideas or if this sounds like something help is def appreciated

Sad Professor

Bad or loose RAM can cause all the problems you describe and more. And since Apple Hardware Test is showing a RAM problem, I'd be inclined to deal with that first before considering the GPU or logic board. Try removing the RAM chips one at a time to find out which one is the problem.

Wilko121

Hey thanks for taking the time to read and reply.

Unfortunately I tried this first thing and boot still failed!

All ideas welcome

Wilko121

Update on attempting to enter single user mode to repair HDD, in goes into the black and white screen but when I release CMD R it loads to normal login.

Wilko121

Update.

Looks like its a known Apple Issue that had a repair program that ended last December.

I spoke with a Senior Advisor at Apple, the lady informed me that because I first contacted Apple 12 months ago with this rebooting issue they will happily extend the repair program for me.

Happy days.

I bring it to the shop, Tech runs his diagnostics and tells yip it's the known issue, he contacts Apple and they cannot offer the extension as the parts are considered vintage.

Now I'm down a Mac, and the diagnostic fee (60euros)

I contact Apple again, another senior advisor informs that the previous lady I was speaking with is away on leave but he will arrainge for someone to give me a call and discuss other possible resolutions.

I'm getting hopeful here that they may be able to find a part or replace my machine.

Third senior advisor calls and has no clue what the issue is or what options may be available to me. We got disconnected, I'm waiting patiently for a call back.



At this point am I legally entitled to anything?

The laptop was purchased two years ago refurbished from an authorised reseller in Australia.

I also checked my emails, looks like, I brought it into the Apple Store in Aus just after I'd bought it complaining about the rebooting, I thought it was a ram issue that the AHT had detected(ram was fine I had it replaced by Apple) it still gave rebooting issue, apples reasoning was that as it not a stock brand it may give that error.

It looks like it was the GPU(known issue with a repair program which has ended now) all along.

What to do?

whiterebel

Bought in Australia? Legally not entitled to anything, I wouldn't think. I'd say that's why they suddenly remembered they don't have parts. Even if it been bought in Ireland you would be getting to the end of the road for consumer protection. I suspect they may have helped you more if it had been bought from Apple in Ireland, especially if there had been a repair programme in place.

Sad Professor

Yeah, you purchased it in Australia, so you don't have any legal options in Ireland (assuming that's where you live now). If you were to make a claim, it would have to be made under Australian law against the Australian reseller. I don't know anything about Australian consumer law, so I have no idea whether you would still be entitled to do this.

I say keep dealing with Apple. The fact that they no longer offer hardware service on that model isn't your problem. They said they would extend the repair programme, so keep banging on about that until they give in. If necessary make a complaint in writing that you were told the machine would be repaired only for that offer to be withdrawn.

EyeCake

Apple extended a recall programme for me when my now 5 year old iMac failed 2 months after they ended a 4 year replacement programme. I was refused in their service centre but called Apple help and a very helpful Senior advisor listened to my argument that if they knew a part was faulty they should have just recalled the lot.
Good Luck but they do want to protect their reputation

Wilko121

Seems like even though I contacted apple while the repair program was active with the known issue and they did nothing they are not willing to repair or replace anything. 
Even though it was offered.
I even have to pay for the diagnostics. 
Does anyone think re installing the OS may help? (id have to tether it to another mac as I can't even get into the repair options).  I didn't to my best knowledge update the OS, but it was downloading. 
Failing that can anyone recommend a quality windows laptop? Maybe a dell precision?

Wilko121

I found a possible solution that envolves write access in single user mode, to do this is need to enable write access through terminal in recovery mode.
I think it's called disabling SIP.

Issue I'm having is that I ant access the terminal before the machine reboots.

Is there another way to disable SIP?

If I had my HDD in an enclosure and booted through USB can I access CMD R on that HDD?
Or should I say, access in normallu and then change the root to USB HDD?

Wilko121

Now this from single user

****[IObluetoothfamily][searchfortransporteventtimeouthandler] -- missing Bluetooth controller transport!

Disk1s1: device is write locked.
Airport_brcm4331::apple80211requestIocdisk1s1: device is write locked.