MacBook Pro (2010) Freezes After Waking From Sleep
Symptom: After waking your MacBook Pro from sleep, the computer is frozen or the video is badly distorted. You’re unable to control or shutdown the Mac. You have to power off the machine by holding down the power button. After restart, everything appears normal.
Mac Types: MacBook Pro 15″ & 17″
Likely Causes: This kind of freezing or distorted video is usually caused by overheating of the GPU or CPU. While in sleep mode, the Mac should not be running hot so this issue can be kind of tricky to diagnose.
Usually one of two things are happening. 1) The Mac is waking up with the lid closed causing the machine to turn on and potentially overheat, especially if it’s being transported in a laptop bag or case. 2) The graphics firmware is encountering a problem during the wake up sequence and the video components or logic board fail to work properly.
Solutions: The first step of course is to isolate the issue as best you can by fixing permissions, checking for Software Updates, and closing programs before sleep.
Next step would be to check and see if the MacBook is waking from sleep with the lid closed. This can be caused by a faulty sleep sensor which an AASP like MyService can replace.
If the issue persists, the MacBook Pro should go through the ASD tests that Authorized Service Providers like MyService provide. We can check the CPU and GPU under load and look for common errors that may point to defective logic components.
If your MacBook Pro is still covered under your Apple warranty, you should have the problem checked out before the expiration as it usually requires a logic board replacement. You may also want to look into purchasing AppleCare if the issue is intermittent.
MyService offers a free diagnostic that will test these components and offer solutions for repair or replacement.
[ MacBook Pro AppleCare Service ]
This is a major blow. Many solutions, none worked permanently so far.