Published Date: 2011-10-13
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident happened in mid-2010 [Article 8600]. 2. The software failure incident happened when OS X 10.7 Lion was released in 2011 [Article 8599]. 3. The software failure incident happened in 2011 [Article 9181]. 4. The software failure incident happened in 2010 [Article 15818]. 5. The software failure incident happened in mid-2010 [Article 9182]. |
| System | 1. MacBook Pro systems from mid-2010 [8600, 8599, 9181, 15818, 9182, 19001] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Apple [8600, 8599, 9181, 9182, 19001] |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Users of mid-2010 MacBook Pro systems were impacted by the software failure incident causing black screens and system crashes [8600, 8599, 9181, 15818, 9182, 19001]. |
| Software Causes | 1. The software causes of the failure incident were related to problems with graphics drivers and aspects of the OpenCL framework, leading to black screens and system crashes on MacBook Pro systems from mid-2010 [8600, 8599, 9181, 9182]. 2. Apple's software updates, including video driver updates and OpenCL framework components, were aimed at addressing the black-screen bug but did not completely resolve the issue for all affected users [8599, 9181, 9182]. 3. The handling of dual graphics cards in MacBook Pro models from 2010 was identified as a software-related issue that led to the black-screen bug, prompting the need for third-party GPU management tools like gfxCardStatus to force the system to use only one GPU [15818]. 4. The software fix provided by Apple for the graphics-related errors in OS X Lion was considered more of a workaround than a true fix, suggesting that the issue may have been rooted in hardware despite software updates being attempted [19001]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Hardware problem with the graphics card and OpenCL framework [8600, 8599] 2. Faulty logic board leading to black screen issues [9181] 3. Handling of dual graphics cards in MacBook Pro models from 2010 [15818] 4. Automatic switch between graphics processors causing crashes [19001] |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident caused some MacBook Pro systems from mid-2010 to display black screens when waking from sleep or performing graphics tasks, leading to system crashes and unresponsiveness [8600, 8599]. 2. Users experienced frustration and inconvenience, especially when encountering the black-screen issue during critical tasks like presentations [8600]. 3. Despite Apple's software updates to address the problem, the issue persisted for some users, indicating that the updates did not completely resolve the issue for all affected systems [9181, 15818]. 4. The incident led to the need for users to install third-party GPU management tools like gfxCardStatus to work around the problem by forcing the system to use only one graphics card, potentially impacting system performance [8599, 15818]. 5. Some users had to resort to hardware solutions, such as logic board replacements, to fully resolve the black-screen issue, suggesting that the root cause might have been hardware-related despite software updates being provided [9181, 15818]. 6. The incident highlighted the challenges in diagnosing and addressing software-related issues that could potentially be masking underlying hardware malfunctions, leading to uncertainty in the effectiveness of software patches [9181, 19001]. 7. Users faced the dilemma of choosing between temporary workarounds, costly hardware repairs, or waiting for further software updates from Apple to mitigate the impacts of the software failure incident [19001]. |
| Preventions | 1. Performing thorough hardware testing before releasing the software update could have prevented the software failure incident by identifying any underlying hardware issues that were causing the black-screen problem [8600, 9181]. 2. Implementing a more comprehensive software testing process that includes testing the software update on a wider range of systems and configurations could have helped identify and address the issue before releasing the update to users [8599, 9182]. 3. Providing clear communication to users about the potential risks and limitations of the software update, including advising on potential workarounds or alternative solutions, could have helped manage user expectations and reduce frustration [15818, 19001]. |
| Fixes | 1. Installing the GPU management tool gfxCardStatus to force the system to use only one graphics card [8600, 8599, 9181]. 2. Running a general maintenance routine to clear hardware settings and system caches after installing the video update [8600]. 3. Using a third-party GPU manager utility like gfxCardStatus to avoid automatic switching between graphics cards [15818]. 4. Unchecking "Automatic Graphics Switching" in the Energy Saver system preferences or installing gfxCardStatus to manage graphics card usage [19001]. 5. Getting the system serviced, potentially requiring a logic board replacement [19001]. |
| References | 1. Apple's knowledgebase articles and updates [8600, 8599, 9181, 9182, 19001] 2. User reports and discussions on Apple forums [8600, 8599, 9181, 9182, 19001] 3. Third-party GPU management tool (gfxCardStatus) [8599, 9181, 15818, 19001] 4. Apple engineers investigating the issue [8599, 9181, 19001] 5. Apple's feedback page for users to report issues [19001] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: The black-screen bug affecting MacBook Pro systems resurfaced for users who upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion after experiencing it with OS X Lion [Article 19001]. This indicates a recurrence of the issue within Apple's products and services. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: The black-screen bug affecting MacBook Pro systems was reported by users running Windows via Boot Camp, suggesting the issue was not specific to Apple's OS [Article 8599]. This indicates a broader occurrence of the problem beyond Apple's products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to the development phases: - The incident of black screens on mid-2010 MacBook Pro systems was initially thought to be a hardware problem, but Apple addressed it with a software update that updated graphics drivers and aspects of the OpenCL framework [8600]. - Apple released software fixes for OS X Lion and Snow Leopard, which included updated video drivers and OpenCL framework components to address the black-screen issue on MacBook Pro systems [9181]. - Apple issued a software update to address a black-screen bug affecting MacBook Pro systems, but the update did not help all users, leading to suspicions that the issue may be hardware-related [15818]. - Apple acknowledged and released a video update to address a black-screen bug affecting mid-2010 MacBook Pro systems, suggesting the problem was software-based, but some users reported that replacing the motherboard fixed the issue, indicating a hardware root cause [9182]. - A graphics-related bug affecting MacBook Pro systems upgraded to OS X Lion was suspected to be hardware-related, and while Apple issued a software fix, it was considered more of a workaround than a true fix [19001]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to the operation phases: - Users affected by the black-screen bug on MacBook Pro systems found workarounds like using the GPU management tool gfxCardStatus to force the system to use only one graphics card, avoiding the automatic switching between graphics cards that led to the problem [8599]. - Users experiencing black screens on MacBook Pro systems were advised to install gfxCardStatus to manage the graphics cards and prevent the automatic switch between processors that triggered the issue [19001]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system, outside_system | (a) The software failure incident related to the black-screen bug on MacBook Pro systems from mid-2010 can be categorized as within_system. The incident was initially suspected to be a hardware problem, but Apple addressed it with software updates that included new video drivers and updates to the OpenCL framework [8600, 8599, 9181, 9182]. Despite the software updates, the problem persisted for some users, indicating that the root cause was within the system itself. Users reported that the issue continued even after applying the software fixes, and in some cases, logic board replacements were required to completely resolve the problem [9181]. Additionally, the incident involved the handling of dual graphics cards in the MacBook Pro models, further pointing to an internal system issue [15818]. (b) The incident also had contributing factors originating from outside the system. Users experienced the black-screen bug regardless of the operating system being used, including both OS X and Windows running Boot Camp [8599]. This suggests that the issue was not solely related to the software within the system but could be influenced by external factors such as system configurations or interactions with other software components. Additionally, the incident was exacerbated when users upgraded their systems to newer OS versions, indicating that external changes could impact the manifestation of the bug [8599, 19001]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident of black screens on MacBook Pro systems from mid-2010 was initially suspected to be a hardware problem, but Apple addressed it with a software update that updated graphics drivers and aspects of the OpenCL framework [8600]. - Apple released software updates for OS X Lion and Snow Leopard to address the black-screen bug, which involved updated video drivers and OpenCL framework components. While these updates helped many users, the problem persisted for some despite the new drivers being present [9181]. - A graphics-related bug affecting MacBook Pro systems upgraded to OS X 10.7 Lion resurfaced for some users after updating to Mountain Lion. The issue caused black screens and system freezes, and Apple issued a software fix that was more of a workaround than a true fix. The problem was suspected to be hardware-related, and logic board replacements were reported to fix the issue [19001]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - Users affected by the black-screen bug on MacBook Pro systems were advised to install a GPU management tool, gfxCardStatus, to force the system to use only one of its available GPUs, avoiding automatic switching between graphics cards that led to the problem [8599]. - Users were recommended to uncheck "Automatic Graphics Switching" in the Energy Saver system preferences or install gfxCardStatus to manage the graphics card usage and prevent the automatic switch between processors that triggered the issue [19001]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | hardware, software | The software failure incident related to the black-screen bug on MacBook Pro systems from mid-2010 can be attributed to both hardware and software factors: (a) Hardware: - The issue was initially suspected to be a hardware problem [8600]. - Some users found that replacing the logic board with a new one fixed the problem, suggesting a hardware root cause [9181]. - Users with the model identifier "MacBookPro6,2" experienced crashes and graphics-related errors, leading to suspicions of a hardware-related issue [19001]. (b) Software: - Apple released software updates that included updated video drivers and OpenCL framework components to address the black-screen bug [8600, 8599, 9181, 9182]. - The software updates provided by Apple were able to fix the problem for many systems [9182]. - Apple issued a software fix for the black-screen bug, although it was considered more of a workaround than a true fix [19001]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | non-malicious | (a) The articles do not provide any information indicating that the software failure incident was malicious [8600, 8599, 9181, 15818, 9182, 19001]. (b) The software failure incident described in the articles was non-malicious. The incidents were related to a black-screen bug affecting MacBook Pro systems, particularly the mid-2010 models, after performing specific tasks involving graphics manipulation or waking from sleep. Apple released software updates to address the issue, suggesting a non-malicious intent to fix the problem and improve system stability [8600, 8599, 9181, 15818, 9182, 19001]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions | (a) The software failure incident related to the black-screen bug on MacBook Pro systems from mid-2010 appears to be more aligned with poor_decisions, as Apple's software updates did not completely resolve the issue for all affected users. Despite the updates addressing the problem for many systems, some users continued to experience the black-screen problem even after applying the video updates from Apple [9181]. Additionally, some users found that replacing the motherboard with a new one of the same model fixed the problem, suggesting a hardware root cause [15818]. Furthermore, there were discussions indicating that the software updates provided by Apple may have just been masking a true hardware malfunction, making it easier for Apple to replace users' motherboards [9181]. This suggests that the initial approach of software updates may not have fully addressed the underlying hardware issues contributing to the black-screen problem. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence, accidental | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence: - The software failure incident involving black screens on MacBook Pro systems from mid-2010 was initially suspected to be a hardware problem, but Apple addressed it with a software update that updated graphics drivers and aspects of the OpenCL framework [8600]. - Despite Apple's software updates, some users reported that the problem persisted even after applying the fixes, indicating that the software updates may have only masked the underlying hardware issue [9181]. - Apple released software updates to address the black-screen bug on MacBook Pro systems, but some users found that replacing the motherboard with a new one of the same model fixed the problem, suggesting a hardware root cause [15818]. - The black-screen bug affecting MacBook Pro systems was acknowledged by Apple, and while software updates were released to address the issue, some users reported that the problem was not completely resolved, hinting at a potential hardware-based malfunction [9182]. - A graphics-related bug affecting MacBook Pro systems upgraded to OS X Lion resurfaced for some users after updating to Mountain Lion, with the software fix provided by Apple being more of a workaround than a true fix, indicating a potential development incompetence in fully resolving the issue [19001]. (b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally: - The black-screen bug on MacBook Pro systems was reported to occur after performing specific tasks like waking from sleep or manipulating graphics, suggesting that the issue was not intentional but rather an unintended consequence of system operations [8599]. - Users affected by the black-screen bug on MacBook Pro systems hoped that software updates would address the issue, indicating that the problem was not deliberately introduced but rather an accidental occurrence [8599]. - The black-screen bug on MacBook Pro systems was noted to happen regardless of the operating system being used, including Windows running Boot Camp, implying that the issue was not intentionally caused but rather an accidental occurrence [8599]. |
| Duration | permanent, temporary | (a) The duration of the software failure incident being permanent: - The software failure incident of black screens on mid-2010 MacBook Pro systems appears to have a permanent aspect to it. Despite Apple releasing software updates to address the issue, some users continued to experience the black-screen problem even after applying the updates [8600, 8599, 9181]. - Users reported that the problem persisted even after the software fixes had been applied, and in some cases, the issue only went away when the logic boards of the systems were replaced, indicating a potential hardware-based malfunction [9181]. - The software fix provided by Apple was considered more of a workaround than a true fix, and subsequent updates to the OS seemed to have undone the fix, causing the systems to experience graphics-related problems again [19001]. (b) The duration of the software failure incident being temporary: - The software failure incident of black screens on mid-2010 MacBook Pro systems also had a temporary aspect to it. Some users found that the initial software updates from Apple did correct the problem for many systems, providing a temporary solution [9182]. - The initial update released by Apple for OS X Lion addressed the black-screen bug for many systems, suggesting a temporary resolution to the issue [9182]. |
| Behaviour | crash, value, byzantine, other | (a) crash: Failure due to system losing state and not performing any of its intended functions - The software failure incident described in the articles involves crashes where the affected MacBook Pro systems show black screens and become unresponsive, requiring users to force a reboot [8599, 9181, 15818, 9182]. - Users reported experiencing kernel panics, where the screen fades to gray with a message stating the system needs to be restarted [19001]. (b) omission: Failure due to system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) - The black-screen bug causes the affected systems to not display any output on the screen, leading users to restart their systems and lose unsaved data [19001]. (c) timing: Failure due to system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early - There is no specific mention of timing-related failures in the articles. (d) value: Failure due to system performing its intended functions incorrectly - The software failure incident results in the system showing black screens and being unresponsive, indicating incorrect performance [8599, 9181, 15818, 9182]. (e) byzantine: Failure due to system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions - The software updates provided by Apple to address the black-screen issue had mixed results, with some users still experiencing the problem despite the updates [8599, 9181, 15818, 9182]. - Users reported that replacing the motherboard with a new one of the same model fixed the problem, suggesting a hardware-related issue despite Apple's software fixes [15818]. (f) other: Failure due to system behaving in a way not described in the (a to e) options - The software failure incident involves a persistent black-screen bug that affects MacBook Pro systems during specific tasks like waking from sleep and manipulating graphics, with some users experiencing crashes even after software updates [8599, 9181, 15818, 9182]. - The issue was initially thought to be hardware-related, but Apple provided software updates that partially addressed the problem for some users [8599, 9181, 15818, 9182]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property, delay, theoretical_consequence | The consequence of the software failure incident described in the articles is mainly related to property and delay. Users experienced black screens, crashes, and unresponsiveness on their MacBook Pro systems, impacting their ability to use the devices effectively. The software updates provided by Apple aimed to address these issues, but for some users, the problem persisted even after applying the updates. Users had to resort to workarounds like using third-party GPU management tools to mitigate the black screen problem ([8600], [8599], [9181], [15818], [9182]). There were no reported consequences such as death, harm, basic needs disruption, or non-human entities being impacted. Theoretical consequences were discussed, suggesting potential hardware issues underlying the software failures ([8600], [8599], [9181], [15818], [9182]). |
| Domain | information | (a) The software failure incident discussed in the articles is related to the information industry. The affected systems were MacBook Pro models from mid-2010 experiencing black-screen bugs when waking from sleep or performing graphics manipulation tasks [8600, 8599, 9181, 15818, 9182]. (b) The software failure incident is not directly related to the transportation industry. (c) The software failure incident is not directly related to the natural resources industry. (d) The software failure incident is not directly related to the sales industry. (e) The software failure incident is not directly related to the construction industry. (f) The software failure incident is not directly related to the manufacturing industry. (g) The software failure incident is not directly related to the utilities industry. (h) The software failure incident is not directly related to the finance industry. (i) The software failure incident is not directly related to the knowledge industry. (j) The software failure incident is not directly related to the health industry. (k) The software failure incident is not directly related to the entertainment industry. (l) The software failure incident is not directly related to the government industry. (m) The software failure incident is not directly related to any of the industries mentioned in options (a) to (l). |
Article ID: 8600
Article ID: 8599
Article ID: 9181
Article ID: 15818
Article ID: 9182
Article ID: 19001