macbook turning itself off

Did you cut the bit where you throw it out the window? That would seriously piss me right off.

Looks to me like you've got a hardware fault. I don't think anything system related would cause an immediate shutdown unless there was a firmware update maybe or something affecting the tenperature control. One way to check is to reinstall OS X from your system disc. I would do that before taking it for repair.

You already reset the power management unit, right? I thought I saw the front light flashing that.

To reset the PMU on a MacBook:

MacBook, MacBook Pro

If the computer is on, turn it off.
Disconnect the AC Adapter and remove the computer's battery.
Press and hold down the power button for 5 seconds and then release the button.
Reconnect the battery and AC Adapter.
Press the Power button to restart the computer.

Im glad to hear someone else is reporting this. Im having the same problem. It started about a week ago; Ive had the Macbook for a month. The first two times it happened I was in denial about it and refused to admit there was a problem, but it has been happening more and more lately and I am not amused!

The only culprit I could imagine was bad memory (I upgraded to 2gig two days after I got it), but that was weeks ago and there is no pattern to the shut downs that one could attribute to memory use. Long ago I had a memory chip that went bad on my desktop (after years of use) but the problem only occurred when I launched one too many applications and effectively called on the available memory (chip).

There is no such discernable pattern with the Macbook. It shuts off on its own with or without applications open and sometimes even shuts down when it is in the middle of restarting from a prior shutdown. Basically, I never know when or if it will stay on or for how long.

Also, I can no longer open activity monitor; the application refuses to launch.
How widespread is this problem? Can this be fixed with a firmware update? I'll try the suggestions above.

I had an old (not that old actually) Dell laptop with a P-4m (first version of the "mobile" chip with speed step) that did the random shutdown thing for a few months before I put it out of my misery. It was related to the processors internal thermal protection. 190 degrees F and the thing shut itself down. Of course, both fans were broken and the heatsink wasn't fully intact anymore...

Long story short, don't throw laptops. Period. Also, check the temperature of the processor and make sure it isn't getting too hot. Those chips are set to bail before they get too hot (and in reality, it is usually after they get too hot, as I found out).

I followed the tips above and the 'turning itself off' problem is still happening!

In the discussions on the Apple support site there are several people including myself with this problem. They are being told it's the logic board. I have always had Pro series notebooks until now but remember my wife's logic board problems with her G3 iBook and I am very upset. This sucks. I have lost a ton of work this week. Oh, and I went back to 10.4.6 because from what I have seen 10.4.7 bites.

I hope it's not a logic board thing again. I had a logic board failure on an ibook G3 too and shortly afterwards I got rid of it. I got it replaced under Apple's extended repair program because it was in a bad batch but I'd heard that some people's logic boards had to be replaced multiple times and I wasn't having it.

I would say it's either temperature (running too hot) I've heard some say that comps are doing randow shutdowns and it has been founded that for some it is because the MB or MBP is overheating OR Logic board

Either way as you said, it shouldn't be happening. TAKE IT BACK

It just happened again. Shut down without warning or apparent cause.

I tried twice to restart and it shut itself off again within two seconds. I waited a minute and the third time it started up. This is really annoying. Im traveling right now and cant do without my computer, but when I get back home Im going to call it in and probably take it back to an apple store. This is probably the 7th or 8th time this Macbook as shut itself off.

This is my 6th Apple computer and my 5th Mac. Obviously, I am a loyal customer, but this is wholly unacceptable!

have you talked to Apple support yet about this issue?

You should if you haven't.

Good luck!

My box came today to send my MacBook to Apple for repair for this issue. This problem is very wide spread and I fear it will be the iBook logic board all over again. Of course I can't send mine out since I am in LA this week and the box is in NY!!! As of right now it powered off 3 times this morning but has been on all day. I have not shut the lid which I think that when it goes to sleep causes a lot of the problem.

Logic boards behave oddly when they are broken or in the process of breaking. There's not really a cure. When my logic board was going, I had the notion that by plugging my laptop into an external display it fixed the issue because it seemed to work for a few hours. Then it broke again and I'd find another cure. Eventually, it just stopped working such that nothing made any difference.

The solution is to get it replaced under warranty and for Apple to stop using such crappy boards. I don't really hear of other laptop manufacturers having logic board failures much, even Dell, and I presume they are using cheaper components.

Dude, why are you still talking about this and trying little solutions for "making it happen less often". This should not be happening, period! Take it back. They will give you a new one/replace whatever is screwy. You have to still be in warranty.

Three shut downs today. I am not amsued!

twice again just now!

Less often is not acceptable. It shouldn't happen period. Get it fixed.


You too.

I had a HD that made a clunking noise every so often and it would just freeze the system. It wouldn't happen much (once a week) so I let it go because I didn't want the hassle of taking it back plus I didn't want to look stupid if nothing was wrong.

I stuck with the flaw for nearly a month and near the end, I had found ways to get it to work. If I left my machine unplugged for about an hour, it worked again for a few days. As always, there came a day when eventually it was nearly impossible to use. I got an external FW drive and that drive worked fine.

I got the internal HD replaced within 3 days under warranty and I wondered to myself why I had put up with a month of frustration. Don't do the same thing.

Exactly! You'll feel much better afterwards.

Haha, it's a funny coincidence that the two dudes with problems both have "bay" in their screennames. Not sure what the significance is.

I'm still traveling but when I return home, I'll take it back to the store for repair/replacement. Other people are having the same proglem and talking about it in Apple's forums.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....44012&tstart=0

Well here I am replying to this on my Dell which has been abused like crazy without ever failing as my MacBook sits in Memphis with the repair on hold awaiting parts. WTF?! After many many products and quite a few problems not to mention over $20K in Apple product purchases I am pretty much done. The MacBook let me down when I needed it the most. Ironically I was supposed to show it to my boss this past week so he could consider switching 1200 laptops to Macs. Needless to say he was not impressed. I have owned at least 7 Dells, 8 Thinkpads, and 7 Powerbooks, 2iBooks, and 1 MacBook. I have never had a warranty issue with a Dell or a Thinkpad but have had 3 Powerbook issues(2Displays and HD not to mention the battery recall), 1 iBook logic board replaced twice, and now the MacBook logic board. Hey Steve! Get it right! Oh and if I did have a problem Dell and IBM would send someone to me! This is really pathetic.

That looks really bad on Apple's part. Hardware is hard to judge though because although I had an ibook logic board failure and a HD failure, the PCs in the office compared to the Macs seem to fail much more regularly. We are switching them all gradually to Macs.

It would have been nice if you had been able to convince your boss to get 1200 Macs. At least then we'd see if there were major issues with the machines.

Interesting thread. My old iBook had the motherboard replaced three times and still had problems. My old PB had the motherboard replaced twice and the issue was not resolved; they replaced the machine (which I suggested the first time as it was within three months of purchase) and it has worked fine for two years (except being able to heat large portions of Antarctica in winter). My original G5 dual 2.0 was DOA twice, then the replacements machine had its motherboard replaced three times (again I demanded a new machine each time to no avail) and was finally replaced, almost two years after purchase and many, many, many hours on the phone to AppleCare and weeks of computer downtime. The PCs at my old school and my new office all work perfectly and have so for many years; the only computers we have had that have failed have been Apples.

Apple really seems to have a serious problem wit this and it keeps recurring. Yes, there are lots of happy people out there, but there are some who really get punched by the rotten Apples and the defensive service.

Apple Japan finally sent me a good computer that has worked well for over a year, but not until I threatened to ask a customer protection group here to invesitigate whether Apple was knowingly selling defective machines and then refusing to service them (as a local reseller had suggested they were before refusing to sell Apple products). Even so, it took them two months to prepare the machine for me - two months without a computer that I spend nearly 3000 dollars for! The Dell at work held me over, and has never had a problem in five years.

Steve Jobs: you have the cash; use it to thoroughly check your machines before shipping them so that they actually "just work" like you advertise, and please provide better support.

Its still turning itself off.

Yesterday, I took it to my local Apple store and it shut off several times at the genius bar. The clerk ran Disk Utility on it; I assured him that was not the problem but that seemed to cure it long enough for them to get rid of me.

When I returned home it shut off again a few times. I took it back today and they are keeping it/sending it out for repair/replacement. Remember, this machine is just two months old. I should have a working Macbook delivered to my house in 7-10 days according to the clerk. Fair enough.

The clerk told me that there would be a $150 charge for backing up the data assuming I wanted it backed up. I told him that was ridiculous given that this machine is A) barely two months old and B) I would have backed it up myself but it wont stay on long enough to do so. I declined the back up.

Now, I ask you, should any customer be charged a fee for work (including backing up data) on a two month old machine? This is my 5th Mac and 7th Apple product so its not like Im an Apple basher, but charging for a backup in this circumstance is pretty shitty. If I were a switcher Id go back to PCs following this experience.

Shame on you Apple.

Nobody on the PC side will back your stuff up without charging you either. This is not an "Apple" thing. Everyone is responsible for their own data. If you say you can't backup because it shuts off, that's not an excuse at this point because that means you have never done it, or you have and don't need a current backup. No manufacturer assumes responsibility for your data. As the hard drive sizes swell in size, so does the customers data. If you have 40-50 gigs worth of video/music, and other stuff, how do you expect them to backup the data? DVD's? Takes hours as there is no native spanning capibility for that purpose built in. So they manually have to be split up. Another hard drive is the likely option. Buty then they have to take the time to take your drive out, put it in another machine, transfer data to an external drive, then put the drive back into the broken system. Ship it off for service. The when they get it back, connect the external and take the time to copy all that back. That effort deserves a fee, especially for folks that don't want to be bothered with backups in the first place.

Them backing up data is time consuming and an inconvenience, but no more of an inconvenience for a customer who has parted with $1500 for a machine that worked for a month. Now I have to go without the Machine for what will likely be at least two weeks.

I think charging any fee for fixing a month old machine is shitty.

As it happens, my data IS backed up, but I dont think asking them to return the Macbook to me with the hard drive intact or the data cloned without a fee is unreasonable. I dont think many people would be anxious to buy a Macbook if they knew about these kinds of policies in advance.

I'd like to see this in the fine print for Apple's macbook ads.
*"by the way, if your computer fails one month from the date of purchase, we will charge you a $150 to preserve/restore any data on your drive when you bring it in for repair."

"It just works."

See #1 here: http://www.apple.com/getamac/

False advertising?

If your computer fails within one year, they should fix it for free, no questions asked.

In this case... I tend to think that a little "pushing" may have gotten a free back up. Apple almost always does the right thing. Sometimes you just have to escalate the issue. The Mac Genius at the store may simply have been quoting you the standard back up cost. It's not likely he/she has the authority to waive that. Don't forget... the only thing in an Apple store is Apple products (well... mostly) and Apple customers or potential customers. They really don't want to have someone making a stink about something like that. Sometimes you just have to be the "squeaky wheel". The worst that can happen is you'll end up where you started... the best is that you'll get what you wanted.

Why does it need to be so difficult? If they just made quality goods and offered grseat service from the start, everyone would be happier.

What you suggest is that two different customers might get charged different rates for the same repair at the same shop on the same day. That sucks.

You can't really give entry level employees free reign to waive fees when they want (they'll have all their friends come in, etc.). There needs to be some over site. While it would be nice for every company to always do what's best for the customer... it becomes too easy for customers to take advantage. It's appropriate for someone to make a case by case call in situations like this.

You Apple apologists need to remember one thing: this is a brand new product that cost $1500 yet worked for only one month. By any measure that is inexcusable! The company should be falling over itself and bending over backwards to ensure my (or anyone else's) satisfaction.

This is not an isolated problem. Many people have experienced it and many more have written about it online. I am certain Apple knows about it though they have yet to publicly acknowledge it as they have the discoloration issue one white macbooks.

Based on what I've been reading I'm fairly certain this is some sort of logic board problem in the initial runs of macbook. I'm also fairly certain they will simply send me a new machine.

Here's what they should have done when I came into the store the second time: apologize, test the mac for software glitches, viruses, etc. offer to swap my bum machine for a new one (same ram & HD configuation) and offer to clone the data from the old drive to the new one. Apologize again.

Ideally, they would give me a new Nano for my toruble since they are now giving them away. Had I waited to buy one more week, I would have gotton a free Nano and probably a macbook that wasn't DOA.

mbaynham:

What have you done with your malfunctioning macbook?

Did you get it repaired? Replaced?

How long did it work correctly before the problem surfaced?

How much memory do you have?

If you upgraded your memory was it done at the factory or did you do it with third party memory?

This is happening to me too. I can't send my macbook in for repair right now 'cause I'm in the process of moving accross the country.

What I found is mine only does it when it's been asleep for long peroids of time. If I just shut down and then start it up when I want to use it it's perfectly fine. I ripped 4 DVDs today with no problems.

If you can't get it fixed right now, try just shutting down rather than sleeping. I'd like to know if this works for anyone else, or if I'm living on the edge of meltdown...

Expectations are pretty high when it comes to Apple. You spend $1500 on a computer and insist that there not be any failure?? Then some of you want them to be held responsible for data? I spend $60,000 on a Mercedes and don't get that kind of guarantee. Sucks that you're having a problem, but this isn't Mayberry in the 1960's. Every company out there is trying to squeeze the buck. Quality has declined over the years with computer equipment because nobody wants to spend $5000 on a computer anymore. That's why Dell sells desktop systems for $499. Think those are the same quality as the ones from a few years ago?