macbook turning itself off

mbaynham · July 8, 2006 9:21AM

my macbook keeps turning itself off. first of all it only did it once a day, now its more than 5.

i have noticed that it has only happed since i started running 10.4.7. i dont know if it coincidence, or if it is linked to the update. i have tried running it without the battery, and it still happens, so it cant be that.

do you guys have any ideas on what it could be. if it continues after the next firmwire update, then i will be taking it back and demanding a new one.

thanks

mbaynham · July 8, 2006 11:01AM

UPDATE:

ive put a video on YouTube.

click on the link to watch it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8A1SzUKCko

Marvin · July 9, 2006 3:56AM

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.

lundy · July 9, 2006 1:45PM

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.

mbaynham · July 9, 2006 1:57PM

i've re-instaled 10.4.7, coz i had the one with the missing files, and reset the power management thingy, and so far so good, no random shutdowns

thanks for all the pointers

ill let you know how it all goes

cheers

baygbm · July 9, 2006 11:56PM

I?m glad to hear someone else is reporting this. I?m having the same problem. It started about a week ago; I?ve 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.

acr4 · July 10, 2006 12:45AM

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).

baygbm · July 12, 2006 12:09PM

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

mbaynham · July 15, 2006 7:18AM

just a quick update

after i re-installed 10.4.7 and reset the pmu it has only turned itself off 3 times,

this is better, but it still shudnt happen

greggwsmith · July 15, 2006 4:39PM

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.

Marvin · July 16, 2006 3:38AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GreggWSmith

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.

mcnewbie · July 17, 2006 10:56AM

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

mbaynham · July 17, 2006 11:24AM

it wasnt heat. i think it may be the logic board, as if i reset the PMU it stops it for a while, but then it starts again a few days later.

to tell the truth i dont realy get the heat issue, as it normally operates at about 60-70 degrees C, like it always has

baygbm · July 18, 2006 5:19PM

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. I?m traveling right now and can?t do without my computer, but when I get back home I?m 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!

user23 · July 18, 2006 5:24PM

have you talked to Apple support yet about this issue?

You should if you haven't.

Good luck!

greggwsmith · July 18, 2006 6:57PM

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.

mbaynham · July 19, 2006 10:28AM

do you rekon we should start a thread on how to over come these isues?

as i have found a few ways to over come it slightly

such as:

hold the power button longer after it shuts itself off

reset the pmu every so often

Marvin · July 19, 2006 2:20PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mbaynham

do you rekon we should start a thread on how to over come these isues?

as i have found a few ways to over come it slightly

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.

meelash · July 19, 2006 3:19PM

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.

baygbm · July 19, 2006 7:27PM

Three shut downs today. I am not amsued!

mbaynham · July 21, 2006 4:39AM

Quote:

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.

alrite calm down!!

but seriously, it does happen less often now

macbook turning itself off

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