2.5 y/o macbook develops random shutdown?

Hi,
my 2.0 ghz core2duo white macbook has done the random shutdown thing 2 nights in a row, and its never happened before. no warning, no prior indication, it just instantly shuts down. I haven't heard of this developing on an older macbook. Both times the computer was under light load, on battery power and had maybe 20% charge left.
I did see one thread where on old battery may be an alternative cause, so I downloaded the suggested coconutbattery, which tells me my battery has a capacity of 4036 mAH now, as opposed to 5020 when new. I don't know if this is significant but it doesn't seem that 80% of the original battery capacity is too bad.
Does anyone have experience of this happening, or any helpful info for me?? This is a pain as I was hoping to use my macbook for some live music soon... not too confident of that now.
thanks, Simon Gregory

I'm not sure resetting the SMC is good advice, according this article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1894
It says only to do it very very specific issues, and random shutdown is not one of them. The article specifically warns against doing it as a troubleshooting measure...

Similar Messages

  • White Macbook 2006 random shutdown solved removed cpu heatsink and more

    I picked up a cheap macbook from a secondhand retailer for $300 and it regularly shutdown, froze, restarted as well as the grey kernel panic screen completely random no real pattern. I set about trying to solve the problem swapping ram and hard drive with my identical 2006 macbook (which I had similar problems with last year, fixed that one with a new battery connector cable). The ram and hard drive made no difference so I downloaded istat menus to see if any combination of cpu voltage, current and temperature were causing the random shutdowns. It seemed when the temperature reached certain values the computer would shutdown or freeze(around 30 to 50 degrees). I'd read on other forums about faulty cpu temperature diodes so I reapplied heatsink compound to the cpu heatsink and checked all the wiring for shorts but nothing seemed to solve the problem. I was ready to retire the computer and use it for spares for my other macbook when needed but I pulled the keyboard off one more time and tried something completely radical. This fix requires some forward planning and software installation but it has completely solved my Random shutdowns completely.
    for instructions see my next post *Fix for random shutdowns white macbook*

    Ok this is not for the non technical person but it is quite a simple process with the right instructions.
    This first step is very important install the software coolbook($10) and fan control (Free)( not smc fan control). Set up coolbook to operate the cpu at the lowest speed and voltage for both power adapter and battery(1002MHz and .95Volts). Remove the keyboard to access the computer logic board (instructions can be found at iFixit). Remove the four screws and two connectors holding the heatsink to the logicboard and gently lift the heatsink out (very important that you leave the fan screwed in and connected). Close the computer back up if you wish to test just gently connect the keyboard and loosly sit the keyboard back in. Restart and reset the pram immediately. Let the computer boot up and then open system preferences and configure Fan Control to your liking. So far no random shutdowns for over a week (was getting many a day previously.

  • TEST YOUR MACBOOK FOR RANDOM SHUTDOWNS

    http://techpaedia.com/apple/2006/08/27/testing-your-macbook-for-random-shut-down s/
    i encourage yo uto all check that out, im running the test right now, hoping for the best
    for all of you people who know your stuff, could this be bad for my computer?

    The procedure will not harm a normal MacBook. It will cause the fans to run at fairly high speed to keep the CPU cool. (If your fans were broken or disconnected, then the CPU would overheat; that's why I said "normal.")
    I recently read someone conjecture that the GMA950 graphics chip can overheat, causing a shutdown. This may be what they're trying to test with the procedure.
    I've also seen speculation that there's a mechanical short between the top case and the main logic board. If that's the cause of the shutdowns, then I don't see the "yes" procedure having any value.

  • MacBook Pro Random Shutdown with Error Code: 4SNS/1/40000000: TAOP

    Hi All,
    Hope you can help, I have a 1st gen, MBP which i've recently upgraded the HD to a 500gb. Has been working perfectly until today when it had a few instances of random shut downs and not being able to power up...
    Got this error code while checking the Hardware test, but not sure what it actually means : 4SNS/1/40000000: TAOP
    Anyone got any ideas?? The HD is fully compatible and has worked flawlessly since installation, but now wondering if it has something to do with that??!
    Hope someone can shed some light,
    Thanks!
    Darren

    I too have a MBP 15". After 3+ years of good operation, it's developed a sudden shutoff. It happens when the machine is hot. I can get it happen often if playing a web video in Safari.
    I've also run AHT and got error 4SNS/1/40000000: TCOP
    Troubleshooting:
    I used the widget iStat and the utility smcFanControl to monitor the CPU temperature and fan speeds. I found a direct correlation between CPU temperature spikes, fan speed, and shutdowns. My machine shutdown/failed immediately if the CPU spiked for 2 seconds above 120 Celcius - that's a hot spike. I think it's a safety shutdown.
    By using the smcFanControl, I could nearly eliminate the shutdown by forcing the CPU fans to run full speed (6,000 RPM). This way, I could keep the temperature between 68-100 Celsius. However, I could still create conditions using multiple web video playback in Safari & Firefox that could spike the temp above 120 C. I found that running fans at full speed were not enough. Something additional must be wrong regarding heat transfer or sensing. So, I'm guessing the thermal grease on the CPU heatsink is old/dry/cracked. Or, there is dust/link blocking the airflow. Or, there is a design flaw with the heatsink so that it is insufficient to cool or monitor the CPU temperature properly. Not sure yet.
    I see on other forums that there is a new heatsink design and part number. The design has better thermocouple placement. And, if replaced, it will have new thermal grease.
    My question is: How can I purchase a new replacement heatsink for my MBP? Anybody know part numbers or vendors?

  • New Macbook Pro - Random Shutdowns

    I got a 15" MacBook Pro 2 months ago and today I started having lots of problems. The macbook will start and then after a few minutes, it will randomly shut down. After each shutdown I cannot start the computer again. Pressing the power button does nothing. After about 5 minutes of shutting down the computer will start again on its own and then shutdown again in a few minutes. And the cycle continues like that. This happens while the macbook is plugged in as well.
    I do not think it is a battery problem because I removed the battery and turned it on while it is plugged in and still it is the same problem. I don't think it is a software issue because the same problem happens when I boot in both Mac OSX and Windows XP. Anyone have this problem?

    Hi dennyhle,
    Boot up from the osX dvd holding down the 'c' key, wait for the language screen to come up, pick a language and then from a menu choose Disk Utility and check the permissions and the drive for errors.
    If the problem remains after that boot up from the osX dvd again but this time hold the 'd' key to start the hardware test, run an extensive one.
    Hope this helps.

  • Mid-2010 MacBook Pro random shutdown

    Hi all, hoping you can help me with my very annoying shutdown issue. Sometimes it will happen within minutes of boot and sometimes the MBP will run for several hours without issue before it happens.
    I've been able to replicate the shutdown across OSes (Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion). Initially I thought it might be bad memory but through swapping memory and running the AHT on a loop for several hours I've determined memory isn't the issue. I've reset the NVRAM, PRAM and SMC several times with no luck. Hard drive and battery is working properly and the AHT is finding no errors with the logic board. Pretty sure I've tried everything I can before bringing it in for service. And of course I'm just past the 3 year warranty date. Help!

    You have the MacBookPro6,2, the Edsel of Macs. It may be covered by this program:
    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010): Intermittent black screen or loss of video
    Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested. The routine hardware diagnostics used by service providers may not detect the fault. There is a specific test for this issue.
    Print the first page of the panic report, and the support page linked above, and bring them with you.
    Note that the replacement program only applies within three years of purchase. If you wait beyond that date, Apple may refuse the service. In that case, you'll be quoted a price of about $300 (in the U.S.) for a depot repair.
    Back up all data on the internal drive(s) before you hand over your computer to anyone. If privacy is a concern, erase the data partition(s) with the option to write zeros* (do this only if you have at least two complete, independent backups, and you know how to restore to an empty drive from any of them.) Don’t erase the recovery partition, if present.
    *An SSD doesn't need to be zeroed.
    You may be able to stop the panics by disabling automatic graphics switching in the Energy Saver preference pane, but that's not a solution. 
    Most likely, the logic board will be replaced. Sometimes the replacement part is also defective, so be prepared for that possibility.

  • 1 yr old Macbook pro random shutdowns on or off power

    I have a MacBook pro thats about 1 year old, Mac OS X 10.6.8, completely updated, 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7.
    It is randomly shutting down for no apparent reason... it happens about once a day, sometimes on the power sometimes when it's not, the battery time doesn't act strange at all, the temperature seems to be fine when it happens as well, between 60-70c like always. The screen goes blank, doesn't respond to anything i do, all lights are off, and then I hold down the power button and it makes a pop noise. I then turn it on again and its fine, and gives me an error report. It doesn't seem to be associated with any application... happens when I have just chrome open, just firefox, entourage, or word, any combination of those...Any ideas? It is definitely worrying me, especially since my warranty is pretty much just at the end of it's rope.

    Sounds like a power supply problem (not portable power supply), but I wouldn't want to bet on the specific issue. I realize that your MBP is not in warranty, but you might do well to visit your local Genius Bar to get their input.
    This is an interesting problem; post here with the results.

  • MacBook Pro Random Shutdowns

    Hi all,
    My MacBook Pro has just recently begun randomly shutting itself down. I'm not sure why, but I have gathered that it's a known issues. Here are the specs on my laptop:
    -2.4Ghz intel core 2 duo
    -4GB of RAM
    -500GB HD
    -Nvidia 8600M GT graphics
    I forgot exactly which model this is, but I've had it for a good two years now. The warranty ran out last January, and I had the logic board, disc drive, and screen all replaced by Apple right before it did. I am already on my second battery, and this one has lasted just over a year. These things suck. Here is the battery info:
    Battery Information:
     Model Information:
     Manufacturer:    SMP
     Device name:    ASMB012
     Pack Lot Code:    0002
     PCB Lot Code:    0000
     Firmware Version:    0110
     Hardware Revision:    0500
     Cell Revision:    0200
     Charge Information:
     Charge remaining (mAh):    1323
     Fully charged:    No
     Charging:    No
     Full charge capacity (mAh):    2435
     Health Information:
     Cycle count:    538
     Condition:    Replace Now
     Battery Installed:    Yes
     Amperage (mA):    -1995
     Voltage (mV):    11193
    It switches back and forth from "replace soon" to "replace now". I realize the cycle count is very high and it is past it's lifetime apparently.
    So, my two questions are: why is my computer randomly shutting down? I think it could be the battery or the logic board. And is there a recommended this-party battery that is better than the Apple ones? Not only are those $130, but they do not last long at all. Between the two, I'm hoping it's the battery.
    Thanks in advance!

    Unfortunately, many MacBook Pros of the Core 2 Duo generation instead of going to sleep properly when the battery voltage drops below a particular threshold just shut themselves off instead. It's always been unclear whether this is due to the battery misreporting its voltage or some other cause.
    As you've likely surmised, the only fix is to replace the battery, at which time your machine should properly go to sleep when the battery charge gets too low.
    Note that you do have to care for your battery as well; it will help it last longer but nothing will fix the fact that batteries will only last a certain number of cycles.
    Apple's suggestions on the topic can be read here.

  • Macbook pro random shutdown "are you sure you want to shut down?"

    Firstly, I'm asking this on behalf of my boyfriend who would ask himself if his computer were working!
    His MacBook Pro 2.2GHZ new since July07 has just now, when started up, started displaying the shutdown message "are you sure you want to shut down?" and then shutting down anyway. Without being asked or prompted.
    This has happened everytime it has been switched on after a couple of minutes it will just do it over again. It is fully charged.
    Absolutely no idea what to do other than to take it down to the Mac Store and get it looked at.
    If anyone has any help or advice it would be greatly appreciated,
    thanks in advance. Charlie

    Ok thought i had this fixed myself, i put it down to over heating as it was just acting normally for the last couple of hours but having just turned it off and started shutting everything down for the night it turned itself on!
    I think i solved this by shutting the laptop but this has never happened before. I really hope someone can help, I've googled the problem to no avail and this is pretty much my last hope.
    Thanks again
    Charlie

  • MacBook Pro Random Shutdown. What's wrong? What can I do?

    I just got a Macbook Pro 15" i5 about a month ago, but something weird has been going on. A couple of days after use I was using my computer and closed it for a few hours. When I came back to it, and opened the lid, it was no longer on. I thought I may have shut it down and forgot, but then it happened a couple of times again. It hasn't happened in the past week, so I thought it may be okay now. But I've recently (last couple of days) been watching things on my laptop and it seems that when the laptop is jogged, the video seems to pause. I thought it might be something I'm doing, but I never had this problem with my old mac. I think I should go to the store to get it fixed, but I was wondering what the issue is and whether I can do anything to correct it. It seems to me that it's a hardware issue and the laptop is somewhat unstable, but I was wondering if anyone had any insight. Thanks for your help. =D
    Message was edited by: NintendoMad8

    Yeah, I was already planning too. But I was wondering if anyone can provide any insight before I do. Or if anyone else has experienced this issue. Plus, I was wondering...if I just go down there will they be able to do anything, or will they make me book an appointment with the Genius Bar?
    (Also, what is AASP?)
    Message was edited by: NintendoMad8

  • MacBook Pro Random Shutdown

    I bought a new MacBook Pro about a month ago and everything was working fine until last Friday when my MBP suddenly shut down. I thought it was because I was away from the computer for a while and it was on battery save mode, but when I tried to boot it up again, it shut down after about 10 minutes. I turned it on again and it lasted for another 15 minutes before it shut down again. I'm not really sure what I should do at this point - is this a common issue?

    Were you on battery power? AC? What's your remaining battery capacity?

  • Macbook in repair for kernal panics and random shutdowns.....

    It's been exactly one week since I sent in my macbook for random shutdowns. I called today to check on the status and they told me it was on hold because they needed more info from me as they can not replicate the problem. This thing was shutting down on me 3-4 times a day without warning. I gave them all kinds of suggestions, ie: check logic board, power management system, panic logs, etc. Don't these techs know how to troubleshoot? My biggest fear is that they won't find the problem and they'll send my defective Macbook back to me. What are my options then? It was bought for me by a friend in Denver who brought it down to Albuquerque for me (500 miles away) so returning it to a store is not an option. I know other people are having this problem so I know I'm not crazy and delusional. I don't want to be stuck with a defective computer but my 2 week grace period is over. What can I do?
    MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  

    Here's an update on my repair. It's been 2 weeks and they finally found the problem to be a bad logic board. They said it was on hold for repair to replace the board and didn't specify a return time. I expressed a concern with having a month old computer that has already been in for a major repair. After some polite but concerned dialouge between myself and a product specialist, she offered me a new one. I accepted the offer gladly. She even asked black or white? My original was white. So chalk one up for Apple customer support. They seems like they're out to make things right with their customers. You just have to remain calm and patient.

  • Apple Service - how do you prove RANDOM shutdowns ?

    Hello,
    My macbook has random shutdowns, they occur about 4 times a week. I use the machine for work. I called Apple technical support, they gave me a case number, and I took it into service.
    Apparently the computer cannot be fixed until the technician sees the shut down issue for themselves ! They had it for 2.5 days, it didn't shut down so I took it home (I need the machine). Sure enough, 2 days more of me using it and is shutting down again.
    Who in their right mind is FAKING their shutdown issue to get the identical logic board swapped in ?? What would be the point of this ? Why don't they just believe people are not crazy and replace the mother boards ?
    Am I supposed to camp in the store praying for a shutdown so they can see it ?
    Ridiculous. Simply ridiculous.

    That's very interesting coooldoc. I tried it on my
    MacBook just for kicks. When I entered the commands
    it did indeed max out the processors. I watched my
    iPulse peg both processors to 99-100% but my fans
    never did kick in.
    When running "yes", your fan should start revving up to full speed after about 1-2 minutes. When you terminate the process, they should stay running for 1-2 minutes and slowly wind down. Your temps are to high also. Mine only get up in the 60c range when running "yes."
    If you don't get that corrected, I believe you will develop SD sooner or later. Did you install the firmware update?
    -Bmer
    Mac Owners Support Group
    Join Us @ MacOSG.com
    ITMS: MacOSG Podcast
     An Apple User Group 

  • Arghhh random shutdown ...

    I've had my MacBook for about 2 months now and have never had any problems with it ... until two days ago.
    It was working fine then it powered off, and after switching back on it would power off after a few seconds.
    It was fine yesterday but has done it again today, it sems to start better without the power cable attached.
    Having seen several threads about this I can't decide whether I should take it into the apple shop and ask them to repair it (replace the heat sink?) or not.
    One thing I hve noticed is that the fan doesn't seem to come on very much at the moment.
    I've just installed core duo temp and the average temp i about 50 deg C - which is much lower than some of the 80 temps i've been seeing.
    Please note that when it's been crashing i've just been doing simple web surfing - it's never crashed during the month i've been playing WoW on it, e under heavy load!

    P*ed off MacBook owners (especially ones they've
    just culled from Windows) are going to remember this
    and are already getting pretty steamed.
    Yep, that pretty much describes my situation. My Macbook is my first Apple product ever, and after a pretty good honeymoon with the MacBook, the random shutdowns have started happening regularly. Actually, they aren't so random anymore; they happen every time I turn the MacBook on from a cold state. When the temperature gets up to a certain point, poof, the power goes out. Holding in the power button usually allows it to come back up again, but not always. If I can get it to stay up long enough, it seems to warm up enough to allow it to stay up indefinitely. Even if I put it to sleep for a few minutes, it will still work fine since it is still warm inside. When it gets cold, the problem cycle starts all over again.
    Being a computer hardware engineer myself, I can understand design flaws in early revisions of a product. What has worried me is all the horror stories from MacBook customers about how Apple has been treating the problem with random clueless solutions and how they have been treating customers. I have been painfully living with the shutdown problem waiting to see some positive stories from customers. I don't want to waste my time dealing with Apple until I feel that they really understand the problem and know how to fix it in a reasonable amount of time.
    Meanwhile, I use my 5 year old non-Apple laptop which has been quite reliable and has never randomly shut down on me. I avoid doing anything important on the MacBook since it is so unreliable. I'll contact Apple when there are some indications from customers that Apple has truely solved the problem. I guess in a month or so I'll know whether I'll ever do business with Apple again.

  • Macbook problems, hard drive crash, random shutdown, freezes

    I bought my macbook used a few months ago, and it worked flawlessly until about 3 weeks ago. The system started freezing and not booting (getting folder icon instead of apple at startup). I ran drive setup and tried to repair the drive, but this did not fix the problem. DiskWarrior also could not fix it. I pulled the drive and installed a new hard drive, as I wanted a larger capacity anyways. All my problems appeared fixed for about two weeks, then similar problems began occurring. I backed up all the files I needed to an external firewire drive and attempted to reformat the new internal drive. Drive Setup says it can not reformat the drive - can't mount it and if it does, the drive disappears while in the process of formatting. I pulled the new drive and am having it replaced under warranty. I am using the firewire drive to run my computer, and this seemed to work fine for a day or two until the computer just started shutting down with no warning. Everything goes black, including the little light on the front of the computer. I have to hold down the power button for 10 seconds before it lets me start the computer back up. I had read this may be a memory issue, so I ran memtest and it says the memory is fine (I need to do it in single user mode still, however). I also tried pulling both sticks of ram. They are both 1GB crucial memory. I put each stick in by itself and tried it in both slots and was able to reproduce the shutdown issue with any ram configuration of either stick.
    After all this, I realized the firewire drive was only running 10.5, so I updated all the software through software update, and it is now running 10.5.2. It seems to be working better as I have not experienced a random shutdown yet, but I'm anticipating it may start back up soon. Today, however I experienced a different problem - the screen froze on me and the only way to get anything to happen was to force a shutdown with them power button. It's restarted and seems to be working fine again for now.
    I've run some logs and here's some things I've found:
    When the latest freeze happened, I got this repeated over 100 times:
    Apr 29 11:04:31 jon-turners-macbook quicklookd[536]: CGContextClosePath: no current point.
    I've also seen this:
    Apr 29 11:18:19 jon-turners-macbook kernel[0]: Previous Shutdown Cause: 3
    Apr 29 11:18:19 jon-turners-macbook kernel[0]: GFX0: family specific matching fails
    Apr 25 19:19:50 localhost kernel[0]: hi mem tramps at 0xffe00000
    Should there be anything else I can check? I would run Apple Hardware Utilities, but I don't have the original disks, just the Leopard installer. I have Disk Warrior, but it seems strange this would happen with multiple systems and drives. I'd like to get Techtool Pro, but haven't had the money/time to order it yet.

    Thanks for the replies!
    Yeah, I think it's the HDD. I was just worried that the RAM was bad and corrupted the HDD or something, but given the symptoms I think you guys are right. Ordered a 7200RPM 320GB HDD off Amazon Prime...will be here tomorrow
    I'll post how it goes after I finish installing it. I'm backing up as I type.
    I wonder if I can fix the ir port and the sleep indicator light when I install the hard-drive. The sleep indicator light never turns off. It stays on as long as my computer is on, only turns off when I shut it down.

Maybe you are looking for