Macbook (late 2008) shuts down when unplugged

Hello friends,
My late 2008 Macbook had been warning me for a while that I'd need to replace my battery soon. Last week it shut off randomly while watching House of Cards (*cries*). I figured my battery was kaputt, because it will only turn on with the power cord so I ordered a new one. I shut down the computer down and popped in the new battery. It still won't stay on with battery power alone.
Is there some magical step I missed?

did you allow your new battery time to charge up? also did you order your new battery from apple or somewhere else. apparently there are a lot of batteries on the market claiming to be for macs that dont last very long, if in fact they work at all.

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My macbook pro (late 2008) shuts down but battery is at 25-30%

My macbook pro (late 2008) shuts down but battery is at 25-30% and I don't get a low power warning box before this happens. This only happens when the power chord is not connected, and it restarts with no problems once I put the power chord in. Does this mean I need a new battery, or is it an indication of something else? Using osx 10.5.8

Mine is Unibody 15" MBP late 2008, with the exact problem as yours. It can be a sudden shut down at 25-32%, or, after upgrading to OS 10.7.2, can be hang all of sudden on battery power.
Condition on, "Replace Soon". From 4.5 - 6 hours when new, goes down to 1 - 2 hours on discrete graphics.
But after 'abusing' it for the first year in the heat of Jakarta's climate in a non AC room when doing a video editing, before moving back to a comfort AC room at home sweet home, the battery performance is still top notch comparing to other kind than Apple. Also, it caused me to replace the right fan, after a lot of hard work on that first year. Oh, and by the way, I regularly done the battery calibration, at least once or twice between 3-6 months.
Here's also an useful link about battery I found on the internet:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batterie s
My battery condition:
Battery Information:
Model Information:
Serial Number:          6N8389BD13EB
Manufacturer:          SMP
Device Name:          bq20z951
Pack Lot Code:          0
PCB Lot Code:          0
Firmware Version:          002a
Hardware Revision:          000a
Cell Revision:          100
Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh):          2192
Fully Charged:          No
Charging:          Yes
Full Charge Capacity (mAh):          2716
Health Information:
Cycle Count:          616
Condition:          Replace Soon
Battery Installed:          Yes
Amperage (mA):          254
Voltage (mV):          12392
System Power Settings:
AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          0
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          15
Automatic Restart on Power Loss:          No
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Wake on LAN:          No
Current Power Source:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
PrioritizeNetworkReachabilityOverSleep:          0
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          5
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
Reduce Brightness:          Yes
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Hardware Configuration:
UPS Installed:          No
AC Charger Information:
Connected:          Yes
ID:          0x0100
Wattage (W):          85
Revision:          0x0000
Family:          0x00ba
Serial Number:          0x0063ac36
Charging:          Yes
Got the battery replacement today. Hopefully it will last for at least 3 years like it predecessor.

Macbook air shuts down when unplugged

Hi,
My macbook air is just 2 months old. Since yesterday my laptop shuts down when unplugged. And the time settings changes and I have to reset the time again everytime i switch it on. I tried reseting the system using time machine. Even that didnt work. Please tell me how to solve this.
Thanks
Shahzad

Hi shafi.shahzad,
I'm sorry to hear you are having issues with your new MacBook Air. Based on your description (issues with power management/charging, not retaining time settings, etc), you may want to try resetting your System Management Controller (SMC) and PRAM, as outlined in the following articles:
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) - Apple Support
OS X Yosemite: Reset your computer’s PRAM
Regards,
- Brenden

My macbook pro keeps shutting down when I try to use it , any ideas ?

My macbook pro keeps shutting down when I try to use it , any ideas ?

I don’t know why this happens and with the information you have provided I doubt anyone can do so so with accuracy.
Please read these (they concern general trouble-shooting and how to pose questions on these fora):
http://blogs.adobe.com/crawlspace/2012/07/photoshop-basic-troubleshooting-steps-to-fix-mos t-issues.html
http://forums.adobe.com/docs/DOC-2325

MacBook Pro shuts down when unplugged

I have a late 2008 MacBook Pro work computer. Here's the sequence of events:
I fully charge the battery
I unplug the Mac from the power cable
The Mac immediately shuts down
Before unplugging the Mac, I press the battery power indicator button and all lights are green. When I unplug the Mac I press the indicator button again and only one light is green.
I've tried resetting the PRAM, SMC and even bought a new battery but the problem persists. Here is the System Information.
How can I get my MacBook Pro to stay powered on when not plugged in?

Hi Ryan,
ryansebiz wrote:
I have a late 2008 MacBook Pro work computer. Here's the sequence of events:
I fully charge the battery
I unplug the Mac from the power cable
The Mac immediately shuts down
Before unplugging the Mac, I press the battery power indicator button and all lights are green. When I unplug the Mac I press the indicator button again and only one light is green.
I've tried resetting the PRAM, SMC and even bought a new battery but the problem persists. Here is the System Information.
How can I get my MacBook Pro to stay powered on when not plugged in?
System Profiler shows you have 195 cycles on this batt and says "Service Battery" so I'm not sure if that's the old batt or you bought a used one, but either way, it looks like that batt is nearly dead. If you have a new/different batt, install it, give it a full charge, and post System Profiler info for that one.
Also, have you tried different power adapter and/or tried your power adapter on a different MBP?

Shuts down when unplugged & moved/lifted/pressure applied

This is really weird for me. Just got my macbook a couple of months ago, refurbeished, first generation. Love it. Suddenly, the battery started giving me problems, and the machine would shut down when id unplug the magsafe usually. Sometimes it would stay on for a moment, until I tried to pick it up, open or closed, and it then shuts right down.
I read up on here, did all the software updates and stuff with no results, and took it into Apple. They checked it out, determined bad battery, and gave me a "fresh" one on the spot. Seemed to work fine at the store, they had me take it home. Dandy!
I get home and start charging it up. Seems alright. Next day , on "full charge" I go to take the machine to another room, and after a few seconds walking with it, shuts down. So frustrating. This seems to happen when ti computer is given very slight movement, and allllways when I try to pick it up from the bottom, applying pressure on the bottom of the case and or battery. This however, does not happen when the computer is running off of AC power, i can shake it and wobble it with no problems.
Aside from this, the "new battery" from apple seems quirky. Battery "health" in iStat shows only 86% while my original battery had 100% health even after 2 months use. Also, the machine has been intermittently not recognizing the battery, showing an X'd battery in the menubar, and then showing things like it will take 1423 hours to charge or i'll have 1456 hrs to use battery power, just a lot of quirky stuff that I never saw with my other battery.
I'm just getting concerned that this is potentially a problem with the machine itself, not the batteries. The only thing swaying me away from that thought is that i have no problem using the machine while plugged in.
Quite honestly, I don't always trust the "geniuses". Some seem sharp, some, much less so. I ask you guys first, before I go back tonight, what are your impressions on this problem? What are specific things I should be asking the "geniuses" tonight?
A laptop is useless to me if I can't actually move it around while running, I've gotta get this resolved, and I really dont want to ship my machine out.
Any questions I can answer about th esituation, let me know, and THANK YOU, in advance.

Very interesting. When I upgraded my RAM I had a load of trouble with that outer slot. The little "eject" bar swayed both ways and didn't really kick the card out, I eventually used a swall tweezer to help get it out. (I'd probably want to put the original Apple RAM back in there before bringing back to store huh?)
Anyway... it is infact right around that area where my fingers push up when I try to pick up the computer....this is all kind of making sense now. Being a refurb, also noticed a tiny screw was installed crooked behind the L bar, leading me to belive someone has already gone somewhat deep in there before I ever got the machine.... ****, I hope I didn't get a lemon macbook. discounteggroll, I'm in Westchester, NY. I have two Apple stores around me that I can get to fairly easily... we're you implying they might do it there?
Also, side question: If I did have to send my comp out for an extended period, would it be crazy to want to swap out my HD? I'm not really interested in people potentially going through all my personal stuff, y'know?
And again, it brings me back to the AC cord... would/could it really be a logic board issue, even if th ecomputer is fine while plugged in?
Thanks again for all your help

My macbook air keeps shutting down when im not moving mouse or pressing keys

Since this morning when open my Macbook Air it a problem. It keeps trying to shut down when I'm not moving my mouse or pressing any keys. It also completely shuts down when I dont press "cancel" or move the mouse.

Try a SMC reset.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964

Macbook slow and shuts down when battery indicator is not empty

Hi everyone,
I have a 17'' macbook pro bought mid June 2007.
Three weeks ago I noticed that my macbook pro would shut down at 20% battery (if I was not plugged) and would not start back until I plugged it in. I figured it was a battery problem. However, my macbook started getting really slow with the little 'volleyball' icon appearing more and more often without having to use lots of different of programs in parallel.
Also last week I realized that now my macbook pro shuts down automatically at 67% battery! I checked the little button behind the battery and when this happens it shows to me 3 out 5 light indicator. So I'm guessing that the battery is not dead and yet my computer shuts down.
I resetted my SMC (I think that's what it's called) and repaired my disk... I have not reformatted it though.
Can someone help me out? Is the fact that my mac is slow related to its shutting down prematurely?
For info: my battery is 2y old and has 360 cycles.
Thanks a lot in advance for your help!
Cheers
aqualover

Good on resetting SMC.
You should properly calibrate your battery:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284
If that doesn't fix the problem, contact AppleCare about a replacement. Battery warranties were extended to 2 years and maybe you still have a warranty:
http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/
Hope this helps...

Powerbook Shuts Down When Unplugged

My Powerbook shuts down when I unplug my notebook. It won't power back on unless I plug it back in. The battery is brand new from Apple (part of the battery replacement program) It first happened a month ago while using the notebook on battery for 20 minutes, it shut off. I was able to power it back on with the batttery but HAD TO RESET THE CLOCK and the iWeb document I had opened wasn't saved.
Now, when I unplug the notebook, it shuts off and won't power back on unless plugged back in and I still have to reset the clock.
Even though the battery is somewhat new, I'm confused because the notebook has to have the battery reset when the notebook turns off when removed from the power adapter.
Any answers?

try running it with the battery removed completely.
if it runs ok, could be bad battery.
if possible, try your battery on another machine and different battery on your machine.
if different battery does not work on your machine, it could be hardware problem with PowerBook.

Brand-spanking new battery, but still shuts down when unplugged!!

A few days ago, my 2006 MacBook would shut down when I disconnect it from the power adapter. To restart the laptop, I must have the power adapter connected. That gray screen with the apple stays longer than usual, ~5 seconds. I reset the SMC, PRAM, and checked the battery condition in the System Profiler. It had 500 charge cycles, so I went ahead and bought a new battery.
PROBLEM IS NOT SOLVED. Even with a brand new, fully charged battery, the laptop shuts down when I disconnect the power adapter. I used my boyfriend's adapter to charge the battery and the issue persists. I did the whole resetting stuff, no luck. Battery is on charge cycle 2 and in normal condition. I'm up to date on software updates.
Anybody know what is going on and how to resolve this??? Please help!

Okay, and you've done the various resets, so the next things that come to mind are:
1) Bad DC-in board, which is the Magsafe Board in the newer machines. Instructions for replacement are here(you can also order parts & tools): http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-MacBook-Core-2-Duo-Magsafe-Board/5 20/1. Obviously, if your machine is in warranty, have the Apple store fix the computer.
2) Faulty logicboard. If this is the case, you want to just work with the computer as-is, or sell it and invest the money in a new machine.
~Lyssa

MacBook Pro keeps shutting down when the screen is closed

Hi, I have a 2011 15inch MacBook Pro and it keeps shutting down rather than sleeping when I shut the screen. It also shuts down when left for short periods of time rather than sleeping. I have updated it yesterday and still the problem happens. I also installed a virus check to see if that was the problem and it didnt find anything it could fix! Any help is much appreciated!!!

Try a SMC reset. That may correct the situation.
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295
Ciao.

My MacBook Pro Immediately Shuts Down When I Unplug It.

Whenever I unplug my MacBook Pro from its power source, it shuts down. No warning or anything. It just shuts down. Is this something that requires a big fix-it type of thing?

Hi Nozebra,
Check your battery. When your computer is plugged in, click on the blue apple, and then About this Mac. When you see the box, check More Info... This brings up Apple Profiler. Click on Power (on the left). This will tell you how much battery power you have.
This happened to me, and it turned out that my battery (which was not under the recall program) would no longer hold a charge. I called AppleCare, and they sent me out a new battery, which I received 24 hours later.
Amy

MacBook shuts down when unplugged

Today I got a message saying my computer needed to be restarted. Later, when I unplugged the AC cord to move my MacBook, it shut down. I did this a few times but it kept turning off. My MacBook is only two months old and it is already acting up?
Here is my battery information:
Charge remaining (mAh): 4499
Fully charged: Yes
Charging: No
Full charge capacity (mAh): 4514
Cycle count: 9
Battery health: Good
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): 0
Voltage (mV): 12565
As you can see, I don't often run my computer without the AC cord. I am also calibrating it every month.
It seems this is happening to a lot of people, but does anyone know the problem and how to fix it? I saw some posts that said to erase battery update 1.3 and run Software Update to install 1.2. I did this but Software Update did not list Battery Update 1.2. I then proceeded to download it manually but I later got a message saying I did not need to install it. I have also reset SMC, which did not help.
I live pretty much in the middle of nowhere, with the closest Apple store being 2 hours away. However, I bought my MacBook at a place called Mac Gallery which is very close by. I'm not sure if it is considered an Apple store but do you guys think I need to call them? I'm really sad I'm having trouble with my MacBook when it's only two months old.
Any suggestions?

You should call the store they might be an authorized serivice center. Only way to find out is ask them. There have been some reports of this happening with the SRMB. The update trick does not work on the SRMB because it will not install the update bundle 1.2.

MacBook pro (late 2008) shutting down even without the battery

Hello
I have a MacBook pro late 2008 model, recently it started to randomly shut down.
I have tried the following
- Reseting Pram
- Reseting the SMC
- Recalibrating the battery
- New hard drive
- Returned to original RAM (from 4 to 2Gb)
- Removed the battery and run with the MagSafe only
- Downloaded a fan control program to run it at max and verify if this was not a heating issue (although this also happens right after starting the laptop)
Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm already loosing hope on my Mac :(
Thanks for any help that you could provide

Hi V,
Even though the symptoms don't match up exactly, you may have the NVIDIA issue. First, go to System Profiler > Hardware > Graphics/Displays and see if you have the GeForce 8600M GT GPU. This is the GPU covered under the free repair program. While there, also look at PCIe Lane Width. If it says anything other than x16, the GPU has issues (but this is only one potential symptom). If you have the 8600 GPU, bring the MBP to an Apple Store or AASP for free testing. If Apple's free test confirms the issue, repair is free. Read all about it here: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377
Also, whether you have the 8600 or not, you should run all the updates in Software Update.

Macbook shuts down when unplugged from wall

Whenever I want to use my macbook as an actual laptop i go to unplug it the in about two seconds it shuts down. When I try to turn it on it starts up and then just fails to even get to the screen with the apple. It also says that my battery has full power??????I HAVE DONE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT MANGUS HAS TOLD ME IT'S STILL NOT WORKING HELP PLEASE!!!
Jake

This is what the folks at Apple call a "known problem". Apparently there was a batch of bad batteries. (I had the same problem.) Take your MacBook into an Apple store and they will replace the battery.

Macbook (late 2008) shuts down when unplugged

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