Random Shutdown/Thermal Runaway

Unfortunately, the AppleCare Plan on my iMac G5 (iSight) expired a month ago. Or, to be a little more clear on the irony, a month before I started getting a repeat of a random shutdown issue that I had the machine in for about a year ago. These typically happen when my son is playing WoW or we are watching YouTube vids, movie previews, etc. or just plain using a lot of processing power.
*Most recent detail on the forced sleep shows the following:*
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel IOPMSlotsMacRISC4::determineSleepSupport has canSleep true
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel SMUNeo2PlatformPlugin core dump:
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel IOHWControls:
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [0] "ODD Fan" Type:"fan-rpm" Id:0 TGT:1475 CUR:1476
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [1] "HDD Fan" Type:"fan-rpm" Id:2 TGT:1975 CUR:1976
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [2] "sysclk slew" Type:"slew" Id:100 TGT:0 CUR:0
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [3] "CPU Fan" Type:"fan-rpm" Id:1 TGT:3600 CUR:3600
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel IOHWSensors:
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [0] "CPU Power" Type:"power" Id:3 CUR:19.55327 W
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [1] "ODD Temp" Type:"temperature" Id:5 CUR:44.32768 C
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [2] "HD Temp" Type:"temperature" Id:4 CUR:52.32768 C
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [3] "GPU Ambient" Type:"temperature" Id:8 CUR:56.16384 C
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [4] "NB Temp" Type:"temperature" Id:9 CUR:84.8192 C
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [5] "GPU Temp" Type:"temperature" Id:10 CUR:79.0 C
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [6] "NB Ambient" Type:"temperature" Id:7 CUR:54.32768 C
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [7] "CPU Voltage" Type:"voltage" Id:2 CUR:11.61504 V
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [8] "CPU T-Diode" Type:"temp" Id:0 CUR:85.2628 C
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [9] "CPU Current" Type:"current" Id:1 CUR:1.60800 A
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [10] "Incoming Air Temp" Type:"temperature" Id:6 CUR:35.0 C
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel IOHWCtrlLoops:
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [0] "Clock Slew" Id:0 MetaState:0 "Dynamic Power Step"
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [1] "M33 CPU Control" Id:1 MetaState:0 "Normal"
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [2] "M33 HD Control" Id:2 MetaState:0 "Normal"
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [3] "M33 ODD Control" Id:3 MetaState:0 "Normal"
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [4] "M33 GPU Control" Id:4 MetaState:0 "Normal"
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel [5] "M33 KODIAK Control" Id:5 MetaState:0 "Normal"
1/23/09 8:27:06 PM kernel ---------------------------------
Have tried the standard resets of PRAM and SMU, permission repair, etc. which, though fun, have not done anything to solve the problem.
Any thoughts, suggestions as to what I can do or what can be done now that I am outside the AppleCare Plan would be very appreciated. Other than spend lots of money on a repair of course!
_Just to give you a little peak into the frequency, here is a short sample from console_:
1/21/09 7:54:38 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/21/09 7:56:51 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/21/09 7:59:36 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/21/09 8:54:00 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/22/09 11:13:58 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/22/09 11:17:50 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/22/09 11:24:11 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/22/09 11:41:16 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/23/09 4:40:52 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/23/09 4:46:17 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/23/09 4:48:58 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/23/09 6:00:00 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
1/23/09 8:25:20 PM kernel Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
Message was edited by: James Seines

Your power supply is failing, take it in and have it replaced, your symptoms are classic and point to thermal overload caused by the power supply failing.
You might try calling Apple Customer Relations at 800-767-2775 and see if you can talk them into paying for the repair. Be polite but firm and ask to be escalated to the next level.

Similar Messages

Help - Thermal or Random Shutdowns

My MBP 15” is outside the warranty and developed what appears to be a thermal shutdown issue. After a period of time it just shuts down. When I restart, it shuts down again very quickly. Each restart results in a shutdown sooner than the last. If the MBP is left off for a longer period of time it will restart, but shuts down after 10 or so minutes.
Being out of warranty and being brave I dismantled it and found nothing outwardly wrong. However, the heat sink compound was pretty dried and cake-like. So I cleaned and replaced the compound and fired it up only to have the problem once again. The compound may have helped a little, but it is not statistically significant. I also pulled the battery backup wire while I dismantled the MBP. I am not sure if that erases the non-volatile memory or not.
The problem shutdowns occur with and without the battery installed. The only way I have been able to work around this problem was to install a third-party fan control program. I set the minimum fan speed to 2500 – 3000 RPMs and life is fine. I have not had a shutdown in the last two weeks since I installed the fan control program. That tells me that the thermal sensors are probably initiating the shutdown. I can’t say what they are measuring is real or not.
However, I can’t recall ever hearing the fans before the MBP shuts down. I hear them now with the fan program running, but I can’t ever recall hearing them before the install. Any thoughts?

Have you run something like iStat Pro... just to get an idea of what the temp sensor readings are? It's possible you may have just a faulty sensor... Something like iStat Pro:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/istatpro.html
or Temperature Monitor:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19994
... will give you the reported temps of a number of components. If you have a faulty sensor... it should be easy to detect (for example, if your heat sink shows 120 C but both your processors show around 60 C and your other heatsink slightly lower... you'll know the first heat sink probably has a bad sensor). The first generation MacBooks had a problem with random shutdowns due to a faulty heatsink sensor. Apple was able to put out a firmware update that basically ignored the faulty sensor... but for those that had the problem, if they run one of the above programs... they can still see the faulty readings... only their machines no longer shut down as they are now ignored.
You should first determine your processor and heatsink temps... just to make sure you actually are not experiencing an overheat problem vs. just a faulty sensor.

Heatsink Thermal Paste Random Shutdown Revelation

Symptom: Random freezes, overheating problems, random shutdowns if pressure not applied to top or bottom of computer
Solution: Make sure screws are tight!!
Model: Mid 2007, pre-Unibody
Screws: The two torx screws under the memory panel
I've been doing TONS of searching to try and solve a problem with my macbook pro freezing, even at low temperature. I have seen many people that have had VERY similar symptoms as me, and would constantly discuss having to re-apply thermal grease. I have only applied thermal grease once (arctic silver) and was having these problems. As I disassembled it today getting ready to reapply it, I pondered carefully while taking apart my macbook for the billionth time. I thought about the points in which I had to apply pressure in order for my macbook to power on properly and not freeze. When I got to the torx screws, I realized these were responsible for clamping the logic board to the bottom case. It is most likely quite important that they be properly tightened, as these are basically the heatsink-processor mating screws!! There should probably be a torque rating for these, as I would be afraid of tightening them too much and breaking the plastic they screw into. Also, I would alternate back and forth between them.
I had recently transferred my logic board from my MBP to a used one I purchased which has the defective logic board (I plan to bake some time in the future). There were many reasons I purchased the additional MBP, but it was mostly due to mine being in really bad physical condition (dropped, marked up, material loss on upper case at palm area), having a bad display (I bought a replacement but spilt liquid on it) (also had the keyboard/trackpad disconnect issue, but I frankensteined the connector, which I had broke as well, to ultimately work perfectly again). I had THOUGHT I had another problem with the issues in the subject of this post. I was taking apart my original MBP a lot for my display replacement, as well as memory and hard drive upgrades. That's when I first started getting issues with strange freezes and shutdowns. I believe that this lack of tightening of torx screws was the problem even when my logic board was in my original case. The problem definitely became a lot more frequent when I transferred it to the new/used case and in the process cleaned and re-greased the processors. I had trained myself to not tighten those screws enough, and this was especially bad when the new thermal paste needed to be squished down.
This has been quite a frustrating issue to deal with for the past 6 months or so. A year ago I purchased a brand new adapter and battery from Apple, and I was fearing that they had gone bad (I have the fraying at the magsafe connector....should have taken better care of it, but it can be repaired). Luckily the only loss from this whole dilemma has been a lot of time and a couple hundred to purchase a 2nd machine used, which was actually a great buy. Hopefully I'll bake the bad logic board and get the 2nd machine up and running some day, at the very least it's spare parts! It is great to have the perfect condition LCD and nice condition case.

Alright, so I got to the point where I was having the problem nice and consistently. It happened to be when my battery was low on charge (I believe this can happen with a high charge too though...). I experimented with having the battery in and out and was able to reproduce the problem even with the battery removed.
When I was repeating the shutdown failure (it would happen exactly this way when my computer would freeze during normal or non-use <randomly> and would try to turn it back on) I could turn it on if I was tilting the comp, then I would tilt it back toward resting and it would shut off. I did this with the battery in and out, so I could at least rule the battery out. I then started playing with the top case a bit. I noticed the more I had it removed, the more often it seemed to turn on. I found that bringing the top case down would trigger the shutdown.
There seems to be some sort of grounding issue. I honestly have never been super careful with pads and tape, so missing one of those might be the cause.

To Everyone with Random Shutdowns! (Solved! REALLY!)

Hey all,
I had posted about a week back about my Macbook (Core duo white, late 2006), it was having the same symptoms as some of the others with the known random shutdown syndrome (RSS). Like many others I had thought it was the end of my macbook and the logicboard needed replacing because that is what the 'genius' people do, but I was still wondering what would cause it. It would randomly shut off! (or so I thought) I'd be typing in Safari, watching a youtube video, and even playing games, it would just shut off and I could hear the hard drive spin down. I'd restart and it would do it again sometimes right away, sometimes hours later.
This got me to thinking (like others have said) that it must be an issue with over heating. To test my theory I backed up my HD, and tried to reinstall Snow Leopard after zeroing the HD (as a fresh install). During the install process the Macbook's fan started to get loud and then it happened, it died again! So, this proved to me that it is NOT a software/OS issue at all, which means the said efforts in other posts of changing screen saver and energy saver settings had nothing to do with the cause! Aha moment!
I thought to myself... something is making it shutdown, obviously, and has to do with too much heat as the fan was going crazy even while reinstalling the OS. After reading many posts on different support forums I came accross the possibility that it could be the heatsink and/or sensor that is attached to it. I also found out that this "RSS" only applies to the non-unibody, core duo, and core 2 duo macbooks... you know what that means?
These models are the only ones with the shared memory and GPU on the same heatsink! GAH! A possible solution presents itself? To make a long post even longer... I removed the keyboard, carefully unscrewed the heatsink and fan and what did I see? Cracked and dried out thermal paste on the CPU AND GPU, they are both under the same heatsink after all, this was bad, really bad.
Luckily I had some Arctic Silver thermal paste in a tube from years ago when I upgraded my PowerMac CPU. Using some rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth I removed the crud on the heatsink, processor, and GPU (I might add that there was way too much paste on there in the first place). I waited an extra few minutes to make sure the alcohol evaporated, and then I applied a small (dime sized) amount of thermal past directly onto the two chips, I aligned the heatsink carefully and gave it a very small gentle push down onto the chips, reattached the sensor wire to the mainboard, and screwed the heatsink back in.
After putting the keyboard back on and making sure all screws were in... I immediately turned on the laptop and reinstalled the OS. The OS install took approximately 10 mintues! (crazy!) The last time I did that it took over 30 mins to install! I was stunned!
After the OS installed I let the computer idle and shut down, I let it sit for about an hour to allow the paste to contract as it cooled. After starting up again I immediately downloaded Temperature Monitor and installed it (I did have it running when my mac had RSS by the way), here are the results to prove my theory:
My Macbook with RSS:
CPU1 and CPU2 Idle temp - 114 degrees (F)
Heatsink temp - 128 degrees (F)
Approximate over heating temp - 184 degrees (F) (causing the heatsink sensor to shutdown the laptop)
My Macbook with new high quality thermal paste:
Idle temp of CPU1, CPU2, and GPU - 77 degrees (F)
Heatsink temp - 84 degrees (F)
Running temp with adobe CS4, youtube, and typing this message - 103 degrees (F)
Pretty amazing if you ask me!
Before I applied the thermal paste my Macbook took at least a minute to start up with a fresh OS install, now it only takes about 15 seconds! I have not heard the fan spin up and go crazy since! And I can't even explain to you how much fast it is now!
This does prove that Random shutdown syndrome (RSS) is caused ONLY by your GPU over heating due to old thermal paste between the chips and heatsink! A design flaw by Apple? probably not because thermal paste will crack and dry over time.
This also proves that energy conversion to data in the chips can decrease because of over heating, causing the computer performance to dramatically drop!
So before you take your out-of-warranty macbook to Apple or a repair shop, see what your internal temp readings are and try to replicate the problem with over heating your CPU/GPU! This was a 10 minute fix! I am still amazed at how much faster everything is, and haven't had a random shutdown since! I hope this helps alot of people that think they are out of luck and have to pay to get it fixed!
- Cory -

I too have this problem as well and it has been getting worse lately, I don't know what to do anymore. Here is a little info about my macbookPro. I have the late 2008 unibody model, i bought it in late 2009 Refurbished from Apple. Recently my mac has been turning off out of nowhere. I may be doing something and all of a sudden it just shuts off, it usually happens faster when i start to open up more programs like Photoshop or Final Cut Pro. My mac is out of warranty now and i dont know how much apple is going to charge me to fix it. i mean they want 50 bucks just to talk to them on the phone (ridiculous if you ask me)!.
    I have a temperature sensor installed and here is my data
CPU A Proximity: 126F
CPU A Temperature Diode: 133F
Graphics Processor Chip 1: 122F
Graphics Processor Heatsink 1: 113F
Graphics Processor Heatsink 2: 126F
Graphics Processor Temperature Diode: 131F
Left Palm Rest: 91F
Main Heatsink 3: 122F
Main Logic Board: 118F
Northbridge Chip: 127F
Northbridge Position: 124F
Here is more data from the Power
Battery Information:
Model Information:
Manufacturer:          GSA-1281
Device Name:          ASMB016
Pack Lot Code:          0
PCB Lot Code:          0
Firmware Version:          0
Hardware Revision:          0
Cell Revision:          0
Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh):          3739
Fully Charged:          No
Charging:          No
Full Charge Capacity (mAh):          4610
Health Information:
Cycle Count:          68
Condition:          Normal
Battery Installed:          Yes
Amperage (mA):          -1766
Voltage (mV):          11793
System Power Settings:
AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          0
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          0
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          90
Automatic Restart on Power Loss:          No
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Wake on LAN:          No
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
PrioritizeNetworkReachabilityOverSleep:          0
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          60
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          0
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          2
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Current Power Source:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
Reduce Brightness:          Yes
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Hardware Configuration:
UPS Installed:          No
AC Charger Information:
Connected:          No
Charging:          No
PLEASE HELP ME, I CAN NO LONGER TRUST MY MAC FOR WORK. any replies will be appreciated. thanks

Macbook Pro 15 " 2.53GHZ mid 2009 random shutdowns

Hello,
I've a Macbook Pro 15" 2.53GHZ mid 2009 that have random shutdowns and when he shutdown he dont turn on in power button, because the button dont do nothing at all. Sometimes, only after hours the macbook pro automaticaly turn on. I have already clear the fans and replace the thermal paste but with no sucess because problem still exists.
What's the problem with this mac?
Regards

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[solved?] possible reasons for random shutdowns

Several months ago, my laptop started to suddenly shutdown for no apparent reason. Initially, I assumed it was overheating. Lenovo had a look, found nothing but replaced the thermal paste anyway, gave it back.
The issue continued so somebody from IT stuck my laptop in a server room on top of a hot computer and stress tested it for a few hours. Conclusion: can find nothing wrong, definitely not a heat problem! (Laptop never went above 65.) They ran a bunch of hardware tests as part of this, got my cable and adaptor tested etc.
Next theory: issue had only ever occurred on one level of the building (in my office) and it turned out there had been another issue with another laptop in that area and it turned out to be shutting down to protect itself due to spikes in the power supply. A UPS solved that issue. One is currently on order for me.
Meanwhile, last weekend I had the issue occur twice in a friend's house in Birmingham. Even more worrying, however, I just had it happen here at home even though I use the machine extensively here and have never seen this happen here before.
I'm guessing this rules out the environmental hypothesis although I'm by no means certain of this.
That leaves: hardware or software.
Hardware is a pain - Lenovo already ran it for 48 hours straight and found nothing. Moreover, although I have paid to extend the warranty and although they've taken my money, I've so far been entirely unsuccessful in getting Lenovo's system to recognise the extension. In any case, with the holidays and everything I'd rather be sure of what I'm dealing with before giving the machine up for an extended period of time. I cannot reliably reproduce the issue so it is hard to troubleshoot.
So I would like to know what possible software issues might trigger apparently random shutdowns.
The shutdowns are immediate. One minute I am working on some document or whatever. The next the machine is off. journalctl shows nothing except:
-- Reboot --
If it was a hardware protection feature, would this get logged?
It does not reboot - it powers off - but I always have issues with reboot since I switched to systemd. Generally, it just powers off instead. [Oh, and before anybody tries to blame systemd, the random shutdowns started before I switched to systemd.]
I've checked the RAM.
Any suggestions, however unlikely, are welcome at this point.
Last edited by cfr (2013-04-13 23:42:03)

Thanks. The adaptor, cable etc. was "PAT tested" by the electricals person in our building and they checked the fuse etc. in the plug as well. Moreover, the laptop never usually has a problem switching from AC to battery and back. My battery is more than adequate for this sort of purpose and, if the battery did run low, the laptop would automatically suspend to RAM. Also, I know if this happens because, among other things, the display is set to dim on switch to battery. When the power supply has disappeared due to a power cut or just unplugging it, the switch has always been flawless.
I've just been jiggling and shaking and rotating the laptop itself as suggested above with no effect whatsoever. I've also tried pressing around the edges of the casing just in case I'm somehow putting pressure somewhere and that's affecting things. (I assume if it was pressure due to typing or touchpad, it would be happening all the time.)
I've also just spent a while jiggling the adaptor and both parts of the cable - also with no effect.
The one thing which makes me reluctant to test sans battery is that I've read that the batteries in ThinkPads serve some sort of protective function in case of issues with the power supply and that you shouldn't use them without the battery for that reason. (Somewhere on Lenovo's site but it was months ago so I can't remember where to check the details.) In case there is an issue with the power, I'd obviously rather not fry the laptop. (But it seems weird if it happens in several places in that case...)
I'm not sure about the cold boot comment. Do you think a cold boot might help? If so, I already performed one yesterday as I opened the back to look for loose connections. So if a cold boot might help, I'll just have to see. I've done cold boots before, though, after opening it up to look for issues following shutdowns.
These issues appeared several months ago and I've reproduced the issue with the LTS kernel a while back. So if it is a regression, it has been around for a bit. I might try a live Ubuntu USB. (I don't have an optical drive.) The problem is that a negative result won't really prove anything because the issue is so random. Given that yesterday is the first time it has ever happened to me at home and that even in my office I've sometimes gone three or four days without problem, a couple of days testing won't cut it. (And will make it difficult for me to get stuff done!) It might be best to wait and try it in my office after the holidays - if it worked for, say, a week there without issue, that would strongly suggest something in my Arch setup. (Or something about the hdd, I guess.)
Somebody suggested modules so, for the record, here's output from lsmod:
Module Size Used by
usb_storage 47385 0
uas 11120 0
efivars 12441 1
fuse 69213 3
hid_generic 1114 0
usbhid 37036 0
hid 85974 2 hid_generic,usbhid
rfcomm 33792 8
bnep 8858 2
ipt_REJECT 2282 2
ip6t_REJECT 2797 2
xt_LOG 12055 6
xt_limit 1978 6
xt_tcpudp 2472 4
nf_conntrack_ipv4 7799 5
nf_defrag_ipv4 1340 1 nf_conntrack_ipv4
nf_conntrack_ipv6 7512 5
nf_defrag_ipv6 6318 1 nf_conntrack_ipv6
xt_recent 8603 12
xt_conntrack 3298 10
nf_conntrack 64101 3 xt_conntrack,nf_conntrack_ipv4,nf_conntrack_ipv6
iptable_filter 1457 1
ip_tables 16947 1 iptable_filter
ip6table_filter 1397 1
ip6_tables 18519 1 ip6table_filter
x_tables 17000 11 ip6table_filter,xt_recent,ip_tables,xt_tcpudp,xt_limit,xt_conntrack,xt_LOG,iptable_filter,ipt_REJECT,ip6_tables,ip6t_REJECT
nls_cp437 5954 1
vfat 10120 1
fat 48403 1 vfat
uvcvideo 72788 0
videobuf2_vmalloc 2469 1 uvcvideo
videobuf2_memops 2283 1 videobuf2_vmalloc
coretemp 6071 0
kvm_intel 124718 0
snd_hda_codec_hdmi 24529 1
videobuf2_core 24073 1 uvcvideo
videodev 100860 2 uvcvideo,videobuf2_core
snd_hda_codec_conexant 47159 1
btusb 12373 0
kvm 374014 1 kvm_intel
media 10406 2 uvcvideo,videodev
joydev 9992 0
arc4 2040 2
bluetooth 192234 22 bnep,btusb,rfcomm
iwldvm 171052 0
mac80211 426350 1 iwldvm
snd_hda_intel 26181 2
snd_hda_codec 98034 3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_conexant,snd_hda_intel
thinkpad_acpi 62562 0
snd_hwdep 6429 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 75735 3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
snd_page_alloc 7218 2 snd_pcm,snd_hda_intel
microcode 12346 0
snd_timer 18935 1 snd_pcm
nvram 5907 1 thinkpad_acpi
snd 60189 12 snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_conexant,snd_pcm,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,thinkpad_acpi
rts_pstor 401665 0
atl1c 33647 0
psmouse 71952 0
iwlwifi 125182 1 iwldvm
iTCO_wdt 5256 0
iTCO_vendor_support 1930 1 iTCO_wdt
cfg80211 177109 3 iwlwifi,mac80211,iwldvm
rfkill 15605 5 cfg80211,thinkpad_acpi,bluetooth
soundcore 5443 1 snd
i2c_i801 9572 0
evdev 10267 25
serio_raw 4690 0
pcspkr 1900 0
mei 32666 0
lpc_ich 10610 0
ac 2537 0
thermal 8120 0
battery 6774 0
wmi 8380 0
nfs 127008 0
lockd 64905 1 nfs
sunrpc 186134 2 nfs,lockd
fscache 40996 1 nfs
acpi_cpufreq 5934 0
mperf 1300 1 acpi_cpufreq
processor 26856 1 acpi_cpufreq
ext4 440435 10
crc16 1360 2 ext4,bluetooth
jbd2 78802 1 ext4
mbcache 6027 1 ext4
sha256_generic 10262 2
ablk_helper 1973 0
aes_x86_64 7556 5
aes_generic 26139 1 aes_x86_64
cbc 2737 1
dm_crypt 15800 1
dm_mod 72106 35 dm_crypt
sd_mod 29560 4
crc32c_intel 1988 0
ghash_clmulni_intel 4278 0
cryptd 8742 2 ghash_clmulni_intel,ablk_helper
ahci 21361 3
libahci 20024 1 ahci
libata 167757 2 ahci,libahci
scsi_mod 133434 5 uas,usb_storage,libata,rts_pstor,sd_mod
ehci_hcd 41817 0
usbcore 150472 6 uas,btusb,uvcvideo,usb_storage,ehci_hcd,usbhid
usb_common 955 1 usbcore
i915 496012 3
video 11277 1 i915
button 4663 1 i915
i2c_algo_bit 5392 1 i915
intel_agp 10745 1 i915
intel_gtt 15660 2 i915,intel_agp
drm_kms_helper 32878 1 i915
drm 218903 4 i915,drm_kms_helper
i2c_core 20708 6 drm,i915,i2c_i801,drm_kms_helper,i2c_algo_bit,videodev
I did wonder about the watchdogs and whether I should try turning (any of?) them off. But I suspect this thought just shows my ignorance of these things.
I don't think there's a fan in my power supply - it is just a brick type adaptor between the AC and the laptop. If it is the battery, it would be odd that it only ever happens when I'm plugged into AC. (Again, I use it a lot more on AC and the problem is random so this need not mean much.) One difference between battery and AC is that laptop-mode tools is configured to disable the NMI watchdog on battery. But again, I don't understand enough of what this means to know whether this is even vaguely relevant.
My graphics is intel so I'm not using any closed source drivers from Nvidia or ATI. The driver is currently set to use the default acceleration. QT is using default rendering (X11/XRender) rather than Raster or the experimental OpenGL.

Random Shutdown Problem Fixed (for now)

I experienced the same random shutdown problems/symptoms with my MacBook that have been extensively described in this forum and elsewhere. I sent it back for repair under AppleCare and it was returned in 3 days. It has been running now for 4 days with no problems and far cooler and quieter (the fan rarely comes on) than it was before. The repair sheet indicates that the heat sink and heat assembly unit were replaced.
I'll keep my fingers crossed, but at least in my case and perhaps others, the problem may simply have to do with the thermal contact with the heat sink going bad and the processor simply shuts down due to overheating.
MacBook 2 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Followup:
They told me something interesting at my Mac Retailer. They have had two other machines brought in doing the same thing. They tried new logic boards with no success, they tried new thermal assemblies with no luck, new ram - nothing seemed to solve the problem.
What they finnally did was replace the Hard Drive - they tell me this has fixed the problem. Now I don't know if that is what they'll do to mine. The other two machines had the 60gb drives - mine is a 100gb, but we'll see. From all I have heard, this doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Anyway, we'll see what happens.
Anyone else hear anything about replacing the hard drive?
Clayton

Random Shutdowns Possible Triggers?

Simple CPU useage doesn't seem to be the answer here
We are dealing with a power related problem maybe we should all be thinking about things that might stress the power systems? Do the people who have more frequent shutdowns do something different with respect to sleep, shutdowns, and restarts that somehow increases the probability of a random shutdown?
For example, I normally just put my computer to sleep when I am done with it. Maybe lots of restarts strsses the PMU in someway that leads to more random shutdowns?

This is intersting- I wonder if this has something to do with the thermal grease breaking down/degrading because of extended exposure to heat:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_grease
http://www.answers.com/topic/thermal-grease
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5990418.html
"thermal paste should not be exposed to very high temperatures for extended periods of time because such exposure may lead to degradation of the interface coolant and deterioration of its thermal conduction capability"
This would at least explain why you could only reproduce the problem AFTER it had already started. This might also explain the random nature of the problem.
Applying too much thermal paste can be an issue as well (as has been discussed on this forum)...

Random shutdowns - IT'S THE BATTERY, NOT THE LOGIC BOARD!!!!

Hey,
Just got my battery replacement, and the shutdown problem is GONE. Here's how you verify - run your Macbook with the battery removed, on AC power - the problem disappears.
The tech told me that it is a short in the battery, which tells the PMU that there is no power (whether there is or not!)...anyway, I hope this is helpful to all of you!
P.S. If you're also getting the vertical lines at startup, that's a video driver issue - just zap the PRAM so you can boot, and once booted, change the resolution to something else and back to normal - it will fix the problem entirely.
THERE IS HOPE!!!!

<<<dear ASPs! this is -NOT- true!!!! it is NOT the battery!>>>
probably thanks to you my ASP (DataQuest, Zurich Switzerland) only replaced my battery and handed back my MacBook unrepaired.
After the "repair" the problem at first was rare but after just three days I'm back at normal frequency of random shutdowns. I have to spend another two weeks waiting for my macbook. this time I'm sending it to Netherlands
I guess that it's really that badly calibrated thermal module causing these shutdowns. obviously the thermal module is irritated especially if you use your macbook often - so after 1-2 weeks of repair time the problem is barely apparent. (which causes unsuccessful repair - "testing after battery replacement worked fine" says ASP)
MacBook 1.8Ghz Mac OS X (10.4.7) & iBook 2 600

Random Shutdown (theory | wild guess) - thermistor

Just sent my MacBook into service for the second time because of Random Shutdown. First time I got a new logic board. This next time, before I took it into the Genius Bar, I called up AppleCare to see if there was any known resolution on the Random Shutdown issue. Got directed to a Product Specialist who said that she would send a note to Engineering. I thought ... right. But apparently Engineering got back to her, she made some notes in my case report. Of course, no one at AppleCare would tell me what was in the notes. ???
So, this morning, the Genius tells me that the notes indicated that the thermistor cables may have been damaged when the logic board was replaced. Hadn't heard that before, so, thought I'd post.
Could Random Shutdown be caused by bad "thermistor cables"? Seems as likely as anything else; perhaps the manufacturing process tended to damage some as they were made. And during repair, they were also damaged. Who knows. Maybe Engineering took a wild guess. Maybe there's no such thing as "thermistor cables".
I'll post more when I get the box back; supposedly since this is a re-repair, it gets a higher priority. But they also couldn't repair it in store, no thermistor cables (or whatever). So it's off to Tennessee.
MacBook, White Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Please tell me you were repairing 8-track equipment
MORE than just a few years back...
Ya, I guess the 8-tracks were back in the 70s. Boy how time flies...eh? A good friend of mine used to go to K-Mart every week and buy new 8-track tapes. It was an addiction. He had a couple of suitcases in his trunk full of them.
Any random
shutdown issues in those?
I replaced a LOT of thermistors in television sets. When they went bad, the degaussing circuit stopped working and the CRT's color purity would get all screwed up. I could tell the thermistor was bad when I walked in the door and looked at the screen.
I had a PC that eventually had a problem reading disks (3.5", if you >remember those). Swapped it out, and when I did, realized their were a >bunch of coins in it. Gave the boys a little lesson that day to NOT put things >in slots on machines unless we said it was ok.
Oh yes. Coins were VERY popular.
parts replaced :-
top case 922-6869
bezel 603-9857
thermal assy 922-7379
lollipop 603-8320
robin.
Thanks Robin!
-Bmer
Mac Owners Support Group
Join Us @ MacOSG.com
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Random Shutdowns and Logs

Like some others, I have started having random shutdowns and some high fan activity. So I can probably guess that it is the power supply.
However, in previous posts on this topic, some have suggested checking a couple of different acitivity logs that exist somewhere on everyone's Mac.
My question is...what logs might they be, and how does one find them?
Thanks for any assistance....
CHUCK
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Hi Chuck--
But is there a log that would show me why the
computer randomly shutdown?
Shutdowns and going to sleep are two different things. If your power supply is starting to fail, your computer will periodically just shutdown completely. Sometimes, the fans will run faster, but often, they won't. If this happens, you can find it out by looking at the system log right after you reboot, or by typing a command in the Terminal application. Terminal is found in your Utilities folder. You would just open it and type the following command, followed by the "enter" key:
<pre class="command">sudo dmesg | grep shutdown</pre>Unfortunately, those codes are not published anywhere. However, my iMac G5 has shut off a couple of times due to the UPS inexplicably draining its battery. The last time was Sunday night, and here's the code I get from that command (you'll have to type in your password when it asks):
<pre class="command">AppleSMU -- shutdown cause = -110</pre>I've also seen -118 and -122 as the error codes. I think the latter came when I had the same random shutdown problem. You can also find the same information in your system log, using the Console application. However, it's mixed in with a whole bunch of other stuff, so it's harder to find. You can use the little search window at the top right of the Console app to help you narrow it down. If your system has been on overnight since it last shut down, you may need to look at an older log, so look at the one marked system.log.0.gz for yesterday, and so on, where the larger the number in the name, the older it is.
The second problem is that the computer overheats and puts itself to sleep. This is, fortunately, easier to find in the logs. Once it cools down a bit and you can get it running again, use the Console application and see if you see lines much like this:
<pre class="command">May 28 10:49:08 localhost kernel: Thermal Manager: max temperature exceeded for 30 seconds, forcing system sleep
May 28 10:49:08 localhost kernel: SMUNeo2PlatformPlugin core dump:
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: IOHWControls:
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [0] "System" Type:"fan-rpm" Id:0 TGT:1343 CUR:1343
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [1] "Hard Drive" Type:"fan-rpm" Id:2 TGT:1929 CUR:1919
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [2] "CPU" Type:"fan-rpm" Id:1 TGT:4400 CUR:4401
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [3] "sysclk slew" Type:"slew" Id:256 TGT:1 CUR:1
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: IOHWSensors:
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [0] "CPU Power" Type:"power" Id:5 CUR:12.2119 W
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [1] "CPU T-Diode" Type:"temp" Id:0 CUR:85.38558 C
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [2] "CPU Current" Type:"current" Id:1 CUR:1.15552 A
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [3] "CPU Voltage" Type:"voltage" Id:2 CUR:11.64384 V
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [4] "Hard drive" Type:"temperature" Id:4 CUR:54.0 C
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: IOHWCtrlLoops:
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [0] "Clock Slew" Id:0 MetaState:1 "Force Reduced Speed"
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [1] "PowerMac8,1 B System Fans" Id:1 MetaState:0 "Normal"
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: [2] "CPU Fan" Id:2 MetaState:0
May 28 10:49:09 localhost kernel: ---------------------------------</pre>Your output could be somewhat different, since this is the log from an iMac running 10.3.9, not Tiger.
If you see this error, the fans can't get enough cool air flowing through the interior of the computer. Some people have reported that they've had success in fixing it by carefully cleaning out the vent holes at the bottom of the iMac, so air flows freely again. They've reported that pet hair or dust can get in there and clog it up.
On the other hand, this log is from a replacement logic board on that iMac. When I showed the techs that log, they didn't even bother with any tests, other than look to see if the interior of the computer was dirty (it wasn't) before they decided to replace the logic board as a defective.
charlie

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.

K9N Platinum: CPU upgrade = Random shutdowns..

I just installed a new AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ EE in my MSI K9N Platinum motherboard (MS-7250 v1.0, the 070 model according to the box). I had updated the BIOS to version 1.7 before installing the CPU. Anyhow, I got the CPU installed and it seemed to be running fine. Until I started playing my games. Upon playing fifteen (!!!) minutes of Day of Defeat, the system completely turned off. COMPLETELY. No error messages. I check core temp's log to make sure the CPU wasnt overheating; it wasnt. The max temp was 38C on one of the cores. Just to make sure the CPU wasnt the problem, I ran two instances of prime95 for 5 hours and there were no calculation errors whatsoever. I also ran 3-4 loops of SuperPi, using the 32M test. No errors.
I have come to the conclusion that it must be the motherboard, and possibly it does not like the CPU. Or else it is having the same random shutdown problems as many other K9N Platinum/Ultra boards are experiencing. From what i have read, this issue only relates to boards that are 040, 050, or 060 models. I have a 070 model, and I AM GETTING THIS PROBLEM!!
Help!!!
Full specs:
MSI K9N Platinum MS7250 V1.0, BIOS 1.7, model 070
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ EE (old CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+; had no issues with the 3500+) vcore: 1.225
1 GB OCZ Platinum DDR2-800, 5-5-5-15, 2.1v
eVGA GeForce 7800GT videocard with Zalman VF900, 490/1220
Hitachi Deskstar 7K80 SATA HDD
LITE-ON DVD-ROM drive
Floppy drive
3x 80mm fans, 1 cold cathode
Antec Truepower 430 watt PSU, dual +12v @ 17A a piece.
Any ideas?

well, i know that ACPI has to do with power saving features.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACPI
and HPET also has something to do with CPUs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPET
and MCP55 is the nortbridge.
so i suppose i can conclude that it protects from overvoltage or promotes more power-saving? i dunno i really dont care as long as my PC works now,

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.

Macbook won't detect external display anymore - Random shutdown injury??

Hi,
my Macbook has the dreaded random shutdown thing happening, often it can't even get through the startup sequence. If I reset the PMU and PRAM and check the disk every week I can keep it running. Applecare are making not particularly helpful suggestions like "run it in safe mode" - hello people, random means it can take days to happen again... I use this computer for work so I need it at full capacity every day!!!
Anyway, enough angry ranting. The casualty of today's RS and subsequent PRAM PMU resetting is my external display (Viewsonic LCD). The macbook is no longer sending signals to it (display says "no signal"). When I ask the macbook to "detect displays" nothing happens. I have restarted the macbook several times and unplugged and replugged the display connection it doesn't help. Yes, I have the AC power cable plugged in on the Macbook (I know it doesn't like talking to the screen if I don't).
The display and macbook have always worked fine together in the past...
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to test for causes or fix this display related problem?
MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.2)

You don't mention ever having brought the problem to Apple's attention, or what resulted from your request for Apple's help with it. This isn't a universal or widespread problem. It may be a hardware fault in your own equipment that needs to be resolved with a repair, or it may be a software problem (corrupt file, incompatible software conflict, update needed, etc., etc.). You seem to think Apple should have fixed it for you without your lifting a finger, and you're eager to complain about Apple's lack of support. But you've offered nothing to indicate that Apple even knows you need support. You do have to ask for it. Have you done so?
We have no idea what steps you've taken to try to narrow down the possibilities, e.g., making sure the monitor is turned on; trying a different video cable as iVmichael has suggested; testing the monitor with the same cable on a different computer; testing a different monitor with the same cable and then with a diferent cable on your computer; substituting a different cable adapter, if you are using one; applying all applicable system software updates and then Repairing Permissions and Repairing Disk; starting in Safe Mode and seeing whether the monitor is recognized and activated then; seeing whether the monitor is detected in System Profiler; and so on. You may have done some of these things, but you haven't told us about them or about the results.

Random Shutdown/Thermal Runaway

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