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

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Random Shutdown and Previous shutdown cause: -x2

Hi,
I had twice "random shutdown" for now. My MacBook is about 4 month old and It happend with about 3 weeks between them.
I tried stress testing it with 'yes >/dev/null' heating it up and cooling it down several times but I could not reproduce the Problem. However, looking at older system.log files, I found the "Previous shutdown cause: -82" lines in there. My question: Some MBs seem to report -72, others -82 as the shutdown cause known as random shutdown but what actually is the difference? Is it possible to guess the time it will take to get it repaired depending on the shutdown cause (which obviously describe two different conditions)?
Thanks a lot in advance and sorry for my somewhat clumsy english;-)
Peter

I don't know where you are in Austria, but I took my RSD macbook to mcshark in Vienna, and they repaired it, replaced the case, and returned it to me in one day. That was last Friday and it's been working great since. They knew all about the heat sink problem, didn't even ask for my user name or password, left my hard drive completely intact - they were absolutely super.
If you are anywhere near Vienna, call McShark and make an appointment - they'll repair it quickly for sure.

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Verify that the Sleep/Wake button functions. If it does not function, inspect it for signs of damage. If the button is damaged or is not functioning when pressed, seek service.
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Connect the iPhone to the iPhone's USB power adapter and let it charge for at least ten minutes.
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The low-battery image appears, even after the phone has charged for at least 20 minutes: See "iPhone displays the low-battery image and is unresponsive" symptom in this article.
Something other than the Home screen or Low Battery image appears, continue with this article for further troubleshooting steps.
If the iPhone did not turn on, reset it while connected to the iPhone USB power adapter.
If the display turns on, go to step 4.
If the display remains black, go to next step.
Connect the iPhone to a computer and open iTunes. If iTunes recognizes the iPhone and indicates that it is in recovery mode, attempt to restore the iPhone. If the iPhone doesn't appear in iTunes or if you have difficulties in restoring the iPhone, see this article for further assistance.
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Random Shutdown and Mooing

I'm curious. Of those who have MacBooks that exhibit the random shutdown syndrome, how many also have the "mooing" fans? And how many shutdowns have occured to people who don't have a fan that moos?
My fan mooed and only turned on once at full throttle since I purchased my MacBook, and it started shutting down after about six weeks. I wonder if the problem involves the failure of the fan to cool the logic board (or some other part of the computer), which at some point fails due to the high head.
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It seems pretty random to me and, even though I almost never hear the fans, the temperature seems to have nothing to do with it.
For the past two days, the only way I had to turn it on and not get a shutdown a few seconds later, was to press the on/off button for ten seconds, until the light started blinking fast and it emitted an alien beep before turning on. Even so, it usually shut down after the first time it went to sleep.
Now that I am back in Brazil, where I live, the Apple phone service tells me they can't offer me any support (even though I bought it less than two months ago), 'cause you only get phone support for three months in the country where you bought the computer. This after two days of getting nothing but a busy signal from both numbers listed for Brazil in the AppleCare Service and Support Guide.
Granted I haven't bought AppleCare, but this is a major defect and I am appalled that they aren't dealing with this in a more forthcoming way, especially since I am still fully covered by warranty.
I have entered Brazil legally with my laptop, and for a simple lack of assistance and options, I have left it at an Apple Store in Rio for hardware tests. Unfortunately, my computer started up just fine in front of the tech support guy today, for the first time in nearly three days. Let's hope they can replicate the defect and SOLVE IT, godwilling.
But I've looked at many forums and found reports of people having to get their logic boards replaced two or three times, isn't Apple at least acknowledging that there is a problem here?

Random shutdowns and restarts...where to begin?

This is a client's machine.
It is a second generation G5, 17". It passes all TechTool tests. We have the back cover removed to check for overheating. Thus far, we have not been able to duplicate the problem of the shutdowns and restarts...but the machine is essentially idle all day. The processor is not really being used, so it is not an accurate test.
1. Is there are software utility that will put a load on the processor so that we can recreate the issue?
2. Does this have any known heating issues, like the 20" of this series that were recalled?
Thanks in advance for any help.
G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

One not uncommon cause of this problem can actually be the very simple matter of a misaligned power cord collar, Bailey's Dad - see http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86817
This might also help to explain why the behviour hasn't been easy to replicate after the move and with the back taken off. Maybe it is now properly seated!
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Printing will provide a short term load on the processor and power supply, too.
THe "Rev B" extended repair program that Miriam has linked to only applies to the 20" model , I'm afraid, not the 17".
Cheers
Rod

Random shutdowns and Macbook battery

My situation is as follows. Purchased a Macbook in May which, after a few weeks, started shutting-down randomly. I sent it away to Apple, they fixed it (new logic board) and everything seemed fine. That was until Monday night, when it started shutting down again. Zapping the pRAM temporarily helped, but the problem soon re-emerged.
Last night I discovered something interesting with the battery. When my macbook is cold and wakes from sleep I can open up Terminal and run the yes > dev/null command twice and my macbook will shutdown within one minute. This happens without fail every time.
However, if i remove the battery and run the same Terminal command my Macbook is just fine. I took the theory one stage further and ran my macbook with the battery out, running of AC and i couldn't re-create the shutdown problem.
I'm not suggesting this is a long-term solution (clearly it's not), but perhaps the battery has something to do with the shutdown problem.

check it out with apple they may replace your battery or you may have to purchase a new one. this is new to me though. way to go on finding a temp solution to it.

Random Shutdowns and Processor Temps

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In order to use this Satellite now I have to elevate the rear of unit 3 1/2 inches and I bought a AC fan to pump air under it to keep it from shutting down. I spent over $100.00 on cooling pads that either broke or did not cool unit enough. This unit performed fine from date of purchase on January 29th 2009 to about January 13th 2010. So any solution to this issue will gratefully be accepted.
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Candy is dandy but sex is fat free and leads to better health!

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A friend of mine has a dual 1,25 Ghz MDD and he really likes it, but for about a month now the mac behaves very strange. The Mac shuts down itself (not the standard shutdown processes, just shuts down) and sometimes there are is a wrong date/time displayed !
I think that might be the batterie, do you agree ? Or can this also be a Board or power supply failure ?
Regrades
Snoop1990

I think it prudent to find out a little more about what your friend calls a"freeze," and to post the version of the Mac OS he's running.
Some freezes are just that--nothing works and you get no notifications of a problem. The other kind is accompanied by a new screen in multiple languages saying you need to restart the computer, or you simply see a lot of code-looking text across the scene. The later is a kernel panic and can be due to either hardware or software. If it's a kernel panic, this article may prove helpful:
http://thexlab.com/faqs/kernelpanics.html
If he's getting real kernel panics, search (command-f) for the word panic and, if the search returns a file called panic.log, double-click it and see if any clues are present.
Your friend should also determine how much free space the boot volume has. Single-click on the boot volume (always the uppermost drive icon shown) and do "Get Info..." from the Finder's "file" menu or simply press command-i. The resulting window will show capacity, amount used and amount free. You want at least 20 percent of the volume to be free space so that the OSX virtual memory process has someplace to write files.

Random shutdowns and heatsinks

Hi!
In the last couple of days, my MacBook Pro has shut down on random occasions.
It took a while until I was able to power it up again - it would just shut down again while in the boot screen.
I've tried to find out if this is related to heat and downloaded iStat Pro and for one of the heatsinks - "Heatsink B" - it just shows nothing.
Does that mean that the heatsink is broken, or doesn't the MacBook Pro have a "Heatsink B".
It was repaired by a service provider about two weeks ago. They had to replace the fans, because the right one was "kaputt".
If this "Heatsink B" is on the right side of the MacBook Pro, it would be a nice coincidence. Maybe they messed up and now my MacBook Pro shuts down because it overheats?
Anybody able to help?
Thanks in advance! ... And excuse mistakes, English is not my native language.

Certainly it's allowed You're just one of the few who knows how...
Could be when the tech replaced your fan the wire to the heatsink B temperature sensor was accidentally disconnected, which is why no temp is registered by iStat. Another (unlikely) possibility is a problem with the iStat widget, or that it needs to be updated (not sure, but mine shows all the temps yours does and a temp for the hard drive; I have iStat Pro v4.5).
Other temps look normal.
When your MBP shuts down randomly, are you on AC power or battery? I ask because your battery health is showing 81%, and unexpected shutdowns are one of the symptoms of affected batteries. Apple states that a battery should maintain 80% health over 300 cycles, and you are only at 106. There are known issues with MBP batteries (Apple has acknowledged the issue and extended the warranty on batteries for all Core Duo machines to two years). You should run a calibration every 4-8 weeks, and if the health drops below 80% call Apple or visit an Apple store.

Early 2011 MBP 17 Random Shutdown and Battery Behavior

Hi all, new to the forums here.
I recently purchased a refurbished early 2011 MBP 17' 2.2 Ghz i7 with 8gb and 10.7.5. Out of the box, machine looked great, but I noticed that the power cable was different than the one I had for my early 2011 MBP 15' I have for work. This raised an immediate redflag (buying from a refurb site outside of apple is always a cause for concern IMO) so I abstained from using that charger until I knew a little more. I plugged in the machine and booted it up and everything worked great. The batter was close to 100%, so after charging for approximately 20 min, I unplugged it, and the laptop immediately died. I powered it back on, and the harddrive began to spin for a few seconds, then the same result, total loss of power. Started up again, and I was able to boot into OS X and play around for a bit for a period of time before again, shut down.
For the next few days, same story. I was able to at one point, drain the battery completely and do a full cycle charge. The first time I did this, no change in behavior. Again, a few days later, I was able to drain the battery and perform a full cycle charge, but this time, a major change in behvior. Since the second full cycle charge, I have had absolutely no power problems. I haven't really "pushed" my MBP to see if fully utilizing the CPU/RAM/GPU will produce the similar results I had early, but it appears that everything is working great.
Here a few interesting notes to my situation.
When I was first operating the system (when plugged in, there were no shutdowns, only while on the battery) I pulled up my system report, and noticed that my battery cycle was very low (~5). This seemed odd, because I had opted for a used battery instead of a new one.
Prior to reinstalling Mountain Lion, my volume up key would trigger a few strange events. The screen for briefly get quite bright, then all open applications + the doc and widgets would restart (similar to killing explorer.exe in the windows task manager).
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Any thoughts?
I have a genius appointment tomorrow evening for a general diagnostics check, but if others have experienced these issues, I would appreciate some input.

Do a SMC reset:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
Run an Apple Hardware Test:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1509
You may need to use OPTION D to start it.
Install iStat pro and open Activity Monitor. Set Activity Monitor to show 'All Processes' and '%CPU' to display values from high to low. Post images of the two such as these:
Ciao.

SONY Z1 RANDOM SHUTDOWN AND BOOT UP PROBLEMS

My Sony Z1 is amazing but it randomly Shuts of it feels like it struggling when I multitasking like download and play a game at the same time then when shuts off it struggle to come back on after the Sony Logo appears then It shuts off I'v Done a hard reset a few times Evan restored my phone a couple of times but still this problem accours please help I'm going to send it back if I can?

Try running it in safe mode for a while and check if you still experience any shut downs.
http://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/FAQ/How-to-boot-your-phone-into-safe-mode/m-p/348008#U348008
If you do and you have tried to reinstall the phone software via SUS you should contact your local support team to have this examined at a repair center.
http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/support/contact-us/contact-info/
- Community Manager Sony Xperia Support Forum
If you're new to our forums make sure that you have read our Discussion guidelines.
If you want to get in touch with the local support team for your country please visit our contact page.

Random shutdown and charging issues

I have only had my Note 3 for a few days and since I activated it there has seem to been some issues. First it doesn't seem to charge completely and drains the battery very quickly (it was my understanding battery life was supposed to be better than the Note 2). It also randomly shuts down for no apparent reason. I also have been having a lot of trouble with apps closing saying unfortunately it has stopped working. Beginning to think that I might of gotten a faulty phone, or does anyone have any suggestions?

My Note III just started with this problem 4-5 days ago. The first time that it had powered off I thought it was just a fluke, I powered it back on, it had something like 30% battery left. Thinking it may have been because of the battery level I charged it back up to 90% and this seemed to resolve the issue for the time being. The next day it started randomly powering off I noticed right after it would go into sleep mode. Fast forward to today and the issue has gotten progressively worse, not only does it power off but the touch screen stops responding at random times, the battery is draining at an accelerated pace and the phone seems to run hotter. If I remove the battery and let it sit for 5-10 minutes it returns to normal operation but that only lasts about 30-60 minutes. The only thing I can think of that may have caused this is an app update that rolled through 4-5 days ago, I have never dropped the phone, never gotten liquid on it, I am super careful with this thing since it costs an arm and leg. I have just done a reset under backup and reset > personal data > reset settings, all this does is reset system settings back to default, it leaves all you data intact, I'm not hopeful that this will work. If it doesn't, I'll be doing a factory reset (complete wipe) as a last resort before I take it into Verizon.

Random Shutdown and Glitchy Trackpad

Up until now, my Early 2008 Mac Book Pro 17" has been extremely reliable, but recently it's been freaking out. The first thing that I noticed was that the computer would randomly shut-down when it wasn't plugged into the AC adapter. This would happen at 50% or 30% battery life and the computer wouldn't even be that hot. It wouldn't start up even though I knew it still had battery life, but it did when I plugged it in. So that's the first problem.
The second problem is a little bit harder to understand. The trackpad has been acting up as well. At first I noticed a slight click right before the primary click on my trackpad. I didn't really take much notice to it since there wasn't any change in it's usage. Then there wasn't ANY click at all. I would just lightly touch it and then things would get selected. Then when I was trying to type something in gmail chat, the cursor kept going around the screen all crazy and I was positive that I wasn't touching the trackpad. I then noticed that things become selected if I push on the body of the laptop next to the trackpad. I could even scroll on it! So if there's any type of pressure applied on or around the trackpad, it goes crazy. I then tried to use my wireless mac mouse, but even that had problems. It has now become that if I move my computer just a little bit then wherever the cursor is, that gets selected and sometimes it's hard to un-select things.
This is seriously driving me nuts because I use my Mac all that time. I have AppleCare but I'm not exactly sure what I can do with that to get my computer fixed. I don't really have a buttload of money lying around to pay for repairs.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
The first thing to do is to shut down your computer and remove the battery and check that it has not become swollen. Apple has from time to time gotten defective batteries that can pop open and swell, and these can exert pressure on the trackpad from below and cause problems. There used to be a battery program for these, but it has been discontinued. However, since you have Applecare, they may replace the battery for you under warranty.
If your battery is swollen, then do not put it back in your computer, but instead call Apple or go to an Apple Store immediately to report it. Double bag the battery in plastic, as it could be leaking noxious fluids.
Maybe your battery doesn't have this problem, but it could still have some problem. Go to the System profiler to check on its condition. It sounds like there is some sort of problem with the battery itself.
Good luck!

Random shutdown and machine code

G4 shuts down at random. Or goes down to machine code and requires "macboot". Graphics card Radeon 9000. Help.

perhaps a little more info of your machines make model etc.
otherwise not sure what to tell you based on the 2 sentences.
have you... Tried to Zap PRAM, checked PRAM battery, checked Power supply, how old is the computer? How Much RAM does the computer have?. did you recently upgrade RAM? Do Dance the Peppermint Twist in your Underwear?Did you recently add a new HD? Have you reseated your Video grpahics card? did you Press the CUDA reset switch? Did you Soak your Keyboard in Maple Syrup? Have you have other Kernel Panics before?
Did you recently upgrade your OS? Have you run your apple hardware test?
ridicuclous? you bet... more info always helps when diagnosing problems.

Random shutdowns, and noises.

I bought my macbook in the summer of 2008. Its been great.
But just yesterday, im starting to see some problems with it.
It shut down a couple times randomly. Also when I start it up now, instead of just hit the power button, I have hold it down for a couple seconds.
And currently right now im hearing alot of internal noises, it hasnt quit since i started it up....sounds like the harddrrive or something.
Let me know, if you have an idea whats going on...thanks!
-wade

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
It's possible that the noise is coming from your hard drive, and if so, that's not a good sign. Back up your data, and keep it backed up until you find out what is wrong for sure.
You could try running the extended version of the Apple Hardware Test and see if anything shows up in the form of an error code. Also, open Disk Utility and check on the S.M.A.R.T. status of your hard drive.
Since you bought your Mac last summer, it is still under warranty. If you have access to an Apple Store, I would recommend you bring it in for evaluation. If not, call Apple. It sounds like you may have some sort of a hardware problem, and if so, it will be fixed at no cost to you.
Good luck!

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