To let you know, I work for Sky News here in the UK, and its Technofile strand is putting together a story on the problems all of us are experiencing. I’m being interviewed and they’ll film the computer ‘randomly shutting down’. They’ll then put the criticisms to Apple and ask why there hasn’t been a recall. This site will feature prominently in the report. The ball has started to roll in the mainstream media.
I’ve noticed over the last couple of nights that removing the battery and running just the AC power reduces the temp of the CPU (as measured by CoreDuoTemp) a few degrees, sometimes up to 5 degrees.
This is my workaround until I take my MacBook to the Apple store tomorrow…
Will keep you all posted.
Aftering calling apple support I was told to ‘reset the ram’. I didn’t think this would help but did it anyway. At first my macbook wouldn’t boot, so I reset the ram again. After booting up the random shutdown problem still persists. I’m taking it back to the store this week either for an exchange or a refund, I have yet to decide.
Hello everybody,
I did not know that this blog is for MacBook Pro Users also 
I bought a MacBook Pro 17 inch 2,16 GHZ 2GB RAM in May here in Germany. Since then I had to fight with Kernel Panic for instance like this (different crash logs possible):
panic(cpu 1 caller 0x0019CADF): Unresolved kernel trap (CPU 1, Type 14=page fault), registers:
CR0: 0×80010033, CR2: 0x8fe29004, CR3: 0x00d9f000, CR4: 0x000006a0
EAX: 0×00000000, EBX: 0x03dc2f50, ECX: 0×00427064, EDX: 0x03dc2f64
ESP: 0x8fe29004, EBP: 0x24e9bde8, ESI: 0x03dc2f64, EDI: 0x8fe29000
EFL: 0×00010086, EIP: 0x00190b41, CS: 0×00000008, DS: 0×00000010
Backtrace, Format – Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x24e9bc68 : 0x128b5e (0x3bc46c 0x24e9bc8c 0x131bbc 0×0)
0x24e9bca8 : 0x19cadf (0x3c18e4 0×1 0xe 0x3c169c)
0x24e9bd58 : 0x197c7d (0x24e9bd6c 0x24e9bde8 0x190b41 0×190048)
0x24e9bd64 : 0x190b41 (0×190048 0x3dc0010 0×10 0×10)
0x24e9bde8 : 0x190c21 (0x10fd3 0×20 0×0 0x17e4b5)
0x24e9be08 : 0x17ed1e (0x10fd3 0x42ab4e0 0x24e9bf78 0×195099)
0x24e9be28 : 0x1614c1 (0x1be3608 0x42b7b28 0×1000 0×0)
0x24e9bf78 : 0x19c5c6 (0x14a412c 0x8fe4d000 0×0 0×3)
0x24e9bfd8 : 0x197bbb (0x420dd48 0x420dd48 0x3dc2f50 0x8fe29004) No mapping exists for frame pointer
Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0xb0080968
Before i had a Powerbook G4 17 inch 1GHZ 1 GB RAM and never had any problems with it (even did not know that kernel panic exists).
I formatted the HD and installed the system for several times. I tried to fix some software problems after loooking at the “Konsole” with my migrated data.
The MacBook Pro had been to the local dealer where I bought it in Hamburg three times. They changed: 1. Processor, 2. Logicboard (is there a difference?) 3. Body (just to give me the chance to change the complete MacBook for a new one)
When I was on a “holiday trip” I started from an external LaCie HD and it crashed totally. I could not start from the intern HD again. I went to a local Mac-Dealer, who checked the RAM (no problem), then left me with the info: Apple Service.
So I went back home, the local MacDealer saved my data from HD and the 2nd and 3rd repair as mentioned above followed.
Kernel Panic did not stop.
For 1 day now it worked fine, before it crashed approximately twice a day. I am working on a keynote presentation which I will show In October to an audience of 1000 people. I really have panic that there will be kernel panic again and I loose this job forever.
I read some messages that Apple will bring out a revision of either MacBook Pro 17 or logicboard for it, so I am waiting still to change it.
Does somebody have the same problems or knows something about new logicboard or MacBook Pro 17?
Thanks
Bernd
Hello everyone … I posted this on the wiki site and as a comment, but here it is as a post. This is a draft of a petition to Apple we can all sign. Please make any suggestions you might have to make it better … either here or on the wiki site that has been set up. And thanks to everyone that runs this great site!!!
-t
Open Petition to Apple Computer Inc.
Regarding Macbook and Macbook Pro Recall
We the undersigned:
have all purchased a MacBook or MacBook Pro from Apple,
have all experienced Random Shutdown Syndrome (RSS) on the MacBook or MacBook Pro.
RSS is intermittent, ongoing and unpredictable shut-down. This problem means that any use of our MacBooks runs the risk of data loss, system corruption, and any other damage that would be typical of regular and sudden loss of power. Our systems are completely unreliable and cannot be used effectively for either work or play.
This flaw has been identified by users, and any information we provide is based on countless hours of investigation by the MacBook user community. The results of our observations are as follows:
RSS begins as early as a few days and as late as a few months after the time of purchase.
RSS affects a substantial proportion of MacBook users.
RSS results in very frequent shutdown – as few as one or two and as many as a dozen times over the course of a working day.
RSS does not appear to be the result of third-party hardware or software.
RSS is not solved by OS reinstall, firmware updates or any other changes made to software.
RSS cannot be solved by any apparent means that a user can undertake without violating product warrantee.
Because of this Apple Computer’s assistance is obviously required in eliminating RSS. We, the undersigned, wish to formally complain about Apple’s failure to act in an effective, timely and open way. Our specific complaints are:
Apple has not officially acknowledged RSS as a problem on it’s MacBook line.
Apple has released only the barest possible support article related to RSS, which serves merely to direct the users to Applecare.
Apple continues to sell new MacBooks and MacBook Pro computers without acknowledging that users are reporting the line to be unreliable.
Apple has not identified the source of RSS, or presented any permanent solution.
Apple has not released any information on what range of serials are affected.
Apple has made no indication of plans to recall faulty MacBooks, or even which MacBooks are faulty.
Apple has failed in many instances to guarantee timely and open customer service to the users affected by RSS.
We thus request that Apple:
Work in a timely fashion to solve the underlying issues with the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines that produce RSS.
Provide information to its customer base as to its progress in solving RSS.
Provide information to its customer base as to the specific cause of RSS.
Provide information as to the specific range of serials effected.
Provide guarantee that MacBooks and MacBook Pros currently being sold do not have RSS.
Provide assurances that at no time were sales of MacBooks or MacBook Pros fraudulently negligent in Apple’s representation of the reliability and viability of the product.
Finally, in the case that Apple cannot fulfill any of these requests, we the undersigned wish for Apple to acknowledge there is the (known or unknown) defect in its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines and move with due swiftness to a recall all affected computers and refund the money collected from sales of this defective product.
Sincerely,
I’ve had my macbook for just over 3 months now, and it started crashing infrequently a little before the 2 month mark. I am a student in lubbock, TX, so with no mac store in the area, I figured I would just wait until i visit my family in Dallas to get it fixed. Over the past month, my computer got worse and worse, shutting down within the first five minutes of use consistently.
So, for the time being, I reverted to a fix I read online – just hold down the power button when starting up until the beep sounds to run @ 1Ghz. This worked for a while, although it was slightly annoying (i.e. turning on the computer and sounding the excruciatingly loud beep during class isn’t too cool…I swear that thing breaks the 100 dB mark…). After a couple of weeks, however, RSS again plagued my computer – this time in the 1Ghz mode. I found that if I run it @ 1Ghz for a long time, till it starts shutting down frequently, it allows me to run it @ 2Gzh for a while, sometimes a few hours. After that, the shutdowns @ 2Ghz get worse, and I switch back over to 1Ghz, which works for a couple of hours. I finally got fed up with this process (translation – “was about to smash my macbook with a sledgehammer”) and decided to send it in. That was 11 days ago, and it’s slated for return tomorrow.
I’ve heard a lot of people say that booting the computer in 1Ghz mode fixes the problem (albeit only temporarily and with processor speed cut in half). This isn’t true. It worked for a little while, but my macbook eventually got to the same level of shutdown frequency only running one core.
How do American MacBook users feel about filling a complaint about a defective computer or computer component? Using a law firm? I think that such a complaint is most likely to work in the States. Although I generally dislike such cases, I also think that Apple has made no effort do deal with our problems in a fair and honorable way. I don’t recall ever having been treated as poorly when a product has failed. Furthermore, I don’t think that the problem will be solved by this new heatsink. Of course it may well keep our MacBooks running until the waranty expires and then Apple will be even more impossible to deal with. Unless we get them to make a proper recall like they did with the iBook G3.
One law-firm that was suggested on another web-site was Lieff Cabraser (http://www.lieffcabraser.com/contact/contact-computer-defects.htm). Perhaps someone from the US should contact them or someone else? This firm seems to have been succesful against Dell recently in a quite similar case (http://www.lieffcabraser.com/dell-inspiron.htm). Sadly, Apple does not seem to listen very much to their unhappy customers – maybe an attorney is the only way to make them change their attitude? What do the rest of you think???
we should not try to fix the machines ourselves, because anything we do could be later used against us (!) as an excuse from apple not to take full responsibility of their production flaw. we should refuse to act on individual basis and go on with a petion that will give the issue strenght and resonance, and insist for apple to recall the product, as they should. because it seems evident that even after being fixed some machines go back to have the same problems, or some other. they have no idea of what’s wrong with this macbook pro hardware, models and serials are more than just one batch, and there could be hundreds thousands out there already on the market and totally deficient! apple should be seeking answers for this problem in a fast , exhaustive and public way otherwise they are committing a fraude crime against all those people who bought or may be just now buying a very expensive and defective computer without knowing it. but apple knows that chances are, by now. it’s like a russian roulette, played at consumers expences. a research where we play guinea pigs. so in short, we should begin, on this site (and thank you so much for this site!), a petition with our names and product serial number. it should then be apple to contact and arrange for a recall. we must ask the money back and not trust – so far – even a replacement.
otherwise, we should sue them. it is an absolutely appropriate move, it is our right. and believe me, if we start suing, it will get worse for them, because we may start asking not just for the product’s money back, but also for the damage. what about those people showing up at an important meeting for a presentation with a macbook pro that lets them down and make them loose a contract? what about those who miss a deadline because of a broken macbook? what about those who can’t work because of it ? and our time spent after looking for a solution? so let’s keep together. because there are many of us, from very different parts of the world, and not everyone has the time and the possibility to run to an apple store and waste hours and hours on trying a replacement. it would be great if someone with a legal background could help editing the petition, because really if they don’t take care of us next thing is suing them, and no doubt we’ll win!
REALLY QUICKLY, I’ve set up a wiki site where we can start working on an effective petition\open letter to Apple. I’ve brainstormed a bit and made a basic framework for our discussion. For anyone not familiar with a wiki, it is a website that works just like Wikipedia, so we can all contribute our ideas to the petition. Anything else macbook-related on my personal website will be at http://www.ezra-g.com/macbook.
Feel free to leave me feedback on the ‘notes to admin’ page.
Who else is fed up with apple giving us the run around and avoiding their obvious blunders? I say we petition to make apple recall their defective macbooks and repair them in a timely manner as well as give an explanation as to what rlly went wrong.
http://petitiononline.com/
here is a website for making a petiton to be sent to apple. i would make it but im wondering if i should let the creator of this site make it so it could gain more steam. if anyone catches my drift?
Recent Comments