Macbook Random Shutdown

Just bought a 17″ MBP, making the switch to Apple after many, MANY of my friends raved about theirs. Bought it last Saturday–since then, I have horrible wireless connectivity problems that Apple offers no solution for, other than to NOT install the latest AirPort Extreme update (yes, that made my connection much MUCh worse, so I had to re-install the OS–twice), and my second RSD in a week. What a piece of crap! I got these headaches on windows machines for much less $$$–this is going back to the store this week. Piece of crap.

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So, I took my White MacBook (purchased in September 2007) in to the genius bar last Friday (3/16) to address the random shutdown issue (after the SMC firmware update) and a squishy track-pad button. Also, my battery had been acting weird and I wanted that checked out. So they took it into their loving care and told me that they would call when the repair was completed. They called the following Wednesday and said that it was ready for pickup. Finally, the problem is solved (i thought). The best part was that they were out of the heat sinks that were causing the issues, so they installed a brand new logic board from a completely new manufacturer (which should solve the issue completely). So i took my MB home and used it as i would any other day. The next day, the problems began. I was running on battery power surfing the web when the computer shutdown again. I restarted…and it shutdown again. I was not a happy camper. I then made an appointment on Concierge through Apple.com for a time later that afternoon.

When i was called to the Genius Bar later that day, i told them my woes and showed them the AppleCare receipt (and the sales receipt, which i should not have gotten, apparently) from the previous afternoon. After reviewing the repair it was decided that it was a software problem, so we archived my data and reinstalled my OS. Since the problem is random, there was nothing that could be done except to go home and see what happens. So I did.

Friday went fine. As did Saturday. I was hoping this was finally a dead issue until it happened Sunday afternoon. Again, making an appointment with Apple, i headed to the store with a resolve to not leave until this was addressed and fixed.

Telling the Genius the history of the machine (along with him looking it up on his computer) he was flummoxed. It turns out that he is the Genius in charge of repairs for the store which i visited, and intimately knew the working of the MB (more so, im assuming then the other Geniuses). The strange part, he said, was that the hardware logging the error could not be faulty as it had just been replaced with a part that they knew was good. So the decision was made that the best solution was to give me a completely new (non refurbished, in-the-box new) MB with the same specs (and a better processor!). After a data transfer, I am satisfied Apple customer, who is ecstatics to have brand new, fixed (and faster) computer. Thanks Apple!

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Im so annoyed!!!! So I had to write a rant. My white MacBook arrived gleaming and beautifully new and shining in October 2006. I had gone to John Lewis to buy an i-book, but I was advised that, for just a ‘bit’ more money, I could have the Brand Spanking New MacBook, fresh from the makers at Apple. A bit too fresh if you ask me. Not ready for the shelves more like. (er where have we heard that before.. i-pod, i-pod shuffle etc etc)
Anyway. Yes before long it kept shitting sorry, shutting down randomly. I own my own business, so my laptop IS my business. It’s pretty damn important! Fast forward to March 2007. I finally get my arse in gear and phone John Lewis, who tell me they can send it away to be fixed. No good at all! How am I supposed to work? So on JL reccomendation, I call Apple and explain that I want a replacement, since Ive heard there might be an inherent problem with the MacBook. Mr Apple Helpline says that he has never heard of such problems and where did I hear that? So I went away feeling that maybe I was making this stuff up, and perhaps the problem occured when I dropped my morning croissant on it, or something. Ant then … then I found this website. I can only say two things. 1) hurrah 2) In your face Mr Apple. Im off to call them again. And this time they are not getting away with it.
Actually any suggestions welcome. should I

A) use the reccommended download to cure the problem of RSS on the Apple website?

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304308

B)Get a replacement from JL/Apple?

Good luck and spread the word xRR

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I love the first clip from Gates from 1984!

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Has anyone updated their OSX yet? Any thoughts or feedback? Today, Apple released Mac OS X v10.4.9. It’s available in both client and server versions for PowerPC and Intel-based Macs. The updates are available for download through the Software Update system preference pane, and can also be had from the Apple Downloads Web page.

Cheers!
Matthew

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On a slow news day, I thought I would post this….

I have picked up 25 Invitations to the new CareerBuilder.com ad publisher platform – JobStream. CareerBuilder.com is paying out $1/application that stems from the publisher’s site or blog. They have it set up so each publisher can specify keywords, location, job types, etc for the “jobstream” so relevant jobs can be shown on the publisher’s site/blog. The cool part is there is full control over font, color, size, etc. No limits from what I can tell.

Email me (matthew @ macbookrandomshutdown.com) if you want to claim an invite – Cheers! Matthew

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I don’t know if any of you have tried this but I went to the apple store after my macbook repeatedly kept shutting down and the guy said the only thing you have to do is keep performing the software updates whenever there are new ones. It sounded like a load of crap but sure enough when I got home and performed all of the software updates, my macbook miraculously stopped shutting off. It’s probably one of the five greatest things to ever occur to me in my life. Now I check for software updates daily and no matter what it is, I update it. All you have to do is click your “system preferences” then under the “system” you will see “software updates” and then click “check now” and it will search for all the updates. If you choose to update them all at once it can take quite a while so I did them 1 by 1. Ever since I started doing that I have not had ANY random shutdowns. Maybe it works for you, maybe not. Maybe I just wasted 40 seconds of your life. Let’s hope its the first part. Good luck to all you fellow angry mac users.

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Hi;
It’s been five weeks without my macbook suffering from RSS. It’s been sent back to Apple Canada twice. The first time, they told me that nothing was wrong with the computer. The second time, they told me that it is the music sharing programs on the computer that are causing the problem. Hence, music is dangerous according to them!! I also have experienced extreme overheating and rapid battery loss, but they continue to tell me that there is nothing wrong with the computer. I will be asking for a refund for the cost of the computer. This computer was purchased in September from Apple Canada and I have only used it for 4 months, considering the fact that it has been gone for the last five weeks.

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On February 6 I purchased a refurbished MacBook from the Apple online store. It arrived two days later. It was my very first Mac (okay, I actually learned how to use a computer in 1984 on an Apple IIe, but it wasn’t mine!) after years and years of using PC’s. I was very excited!

As everyone said, it was easy to navigate through, setup tasks were simple, connecting to the Internet was so easy as to make PC’s just a sad, sick joke…and then suddenly my screen went blank. I must have done something wrong, I thought. But it happened again later that day. And with each day it got worse and worse until, by day 3, I could barely keep it running.

Well, imagine my surprise when I Googled the subject and found this website!! I was pretty ticked off that Apple would send out a refurbished MacBook, *knowing* this was an issue with them, and nobody checked my logic board and heat sink?!

I called Apple and they told me to take it in, which I did. I told the repair guys what I’d found on the ‘Net. A week later I get it back and they just replaced the heat sink. Well, you know what happened – it started doing it again.

Does anybody here know if replacing JUST the heat sink was a good guess or a total blunder? The repair guy swears he was just following procedures and that he couldn’t replicate the problem after 8 hrs of running it, so assumed it was fixed. I replied that if a computer repair layman like myself could diagnose the issue with a 5 minute Google search, why didn’t he know what to do?

Okay, so now my MacBook is back in the repair joint and it will be there another week before I get it back. The manager there told me to call Apple Customer Relations and ask for a loaner, which I did and I got one. What I’d really like is some little reward for my pains of having bought a computer 3 weeks ago and not been able to use it at all, but it doesn’t look like one will be forthcoming, and I’m just not the nagging kind.

I will let you know if the problem was solved, but word to anybody buying a refurbished unit, call and make sure that somebody replaced the logic board and heat sink *before* they send it out to you!!

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