Due to all the "me too" posts on my original blog post about my Mac's terrible case of narcolepsy, I wanted to see if we could compare some things here (and not lose this in the comments of the previous post). I think I've ruled out anything to do with my power cord (or lack of it).
- Question One:
- Whether you have a 15" or 17" Powerbook, is your processor a 1.67GHz?
- Question Two:
- Did you buy your PB closer to the April or August release date?
- Question Three:
- What Boot ROM Version are you running?
- Question Four:
- What system version are you at — and is this an upgrade from what came installed on your computer? Did you notice this problem at a particular upgrade?
- Question Five:
- If you tap the space bar to wake the computer every time it goes to sleep, will it eventually stay on for an hour or two?
- Question Six:
- Do you stay on longer after rebooting? And if so, what's an approximate time?
My answers are the following:
17" PB with 1.67GHz processor
April Purchase date
Boot ROM Version: 4.9.1f3
Running System Version: Mac OS X 10.4.3 (8F46) (though based on Eric's report, I'm going to upgrade today). This is an upgrade over what I originally had installed.
Most times I can hit the space bar 8-20 times and it will finally stay on.
If I do not reboot, I definitely get progressively worse over time. The episodes of narcolepsy get closer and closer together. If I start the day with a fresh boot, I can usually get 2-3 hours.
Thanks guys!
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
15″ PB 1.67hz
Bought in July
Boot ROM 4.9.1f3
OS 10.4.5
definitely an upgrade from original software
Runs longer if left off overnight.
Space bar…nah…not really
But I do get the OverTemp signal in console everytime with TempMonitor spike out at 213F. BTW TempMonitor crashes upon waking from that type of “forced sleep”.
17″ PB with 1.67GHz processor
purchased MAY ’05
Boot ROM Version: 4.9.1f1
OS: 10.4.4 (upgrade of course)
i find if i jum up and down while hitting the space bar and sticking my finger in some jelly it stays on for a bit.
no really, there seems to be no particular way that is better than the next.
i was having major problems last week…went through everything that has been posted…etc, etc. did all i could. however since installing the Temperature Monitor i have only had it happen to me once over the last 3 days. i have a box sitting here from APPLE just in case though.
me too. same problem exactly.
1: 15″ 1.67
2: early June 05 purchase
3: don’t know boot rom v, not booting up to see…
4: 10.4.5, upgraded, problem started over last few weeks, degenerated to unusable over last few days.
5: space bar wakes it at first, but eventually only an un-plugged, un-batteried restart will work.
6: maybe 10 or so minutes after reboot before it really starts dropping off. I’ll rest it overnight (which I never do) and see if I get more uptime tomorrow.
Also got hi-temp sleep messages in the system logs.
Today I repaired permissions and upgraded to 10.4.5 using the combo update. Then I repaired permissions again before working.
I got a couple hours out of it (due to the reboot and repair no doubt) and now, I’m back to sleeping.
Only it’s different. No clue why. But now, when I go to sleep, it takes MORE effort to wake it. It takes longer to wake up and it sometimes takes two rounds of “hitting the space bar” before it will finally start whirring again.
Bill Condie, in Thailand is having these problems — he wrote me offlist but said I can share his answers here:
Q1. 17″ PB with 1.67GHz processor
Q2. Bought August – but in Sydney, Australia
Q3. Boot ROM Version is 4.9.1f3
Q4. Running 10.4.5 – only upgraded through updates since August
Q5. Tapping the space bar, swearing, shouting, drinking a large
vodka, tipping it over the keyboard, beating the dog, throwing the
computer out the window – none of these things seem to have any
logical, predictable or practical effect.
Q6. Yes…sometimes not, but enough to sniff a trend maybe.
Since I see no place to request a blog post on a topic, I’ll do it here:
I want to create a DW template with a persistent design-time stylesheet choice. So far, this looks impossible. Can it be done?
In other words, all child pages of a template should have the design-time stylesheet choice made in the template.
Hi Stef,
Q1: 15″ 1.67 GHz
Q2: ordered early July 2005, shipped early August 2005
Q3: Boot ROM v4.9.1f3
Q4: Mac OS 10.4.5; upgrade from original. Problem started in Jan 2006, with 10.4.4 I guess, but not obviously related.
Q5: Nope. Sometimes I can re-awaken it by pressing a key or removing a USB device. Usually I have to remove the power sources and reset the Power Management by holding the power button down. Not even forced shut down will work. There’s no magical key combination neither.
Q6: Yup. Sometimes I go 2-3 hours before sleep after rebooting, sometimes *days*. It depends (I believe) on the load and temperature of the machine. Also, the sleep mode always forces me to reboot (reset PM) at some point.
My 2 cents:
1. 15″ 1.67 PB (with ATI 9700 128MB). Added Kingston 1GB memory
2. Purchased in July
3. 4.9.1f3
4. 10.4.5 (upgraded via Software Update). I’ve just started running 10.4.5 and have had it for 2-4 days. I added RealPlayer and then problem started happening (I don’t think this is the cause but I wanted to add all the details I had)
5. The problem just started today (2.24.2006). Space bar sometimes wakes it, sometime it doesn’t. I have had to remove the battery and extra RAM to run reliably. Not sure how long this PB will keep running.
6. Not sure yet.
Also, I get the ‘Power Management received emergency overtemp signal’ message in the console log.
1. 15″ 1.67 Ghz
2. Purchased June 2005, custom build
Added 2 1GB RAM chips from Crucial, one of which seems to have failed recently (unrelated?)
3. 4.9.1f1
4. 10.4.5 via SU, no known relation to start of problem.
5-6. Seems completely sporadic, no discernible patterns.
1 – 17′powerbook, 1,67ghz
2 – bought it december 2005
3 – boot ROM version 4.9.6f0
4 – mac os x tiger 10.4.5, it’s not related to this upgrade because it has happened before
5 – 6 – i can’t find nothing in comum between the sleeps, sometimes it stays the hole day without falling asleep, sometimes it happens 5 minutes after i turn it on….
if anyone finds a solution please inform me
i went to an apple store today and all they told me was that it might be a software conflict.
5 hours ago i have put my preferences to the trash and rebooted, and it didn’t happen ever since, but i don’t know, i’ll we only be sure if it doesn’t happen again in 2 days.
Hi,
I wanted to give an update with a solution that seems to have solved this issue for me…
After this issue came up, I did all the usual checking of batteries, PRAM reset, etc. etc.
At some point, I decided to check my ‘Energy Saver’ settings (in System Preferences). Under the OPTIONS tab, I had the PROCESSOR PERFORMANCE popup menu set to ‘Higest’ for both Power Adapter and Battery settings. I changed the setting to ‘Automatic’ and I haven’t had the issue since.
Can some of you try this and see if it solve the problem?
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Open System Preferences (Go to APPLE menu, select SYSTEM PREFERNCES…)
2. Select the ENERGY SAVER system preference icon.
3. In the ENERGY SAVER pane, go to the SETTINGS FOR popup menu and select POWER ADAPTER.
Select the OPTIONS tab. Then go to the PROCESSOR PERFORMANCE popup menu and select AUTOMATIC.
4. In the ENERGY SAVER pane, go to the SETTINGS FOR popup menu and select BATTERY.
Select the OPTIONS tab. Then go to the PROCESSOR PERFORMANCE popup menu and select AUTOMATIC.
5. Close System Preferences window.
Like I said, this has been working for me for some time now.
Please update the thread if this works for you.
Hi Jose… I SO wanted this to be a little key — but my prefs are already set that way.
Let us know if it keeps working for you though…
Stef,
It’s been one week now of constant use since I had the top case and logic board replaced. It’s been smooth sailing the entire time. I really do think that replacing one or both of those two parts is the only viable solution to preventing this narcolepsy.
Steff,
1 – 17′powerbook, 1,67ghz
2 – bought it August 05
3 – boot ROM version 4.9.6f0
4 – mac os x tiger 10.4.4, but I have upgraded since then and it still happens.
5. Mine will not wake up from sleep if you his thw space bar, you have to hit the power button, but somethimes that will not work either.
6. Variable – 20 minutes to 2 hours.
1. 15″ Powerbook, 1.5GHz
2. bought in August
3. Boot ROM: 4.9.1f1
4. Mac OS 10.4.5, that’s an upgrade
5. I use the shift key; it will stay on for totally random lengths of time
6. I get about an hour after a reboot
Hi
Is a big problem the sleep issue i disable the AppleTerm.kext and works fine for the moment.
I do it with ( as root )
kextunload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleThermal.kext
I hope this works for you too
That’s a good tip. However, I’d be wary of voiding your warranty. The trackpad sensor is probably not as important as the other ones, which could be essential if the processor overheats for whatever reason. In an emergency situation this might be the way to go, but I highly recommend sending your machine in to Apple.
I sent mine in last week along with complete documentation of the problem along with screenshots of Temperature Monitor and references to all the online threads I could find on the subject.
I should update here — I recently learned that my PB was purchased in October, not April. Thus, I’m not from the “batch” I thought I was from.
But where was it purchased and when was it manufactured? Mine was custom assembled in mid-June. If yours came from retail it could have been from months earlier.
15″B with 1.67GHz
Bought Jul-Aug ’05
Boot ROM: 4.9.1f3
Running 10.4.6 (regular updates)
Will sometimes restart othertimes stays off
No descernable pattern.
Overtemp log messages.
Been having problems for about 1 month
Hi everyone. I had exactly this issue and it has been >knock wood< repaired. It is a hardware issue and there is nothing you can do with your settings to change it. I had all the symptoms described by you people and struggled along for a couple of weeks trying to get an hour of work out of the poor overheating tinfoil sandwich here and there until I couldn't take it anymore and an admin at macfixit suggested I bring it in for service...lucily my PB 167 was only 8 months old so I got it more or less repaired.
check out this thread
http://www.macfixitforums.com/php/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Forum35&Number=731599&Forum=&Words=sleep&Match=Entire%20Phrase&Searchpage=2&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=731197&Search=true#Post731599
regards
Serfikon
Hi Serfikon… I remember your thread (read it while researching my problem). In fact, I was tempted to open my computer and check for some touching wires after reading it. LOL I’m glad you’re fixed.
I bet they replaced your topcase (and maybe logic board) like they did ours.
Hi everybody,
I have exactly the same problem that all of you describe.
Q1: 15′ PB 1.67GHz
Q2: march 2005.
Q4: latest version 10.4.7
Q5: space wakes for shorther and shorter times, not an hour though
My problem: out of the 1 year warranty by 5 months: they refuse to extent the warranty for what is clearly a serious hardware problem. They want to charge 952€ for replacing the top case and motherboard. It is a scandal! Does anyone know what to do?? Anyone else out of warranty for this problem?
Did you talk to a customer service person or just a tech? Different people have different levels of authority.
My advice would be to keep calling back and provide links to all the documentation about this problem on the web.
If they don’t cave, then I’d suggest fixing it yourself by disabling the kernel extension, or whatever other methods people have come up with.
POWERBOOK G4 15-INCH 1.67GHZ
Latest OS
Firmware: don’t know
Same problem. Bought May 2005. Presently it is being repaired under the extended warranty.
Same here:
17″
purchased 11-2005
OS X 10.4.8
Problem seemed to develop after last update from Apple.
Tried all the tricks…reset PMU,onyX, reload update, etc.
Will awaken two to three times by repeatedly tapping space or enter or mouse.
After that, goes permanently to sleep. Sleep light on front pulsates dim to bright. Only way to restart is to unplug, remove battery. Sleep light still glows after that. Have to push power button to kill sleep light indicator. then replace battery and reboot.
From the looks of the number of people, there is definitely a Mac issue occurring.
Same here:
17″
purchased 11-2005
OS X 10.4.8
Problem seemed to develop after last update from Apple.
Tried all the tricks…reset PMU,onyX, reload update, etc.
Will awaken two to three times by repeatedly tapping space or enter or mouse.
After that, goes permanently to sleep. Sleep light on front pulsates dim to bright. Only way to restart is to unplug, remove battery. Sleep light still glows after that. Have to push power button to kill sleep light indicator. then replace battery and reboot.
From the looks of the number of people, there is definitely a Mac issue occurring.