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Fan Control Problem

P

pablocullen

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 1, 2009
14
0
Hi

I am in desperate need for some help, recently ive installed Fan Control 1.2, the program listed here. http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/23137

Please never install this program you will regret it !!

I own a MBP CD not the C2D this is the first intel mac, with the massive heat problems somewhat resolved in the C2D models, for instance, it is normal (although it really shouldnt be) for my MBP to run at 75 degrees Celcius under no load, the fans wernt really dealing with this well, SMC fan control, a great program was working but i figured a program that automatically increased the fan speeds based on temp and not my intervention would be good.

I couldnt have been more wrong.

The app is designed for cooler macs, so the result is a mac that runs at 6000 rpm constantly, unless it drops below 50 degress C which is basically the first 2 mins of activity and then boom cant here the TV over it sometimes!

To remove it I have tried the following

Process described on their website, involves removing the pref pane and reseting SMC and PMU and PRAM and rebooting.

Firmware Update, of course the firmware was modified by fan control but the updater thinks its fine so doesnt re-install the firmware

OS reinstall, didnt work as the firmware is the cause.

Lots of other crazy ideas like sing to the fan control uninstaller god but he didnt help

Im really at a loss guys and gals, i cant stand the noise anymore and really need some help.

Regards

Paul
 
ALL you did was uninstall the pref pane and do the SMC reset?


Meaning you didn't remove the folders it told you to delete and then reboot? When you reinstalled, did you pave over /Library? If you left out these steps, you did not delete the daemon that handles the business end, so of course your fans are still screwy. You didn't actually delete the program at all, just the controls for it.
 
I know you're freaked out but it's not a good idea to come here and just start telling users not to use it because of your bad experience. I would understand if the application itself was no good with a lot of bad reviews but this is something a lot of people have found success with, you just didn't take the time to read the proper uninstall procedures.
 
Thanks

Hi

Thanks for your comments.

Ninja: I followed the uninstall procedures correctly, and removed the daemon. Also i did research the uninstallation first. This program does have a decent few bad reviews, i dont write things like that lightly...

ilog.genius: I am giving what i feel is a valid warning, this program still effects your mac at a firmware level which so far i cannot reverse, is that a good thing?
 
pablocullen said:
Hi

Thanks for your comments.

Ninja: I followed the uninstall procedures correctly, and removed the daemon. Also i did research the uninstallation first. This program does have a decent few bad reviews, i dont write things like that lightly...

ilog.genius: I am giving what i feel is a valid warning, this program still effects your mac at a firmware level which so far i cannot reverse, is that a good thing?
Click to expand...

Just so we're clear, I'm in no way getting at you. If you removed the correct files and performed the proper uninstall procedure, your MacBook Pro should be back to it's default state.

Did you remove:

/Library/StartupItems/FanControlDaemon
/Library/PreferencePanes/Fan Control.prefPane

and then do a SMC reset?

(press (left) Shift-Control-Option along with the power button once. Wait 5 seconds and press the power button to start the computer.)

And what kind of reinstall did you do? Erase and Install or Archive and Install?
 
Hi

Sorry, i tend to get misunderstood and shouted at on forums.

I did remove the files mentioned. but i was given, by apple a different SMC reset procedure, i had to remove power cord and battery and hold down the power button for 10 seconds then plug it all back in..

Ill try this though.

Regards

Paul
 
pablocullen said:
Hi

Sorry, i tend to get misunderstood and shouted at on forums.

I did remove the files mentioned. but i was given, by apple a different SMC reset procedure, i had to remove power cord and battery and hold down the power button for 10 seconds then plug it all back in..

Ill try this though.

Regards

Paul
Click to expand...

Sorry, I was under the impression you had a 13" MacBook Pro. Your method of resetting SMC is correct, the one I posted is only for Late-2008 portables and newer.
 
Hi thanks anyway appreciate the attempt.

My temp is currently 53 degrees C, very cool for this laptop, but fans are running at 6005 RPM so its very noisy.. any ideas what i can do?
 
Hi, ok some more testing done.

Fans are controllable, via SMCfancontrol up to 60degrees, at which point "something" must take over and bump it to 6000 rpm

I can stress the CPU now if you would like me to confirm.

Paul
 
If you feel like there is something running in the background that is causing the fans to spin up, post your activity log with "ALL PROCESSES" and we'll go from there.
 
Hi

Strange thing, i went in processes, and the daemon had found its way back in...

Looked in the library/startupitems and sure enough it was back!!! so i quit the process and deleted the files, emptied the recycle bin and rebooted, on reboot i reset the SMC and the PRAM and when i started her up its now responding to commands above 60 degrees!

Ill keep you posted if the issue returns.

Thanks mate, i really appreciate you stepping up to the plate to help.
 
Its back

Hi

Its back, returned the next day, ive been leaving it to see if it would go back to normal.

Heres the symptoms, that ive monitored since then.

Pre 60 degrees the computer is responsive to SMC fan control version 2.2.2

Post 60 degrees the fans jump straight to 6000rpm and is unresponsive to any SMC controls even when the temp drops below 60 degrees again, until the computer is shut down and restarted, then i have control again up to 60 degress.

I have attached the processes export for you to look at.

Thanks a million

Regards

Paul
 

Attachments

  • Activity Monitor.pdf
    65.8 KB · Views: 394
Well , i'm using SMC fan control and it works flawlessly. When I turn it off, its off and the laptop controls its own fans, when its on, it does what I want and I set it how I want on my aluminum macbook pro. I'm sitting at 43*C and its 25*C outside right now, fanspeed is at 4000rpm, I crank it up to 6000 when I'm gaming in windoze, and the max I hit is 70*C. thats usually on my lap, It'll be cooler if I put it on a table, And no i'm not using a laptop pad.

pablocullen said:
Hi

I am in desperate need for some help, recently ive installed Fan Control 1.2, the program listed here. http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/23137

Please never install this program you will regret it !!

I own a MBP CD not the C2D this is the first intel mac, with the massive heat problems somewhat resolved in the C2D models, for instance, it is normal (although it really shouldnt be) for my MBP to run at 75 degrees Celcius under no load, the fans wernt really dealing with this well, SMC fan control, a great program was working but i figured a program that automatically increased the fan speeds based on temp and not my intervention would be good.

I couldnt have been more wrong.

The app is designed for cooler macs, so the result is a mac that runs at 6000 rpm constantly, unless it drops below 50 degress C which is basically the first 2 mins of activity and then boom cant here the TV over it sometimes!

To remove it I have tried the following

Process described on their website, involves removing the pref pane and reseting SMC and PMU and PRAM and rebooting.

Firmware Update, of course the firmware was modified by fan control but the updater thinks its fine so doesnt re-install the firmware

OS reinstall, didnt work as the firmware is the cause.

Lots of other crazy ideas like sing to the fan control uninstaller god but he didnt help

Im really at a loss guys and gals, i cant stand the noise anymore and really need some help.

Regards

Paul
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, yes SMC is fantastic program, and worked flawlessy up until i installed Fan Control but unfortunatly it has lost control since then.

Ive got one of the first intel macs which have disastrous heat issues so mine naturally runs nearer the 70 mark and has done fine for years, its only after this program that the fans are out of control, or maybe its something else this is what i need to find out.

Thanks for your input anyway.
 
It ran at 6000rpm because you obviously didn't set it up properly - it is a graph and you adjust your max and min temperatures.

Fan Control 1.2 is brilliant - I use it and you are the first that just doesn't "understand".
 
Hi

thanks for your comments, im not an idiot i know how to set it up, your both running newer macs, i have an old 2006 MPB that runs hot, its a documented fact they do, the fan control program was designed for macs that dont run as hot as this thus it is not effective on my mac.

Regards

Paul
 
pablocullen said:
Hi

I own a MBP CD not the C2D this is the first intel mac, with the massive heat problems somewhat resolved in the C2D models, for instance, it is normal (although it really shouldnt be) for my MBP to run at 75 degrees Celcius under no load, the fans wernt really dealing with this well, SMC fan control, a great program was working but i figured a program that automatically increased the fan speeds based on temp and not my intervention would be good.
Click to expand...


What? SMC does that for me just fine :confused:
 
Hi, anyone have an idea?

Looking at the way Fan Control works, its supposed to increase the reaction of the MBP fans to temperature, so if at 60c it used to run the fans at 3000 rpm it would run it at 3500, but nothing in it suggests it should jump to maximum rpm at 60c...
 
pablocullen said:
Hi, anyone have an idea?

Looking at the way Fan Control works, its supposed to increase the reaction of the MBP fans to temperature, so if at 60c it used to run the fans at 3000 rpm it would run it at 3500, but nothing in it suggests it should jump to maximum rpm at 60c...
Click to expand...

Hmm. I also use Fan Control and have been using it successfully for a long time, but I'm on a late 2008 uMBP. I've also uninstalled it successfully in the past by following the direction and resetting the SMC. But you are saying that the instruction (deleting prefs and resetting SMC) does not work for you?

You said that the fan control process made its way back into the processes, but I did not see "FanControlDaemon" listed in the list of processes in the PDF file that you posted. If you have reinstalled OS X, then I'm not sure how Fan Control is making itself back onto your system.

There are three settings: 1. Base Speed, 2. Lower Threshold and 3. Upper Threshold. Just to make sure that I'm hearing you correctly, are you saying that these settings do not work? The fan should be spinning at "Base Speed" until the temperature reaches "Lower Threshold", and then the fans should start spinning faster in proportion to your temperature, maxing out at the fastest fan speed at the "Upper Threshold." But you are saying that it does not matter what you set the thresholds to because as SOON as it reaches 60 C, the fan speed jumps immediately to 6000 RPM, right?

Have you tried setting the "Lower Threshold" to its max (slide the slider as far right as possible)? The max "Lower Threshold" I am able to set it to is 60 C. Does "Lower Threshold" have any affect on your fan speed at all? I ask because Fan Control comes with source code, and if you (or anyone you know) know how to read the source code and compile it, it doesn't seem too hard to modify the default settings. If your system does respond to Lower Threshold, then you can modify the source to set the Lower Threshold to a higher value than 60 C. Then you can try installing the compiled version of Fan Control instead to see if this will work for you. Perhaps you can set it to something like 80 C and just use SMC Fan Control to control fan speed. But this is only if your system responds to at least the Lower Threshold setting in Fan Control.

If all else fails, I'd take it to Apple and get it checked out.
 
Hi adamk77

Now, theres some thinking, i think your on the right track.

I delete the fan control but somehow the daemon remained once, so i removed it manually and it was gone for a good while.

A few weeks ago i installed the pref pane again, ill go now and put the lower threshold down...

Ok ive put it down but it doesnt appear to help.... the laptop does not appear to be responding to the fan control anymore either... oh dear..

According to my current settings, the fans should not hit 6000 rpm until 90 degrees, which is actually good.

Lets try a recompile, whats a good program to compile c? i can read source its not hard.. i hope not at least.

Thanks adamk77, can i call you adam.

Paul
 
Sorry to jump in, but did I understand correctly that you did install SMC and fancontroll?
I know there are two or three of these programs for controlling the fanspeed and I've used one for years on my Macbook Pro CD (notC2D).
If you've installed multiple programs that could be the problem I guess?
 
pablocullen said:
Hi adamk77

Now, theres some thinking, i think your on the right track.

I delete the fan control but somehow the daemon remained once, so i removed it manually and it was gone for a good while.

A few weeks ago i installed the pref pane again, ill go now and put the lower threshold down...

Ok ive put it down but it doesnt appear to help.... the laptop does not appear to be responding to the fan control anymore either... oh dear..

According to my current settings, the fans should not hit 6000 rpm until 90 degrees, which is actually good.

Lets try a recompile, whats a good program to compile c? i can read source its not hard.. i hope not at least.

Thanks adamk77, can i call you adam.

Paul
Click to expand...

You can download XCode from http://developer.apple.com/

You should be able to compile it successfully with it.
 
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