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macbook pro shuts down on movement - RAM issue??

G

gnomie

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 18, 2010
12
0
Hi, not sure if I'm posting in the right area.. sorry if I'm not.

My Macbook pro (early 2009 model) has begun to shut down on movement. On restarting it does the 3 flashes (a RAM issue) and it eventually works again if i reset the PRAM. Takes a while tho. It first crashed after I took it downstairs to set up a new internet connection.
I have realised after experiencing this problem multiple times that my Mac prefers to have the front (the part where the touchpad is) one inch higher than the back (where the screen is) I noticed this after getting it to work multiple times, then trying to put it down to watch a dvd on a table, and as soon as I put it down fully, it crashed. I now place it on the table with a small book under it and it hasnt crashed for 24 hours. It feels to me like the RAM may not be properly seated and it has only a few positions it wants to work in.
Is there any other thing besides the RAM not being properly seated that may be causing this rather weird issue?? I've had some RAM issues before, and feel like just buying new RAM and getting someone to install is for me, but if it's likely to be something else I obviously dont want to go down that path.

I would really appreciate some advice re this.

Thanks ;)
 
Sounds more like a problem with hard drive platters, but I'm not sure how the RAM in your macbook is seated, so it could be moving around or something. But if that's the case, then there must be something broken or severely worn out.
 
Hard drive platter is what they call the spinning discs in the hard drive. Most laptop hard drives have 2 platters that spin either at 5400RPM or 7200RPM.

If there is an issue with your hard drive, have you had any other problems? For example when using the computer on a day to day basis, notice any corrupt files? Also if the motion sensor were activated, it'd make things pause for a moment not crash the computer.

In regards to your ram, if you're able to open it up... take out the ram check to make sure they're clean of dust and re-seat it back in the ram slots. Then see if you still have the same issues.
 
Nope, no other problems what so ever. Apart from not starting up reliably and crashing regularly when I move my laptop, my computer works great.
Thanks for your advice, I'll look at my RAM.
 
If the computer is crashing, it could be a hard drive issue. However, if it is just shutting off, I would suspect a possible battery issue. Do you get any effects before the computer shuts down, such as a garbled screen, or does everything simply turn off in an instant?
 
i get kernel panics and freezes. About an even number of both. What's really weird is that it happened constantly for 2 days, now it hasn't happened for the last 36 hours. My computer has been plugged in the whole time, so it's not a battery issue.
 
Post the kernel panic report. I don't remember the way to find it; I think it's in Console somewhere.

It's probably not a bad hard drive if the computer is instantly shutting off when you move it. If you were to pull out the hard drive from a running computer, the computer would probably freeze or crash but not shut off instantly (but I don't recommend trying it!). In Linux, you can actually format the system partition while the computer is running and watch things disappear then watch the OS die as it can no longer access critical files. It's kind of sad to watch.

I can't remember what happens if you pull the RAM out of a running computer. I know I tried it once, but I think I ended up frying the RAM and the socket (and as a result the whole board) because I didn't keep the pins lined up right. Definitely not something I would recommend trying either.
 
haha.. no.. I'm not likely to start taking apart my computer while it's running...

I have a few kernel panic reports, and they are all different (tho I have no idea how to read this).. here is one of them

Tue May 18 16:20:58 2010
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x001AB0FE): Kernel trap at 0x009115dc, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x89042450, CR3: 0x014b0000, CR4: 0x00000660
EAX: 0x00000010, EBX: 0x00000010, ECX: 0x00000004, EDX: 0x049d6000
CR2: 0x89042450, EBP: 0x00108f08, ESI: 0x00000010, EDI: 0x00000000
EFL: 0x00010046, EIP: 0x009115dc, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x00000010
Error code: 0x00000002

Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x108cf8 : 0x12b4c6 (0x45f91c 0x108d2c 0x13355c 0x0)
0x108d48 : 0x1ab0fe (0x469a98 0x9115dc 0xe 0x469248)
0x108e28 : 0x1a1713 (0x108e40 0x0 0x108f08 0x9115dc)
0x108e38 : 0x9115dc (0xe 0x48 0x100010 0x140010)
0x108f08 : 0x42904d (0x49d6000 0x4a79880 0x108f28 0x444de00)
0x108f38 : 0x5cfd53 (0x4a79880 0x0 0x4478880 0x1)
0x108f58 : 0x759f77 (0x447ba00 0x0 0x4444d80 0x90)
0x108f78 : 0x752ca7 (0x43c7800 0x0 0x4444d80 0x90)
0x108f98 : 0x44e43d (0x4444900 0x0 0x4444880 0x90)
0x108fd8 : 0x1a18d4 (0x349338e0 0x0 0x0 0x4f0000)
0x34933a48 : 0x42c99c (0x45a7a00 0x42c99e 0x80 0x34933b20)
0x34933a78 : 0x5a28dc (0x45a7a00 0x34933b20 0x34933af8 0x34933b2c)
0x34933b48 : 0x5a2dc2 (0x44d4000 0x45a8000 0x40 0x0)
0x34933bb8 : 0x5a73ec (0x44d4000 0x45d8d00 0x3 0x45fcc4c)
0x34933bf8 : 0x5a7108 (0x45fcc40 0x45d8d00 0x0 0x0)
0x34933c38 : 0x5a6d9b (0x45fcc40 0x45d8d00 0x0 0x0)
Backtrace continues...
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController(1.7.1a2)@0x90b000->0x91afff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6)@0x5ce000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily(1.7.1a2)@0x904000
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(3.5.2)@0x59d000->0x5c6fff
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform(1.2.5)@0x751000->0x78efff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6)@0x5ce000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily(1.2.0)@0x627000
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6)@0x5ce000->0x5defff

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
9L3!a

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.8.0: Wed Jul 15 16:55:01 PDT 2009; root:xnu-1228.15.4~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: MacBookPro3,1 (Mac-F42388C8)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 869619873261
unloaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.InternalModemSupport 2.4.0 - last unloaded 142957383536
loaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9d0 - last loaded 47121385230
com.apple.driver.InternalModemSupport 2.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 2.1.9f10
com.apple.filesystems.autofs 2.0.2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAPlatformDriver 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 2.7.5
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAHardwareConfigDriver 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 1.7.1a2
com.apple.GeForce 5.4.8
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 6.0.3
com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl 2.8.15
com.apple.nvidia.nv50hal 5.4.8
com.apple.driver.AirPort.Atheros 320.16.2
com.apple.driver.SMCMotionSensor 2.1.1d2
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP 1.7.7
com.apple.driver.AppleIRController 113
com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver 1.0.6
com.apple.kext.AppleSMCLMU 1.4.5d1
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin 3.4.0a17
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.3.1
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight 1.6.0
com.apple.driver.AppleTyMCEDriver 1.0.0d28
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.CSRUSBBluetoothHCIController 2.1.9f10
com.apple.driver.CSRHIDTransitionDriver 2.1.9f10
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTrackpad 1.7.4f1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyEventDriver 1.7.4f1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard 1.7.4f1
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 2.7.91
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 1.2.2
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 3.5.2
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOATAPIProtocolTransport 1.5.3
com.apple.iokit.AppleYukon2 3.1.13b2
com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver 1.1.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub 3.4.9
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient 3.5.2
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 1.7.0
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelPIIXATA 2.0.1
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI 3.9.7
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBUHCI 3.5.2
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 1.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleSmartBatteryManager 158.10.5
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC 1.2.3
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET 1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPCI 1.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons 1.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS 1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC 1.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC 1.4
com.apple.security.seatbelt 107.12
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 1.6.77
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 3
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement 76.2.0
com.apple.driver.DiskImages 199
com.apple.BootCache 30.4
com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily 9.4
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib 1.7.1a2
com.apple.NVDAResman 5.4.8
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family 216.1
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily 1.6.9fc5
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib 1.1
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily 3.4.0a17
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC 2.3.1d1
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport 1.7.3
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily 1.7.3
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController 2.1.9f10
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily 2.1.9f10
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite 3.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 1.6.1
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily 1.5.0
com.apple.iokit.IOATAFamily 2.0.1
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily 3.4.9
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 3.5.2
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime 1.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily 1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 1.5.6
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 1.5.5
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform 1.2.5
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily 1.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.6
 
I see the MotionSensor thing in there a couple times.

Did you upgrade the HD yourself? There's known issues with hard drives that have built-in shock protection interfering with the MacBook's own shock protection.

You can try disabling the one built into the machine and see if that stops it locking up:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300724

If this fixes it and you didn't upgrade the drive yourself, it could be something wrong with the machine and I'd get AppleCare to look at it.
 
No, I didnt upgrade the hard drive myself. It's the same one it's always had.

But now I have another new interesting problem. Whenever I try and connect my computer to the internet via wireless, the whole wireless connection dies. no other computer disconnects my internet. The net works fine if I plug in via ethernet, and no other computer does this. WTF?? Is this an airport card issue?? or something else all together?

BTW, it hasnt crashed or kernel paniced since I initially posted here... seems my computer is having a crisis on all fronts.
 
Does it shut down, like a normal shut down, or does it just crash ? Do you hear a shrill beep when it does that ?
 
m85476585 said:
If you were to pull out the hard drive from a running computer, the computer would probably freeze or crash but not shut off instantly (but I don't recommend trying it!). In Linux, you can actually format the system partition while the computer is running and watch things disappear then watch the OS die as it can no longer access critical files. It's kind of sad to watch.
Click to expand...

I pulled the sata cable out of my hackntosh and it just kept going. The hard drive just disappeared off of disk utility and off the desktop.

The part about the Linux sounds pretty interesting. I might install Linux just to try it.
 
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