Stumped

[skateny]

Hey.

I posted this message on what I thought was the appropriate forum, but didn't get a single response. So I'm back here on my familiar stomping grounds where I've gotten a tremendous amount of help in the past.

As some of you know, I was burglarized about three weeks ago and all my Mac gear was taken, including my iBook G4. Been using a late 2007 MacBook since, and am having some problems.

. . .

Hi.

I'm not new to OS X, but I am new to MacBooks.

I've recently been using a late 2007 MacBook:

Model Name: MacBook
Model Identifier: MacBook3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
OS: Snow Leopard, 10.6.8

From what I've gathered, it's been lightly used over the years, and never had a problem. (Looks and feels new, and the battery still has a long way to go, with several cycles left.) After using it for a couple of weeks, the Mac immediately shut down after I removed the AC adapter. Each time I've tested this, I got the same result. I ran Disk Utility, and everything is reported as fine. The battery is recognized and reported as fully charged the menu bar, System Profiler and CoconutBattery.

I've never had a problem the the couple of times I've used the MB with battery power, two+ hours each time. It had plenty of power left when I plugged in the AC. I don't have a spare battery to test.

Also, my flash drive is now "read only" in permissions, so I can't copy anything to it. I have my own account and the ID/password for the administrator account. The only thing I've done with it is run disk utility to repair permissions and verify disk.

All help will be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Each of these problems seemed to have occurred at around the same time.

 

[seveej]

Hey.

I posted this message on what I thought was the appropriate thread, but didn't get a single response. So I'm back here on my familiar stomping grounds where I've gotten a tremendous amount of help in the past.

Hiya,

sorry, I've missed your earlier posts. I usually haunt the macbook forum (as somehow there are always a lot of people there needing real help - not talking 'bout crazy rumors).

You write: "the Mac immediately shut down after I removed the AC adapter" - do you mean the macbook shuts down (forced shutdown cycle) or turns off (goes dark, stops working)?

If it's the latter, it sound like that (when the computer loses cord power), the logic board is (sometimes?) too slow to turn it's power hungry eyes toward the battery. There's also an outside chance that the logic board may be fine and it's the battery which is too slow to take up the slack...

Order of pinpointing diagnosis:
- the normal shebang (SMC reset, run from fresh external installation etc.)
- try a "known good" battery
- logic board replacement or try to find ways to avoid situation* or learn to live with it.

* Can you test whether this also happens, if you:
- put the machine into sleep
- disconnect power cord
- wake up the machine

RGDS & HTH,

 

[MrPilot]

I think the PRAM Battery needs replacement. I might be that battery which deals with keeping the computer running for that split second it takes to change from electricity provided by the charger and the battery.

Maybe that computer has been stored away for a longer time? You mentioned it seemed in a "new" sorta state? That would ruin the PRAM battery for sure.


Also for the flash drive, some have a read-only physical switch check that. What partition table are you using on it? Maybe when the computer shut down abruptly after disconnecting power suply, something might have happened to it.

can you go to terminal and execute this:

diskutil list

and paste the result of that here? Don't worry it's a non-destructive command

 

[skateny]

Hi guys. Thanks for your help.

seveej: Yes, it goes dark and stops working when I unplug the AC. I don't have either the install disks or another battery to test.

I reset the SMC and nothing changed. I also checked Software Update and installed EFI Firmware update. Nothing. I then reset the PMU. When I restarted, the MB and Coconut report that there's no battery installed. Putting it to sleep and removing the AC causes it to go dark and not work.

Which brings me to MrPilot: Yes, I thought of the Pram battery and, as you said, it being used sparingly may indicate that it needs to be replaced.

I need to go out in a little bit, but I'll be checking in to follow this thread.

Thanks again guys for your help.

----------

Also for the flash drive, some have a read-only physical switch check that. What partition table are you using on it? Maybe when the computer shut down abruptly after disconnecting power suply, something might have happened to it.

can you go to terminal and execute this:

diskutil list

and paste the result of that here? Don't worry it's a non-destructive command

diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *80.0 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 79.7 GB disk0s2
ool-321d5af5:~ Stephen$

 

[MrPilot]

Hi guys. Thanks for your help.

seveej: Yes, it goes dark and stops working when I unplug the AC. I don't have either the install disks or another battery to test.

I reset the SMC and nothing changed. I also checked Software Update and installed EFI Firmware update. Nothing. I then reset the PMU. When I restarted, the MB and Coconut report that there's no battery installed. Putting it to sleep and removing the AC causes it to go dark and not work.

Which brings me to MrPilot: Yes, I thought of the Pram battery and, as you said, it being used sparingly may indicate that it needs to be replaced.

I need to go out in a little bit, but I'll be checking in to follow this thread.

Thanks again guys for your help.

----------



diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *80.0 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 79.7 GB disk0s2
ool-321d5af5:~ Stephen$

Interesting, I don't think I see the flashdrive unless it's the 80Gb one. What size is your flashdrive? The disk0 is your maindrive and I take it the flashdrive is a secondary one.

 

[Nameci]

Interesting, I don't think I see the flashdrive unless it's the 80Gb one. What size is your flashdrive? The disk0 is your maindrive and I take it the flashdrive is a secondary one.

The flash drive was not mounted. He did a diskutil list without the flash drive plugged in.

I am pretty sure that the flash drive was formatted as MBR, NTFS from windows machine. The MB can only read it but not write on it.

 

[skateny]

Update:

ool-321d5570:~ Stephen$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *80.0 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 79.7 GB disk0s2
/dev/disk1
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *67.1 GB disk1
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk1s1
2: Apple_HFS disk1s2 66.8 GB disk1s2
ool-321d5570:~ Stephen$

 

[skateny]

Okay, went out for a couple of hours. Unplugged AC and removed battery before I left. Did the PMU reset process again. Again, neither the System Profiler nor CoconutBattery recognize the batter as being installed. Now, fans start up at restart (this is new), and continue blowing even though the MB is only room temp, which is cool.

Still hoping it's the PRAM battery, but happy to read what others think.

 

[MrPilot]

Update:

ool-321d5570:~ Stephen$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *80.0 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 79.7 GB disk0s2
/dev/disk1
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *67.1 GB disk1
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk1s1
2: Apple_HFS disk1s2 66.8 GB disk1s2
ool-321d5570:~ Stephen$

mmm I think I know what happened. You have got to fix your flashdrive. Just to be clear because I asked about the size and you never replied. Is it roughly 70Gb?

 

[skateny]

mmm I think I know what happened. You have got to fix your flashdrive. Just to be clear because I asked about the size and you never replied. Is it roughly 70Gb?

Yes, I initialized the drive last night, and all is well. It's 64GB.

Also bought a PRAM battery at powerbookmedic.com for $1.30 plus shipping, after resetting PMU and SMC with no effect.

Thanks again.

 

[MrPilot]

The flash drive was not mounted. He did a diskutil list without the flash drive plugged in.

I am pretty sure that the flash drive was formatted as MBR, NTFS from windows machine. The MB can only read it but not write on it.

Sorry, do you mean the MBR flag on that NTFS partition was set to active?
We can only deal with FAT, HFS+ (GUID (intel) or APM (ppc) ) or NTFS... but the MBR is actually a master boot record, not a format table

----------

Yes, I initialized the drive last night, and all is well. It's 64GB.

Also bought a PRAM battery at powerbookmedic.com for $1.30 plus shipping, after resetting PMU and SMC with no effect.

Thanks again.

Ok, so you said the drive was working again?
Sorry about the PRAM not fixing your issue, that is very strange indeed

 

[skateny]

Ok, so you said the drive was working again?
Sorry about the PRAM not fixing your issue, that is very strange indeed

Yes, the drive is working again.

From what I've been reading, the PRAM battery is the likely culprit: fans running continuously on start-up despite the MacBook not having been used for hours at a time, and the main battery mystery -- showing up in System Profiler but not working.