wakes from sleep, restarts when shut down, tried everything. "wake reason = "

[DukeOliver]

My macbook (2008 unibody, 2.4ghz, os x 10.6.8) will not stay asleep, and it restarts when I shut it down. For example, I'll close the lid, it will sleep, then wake a few seconds later, and eventually go back to sleep. After a few cycles of this, the CPU reaches over 80 celcius, but nothing indicative of heavy cpu usage in the activity monitor except for "kernel task." I guess this is because the fans have to keep shutting off when lid is closed. Of the things I've tried, the following have not worked:

fiddling with all possible energy saver preferences
disk utility repairs, even with the snow leopard install disc
resetting pram and smc
loading into windows 7 partition, same thing happens
loading into my external HD, same thing happens
loading into safe mode, same thing happens
deleted everything in the LaunchDaemons folder
turned off bluetooth entirely
turned off airport
turned off "Set date and time automatically"
nothing plugged into USB
tried with/without magsafe plug, with/without battery, same problems occur
no errors returned with applecare's Techtool Deluxe
ran every maintenance script I could: crons, clear cache, rebuilds, updates
PleaseSleep app doesn't work


I've studied the messages in Console.app like my life depended on it and the only thing that's bugging me is that I get "kernel---------Wake Reason = ". It doesn't give me a wake reason, it's just empty. I can't find anything around the net that could tell me why this occurs. I put "syslog |grep -i "Wake reason ="" into the terminal.app and apparently this has been happening for a week now, hundreds of instances of no wake reasons.

Could this be a hardware error?

 

[robbsfo]

wakes from sleep,restarts when shut down

I have simular problem and was told graphics card is bad .. on A1260 logic boards niva cards are being recalled.

 

[DukeOliver]

bump, I'm still having this issue

 

[wrldwzrd89]

The only thing I can think of that might be causing this is that you have "Wake-on-LAN" enabled, and your Mac thinks it is receiving the magic wake packet constantly. If you're connected to a network at all when this happens (say, via Ethernet), try disconnecting. If that makes the problem go away, then reconnect, and do this:

Go into System Preferences, then Energy Saver. Turn off the "Wake for network administrative access" option.

 

[DukeOliver]

The only thing I can think of that might be causing this is that you have "Wake-on-LAN" enabled, and your Mac thinks it is receiving the magic wake packet constantly. If you're connected to a network at all when this happens (say, via Ethernet), try disconnecting. If that makes the problem go away, then reconnect, and do this:

Go into System Preferences, then Energy Saver. Turn off the "Wake for network administrative access" option.

Have turned off that option and turned off airport, unplugged everything, no bluetooth either, still won't give me a reason why it wakes. Here's a kernel.log, with evidence of the empty wake reason



Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: hibernate image path: /var/vm/sleepimage
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: sizeof(IOHibernateImageHeader) == 512
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: Opened file /var/vm/sleepimage, size 4294967296, partition base 0xc805000, maxio 400000 ssd 0
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: hibernate image major 14, minor 2, blocksize 512, pollers 5
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: hibernate_alloc_pages flags 00000000, gobbling 0 pages
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: hibernate_setup(0) took 0 ms
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:298 powerStateWillChangeTo: flags=4 stateNumber=2
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:303 powerStateWillChangeTo: found flag=kIOPMSleepCapability (4)
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: 00000000 00000020 NVEthernet::setLinkStatus - not Active
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: setAttribute(rwop,0)=0
Dec 29 22:39:02 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: setAttribute(srwp,0)=0
Dec 29 22:39:03 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:298 powerStateDidChangeTo: flags=4 stateNumber=2
Dec 29 22:39:03 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:303 powerStateDidChangeTo: found flag=kIOPMSleepCapability (4)
Dec 29 22:39:03 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: System SafeSleep
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: hibernate_page_list_setall start 0x4428a000, 0x442a9000
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: hibernate_page_list_setall time: 295 ms
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: pages 754790, wire 80261, act 232162, inact 1967, spec 185, zf 966, throt 0, could discard act 64545 inact 149711 purgeable 8525 spec 216468
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: hibernate_page_list_setall found pageCount 315541
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: IOHibernatePollerOpen, ml_get_interrupts_enabled 0
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: IOHibernatePollerOpen(0)
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: writing 314099 pages
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: encryptStart 12ea90
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: encryptEnd 4b3f0b0
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: image1Size 140793344, encryptStart1 12ea90, End1 4b3f0b0
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: encryptStart 8645600
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: encryptEnd 264fa950
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: PMStats: Hibernate write took 13331 ms
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: all time: 13331 ms, comp time: 2093 ms, deco time: 0 ms,
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: image 642755072, uncompressed 1286840320 (314170), compressed 638940240 (49%), sum1 599ec5ff, sum2 46e76d10
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: wired_pages_encrypted 47057, wired_pages_clear 31833, dirty_pages_encrypted 235280
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: hibernate_write_image done(0)
Dec 29 22:39:18 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: sleep
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: Wake reason =
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: System Wake
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:298 powerStateWillChangeTo: flags=82 stateNumber=4
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:299 powerStateWillChangeTo: found flag=kIOPMPowerOn (2)
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:304 powerStateWillChangeTo: found flag=kIOPMRestartCapability (80)
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:298 powerStateDidChangeTo: flags=82 stateNumber=4
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:299 powerStateDidChangeTo: found flag=kIOPMPowerOn (2)
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: /drv/ MacModule.cpp:304 powerStateDidChangeTo: found flag=kIOPMRestartCapability (80)
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: Previous Sleep Cause: 5
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: setAttribute(rwop,2)=0
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: setAttribute(srwp,2)=0
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: getAttributeForConnection(0,kawp).
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: getAttributeForConnection - Value= 59e44b2b, Ret=0
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: getAttributeForConnection(0,gnhc).
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: Arthur -- hit
Dec 29 22:39:20 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: getAttributeForConnection - Ret=e
Dec 29 22:39:21 Exaiphnes-mini kernel[0]: 00000000 00000020 NVEthernet::setLinkStatus - not Active

 

[Makosuke]

Interesting problem.

When you say "loading into my external HD, same thing happens" does that mean you did a fresh install of the OS onto an external? If so, and the problem still happened when booted into a completely fresh OS install, then it MUST be a hardware problem.

If you haven't done that--clean install from original OS disks on a blank partition--try that to rule out anything in software.

Assuming it's not software, since you already unplugged everything there was to unplug (and all standard devices that can wake the system should generate a wake reason, anyway), the only thing left is some sort of internal hardware error. There's no external graphics chip on your system, but there are presumably other components capable of generating a glitchy signal somehow.

Surprising a hardware glitch wouldn't lead to some other problem, though. A USB port with an internal short, for example, could repeatedly wake the system, but I'd expect either messages about USB drawing too much current or the port just not working (speaking of which, do all the USB ports work normally?).

Have you tried booting into the Apple Hardware Test partition on the discs that came with the computer? Probably won't find anything, and isn't conclusive if it doesn't, but it's worth a try.

 

[DukeOliver]

I can't remember if I've booted into the install cd for a hardware test, though I must have some time months ago to no avail. My external drive is a bootable copy of my OS, and I still had sleeping issues in a windows partition on my internal drive. I did read somewhere online that it may be a logic board issue, though I couldn't find more info on it. I doubt the genius bar could help me on a hardware problem without a big dent in the wallet, as my applecare has expired.

I'm wondering if the program Parallels is a culprit in all of this. My final test will be to wipe my internal drive completely sometime in early January, and see if that solves the issue.

 

[Makosuke]

You mention Parallels, but if it won't sleep when booted into Windows via Boot Camp that pretty much rules out Parallels (or the MacOS, for that matter), since neither is doing anything when you're fully booted in Windows.

Which is to say it's almost certainly hardware. If you have a second backup somewhere, actually erasing your external and installing a fresh OS copy into it, instead of just a clone, would fully rule out software, but since Windows is doing it I expect the results are going to be the same.

The ONE piece of hardware that could be responsible--though it's a long shot--and is easily reparable is your hard drive. Flaky drives can on occasion cause sleep problems, though usually it's an incompatibility with the drive firmware, which of course won't be the case with an Apple factory drive.

Still, since you have a bootable external, if you wanted to get your hands dirty you could test it by cracking the thing open, removing the internal drive completely, and booting from the external. Were you wanting to go all-out you'd put a fresh OS install on the external to double-down on the thoroughness of the test, but if it's the internal drive pulling it should fix it even from a cloned OS install.

Edit: I just looked at the title and realized that I had completely missed the fact that the computer also turns itself back on when shut down. That more or less rules out anything but firmware (which can be set to reboot at a specific time, but you've already reset that, and I've never heard of it just turning things back on immediately) or some kind of a REALLY weird hardware problem.

None of the things that would normally wake a computer inappropriately--glitchy USB ports, hard drive, etc--would be able to turn it back on after a shutdown (I'm assuming here it's actually turning itself on, not that "shutdown" is really doing a reboot). The firmware has got to be hosed somehow. My first thought would actually be the power button being weird, but then the computer would randomly sleep itself repeatedly, and the wake reason would show PWRB.

Bottom line, it's got to be hardware. Hypothetically if the firmware somehow got really screwed up it could be fixed by re-flashing it, but even that's a long shot.

I'd still re-run Apple Hardware Test, just to see if if finds anything, but you're going to need a pro to look at it. I think the Genius Bar will at least look at it for free, they just won't fix it if you're not under Applecare.

 

[DukeOliver]

tried this to see what happens, a year later

system preferences > security > disable infrared receiver (checkmark)

it gave me some success for a few tries, but now a couple hours later it doesn't seem to be working anymore