Random Shutdown on Macbook Pro
Apple, Macbook Pro, random, unexpected, silent, crash, shutdown, turn off, 820-3662, 820-3787, 2013, 2014, 2015, 13", 15"
Please help
We have kind of working workaround for our particular problem.
But what if I wanna sell my macbook? New owner will struggle after first update.
As I googled on Rossman group site, there are real solution: "If you really have time to waste, change all (3) FDMF6808 with new FDMF6708 from Mouser, not from China." I have not done that yet, and I would like to know in advance if anyone did that and had success. So Maybe someone closer to USA (easier to buy needed thing) can make this replacement and tell us success story (comments down the page)? We would be very happy to know that our macbooks are fixable. I make an notice in the hear of page also. Thanks!
TL, DR
Temporary fix exists
(Read discussion in the bottom carefully to get latest experience from our small community)
How to fix? (MacOS 10.14, 10.15)
1) reboot with CMD+R pressed.
2) open Terminal
3) sudo csrutil disable
4) reboot in normal mode
4.5) Catalina: sudo mount -uw /
5) sudo mv /System/Library/Extensions/AppleThunderboltNHI.kext
/System/Library/Extensions/AppleThunderboltNHI.kext.BAK
6) reboot with CMD+R pressed
7) csrutil enable
8) reboot and forget about problem
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MacOS BigSur:
- Disable File Vault (if enabled)
- Reboot into Recovery Mode (CMD + R)
- csrutil disable
- csrutil authenticated-root disable
- mount -uw /Volumes/YourMacOSDrive
- cd /Volumes/YourMacOSDrive/System/Library/Extensions
- mkdir disabled
- mv AppleThunderbolt*.kext disabled/
- kmutil install -u --force --volume-root /Volumes/YourMacOSDrive
- bless --folder /Volumes/YourMacOSDrive/System/Library/CoreServices --bootefi --create-snapshot
- reboot
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Notice: Please don't ask me by email how to do this. Google/IT friend/local computer serviceman has answers on your questions.
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Notice2: Please read carefully our Discuss thread at the bottom of the page. There is plenty of useful information from our micro-community.
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Core of problem is in faulty power chips on motherboard. (FDMF6808 to be precise. Should be replaced with newer FDMF6708). We turn off one driver, that is for ethernet via thunderbolt. Somehow it helps with our problem. It is possible, you dont need that functionality, like me.
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Thanks to:
and personally to Lukas Kroll, who wrote here in comments about that solution found in that forum.
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Possible
Solutions?
Nothing Works
reset SMC
reset PRAM
login with newly created user
reinstall OS X over old OS X
reinstall OS X entirely
replace thermal paste
inspect temperature (no overheating)
inspect battery (no problems)
run Apple Hardware Test (no issues)
inspect Console (no records about shutdown)
stresstest CPU (8x yes > /dev/null
stresstest GPU (OpenGL scenes etc)
go to Apple Service (see testimonials)
The Problem
Random Shutdown on Macbook Pro
Models: 13"/15" 2013-2015
Logic boards: 820-3662, 820-3787
​
"It keeps randomly shutting down. This happens like this:
1. Screen turns black (does not turn off, logo-light is still on)
2. Fans accelerate,
3. After 5-10 secods, it turns off (screen & apple-logo turns off)
4. i can boot normally. no crash report."
​
The Problem
Random Shutdown on Macbook Pro
Models: 13"/15" 2013-2015
Logic boards: 820-3662, 820-3787
​
"It keeps randomly shutting down. This happens like this:
1. Screen turns black (does not turn off, logo-light is still on)
2. Fans accelerate,
3. After 5-10 secods, it turns off (screen & apple-logo turns off)
4. i can boot normally. no crash report."
​
The Problem
Random Shutdown on Macbook Pro
Models: 13"/15" 2013-2015
Logic boards: 820-3662, 820-3787
​
"It keeps randomly shutting down. This happens like this:
1. Screen turns black (does not turn off, logo-light is still on)
2. Fans accelerate,
3. After 5-10 secods, it turns off (screen & apple-logo turns off)
4. i can boot normally. no crash report."
​
The Problem
Random Shutdown on Macbook Pro
Models: 13"/15" 2013-2015
Logic boards: 820-3662, 820-3787
​
"It keeps randomly shutting down. This happens like this:
1. Screen turns black (does not turn off, logo-light is still on)
2. Fans accelerate,
3. After 5-10 secods, it turns off (screen & apple-logo turns off)
4. i can boot normally. no crash report."
​
Apple Solution?
Here are some of "success" stories!
Sounds like you have a faulty logic board. Apple screwed me, too. Cost me around $600 to have it replaced one month outside of warranty.
I had the same problem ... Mine would shut down randomly on me after using it for 10-15 min , and then faster the next time I used it.
The problem might be with the logic board... I got mine replaced and now everything is fine .
I had the exact same problem with my MacBook Pro Retina 15 mid-2014. No crash log and the diagnostics in the Apple Store didn't show anything. It ended up being the logic board and it cost me $600 to get it fixed. It is less than 2 years old.
Hi everyone, I am copying my comment on posts with the same exact issue. After 6 visits to the Apple Store due to the same issue and running every software and hardware diagnostics possible, I am now asked to pay $475 to have my MacBook Pro shipped off-site for hardware inspection. They do not know what is wrong with it but some technicians were guessing it was the logic board (that will be around $600 of a fix now). Anyhow, I am not going to be paying that much for a device I initially paid over 2 grand for. I brought up that fact that a lot of people in the community have been facing the same problem and asked what are the next steps that could be done to initiated some sort of program for these specific MacBook Pro Retina 2013-2015 models. I was told nothing will be done until Apple deems it is a big enough problem. It is not a user-related issue but rather a faulty manufacturing issue that users now have to pay the price for.
One more thing. There are cleanup in main topic for this problem on discussion.apple.com. I wrote post today and it was new 5-th page. Now this topic has 3 pages. Funny, isn't it?
The Solutions (kind of)
1) Use external monitor
Some guys on internet discovered, that using external or some external hard drive can help. I was crazy after 3 days and nights of debugging this problem and tried that. Opening youtube in external monitor with 10hours video playback did help!! I could do my work while watching beach videos, or nature sounds video, you got it. Not so funny, because I still cant use my macbook out of my monitor.
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2) Use Windows in bootcamp
I didnt test this. But people say, there are no problems in windows. And I can say, that there are no crashes when I install OSX from internet for 3 hours. When I was in safe mode, I cathed only couple crashes in all time.
Personally: No way. I want my OSX. Terminal, Unix-like os, smooth experience and all.
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​3) NoCrashMBP
Ok, there are one weird website that promised to fix that problem. It is an app, that runs when your macbook is running. And it prevents crashes. That sounded like sh*t. But it cost $2.5 (now it is $10, btw, I was surprised). I decided that it is not big risk to try that. I bought it. And it worked. Now my macbook's uptime is 4 days no crashes.
Look at their video and comments and links in description
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The Reason?
I will cite author of the realmacmods mod:
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"Anyway, this issue is triggered when the CPU goes into an extremely low frequency/clock rate on one of the cores(that just can't handle it), when this happens the system somewhat silently crashes(that is to say, it writes no logs of the event, and no kernel panic takes place). This app/utility keeps it from ever going into that stupidly low frequency. This actually happens natively on Linux and Boot Camp installations, but for some reason OS X tries to drop into that frequency every so often and the system is not at all stable there. Absolutely no chance of damage, worst case you may see like 1% worse battery life, as i believe OS X is using that low frequency to squeeze a little extra battery life out of the older MacBooks."
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Seems like this is real. CPU goes in some low power state and crashes. No logs, no explanation window after reboot.
Honestly i think maybe (just maybe) this problem can be fixed on software level.
What Next?
I am not alone at all. So what should we do?
I am web/mobile developer.
I love my macbook. It is awesome computer. I moved to 2014 model from 2012. Sold it on aftermarket with minimal lose in money. Awesome.
I love OSX. I am ex-Windows user, Linux taster. And now I am OSX fan absolutely.
I want my macbook be fine, but I should pay $600+. What a frustration honestly! My macbook cost is about $1000 now on aftermarket, I dont want to waste 600 to sell it for 1000 and then buy newer macbook for another 2k+. I realized that there are no way to solve our issue cleanly without big money waste. And honestly I think, it is possible problem to resolve by Apple. It has to be a shame to Apple. Their top notebook can work for 3yrs only. What? Really, I want Apple to look closer to this problem. I hope for acknowledgement of this common issue. And I hope for some replacement program. Please, Apple, hear me (us)!
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For now, I made my move. I dont know what to do next, but I know, thre are people with same problem.
If you have such pain, as I have, lets disQus!