Q: MacBook Pro Battery 'Service Battery' after Snow Upgrade

rkovelman wrote:
It fluctuates because its a bad battery, its that simple. Believe me the amount of laptops Apple sells this is a small number. I am in no way stating Apple is not to blame, as I just said it 2 posts prior. What I am stating is the reason why it is occurring and how to resolve it like adults and professionally. You ignoring that 10.5 also had these issues makes you ignorant. Do some searching there was an issue. While your at it, visit some Dell forums and IBM forums and you will find battery issues there. And guess what? Its the same battery manufacture and same battery type. Go figure...

I have a week 10 (Feb 2006) MacBook Pro. I bought two new batteries. The one I have installed now has 43 cycles. The one at home has 50+. Both worked fine, usually I get 2.5 hours per battery when fully charged. Then I upgraded to Snow Leopard. Now they both show "Service Battery". They also both how last roughly 20 minutes or less.

Don

You, I think, have the same one as mine, a core duo. I would bring both in and have the battery checked. It could be both need a MLB replaced for a faulty SMC or one has an actual bad battery. Have you swapped batteries around? My CD laptop I find burns slower through a battery then my C2D but I have not specifically timed it out. I would swap then, recalibrate, SMC reset and see what happens. If same situation, bring them both to apple to have tested for battery and SMC issues. They may just swap both batteries out.

Well, this issue has been around for some time now... Apple is silent as usual, and as a laptop user, I see myself "forced" to buy a new "Apple" laptop (or other brand and system...), as I'm sure that the reduction and damage to the batteries is caused by Leopard/Snow Leopard software and the original MacBook Pro Hardware combination, so no matter how many new batteries I would buy, this machine will kill them in 2 o 3 days.

So that's the way it works now? new OS version, get new machine? This company had some real good things in the past, like supporting old hardware and software for long time... Now it seems that the main concern is "make'em show their wallets..."... Think different?

Hi rkovelman,

The only change was going from 10.5.9 > 10.6.2 so I hardly think it's a hardware related issue. Not unless the old hardware is being damaged by the new OS. In which case, this issue (which isn't going away) may become a huge PR problem for Apple.

I'm going to buy a new battery. Then I'll send in the two that I have (both are within the 1 year warranty period I believe) for replacement. I'm sure Apple will sort this out, not sure they've figured out what's going on yet. If they have, I'm sure they're working on resolution behind the scenes.

Don

Hi Alex,

I can confirm that new batteries on my old MacBook Pro 1.8 (week 10) die in a matter of days.

Don

For what its worth, I have a 15in unibody laptop, and have yet to experience any battery issues. I don't get the advertised 7 hours they claim, at most I get 2-4 hours depending on my usage. Although Snow Leopard has been a nightmare on this machine, I spend a lot of time staring at the spinning pinwheel. There were some Safari issues (still are) but its getting better with each software update.

When I had leopard installed I loved this machine, with Snow Leopard I feel like I'm in an co-dependant relationship. Don't get me wrong, I don't see myself switching anytime soon, but the thought did cross my mind.

Yes Don, I have been reading you and the others a lot "lately". What I cannot understand is why Apple is not taking serious actions when it is very clear that their "users", which are their "customer base" aswell are suffering unaceptable situations like this.

Is not the first time this is happening, my iPhone was one of the "1 hour battery drain" and "coma mode" until they released 3.2.1 ... So yes, it was true, after all the usual "spokemen" blah, blah... it was clear that something wasn't ok in iPhone OS 3.0 and we, the users, were not just dumb people who doesnt know how to operate a computer...

Shigglyboo

I'm one who did have problems with a lack of hibernation in late versions of 10.5, as early as May 2009. However, I don't agree with rkovelman's analysis of the situation.

I took my machine into an Apple reseller yesterday (nearest Store is 2 hours away) and I was advised to install the latest Battery Update. The latest one that I can find for my machine is 1.3, dated October 2007, but this won't install, the helpful message saying that "This update requires Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or newer."

Curiously, I looked in the System Library as the KB accompanying the Update suggests to see if the upgrade is there (/System/Library/SystemConfiguration), but it isn't. In fact there is no BatteryUpdater.bundle at all there. Presumably this is because 10.6 installed entirely new battery management software that superseded these firmware updates.

I won't be buying a new battery until there is no doubt that this is not an OS issue.

Roger

Roger,

You were advised wrong as you found out that update was for a different OS. That update is not in 10.6 as it is firmware. Firmware can not be installed through an OS such as a new install or upgrade, as it is flashed to the actual chip itself. If you have never done a battery flash yet you must hold down the power button for that update to be installed. I assume you went here:
http://support.apple.com/downloads/#battery%20update%20firmware

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL202
Please note this is ONLY for the 15" MBP. If you have a 17" MBP there is no update.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL261
This is for all MBP I believe

Since you do not have that update it is ADVISED you some how get it on that laptop prior to moving forward on it with OS upgrades. I know my 15" CD 2.0 does not have that file you or the KB article says but I did do the update when it was released. Take note that the update will run only in 10.4.10. I have tried in 10.5 and 10.6.

You may also want to make sure the SMC firmware update was applied as well. With out that you might still have battery issues.

http://support.apple.com/downloads/#macbookpro

Hope that helps.

Thanks, I'll look into these suggestions.

Roger

I thought it will be interesting to share this. I was looking for more information on this issue and tried to enter this search in Google: "snow leopard kills batteries". Try for yourself, I was amazed with the results.
This is clearly not a hardware issue... I readen people who got 3 batteries with severe charge damage with just some cycles... A serious fix is needed, not a tablet computer...

I can no the same with "Dell batteries suck" and get the same results. If you have not already noticed, the population is quick to complain but never praise a product.

I've been a Mac evangelist since the Apple IIe, I work strictly on Macs and have converted several people to Mac users. I have no trouble singing Apple's praises, but I'm also just as harsh a critic. That said, Battery performance in MacBook Pros appears to be a problem, and one that should not be pushed onto the customer. I'm on my second battery, and won't be spending an additional $129 for a new one if there's no guarantee it will work. I was severely disappointed to learn that my original battery, which died in less than a year, was not covered even with Applecare.

The replacement battery only has 2 out of 5 stars on the Apple Store website, and a lot of complaints similar to those in this thread.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA348LL/A

Hello all again,

Just a question I was asking myself... It is so clear that a product shows a worldwide problem, and the company behind the product ignores all the damage they are doing to their customers, waste of time, money..., is there any legal action that could be started from a common international front?

How can this be "legal" or "moral"? we are "uncovered" by a company that makes you spend 2000 Dollars on a laptop after promising you to get the latest and "state of the art" technology, like 7 hour batteries and endless cycles of charge... Is there any "small letter" I didnt read saying that you will have to change your machine on every OS update?

How can this "thread" and all the sites talking about this SL battery scandal being ignored by Apple?

I was thinking about buying a new MacBook Pro in January, but really, I dont think that killing my old Macbook Pro batteries with that "best OS around" is a good marketing tech.

Don't be blinded by the Apple... I got a 219€ (Euros) Acer Aspire One that, at least, is not fooling me around and gets you 3 hours of joy on a 3 cell battery...

PD
And by the way, nice "Magic Mouse" thing, you need a third party app to get profit of the multi-touch surface? What?

Has anyone decided to go back to Leopard from Snow Leopard?

I'm thinking of doing this to see if the battery does indeed last longer if you revert back to Leopard, however am reluctant to if by downgrading I would end up creating new problems. Please advise.