security update 2019-004

Crystalidea reported temperatures of 48 to 50 for each of the 4 cores. However, the app stopped working after I tried to move it from my desktop to my apps folder. Attempts to reinstall it failed afterward.

In any event, it runs quite cool unless I do some heavy multitasking like when I'm preparing a blog to post.

But the worst is when it tries to start up (or when it tries to start by itself) and I have no idea hot it runs at that time. But that's when I let it cool down before trying again because it will usually shut down by itself.

I've purchased a new SSD and I'm thinking of installing that to replace the current internal drive to see if that changes anything. But, I wonder if I'd be able to even install an older OS like El Capitan on that?

OK--I got it reinstalled and still getting similar readings (44 to48 max). Highest temperature is 62 C for memory slot. Battery max is 32 C with 30 and 32 C for battery sensor 1 and 2. CPU Diode 43, proximity 42, GPU PECI at 44 and GPU Proximity at 37. Heatsink Proximity 37. Palm rest 30, Platform Controller 53 and disk drive at 29

I don't know how hot it got, but last night with the lid closed it did the same thing again: I could hear the fan running at high speed and it was "very hot". When I open the lid the screen was black and nothing worked and a restart was also not possible. So I powered it off and waited until morning. This morning I had to try a variety of things to get it to restart (recovery did not work and went to an all bright blue screen with fine vertical lines after the logo appeared but before the progress bar completed). I tried it again and this time it went to the all light blue screen. At that point I did a battery reset, and option-command+R+P and managed to restart it. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. Plus this morning I got an efi.check notice again.

Black Screen, fine vertical lines, trouble starting, all indicative pf heat damage to especially the GPU.

Shut it down at night or leave lid open & just put screen & Drive to sleep so fans keep running.

The fine vertical lines only show when it displays a blue screen after recovery fails. Using the command+R buttons I was able to restart today and do a fresh restore of High Sierra. Since doing that I've been able to rule out any issues with the SSD as changing that out made no difference. The security notice disappeared as a result as well. I set the energy saver to maintain the screen saver only when not in use and have left the lid open. It runs only slightly warm that way and recovers when I move the mouse. Guess the only thing I won't know until the time comes is if it will restart when I do a full shut down and take it with me somewhere. If the GPU is failing, I'd be prepared to replace that and hang on to this MacBook. I hope to keep it going if only for my music. Then it will be another story altogether whether or not I'll invest in a new MacBook or go back to a Windows-based laptop.

What I have trouble getting my head around is why it would overheat when it's not doing anything and the wifi is turned off? It should stay nice and cool like my old white MacBook does when it's resting. I'd understand if it was tasked with downloading or processing something. Thanks again for trying to help resolve my problem--looks like I've pretty much reached the end of the line. If there was/is malware creating the problem, I'm not able to determine what or where it originates from.

I ran etrecheck and basically it all looked good--the only major issue noted was that Time Machine was not activated. However, when I clicked on it my computer froze and I had to shut down. As a result I could not restart and all attempts at recovery or restore failed (and that's when it starts to heat up). So I let it cool for a few hours and was finally able to reach the OS Mac Utility box display without getting a blue screen (which is what It does when it's hot). Then I did a full download and restore again.

I've set up the energy saver so that it does not go into sleep mode or power down and leave the lid open and then it works fine. But perhaps it will still crash or freeze I try to do some other tasks--who knows? I'm reluctant to try activating Time Machine again.

I've looked at extensions and deleted and/or disabled a number of them and removed things like Flash Player and Fuse.

I'm going to run etrecheck again when I have time and see if anything has changed.

It seems the problems I've described were shared by many after the 2009-004 update--see this:

https://mrmacintosh.com/apple-pulls-2019-004-high-sierra-and-sierra-security-updates-after-kernel-panics/

So, I don't understand my their "fix" did not "fix" my MacBook Pro?

If my graphics card is having an issue that's not being detected I may have to try entering the code to set it up to run only on the Intel Card and ignore the AMD one. But this will make my computer run hotter as I understand it.

Yes, the last 2 or 3 Sec updates caused lots of headaches, so many that I'm not installing the 004 update until I can afford another Mac.

Did you try ramping up the Fan(s) yet?

Do let us know what is going on.

Right now I am running with the lid open. It's fine with the screen saver and having changed the energy settings to never power down or go into sleep mode. This way no overheating has occurred. BTW: How do you change the fan settings--I did not find a way to speed them up?

Here's another odd thing: Initially when I restored High Sierra, the notice from the App Store for 2019-004 disappears--now it's come back again--that's ridiculous. It's been previously installed 3 times and unless they've come with a "real fix" I can't see how this will improve anything so I'm ignoring it. I may need to talk to Apple and ask them to explain this A reinstallation should automatically be up to date with no requirement to re-do updates.

I might have believed that my AMD card was/is behind most of the issues, but not when I see this notice coming back all the time. And, I don't normally believe in coincidences. And why does the OSx get messed up so bad each time that a recovery/restore is required and then it's fine for a while.

Still seems like a software thing to me.

BTW: How do you change the fan settings--I did not find a way to speed them up?

In MacFans Control click on the Custom button(s), but you may be OK now, what temps do we get?

I wish Apple would work on fixing the OS rather than changing it, like they haven't really done since Tiger.

Testing a new SSD made no difference. Testing the current SSD externally made no difference either. DriveDX shows everything is 100% ok--no issues. Attempts with Apple support via telephone did not resolve anything--they can only conclude that despite all tests revealing the contrary that the AMD GPU must be defective. Their authorized repair shops cannot or will not do any type of repairs with the argument that a replacement GU is not available. There are other known circuit fixes that can be done and I did find a shop in Toronto that will repair it for $330 (less than a new MacBook but....). So, I'm at the stage where I think I will use dosdude1's app (MacBook Pro GPU Disabler) to create the software work around. I know it's not a perfect solution but right now I cannot even turn off my MacBook without having to jump through many hoops before I can restart it. Had I not found a way to open up the OSx Mac Utilities box I would have believed that it was finished for good. And even then, a full restore did not work and Time Machine did not either (even though they both downloaded fine I was not able to restart until I tried booting up in safe mode and then miraculously it finally started again).

EtreCheck now finds no major issue since the only thing it brought up before was the lack of a Time Machine backup which I've now done as well as the CCC one.

Oh, and it's running nice and cool too now but of course it never sleeps or shuts down currently.

Well, it did not work. I was unable to get it restarted. Now Im busy trying to restore High Sierra and will see if I can get it up and running again. Nothing seems to work. Perhaps if I can get an installation disk or flash drive with High Sierra installed on it I can switch out the hard drive and get it to work? Other than that I think the only other way is a circuit mode.

OK, so I tried editing the code again using a link I found on Youtube "Crazy Will Tech Show" and, I do believe it is working.

I noticed that it was running hotter and adjusted the fan speeds to keep temperature down to about 50 max at 2450 rpm.

I also see where the kext file for the AMD GPU is stored and set to off.

I've not yet shut down or restarted because I was wondering about the other system/library/extension files that I've located doing a search under Applications. There are some there that list all the same kext files and I believe they might be related to apps for my printer and things like Snapheal, photo processing apps etc.

I don't know if I should remove them and put them into another file, or if they will even have any effect since the main system file is located under my SSD and activated there during start up. Any thoughts or suggestions on that?

I'd hate to have to modify the code all over again to get to where I am now.

Thanks!

Thanks for all your help. It's amazing how many people out there offered advice and insight and provided info on this problem and I welcomed all of it. And, yes, keeping my fingers crossed LOL! This at least gives me more time to put aside some money for another laptop in the future, and if I can keep this one going for my home recording even better.

The difficult decision will be what to buy when the time comes. It's difficult to go back to a Windows-based laptop but who knows?

Thanks--I'll check it out. I bought this 2011 MacBook used but had no idea that the faulty GPU problem would come back--I have a feeling this might have been a "baked" one. It's like they always say: "If it looks too good to be true..."

Most if not all will fail without upping the fans, the sooner the better, even my iMacs would all be dead without MFC.

One user on my site brought back his 2010 iMac for a few months after it failed, but it was too late for a long term fix.