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User profile for user: Numbereater
Numbereater Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Mid-2014 MBP Running Hot After New Battery

In August of this year I had a swollen battery changed out of my mid-2014 15” MPB 16 Gig Ram, 1TB HD. The computer worked like normal until the last week when the bottom back panel started to get really hot to the touch. It isn’t burn you hot but is only about one level below that so to speak.


I took it to Apple yesterday and the computer passed all their diagnostic tests. They are now at a point where they want to do an install of Mojave but first wiping the hard drive clean. Given how unreliable Time Machine has been (twice in the last year all backups were lost and a full backup had to be created) I don’t trust it to get all my software reinstalled and since many applications are older non-subscription based ones that cannot be purchased again I am not sure I want to take this chance.


1) Has anyone heard of a clean install of an OS resolving a heat issue?


2) If this OS install doesn’t solve the issue, what is next?


3). I know the Mac will shut down if it get’s too hot but that is only if it gets too hot from performing computer tasks, right? If something is wrong with the power supply the computer shutting down will do no good. I say this because the heat issue I experience happens when the computer is plugged into AC power but is just sitting there with no applications running but the screensaver. If it is running hot like this due to a non-system or application issue, how will the computer turning itself off do any good? I am not sure if I have explained this concern very well. A weird analogy would be if a person held a propane torch close to the computer it may sense it is getting too hot but shutting itself down won’t turn off the propane torch.


The biggest concern is if I go with a fresh operating system and that doesn’t solve the issue. Where to next and if I have to buy a new MBP I just assume has the current one as is and just run the battery down for fire prevention and keep it around for archive purposes.


Thanks. Sorry for the long post.


Greg

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Dec 23, 2020 10:50 PM

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,380 points

Posted on Dec 27, 2020 10:41 AM

You can boot into Recovery Mode (Command + R) to access the installer for the current OS on the SSD.


You can also boot into Internet Recovery Mode (Command + Option + Shift + R) to access the online installer for the original OS which shipped with the laptop from the factory or you can boot to the most recent online OS installer using Command + Option + R to access the macOS 11.1 Big Sur installer.


You can also create a bootable macOS USB installer for macOS 10.11 to 10.15 using the instructions in this Apple article:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372


All of these methods will allow you to install macOS to an external USB drive once the external drive is properly erased (partitioned & formatted).



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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,380 points

Dec 27, 2020 10:41 AM in response to Numbereater

You can boot into Recovery Mode (Command + R) to access the installer for the current OS on the SSD.


You can also boot into Internet Recovery Mode (Command + Option + Shift + R) to access the online installer for the original OS which shipped with the laptop from the factory or you can boot to the most recent online OS installer using Command + Option + R to access the macOS 11.1 Big Sur installer.


You can also create a bootable macOS USB installer for macOS 10.11 to 10.15 using the instructions in this Apple article:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372


All of these methods will allow you to install macOS to an external USB drive once the external drive is properly erased (partitioned & formatted).



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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,380 points

Dec 26, 2020 10:36 AM in response to Numbereater

I don't see anything with the software itself, but I'm not a Mac software expert so maybe another contributor will be able to comment on the software. You do have a lot of stuff I'm not familiar with including lots of browser add-ons. Google Chrome is known to use lots of memory and CPU cycles which can make a computer run hot. Make sure your third party apps are all up to date especially your Wacom Tablet driver.


Adobe is dropping support for Flash at the end of the year so you should uninstall Flash by following Adobe's instructions.


If you downloaded and installed the Canon software, then I would start by uninstalling the Canon software. If this is for a printer, then make sure to first delete the printer from the Printer System Preferences. After uninstalling the drivers re-add the Canon printer by allow macOS to install the drivers on its own (no need to download any printer driver from Canon). If the Canon software is for another type of device, then download the most recent driver from Canon and reinstall it.


If this doesn't work, then run Disk Utility First Aid on the SSD (even better run it on the Container). Even if First Aid reports everything as "Ok" click on "Show Details" to see if there are any unfixed errors listed. If there are unfixed errors then it will require erasing the whole physical drive before restoring from a backup or clone. Recent versions of Disk Utility hide the physical drive & Container from view so you need to click on "View" within Disk Utility and select "Show All Devices" so that the physical drive and Container appears on the left pane of Disk Utility.


If you still have problems, then try reinstalling macOS Mojave over top of itself which should not affect your data or apps.


You can also install macOS Mojave to an external USB3 drive which may save you from having to risk your internal drive.


Run Macs Fan Control and show a screenshot while the system is sitting idle. Take another screenshot of the temps & fan speeds when you feel the laptop is running hot (tell us what apps you are using at the time for some context). If you don't provide your admin password when launching MacsFanControl, then it won't install its driver (just click cancel when it reminds you that you won't be able to control the fan speed).

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User profile for user: Numbereater
Numbereater Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Dec 27, 2020 9:08 AM in response to HWTech

This will take some doing. I am booked up today and tomorrow with year end accounting but I should be able to start this on Tuesday.


I miss the days of a Mac Pro with multiple hard drive bays and I could just boot from a different hard drive and diagnose the troublesome one without having to boot from it. It is kind of like doing surgery on yourself vs another person. I do like the idea of a USB drive. Nowadays we don't have original install DVD's so I don't know how I can get Mojave onto a different drive but I'll look into that.


Thank you for your thoughtful response.



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Mid-2014 MBP Running Hot After New Battery

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