MacBook always says that it restarted because of a problem, even when it seems like it didn't.

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Level 1

9 points

MacBook always says that it restarted because of a problem, even when it seems like it didn't.

Hey there,

Almost every time that I restart my MacBook Pro (2020, Intel, Big Sur), I get a warning that my computer was restarted because of a problem. I'm confused why it's giving me this message when I'm the one turning it off. The crash log/report to Apple box that shows up after my computer restarts just says "not yet set"

I just installed macOS 11.2.3 and had a black screen with white text show up during the installation process that also said something along the lines of "You restarted your computer because of a problem. Press a key or wait a few seconds to continue."

This isn't a problem right now, but I'm worried about it developing into something worse.

Thanks!

MacBook

Posted on Mar 11, 2021 8:53 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Eric--F

Community Specialist

Mar 13, 2021 7:09 PM in response to thatsslick

Thanks for following up with us , thatsslick.

What you are seeing is expected behavior. When you press and hold the power button, the computer thinks you are unable to shut down using the Apple Menu and will sometimes tell you the computer was shut down due to an error. It is recommended to only use this method if your computer becomes unresponsive. To avoid the message you are seeing, shut down by going to the Apple Menu > Shut Down. You can learn more here: Log out, sleep, wake, restart, or shut down your Mac - Apple Support

Hope this helps.

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Answer 2

MoonJ.

Community Specialist

Mar 13, 2021 11:01 AM in response to thatsslick

Hey there, and welcome to Apple Support Communities, thatsslick!

From our understanding, after turning your computer off, you see a message that the computer was restarted due to a problem. We can certainly understand your concern and can help provide some insight.

To start, how do you restart the computer? Do you turn it off by holding the power button down or do you click the Apple in the top left then click shut down?

Also, follow all the steps here and restart your Mac again: If your Mac restarts and a message appears - Apple Support

Let us know if the message still comes up.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Answer 3

thatsslick Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 13, 2021 11:22 AM in response to MoonJ.

I usually turn it off with the power button.

Did a few tests:

Turned off with the power button from a normal boot, booted into safe mode. No warning.

Turned off with the power button while in safe mode, booted normally. Got the warning.

Turned off with the option in the Apple menu from a normal boot, booted normally. No warning.

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Answer 4

thatsslick Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 13, 2021 8:10 PM in response to Eric--F

Interesting, didn't know that. Since the power button is the obvious way to turn on the computer, I've usually used it to turn it off as well. I guess it was just intuitive for me to turn off the computer with the button that I turn it on with. I also tend to prefer keyboard shortcuts and hard buttons to clicking my way through menus.

Is there a reason why the report log says "not yet set" when I reboot after doing a hard shutoff? To me, it seems like that report suggests that the computer is somehow aware that no error has happened, yet still insists on reporting an error. It would be nice to either have the computer check whether an error actually happened or have it output something more helpful or descriptive than "not yet set".

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Answer 5

Sharon_419

Community Specialist

Mar 14, 2021 12:48 PM in response to thatsslick

Hey thatsslick.

The computer tries to check for the problem that caused it to shut down improperly. If it can’t find one, it doesn’t have anything to log.

We hope you have a great rest of your day.

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MacBook always says that it restarted because of a problem, even when it seems like it didn't.

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