MacBook Screen Shuts off. Computer does not

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Level 1

4 points

MacBook Screen Shuts off. Computer does not

I work at an organization that manages a lot of MacBooks of various years and models. Recently we have had an uptick in a strange issue I do not understand. It happens most often with our 2017 Pro's, but today I saw it with a 2022 Air that had no battery diagnostic issues.

What will happen is the screen will randomly shut off on these computers when they have plenty of battery left. They go completely back, the Mac is still on because the trackpad has power. Sometimes it will show the battery and charger symbol like it does when it is dead. Then once plugged back in, it magically springs to life, right where it was when it shut the screen off, and the battery level is the same as before.

What is causing this, and how can I stop it? For our spare 2017's it does not matter much, but I have had two different staff members come to me today with the issue on their 2020/2022 devices. Sometimes they have battery service warnings, but other times it says everything is normal.

MacBook Pro (M2, 2022)

Posted on Mar 4, 2025 7:08 AM

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Answer 1

HWTech

Level 9

68,678 points

Mar 4, 2025 7:26 PM in response to crystallites

This is a common problem with the Apple Intel laptops with USB-C ports. I suspect a Logic Board issue since I've seen the problem occur even with a brand new Apple OEM battery installed.

About the only thing you can do is try an SMC Reset.

My organization has only just recently started using more M-series Macs so I have not had the opportunity to observe the M-series Macs enough to know what issues they may have.

I have not been seeing the "Service Recommended" battery condition even the batteries are bad or wearing out. Apple seems to have changed the trigger point since I've had batteries whose Full Charge Capacity is 77% (it used to trigger at 80%). If the battery condition is showing "Service Recommended" at any time and you are having these issues, then it means the battery is on the borderline......so it means the battery is bad and needs to be replaced. In my experience the most likely time to have the "Service Recommend" condition show up is when the battery is below 10% charge (connecting the power adapter can actually change the battery chemistry to make it appear "ok").

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MacBook Screen Shuts off. Computer does not

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