Q: MacBook Pro 2011 17" hard freeze

Freezes are back since i installed Lion, when i close an application for example Postbox, Parallels my macbook freezes! Found out it was the Automatic Graphics switching is causing the problem!

Turned it of and no more freezen under Lion with my Macbook 17" 2011.

Hey guys, just wanted to chime in here. I had previously started this thread about the MBP 2011 freezing issue: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2784092?start=15&tstart=0

The short of it is that I got the MBP 17" 2011, 8GB RAM in March, and it froze right out of the box when using a combination of iTunes/Quicktime and the discrete GPU. If I don't use either of those programs, everything is peachy. If I use gfxCardStatus to switch to integrated GPU only, I can run iTunes without incident.

The RAM was installed by Apple, but I installed my own ExpressCard SSD for the OS. However, I have tried booting to a mirrored external drive, and the problem persists; therefore it is not the drive.

When I bought the MBP, it had Snow Leopard installed on it. The patch Apple came out with to address a similar issue did not fix the problem for me. I tried a clean install of the OS, re-installing iTunes/Quicktime several times, etc. Nothing worked. I chalked it up to some weird software configuration and just decided to use another music program while I waited for Lion to be released. I have had an Apple Genius buddy of mine take up the issue remotely, and we did a log capture as the issue happened. The technicians could not find any cause in the logs.

Lion is here now, and I clean installed it. The problem persists. I have no other recourse at this point but to assume this is a hardware fault. I can't be without a work computer for days (weeks!?), but I may have to go into a local Apple Store and see what they can do for me.

Got the same issue. Anyway does any of you guys use the file encryption (filevault) in his accounts?

It might be the problem...i did it but now i turned off and it seems to work smoothly.

I usually had the beach ball during start up and while launching firefox. Please give feedbacks.

No, I don't have encryption on my account. My issue is with iTunes/Quicktime only, all other programs work fine for me.

i dont use file encryption

my probs occured when itunes was open, too

So - back with an update.

First - i don´t use file vault also - so this can´t be the problem.

Second - it has definitly something to do what "itunes does" - nearly everybody came along with this potencial issue.

third - called apple yesterday - he was definitly shocked about the information i got and this thread! waiting nearly 20 minutes for the supporter to talk with his technical chief .. end of the story is - i have to go to an "Gravis" Store (Apple-Supportdealer) to check them my problem. They don´t give us an new MBP - first after three repairs we got a right to get a new one! :-(

*'`$&%(&%$§$%?$§%$§($ --- nothing more to say :-/

I'm not using FileVault. I'll start using iTunes now as a matter of course to test that. I have my original (apple) 4GB of RAM back in the machine and I've had no freezes since. However I haven't been using iTunes and I'm pretty sure I was in the past when I got the freezes.

My next step will be to return the RAM to Crucial and tell them the issue - and try the replacement RAM.

I'm using the word 'crash' when there is something in the log and 'freeze' when the computer just stopped working and there is no log.

ok...definately file vault is not the only problem. Anyway it was form me (so far so good at least).

Hi, my macbook pro is quad core i7 15" with LION. Actually this happened to me when I installed Virus Barrier X6 while I was working on my iOS development and specifically during my view design suddenly my laptop started to be so clumsy and the finder froze for like few mins. I reported that to the AV company thinking it is the antivirus problem but when I read this article I was SHOCKED !!! I tried the way to replicate the issue using the yes > /dev/null method mentioned in  " MBP-Freeze Wiki" http://mbp-freeze.wikispaces.com/ and instantly my laptop fan went crazy and the laptop heated like **** but I didn't encounter a complete freeze, instead, my laptop went so slow. Do you think that my laptop has the same HW freeze issue although it did not completely freeze ??????

I got one of the new MacBook Airs (13", i8, OS X Lion) and am seeing the same problem - when running heavy compute tasks with a lot of apps open, it'll occasionally freeze solid. I'm trying the same compute tasks now with much fewer open apps to see if that matters, though it seems in general difficult to reproduce for me.

The fourth visit to the repair centre. The technichian just called me and told me five days of stress test couldn't reproduce the problem - and then it froze as we spoke on the phone...

He called Apple to check if I could get a new machine, and they refuse! They want to test the machine with 4 GB RAM (not what I ordered, even though the 8 GB in my machine was installed by the store).

Since Apple also refuse to acknowledge to the technician that there is a newer revision of the motherboard I give up.

I am going to demand a refund.

I have a 2011 15" Macbook Pro (Core i7 with the hi-res display). I'm also encountering a variation of the freeze-up problems that folks have described here. In my particular case, I noticed that quicktime trailers on Apple's site and some of my own HD iMovie exports were very choppy (note, the same videos play fine on my 2009 27" iMac and 13" 2010 Macbook Pro). I originally thought/hoped that this was purely a software issue, especially it seemed like it was worse with Lion. But, I think I just hadn't noticed it prior to upgrading.

I can reproduce the problem even after restoring the machine to the stock Snow Leopard (10.6.7) image. It still persists even after taking all updates to 10.6.8. I see it with Lion regardless of whether I upgrade or install the OSX clean (by extracting the DMG file from the install package).

Here is my specific reproducible scenario (in the hopes that others here might try it and maybe we can get this fixed across the board):

1. Crank your MBP to the *maximum* volume (keep hitting fn-F12)

2. Fire up iTunes, make sure the volume slider there is also maxed out (all the way to the right)

3. Play some music, preferrably something that's high-pitched or has heavy bass

4. While playing music, do other stuff on your system. In my case, I fire up Apple -> System Preferences, then try to click into one of the preference panes. At this point, I get a beachball and the system is unresponsive (I can still click around and move windows). If I lower or mute the volume, the system comes becomes responsive almost instantaneously.

I've got gfxCardStatus installed and this problem is independent of whether the machine is running with the integrated or discreet chipset (and forcing it to use one or another makes no difference for me).

I should note that I upgraded the memory and hard drive on this machine (to 8GB and a 1TB HDD). On the off-chance that this was related to either of those upgrades, I reinstalled the original RAM and HDD and it didn't make any difference.

I also thought that maybe the maxed out volume was causing enough of a vibration to trigger the sudden motion sensor, so I turned that off (sudo pmset -a sms 0), but it is still an issue.

There certainly seems like there might be a voltage issue (eg, maybe the GPU is getting starved when the volume is maxed), but who knows.

I think a trip to the genius bar is in my future, but if anyone ele is seeing this I would love to know!

I get random problems as well on my quad 15''. Mostly on some Steam games with high graphic settings. Most recently on Runespell with highest settings and on full screen. But today the problem occurred when I was watching youtube clip on one site - it wasn't even full screen. At first I got some artifact pixels on the video so i stopped it, tried reloading the tab, opened another tab and then the computer froze - same pixels appeared on os x top bar and dock, I could move my mouse but that was all I clould do.

OS X 10.6.8 so the 10.6.7 patch didn't work (although I think it happens less times)

well I have this issue as well. I have a new MBP i7 (8,2), 8gb ram, 512gb SSD. Mine locks up with just firefox, and any other softwate open. The only way to unfreeze it is force quit everything then reload the finder. that will usually stop it. But this was not a problem on my MBP 4,1 units from 2008. just this new 2011 8,2 machine. It is some kind of hardware issue for sure. I do notice this machince does not get nearly as hot as my MBP 4,1 laptop and this fan thing may be why. stops and totally cools down. just guessing here.

I have the same problem, 17" 2.2 i7,bought in feb I think..I bought the machine as it ws powerful for professional dj'ing in clubs..after five minutes into the first time of using it, the whole thing froze and I found myself frantically adjusting connections to go back to using cd's. Not good.

I'm using Traktor Pro with 4 decks and FX, sometimes clock synced to NI Maschine. When running Maschine alongside Traktor it will all freeze up and become useless.  Basically under heavy Load (which it should still be able to deal with effectively though).  Even just using 4 decks and FX in Traktor you can hear pops as the MBP struggles.  Called Apple who say to take it to the genuis bar. I'm not really interested in a refund or replacement as its a common problem on a lot of the new MBP's.  I just want it fixed.

Come on Apple, I paid over £2000 for this laptop.  Acknowledge the problem, tell us what it is and get us a fix.  I'm losing faith.