Macbook Pro Retina runs hot while lid is closed and fans working at full speed

When i open the lid and check the activity monitor a different process runs at 100% everytime. After I open the lid the process goes back to normal, the mbp cools down and fans slow down. It only started happening after few days of use.


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!



Thanks!

MacBook Pro with Retina display

Posted on Jun 27, 2012 3:07 PM

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Posted on Oct 4, 2017 4:41 PM

If I remember correctly, in my case the problem was an external monitor that I connected to the HDMI port. The monitor used to work fine with a Windows laptop, but if I kept it in the MacBook while it was sleeping (the monitor was sleeping too), it caused the Mac to overheat. When I disconnected the monitor, the problem disappeared.

138 replies

Jul 18, 2012 8:18 PM in response to Prof.curmudgeon

MacBook Pro Retina with Chrome left open and X-Code installed but not running. I have been either closing lid or Apple>Sleep but the fan runs with heat pumping out. Tonight I closed the lid with a full charge leaving the laptop on my table and left home for a few hours, so no apple light and no other lights. I did notice heat coming from the fans as I packed up but thought it was residual. When I returned the laptop was cool to touch but battery was down to 2%, *** Apple? I expect some battery loss when in sleep but this is ridiculous.

Jul 18, 2012 9:38 PM in response to grumpyMBPR

I have 13-inch late 2011 which sometimes it doesn't go to sleep and i have to go back and turn off the WiFi and close xCode and browsers and close the lid again.

But i can see the light indicator but you can't. Be careful that heat does burn your board and anything else if you put it in a bag pack and leave it for a while.

For now just shut it down till ML release and see what happens then.


Best luck

Jul 18, 2012 10:49 PM in response to mickey_nygaard

I think you have to take it into an apple store so they can do their diagnostics and figure out what the problem is. Its good to discuss it on a forum. You can get an idea that its not an uncommon problem and often someone comes up with a solution. But on something like this, if you want Apple to "fix it" you have to let them look at the problem. in the meantime, even if its difficult for people, I would set preferences to reopen windows, and just shut down when you are packing it away. The SSD drive gets you back to where you were quite quickly so there's not a real wait time, and you avoide frying your computer. Its not a fix, but I would do it until the problem gets solved. It is possible that the solution is a replacement MBP-R.

Jul 19, 2012 9:50 PM in response to yanz67

It happend again this evening. I haven't had a problem since my first post which is almost a month ago. I did install the update yesterday. I guess that didn't solve the issue. I had xcode open and firefox. Hopefully Montain lion will come out soon enough and will get rid of this problem. If it happens again will have to take it to the store for testing.

Jul 20, 2012 7:31 AM in response to Prof.curmudgeon

Honest to god my 13-inch MBP late 2011 now is close and it's not blinking! What's open? Nothing. I have Dropbox and it's full charged plug to power. Is it syncing? No sir! I have Xcode as well but it's not running.


So it's not just you or MBP mid 2012 I have the same problem. I don't use Time Machine or any other back up app.



But get this, every time I turn off the Wi-Fi it's working like charm!!! Maybe it's just me and my network but give it a shot.

Jul 20, 2012 12:58 PM in response to Prof.curmudgeon

Naturally as soon as I think it is fixed, it happens again. This time Firefox and textedit were the only programs explicitly running, but when I checked the Time Machine it was in the middle of a backup, in spite of having

the "no backup on batteries" option.

This is AFTER the latest upgrade.

It is begining to look like a complete shutdown is the only current solution, if you want to have any battery life

left (it sucked down about 10% of power in about 45 minutes)

Jul 24, 2012 8:19 PM in response to steuber

I have one too. Week 30 2.3/16/256. I don't have any problem with this one but I'm too scared that everytime I want to close the lid and put it in my bag I do shutdown with reopen option. It's not worth it for now until ML goes out.


I have Xcode, Chrome, and Aperture. And I check it with external keyboard to see whether it went to sleep or not. (maybe I'm wrong but I check this with caps lock light).


Good luck.

Jul 24, 2012 10:04 PM in response to McAddict

I'm scared about ML either. It has sth that keeps your machine on when you close the lid! Gets some update, notification stuff. What if it happens there when you put you machine inside a bag?! The power nap thing is kind of scary when you have a problem like this. No way you're going to trust sleep again when this is happening now.


My friend in French, happened to him two weeks ago. He has Macbook. It burnt upper board, keyboard, and power button. 200 Euro! They told him you should always check your light indicator.


You right Apple. We should always check the light indicator. MBPR doesn't have one because you think it doesn't need one. But it seems to me it does. And one more thing, Apple should always turn off the whole computer when it passes from a critical temp! Not let the heat burns everything. A 10-year old computer does that 🙂 But poor guy paid the money and waited for one week.

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Macbook Pro Retina runs hot while lid is closed and fans working at full speed

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