Random system crash when moving/lifting MBP

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Level 1

6 points

Random system crash when moving/lifting MBP

Hi friends!

Last week it happened for the first time.

I moved my MBP as usual, heard a click sound from the harddrive area and the MBP shut down without any warning. Before this first time, it has never happened.

When I fired the Laptop back up, the date has been set to 01.01.01 and I got a few error messages from programs related to time and date. Also my MAgSafe Power plug's green light wasn't on and the battery showed that it was not installed (??). I googled the problem and found the hint to reset SMC.

I did that. After that the date and time was fine and all was running smooth again. Except for the Power adapter. I had to unplug it completely also from electricity to get it work again.

Well, since that first time last week, it has happened a few times. Like sometimes when I move it/lift it up while its running (this I have done before since I bought it in Jan 2011 and it never crashed) all of a sudden this total system crash occurs.. including MagSafe adapter turn-off. So I repeat the process ..smc reset, unplugging magsafe adapter. etc.

But WHAT the heck is causing these crashes?

One more thing: I am not moving it fast or anything! Like just normally, when you change position while working and place it on your lap or somewhere else. So nothing like big action... however I can hear a sound from the harddrive. Like a clicking. Then shut down. But not like a sick click.. it just sounds like the clicking when the hd is going into safe mode.

I hope I explained well enough for you to understand. Unfortunately my warranty has expired 😟 So I hope I can fix this somehow without having to pay a lot of money for an apple repair.

Hugs

malzbier

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2010), OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Aug 4, 2012 11:17 PM

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Answer 1

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clintonfrombirmingham

Level 7

30,100 points

Aug 4, 2012 11:21 PM in response to malzbier

Have you tried booting to your Recovery partition and running Disk Utility to verify your hard drive? You shouldn't have been able to do the ML upgrade if errors were found on your drive, so I'm assuming that it's OK - still give it a try. You don't even have to go to the Recovery partition to verify it - only to repair it. Just try verifying it using Disk Utility and, if errors are found, then boot to the Recovery partition.

Clinton

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Answer 2

malzbier Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 5, 2012 12:13 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

Hi clinton 🙂

Thanks for your quick reply.

I have just rebootet after going through Apple Hardware Test routine. I had to use my Utilities disc to get it to start. Somehow Lion must have removed it or something. At least that's what I understand from the Apple info page on how to start AHT. (My Macbook was originally delivered with SnowLeopard installed. When Lion came out, I just had to get it.. same with Mountain Lion last week).

Anyways, AHT did not find any Hardware problems. Is Disk Utility another program? I will look it up and tell you if it finds anything.

Thanks again

malzbier

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Answer 3

malzbier Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 5, 2012 12:37 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

Ok back again from Recovery Partition.

Indeed the Disc Utility found an error (something like "Invalid amount of hard links...") and said that this volume needs to be repaired.

I let it repair the volume and the program said it successfully repaired the volume afterwards.

Well, I really wonder what happened here... Only thing I did last week that might have to do with this, was, that I loaded a file from my Time Machine.. I never use time machine before. That was one day before I installed Mountain Lion. And I think the first crash happened right in the time between those two events.

Weird thing.

I hope this did the trick 🙂

Thank you very much for your help clinton. I didnt even know about having a Recovery partition or Disc utility before today.

So thank you again^^.

If it happens again, I will just come back to this thread.

Hugs

malzbier

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Answer 4

Aug 5, 2012 12:41 AM in response to malzbier

No problem - very glad that you were able to repair the error - hopefully, that will sort things out.

I'll get a message if you reply back to this thread so if anything else goes wrong, call back.

Clinton

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Answer 5

malzbier Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 12, 2012 11:10 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

I am back and as you can imagine, this means the "fix" didn't last for long

All of a sudden it happened again. Twice actually. Yesterday and just aminute ago when I changed position while working in Dreamweaver. The MBP shut down without a sign. Same symptoms. Although this time I didn't get the time/date problem. All was fine.. except for my work.. was gone 😟

Funny thing is: I thought about the possibility of a crash when I moved the laptop in that very moment.

Do you think my harddrive is somehow mechanically affected? I don't know why or how. Because have never touched my MBP in a bad way.. meaning, I never "ht" it or "ran into it". It never fell off of anything or anything alike.

Do you have another idea about what to do?

Thanks in advance

malzbier

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Answer 6

Network 23

Level 6

12,333 points

Aug 12, 2012 11:55 AM in response to malzbier

It is possible that there is a mechanical fault inside the case somewhere. I had a similar experience once with an Apple PowerBook G3. I would pick it up, and it would shut down. It turned out that there was a loose connection somewhere on the motherboard and I think it was made worse by the plastic case of that model, since it would flex slightly when picked up. The only fix was having Apple work on it. Mine was still under warranty, though. While the case of a metal MacBook Pro probably doesn't flex at all, maybe there is a tiny loose piece of metal rolling around in there that causes short circuits.

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Answer 7

malzbier Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 12, 2012 12:16 PM in response to Network 23

Hi network!

Thanks for replying.

Well, I also thought of short circuit as a reason as well. However these crashes happened whne I installed mountain lion. Before that, my mbp never crashed on moving. Never crashed at all actually.

And then there is this sound from the harddrive as well everytime such a crash occurs. A click sound similar to the clicking when it changes into safe mode and right after that/ or in the same moment the lights go out. Laptop off. MagSafe dead.

Well.. really weird to be honest.

I was already thinking of getting a new harddrive. But the disc utility doesn't find any disk errors. The first time I ran it when clinton in this thread pointed me to it. And that first time, the disc utility found an error. But since then it hasn't found anything. And there weren't any crashes since the last time I posted on Aug-05-2012 .

So I thought the disc utility had fixed it.

But now it crashes again at the same symptoms.

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Answer 8

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Aug 12, 2012 1:40 PM in response to malzbier

Install of ML is probably just coincidence not the cause. I have the same hunch as Network, bad contact. Did you ever change the Ram?

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Answer 9

malzbier Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 12, 2012 2:09 PM in response to Lexiepex

Hi Lex!

Yes, I did. Upgraded it to 8 GB myself. But that was last year. Never had crashes until just now though...

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Answer 10

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Aug 13, 2012 1:23 AM in response to malzbier

Well it may have nothing to do with it, but perhaps you could reseat the memory sticks again: take them out completely and replace them firmly again. check the back cover for loose screws, and inside check the cable connectors of the disk (take off carefully and replace firmly).

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Answer 11

malzbier Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 13, 2012 1:48 AM in response to Lexiepex

I removed the screws, then the backcover and cleaned the inside from any dust and stuff (my dog seams to loose more hair than I thought 😉) .. but I didn't find any loose screws, loose contacts at all.

Everything sits firmly in place. The RAM is sitting firmly in place, battery looks good. Harddrive also.

Right now I am "swirling" the laptop.. (don't know if that is the right word 😁), turning it and lifting it.. but no harddrive click, no shut down so far.

I really can't reproduce the issue. It just happens all of a sudden and only when I am moving it / lifting it to a certain angle I think. Like when it is at let's say 80° angle when it was just sitting in front of me before.

MAybe it is a short circuit.. but you can't see the reaon when taking off the backcover.

thanks

malzbier

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Answer 12

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Aug 14, 2012 1:24 AM in response to malzbier

It could also be a bad contact in the screen hinge. Make an appointment and take it to the Genius Bar.

But: perhaps you disable the SuddenMotionSensor with a Terminal command, restart and set it to on again; or leave it off and try to duplicate the issue, but do not let the MBP slip from your hands (you should not let it fall with the SMS on either😁).

Open Terminal copy/paste the following command and hit enter:

sudo pmset -a sms 0

(you can set it back by typing 1 instead of 0)

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Answer 13

Liamswf

Level 1

0 points

Aug 24, 2012 4:31 PM in response to malzbier

This exact same thing happened to me just now! I too have had my MacBook Pro just over a year (no longer within the warranty) and it happened today for the first time. Exactly as you described it. It's very worrying..! Has it continued to happen?

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