Sarguin

Q: MBA 13 Mid 2013 crash Black screen

Has anyone else encountered an issue where they are using their Mid-2013 MacBook Air (13in) on battery when the machine suddenly goes to sleep or appears to, but it has actually crashed. The screen is dark, keyboard and trackpad are not responsive and the keyboard backlight is on. You have to force it off to restart by pressing and holding the power button? It is completely random, not a kernel panic, and nothing I can see in any logs. After the recent firmware update the symptoms changed such that the display is still active since the Apple logo is lighted. I've never had it happen when I'm on a/c power. Unfortunately its random and infrequent too. The recent firmware indicated it helped with battery issues, etc. didn't fix mine apparently.

MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Oct 24, 2013 4:36 AM

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Q: MBA 13 Mid 2013 crash Black screen

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  • by richard_vd,

    richard_vd richard_vd Feb 3, 2014 12:49 PM in response to mesutyasar
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 3, 2014 12:49 PM in response to mesutyasar

    To matdecac and mesutyasar Let me repeat what I wrote yesterday:

    This is not just about changed power button behaviour. In 10.9.2 beta 4 (13C48) none of the known tricks work, meaning I can't trigger the issue anymore!

     

    I repeatedly tried to:

    • close and open the lid
    • click Apple -> Sleep, then tap a key
    • enter 'pmset sleepnow' in Terminal and then tap a key
    • wait till screensaver kicks in, then tap a key
    • press power button, then tap another key
  • by star-affinity,

    star-affinity star-affinity Feb 3, 2014 2:21 PM in response to richard_vd
    Level 2 (483 points)
    Feb 3, 2014 2:21 PM in response to richard_vd

    Yay! That's great news! Just for the sake of it, can you also try to:

     

    1. Have the MacBook Air (Mid 2013) running with the display/lid open.

     

    2. Hold down the ”cmd alt/option” keys and press the power key (this will cause the MacBook Air to enter sleep mode)…

     

    3. …then immediately after pressing the above key combo, press random keys on the keyboard in an attempt to wake up the computer.

     

    And see if that also works without the problem being triggered?

  • by richard_vd,

    richard_vd richard_vd Feb 3, 2014 2:38 PM in response to star-affinity
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 3, 2014 2:38 PM in response to star-affinity

    I never do it like that myself, I just press the power button to enter immediate sleep.

     

    I tried your sequence about 30 times (at different intervals between 2 and 3), but it's still running normal!

  • by star-affinity,

    star-affinity star-affinity Feb 3, 2014 2:50 PM in response to richard_vd
    Level 2 (483 points)
    Feb 3, 2014 2:50 PM in response to richard_vd

    As far as I know, pressing the power button (since Mavericks) just sleeps the screen. Or? Are you sure the entire computer is put to sleep?

     

    Aynow, great to hear it didn't work to reproduce! Thanks for letting me know.

     

    Edit:

    I guess it's difficult to see the difference on a MacBook Air, but I tried it on a MacBook Pro 13" (Mid 2012) with OS X 10.9.1 and you're right! Pressing the powerbutton quickly makes the computer go to sleep (LED in front pulsates). Good to know the behaviour has been adjusted in 10.9.2 so a quick press doesn't do anything.

  • by mesutyasar,

    mesutyasar mesutyasar Feb 3, 2014 2:55 PM in response to richard_vd
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 3, 2014 2:55 PM in response to richard_vd

    richard_vd wrote:

     

    To matdecac and mesutyasar Let me repeat what I wrote yesterday:

    This is not just about changed power button behaviour. In 10.9.2 beta 4 (13C48) none of the known tricks work, meaning I can't trigger the issue anymore!

     

    I repeatedly tried to:

    • close and open the lid
    • click Apple -> Sleep, then tap a key
    • enter 'pmset sleepnow' in Terminal and then tap a key
    • wait till screensaver kicks in, then tap a key
    • press power button, then tap another key

     

    Thanks for the clarification.

     

    Then it seems this is fixed. And it was indeed a software issue.

     

    I hope they keep what they did there and I certainly hope that it is really a software issue and not a hardware issue that can be/is covered by a software hack.

  • by star-affinity,

    star-affinity star-affinity Feb 3, 2014 3:08 PM in response to mesutyasar
    Level 2 (483 points)
    Feb 3, 2014 3:08 PM in response to mesutyasar

    I was quite sure it was a software issue all the time. Might have suspected the problem needed a fix in firmware, though. But obviosly not.

     

    There is also (at least there can be) a very clear log created when the issue happes – it's called ”sleep wake failure” so I think Apple had their eyes on this issue for quite some time…

  • by aSmilar,

    aSmilar aSmilar Feb 3, 2014 5:53 PM in response to star-affinity
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 3, 2014 5:53 PM in response to star-affinity

    How would it be a software issue if SOME MBA do not have it and older ones do have it with FRESH installation of Maverics and No other software installed? Can you educate me pls???

  • by Azzidoz,

    Azzidoz Azzidoz Feb 4, 2014 12:15 AM in response to richard_vd
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 4, 2014 12:15 AM in response to richard_vd

    Just thought i'd add my wifes 2013 13" Macbook Air to this thread, She is going crazy about this problem (& going crazy at me, as i talked her into buying it instead of a Windows)

     

    After reading 17 pages of this thread, it's good to see that (Hopefully) a fix has been sorted in 10.9.2!

     

    Insahallah (As they say here in the Middle east)

  • by Zoli469,

    Zoli469 Zoli469 Feb 4, 2014 1:45 AM in response to richard_vd
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 4, 2014 1:45 AM in response to richard_vd

    Is there any expected release date for this update? What is the average timeframe for beta testing?

  • by matdecac,

    matdecac matdecac Feb 4, 2014 4:09 AM in response to Sarguin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 4, 2014 4:09 AM in response to Sarguin

    just back from the Apple store, 'a fix will come out shortly'.. Wait and see.

  • by MDN64,

    MDN64 MDN64 Feb 4, 2014 4:10 AM in response to mesutyasar
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 4, 2014 4:10 AM in response to mesutyasar

    Hi Mesutyasar

     

    Case number: 543675010 - UK, resulted in a refund under the 1979 Sale of Goods Act as the MBA is, "unfit for purpose".

     

    Don't know if that will help your case for a refund but worth quoting as Apple had to throw the towel in when I demanded they replace my MBA with one that was guaranteed not to crash, or provide a refund.

     

    Apple were unable to guarantee I would receive a new MBA that would not crash so agreed to a refund 4 months after purchase.

     

    The fact that Apple cannot guarantee their product will work at all but keep selling them tells me everything I need to know about what Apple think of the mugs, sorry, customers who keep buying them...

  • by mesutyasar,

    mesutyasar mesutyasar Feb 4, 2014 6:11 AM in response to MDN64
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 4, 2014 6:11 AM in response to MDN64

    Hi MDN64,

     

    Thanks for the case number. I will convey this case number to the repair center.

     

    Unfortunately, what the UK has since 1979 isn't here yet.

     

    In my case, I should send my computer (or any other product) to a repair center approved by the company. If they can't fix it after 3 times, they must replace it or refund.

     

    It may seem like I just have to send it back 2 more times. But they couldn't find anything wrong with it, and this won't change even after 10 times. So, probably I am stuck with it and I'm just losing money and time by sending it back to the repair center. Although I am planning to send it back once more. I talked to a helpful person and he is going to do his best, I hope.

  • by star-affinity,

    star-affinity star-affinity Feb 4, 2014 8:10 AM in response to aSmilar
    Level 2 (483 points)
    Feb 4, 2014 8:10 AM in response to aSmilar

    Like this:

     

    On a brand new MacBook Air (Mid 2013) that shipped with OS X 10.8.4 I wasn't not able to reproduce the problem. I then started up from an external hard drive with OS X 10.9 and was able to reproduce the problem after just a few tries.

     

    Conclusion = the problem has to do with software (i.e. OS X 10.9 and 10.9.1).

     

    So, it's definitely reasonable that the issue is fixed in OS X 10.9.2.

  • by mesutyasar,

    mesutyasar mesutyasar Feb 4, 2014 9:14 AM in response to star-affinity
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 4, 2014 9:14 AM in response to star-affinity

    I'm sorry but the fact that you couldn't reproduce the issue on 10.8.4 doesn't mean that it is a software thing. It's not like you go around and find problems other people experience and then try it on your mac.

     

    Many of us had this problem since 10.8.4, including me. I thought it was a software issue at first. Then updated to 10.8.5. Nothing. Then updated firmware. Nothing. Then got 10.9, nothing. 10.9.1 nothing. Meanwhile I found out that I was not the only one.

     

    It still may turn out to be a software problem which was random enough to imitate a hardware problem, but like I said, people had it on 10.8.4 and 10.8.5 as well.

  • by aSmilar,

    aSmilar aSmilar Feb 7, 2014 8:36 AM in response to mesutyasar
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 7, 2014 8:36 AM in response to mesutyasar

    I have the problem also with ALL releases and updates starting from 10.8.x till now. I showed to apple store folks twice already. All of that was in vain. They say its software and its not covered by warranty. Very disappointing. no more apple recommendation to any of my friedns and family.

     

    <Edited By Host>

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