MacBook Pro 2010 beeps and shutdown.

Question

MacBook Pro 2010 beeps and shutdown.

Hello everybody. My old MacBook 2010 repeatedly beeps during normal use (not during startup) in cycles of three, then it shuts down and reboot. I've done a number of tests including resetting PRAM, SMC, reinstall OS, swapping the HD with the SSD, removing RAM banks one at the time, using only discrete GPU and only the integrated one. The beeps keep happening.

The only thing that I may think of right now is overheating. The MacBook really gets hot and I've already bought some thermal paste to replace the old one over the CPU and GPU but as far as I know, those beeps aren't related to overheat issues. Do you guys have ever experienced anything like that? Since I do not want really to throw too much money on this old laptop.

Thankyou everybody!
Michael

Posted on Sep 6, 2016 7:48 AM

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Answer 1

JimmyCMPIT

Level 7

29,306 points

Sep 6, 2016 7:52 AM in response to lindoferretti

see these articles

Using Apple Hardware Test - Apple Support

Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

About Mac computer startup tones - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Sep 6, 2016 7:51 AM in response to JimmyCMPIT

Hey Jimmy, thankyou for your response. However, if you read carefully my post, those sounds never happens during startup, ONLY when computer is already in use.

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Answer 3

JimmyCMPIT

Level 7

29,306 points

Sep 6, 2016 7:54 AM in response to lindoferretti

see additional links

also how did you apply the thermal paste and did you use a thermal pad as well? If you did use both take the pad out now before you melt your CPU/GPU.

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Answer 4

Sep 6, 2016 7:58 AM in response to JimmyCMPIT

As i wrote in my original post, I've already performed a SMC reboot, to no avail. I would have ran an AHT but I lost my original cds that came along the Mac, so that's not an option. However, I ran some test with TechTool Pro, and passed all tests.

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Answer 5

Sep 6, 2016 8:01 AM in response to JimmyCMPIT

Sorry mate, but can you read what I wrote? I didn't put any thermal paste yet, I've only bought it. I just wanted to know if those 3 beeps can be related to a overheat issue. I see that you want to help, but If you don't know the answer please stop replying.

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Answer 6

JimmyCMPIT

Level 7

29,306 points

Sep 6, 2016 8:36 AM in response to lindoferretti

I don't know, and it's possible there are more than one answer in this situation, but the likely explanation is your logic board is failing. Contact apple if you'd like the link is at the bottom of the page and they can tell you exactly what you want to know.

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Answer 7

Sep 6, 2016 8:39 AM in response to JimmyCMPIT

Yeah, I've thought of the logic board too. Unfortunately, if that's the case, it would result in me not wanting to replace a 6-years old MB logic board. I'll try contacting someone at Apple as you suggested, thankyou.

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Answer 8

Sep 6, 2016 9:24 AM in response to lindoferretti

repeatedly beeps during normal use (not during startup) in cycles of three

Regardless of when it happens, three beeps correlates strongly with RAM problems.

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Answer 9

Sep 6, 2016 9:47 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

That's what I wanted to know, thankyou. Because I couldn't find one single forum, post, article with an explanation of beeps during use and not during startup. That seems to be the issue, anyway: I've just swapped one of the banks (2x2gb) with another one from another Mac and everything seems to work fine until now. Tomorrow I'll go buy two new Crucial banks (2x4gb) and test it a bit.

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