BSOD, Mac edition
July 30, 2013 9:04 AM Subscribe
My Macbook Pro will sometimes refuse to come out of sleep and show a blue screen instead. How can I keep it from doing this?
This just happened to me again last night and finally decided to ask about it.
I have a 13" Macbook Pro (late 2011 model) that I commonly use with an external monitor. I think the external monitor has something to do with it.
What has happened to me several times now is that it will refuse to leave sleep mode at all. Instead I get a blue screen (just like the one that appears briefly when a monitor is plugged in) and my cooling fan running at full-blast.
Seemingly nothing I do will get it out of this state other than forcing a power-off, which is bad for obvious reasons. I didn't lose any work this time (I think), but I commonly leave several projects open and I'd prefer not to take the chance.
Some detail on last time: I was using it with an external monitor. I unplugged the monitor cable and closed the Macbook, like I do all the time. I'm pretty sure I let the video reset itself (it does this every time a monitor is plugged/unplugged) before I closed the lid. A couple hours later, I opened it to the BSOD.
Things I tried, but did not work: Mashing function keys. Plugging in a monitor. Leaving the lid closed for half an hour. Leaving the lid open for half an hour. Nothing! I eventually had to hard-reset it.
Curious details:
- After 10 minutes, the blue screen dimmed, like a Macbook normally does when left unattended. Pressing a key brought it back to full brightness.
- The fan runs full-blast, but I don't think the CPU itself was being used. The case was warm but not as hot as it tends to get when the CPU is going at 100%.
- As far as I can tell, the system still thought it was in "sleep" mode. I couldn't connect to any services over the network.
Google ain't much help with this, and I doubt a so-called Genius would be either unless I brought it in while it's in this state. I'm running OSX 10.8, all the latest updates, etc. This is the 13" model, so the video chipset is Intel HD 3000.
I'm pretty sure this is some sort of fuckup of the OSX graphics subsystem, but I have no clue how to fix it. Ideas?
This just happened to me again last night and finally decided to ask about it.
I have a 13" Macbook Pro (late 2011 model) that I commonly use with an external monitor. I think the external monitor has something to do with it.
What has happened to me several times now is that it will refuse to leave sleep mode at all. Instead I get a blue screen (just like the one that appears briefly when a monitor is plugged in) and my cooling fan running at full-blast.
Seemingly nothing I do will get it out of this state other than forcing a power-off, which is bad for obvious reasons. I didn't lose any work this time (I think), but I commonly leave several projects open and I'd prefer not to take the chance.
Some detail on last time: I was using it with an external monitor. I unplugged the monitor cable and closed the Macbook, like I do all the time. I'm pretty sure I let the video reset itself (it does this every time a monitor is plugged/unplugged) before I closed the lid. A couple hours later, I opened it to the BSOD.
Things I tried, but did not work: Mashing function keys. Plugging in a monitor. Leaving the lid closed for half an hour. Leaving the lid open for half an hour. Nothing! I eventually had to hard-reset it.
Curious details:
- After 10 minutes, the blue screen dimmed, like a Macbook normally does when left unattended. Pressing a key brought it back to full brightness.
- The fan runs full-blast, but I don't think the CPU itself was being used. The case was warm but not as hot as it tends to get when the CPU is going at 100%.
- As far as I can tell, the system still thought it was in "sleep" mode. I couldn't connect to any services over the network.
Google ain't much help with this, and I doubt a so-called Genius would be either unless I brought it in while it's in this state. I'm running OSX 10.8, all the latest updates, etc. This is the 13" model, so the video chipset is Intel HD 3000.
I'm pretty sure this is some sort of fuckup of the OSX graphics subsystem, but I have no clue how to fix it. Ideas?
Has this ever occurred even once waking from sleep when no external monitor was involved? Fairly critical detail there.
posted by emptythought at 11:11 AM on July 30, 2013
posted by emptythought at 11:11 AM on July 30, 2013
Response by poster: Has this ever occurred even once waking from sleep when no external monitor was involved? Fairly critical detail there.
It's hard to say, it hasn't happened in a couple months. I don't think so.
I forgot about the SMC thing. Hopefully this will help! It doesn't really help explain what's going wrong though...
posted by neckro23 at 12:11 PM on July 30, 2013
It's hard to say, it hasn't happened in a couple months. I don't think so.
I forgot about the SMC thing. Hopefully this will help! It doesn't really help explain what's going wrong though...
posted by neckro23 at 12:11 PM on July 30, 2013
Does Command-BrightnessUp do anything when this happens? It gets the MacBook to re-detect the presence/absence of attached monitors, which could plausibly have some effect.
posted by vasi at 2:32 PM on July 30, 2013
posted by vasi at 2:32 PM on July 30, 2013
Response by poster: That was part of the "mashing function keys" I alluded to above. Trying it now (with no monitor attached) just brings up the Display preferences.
posted by neckro23 at 4:50 PM on July 30, 2013
posted by neckro23 at 4:50 PM on July 30, 2013
I'm growing increasingly suspicious that this is, for some reason just a general bug and not an issue with your specific machine, as jamaro implied.
I have a 2009 17in MBP, and previously had a 2010 13in. I distinctly remember running in to some kind of similar issue on both machines at different times WRT external monitors.
I'd just go through and try and recreate this problem in as many ways as i could, but also try and see what prevents it. Disconnect the monitor, then move the mouse around and minimize/maximize a few windows then sleep. Does it still happen? Put it to sleep then disconnect the monitor, still happen? Turn off the monitor, then unplug it, still happen?
Unplug the monitor and use the machine for an hour or so, does it still freeze upon sleeping and waking up?
That was part of the "mashing function keys" I alluded to above. Trying it now (with no monitor attached) just brings up the Display preferences.
Interestingly, it does nothing on my machine(17in mentioned above, mountain lion). option+brightnessup opens the system preferences however.
I'm suspicious that "sleep, then unplug" might solve the problem here. That's how i've always done it and i don't think i've ever had this error doing that. I've definitely seen the "lock up at switching display modes" freeze before though, for sure.
OH, what kind of monitor and what kind of adapter? miniDP to vga? dvi? hdmi? Is it apple branded? If this was happening to me and it was an apple adapter or a cinema display i'd have already hauled the setup in to the genius bar.
There's an outlying chance this is an irritating logic board issue.
posted by emptythought at 3:55 PM on July 31, 2013
I have a 2009 17in MBP, and previously had a 2010 13in. I distinctly remember running in to some kind of similar issue on both machines at different times WRT external monitors.
I'd just go through and try and recreate this problem in as many ways as i could, but also try and see what prevents it. Disconnect the monitor, then move the mouse around and minimize/maximize a few windows then sleep. Does it still happen? Put it to sleep then disconnect the monitor, still happen? Turn off the monitor, then unplug it, still happen?
Unplug the monitor and use the machine for an hour or so, does it still freeze upon sleeping and waking up?
That was part of the "mashing function keys" I alluded to above. Trying it now (with no monitor attached) just brings up the Display preferences.
Interestingly, it does nothing on my machine(17in mentioned above, mountain lion). option+brightnessup opens the system preferences however.
I'm suspicious that "sleep, then unplug" might solve the problem here. That's how i've always done it and i don't think i've ever had this error doing that. I've definitely seen the "lock up at switching display modes" freeze before though, for sure.
OH, what kind of monitor and what kind of adapter? miniDP to vga? dvi? hdmi? Is it apple branded? If this was happening to me and it was an apple adapter or a cinema display i'd have already hauled the setup in to the genius bar.
There's an outlying chance this is an irritating logic board issue.
posted by emptythought at 3:55 PM on July 31, 2013
Response by poster: Interestingly, it does nothing on my machine(17in mentioned above, mountain lion). option+brightnessup opens the system preferences however.
Er yes, I mean Option+F2. Cmd+F2 does nothing.
Like I said, this is a "rarely" problem, not a common thing. It's only happened a handful of times, but it's rather frustrating when it does...
I'm suspicious that "sleep, then unplug" might solve the problem here. That's how i've always done it and i don't think i've ever had this error doing that.
I deliberately unplug first, because if you close the lid with an external monitor power plugged in, it doesn't go to sleep -- so you can still use the machine while it's closed, if you have a mouse + keyboard plugged in. (Without power plugged in, it goes to sleep.)
posted by neckro23 at 10:08 AM on August 1, 2013
Er yes, I mean Option+F2. Cmd+F2 does nothing.
Like I said, this is a "rarely" problem, not a common thing. It's only happened a handful of times, but it's rather frustrating when it does...
I'm suspicious that "sleep, then unplug" might solve the problem here. That's how i've always done it and i don't think i've ever had this error doing that.
I deliberately unplug first, because if you close the lid with an external monitor power plugged in, it doesn't go to sleep -- so you can still use the machine while it's closed, if you have a mouse + keyboard plugged in. (Without power plugged in, it goes to sleep.)
posted by neckro23 at 10:08 AM on August 1, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
The last half is what showed on the system log when I unplugged the monitor just now. It looks like the log from yesterday stops prematurely and doesn't get to the "Display removed" part. What's the deal?
posted by neckro23 at 9:17 AM on July 30, 2013