Problems with few weeks old MBP.. HELP!!

Hello,

So while I was browsing the web and doing some office work, the laptop had just suddenly shut down. No signs or error code. Just cold shut down in snap. When I tried to turn it back on, it wouldnt right away. After trying couple hours later it worked... Now it happened again, and it wont turn on even after many hours later..

I tried with or without ac adaptor and tried general troubleshooting that I would do with PCs. Not sure if there is anything specific to macs that I can try to do.

BTW, this is my first mac so I am not very familiar with it. Any detailed help will be appreciated!

 

Could this be heat issue? My MBP did get quite hot. Is there any utility that is compatible with os x to monitor temps?

 

There are many different temperature monitoring programs but that won't do you any good at this point if your Mac isn't going to boot. Additionally, you would have a problematic (i.e. faulty) Mac if it couldn't take the heat from you actually using it like normal.

I remember my 13" MBP did something similar when it had Snow Leopard on it (I picked up the early 2011 model before Lion came out). I was working on it when the unit just shutdown. Granted, I was able to immediately turn it back on without any problems and that has never happened again.

Given the age of your Mac, I would just take it to your nearest Apple store and get a replacement. That way you won't have to worry about this happening again in the future. Just remember that Mac, like ANY other computer, come off of assembly lines so some units are bound to be failures. This is the mathematical nature of assembly lines and it can happen with a $20 wi-fi router, $80 hard drive, $300 gaming console, a $2000 Dell/HP/Lenovo/Toshiba/Sony notebook, $5000 HDTV, or even an $80,000 car. The brand and price of a product don't really mean anything when they come off of assembly lines.

 

Ok thank you for the reply.I will definitely visit the Apple Store. *Sigh.. the nearest one is in Boston..

Meanwhile, can you think of anything I can do to get it working? There is a word document that I actually really need very soon.

 

Did you try an SMC reset: Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

I'd still take it in, even if that works.

BTW, I'm within .5 miles of an Apple Certified retailer

 

I will try that as soon as I finish this paper. I hope that I dont have to make a second trip to the app store. I live in a boarding school and I have to take the commuter train to get to Boston...

 

Mathematical nature of assembly lines, eh? I am in the same bind as the reinstall of apple o/s at the store didn't solve the core audio problem. My fingers are crossed that the new ssd would solve my issue.

I am lucky that I live 10 minutes away from the apple store, though it is more like 35 minutes now with the insane parking these days. Damn people and malls!

 

As long as we're all keeping track, I'm a six-hour round trip from the nearest Apple store. It sucks.

 

Yep. It simply states that no matter what, no matter how many quality control aspects a company implements, there will ALWAYS be lemon products coming off of an assembly line. It doesn't matter what type of product it is (electronics, car, clothes), that is just the mathematical nature of assembly lines. The trade-off is that you can produce more units in a shorter amount of time to makeup for those problematic products.

I just didn't want the OP to think "I paid $XXXX and this thing should be perfect!" when that really has nothing to do with it. They could go buy a $80,000 Audi and drive away with a lemon.

 

Trust me I had multiple issues with $6000+ Alienwares. I know what you mean.

 

Hi,

was the mac on a thick heavy shag carpet or blanket? Just wondering if it was getting ventilation or not. Were the fans spinning fast before it shut off? The macbook pro exhales through the hinge and if is blocked by anything and while running some apps (flash videos for example) they can get very hot.

 

I hate this back air outlet aspect of the Macs. They should have smaller vents on the sides, like on the right side where only the ODD resides to reduce the pressure on the back.

 

Before going all the way to Boston, you should check to see if there are any Apple Certified computer shops in your area. If there are, try one of those locations first as they will be able to do service on any Macintosh system and use genuine Apple parts. I am in a similar situation when it comes to needing my systems serviced in my area. The nearest Apple store to me is in Norfolk, however there is an Apple Certified computer shop about 15 - 20 minutes from me. You should be able to find such information on Apple's website.

 

Seconded. My Vaio has its exhaust vent on the left side, and i find it's much harder to inadvertently block it than with the hinge vent on my MBP. Also, now its ability to ventilate is not altered by how widely open the screen is.

Side-benefit: if I'm doing something CPU-and-GPU intensive, I can keep a cup of tea warm with the exhaust flow

 

I can understand why Apple put the exhaust system in the hinge as it keeps everything hidden. It is aesthetically pleasing but doesn't do much for functionality. I personally don't like it because I use my MBP in clamshell mode most of the time and, whenever I am doing something processor intensive, I have to go over there and lift the display up. Then that further messes things up because it makes my HDTV the secondary display and I have to switch things around (since I haven't found a way to turn off my MBP's display and only use my HDTV with the lid open). It isn't an issue most of the time but, if I decide to rip a DVD using Handbrake, it can become a problem (though I don't know if it is a real problem or not, I just don't like the idea of my MBP baking itself).

 

Call up apple (Applecare) and get some phone support, and make arrangements over the phone through them if necessary, before taking it to a 3rd party for repair (even an authorized repair center). Use the authorized repair center as a drop-off only, unless you specifically trust them.

It's just less hassle in the long run, from experience.