Problems with Macbook Pro

[Rhisiart]

If I close the lid of my Macbook Pro whilst it is booted up and then lift the lid again I have to press the power button to get it back to life and a message comes up saying I didn't shut down the computer properly and I have to reboot.

Sometimes this also happens if the Macbook Pro goes to sleep and and I wake it up (say after 20 mins) I have to go through the same tiresome procedure.

Also, if I select re-start the Powerbook simply shuts down and I have to manually reboot it.

Any suggestions anyone please?

P.S. I try to use Diskwarrior 4.4 but once this had loaded DiscWarrior did not recognise the Powerbook's HD.

 

[DeltaMac]

If you boot to your Recovery System partition (restart, holding command-R), then run Disk Utility, can you run Repair Disk on your hard drive?

 

[Rhisiart]

If you boot to your Recovery System partition (restart, holding command-R), then run Disk Utility, can you run Repair Disk on your hard drive?

Yes (it says HD is OK, but I ran repair anyway) - but it makes no difference in terms of the problem.

Actually I was incorrect to say that I need to reboot every time when the error message displays (i.e. your computer did not shut down properly), but it still takes me back to the initial log in screen (i.e. the Macbook starts up from scratch, which is slow).

OK, maybe not a major issue, but something isn't right.

 

[DeltaMac]

I think you can check if your system logs the cause for the shutdown.
Open your console, then enter the word "shutdown", or maybe "shutdown cause" in the Filter block - that's like an active search, and will then only display lines with those terms.
Look at approximate time of the shutdowns. The cause for the shutdown should be listed - it will be a number code. Cause 5 is a normal shutdown/restart that is software initiated (when you choose to shutdown from the menu, for example)
I have a list of about 18 different "cause" codes, so let me know if yours is different than 5

Be sure to check for any changed settings in your Energy Saver pref pane.

One question -
When you say that you have to press the power button to bring it back to life - Does your MacBook Pro start up, or does it wake up?
If a start up, then you see the grey Apple (a full start up from off)
Wake up means, the screen lights up, and you either see your desktop, or a login screen if your system is set to do that from sleep.
Please add other information, especially things like "I had to press and hold the power button for 5 seconds before anything would happen", etc. In other words, if you "press and release the power button, same as a normal boot", be sure to say if that's NOT what you expected.

To wake up my Mac - I have had a long habit (since way back in OS 9 days) of pressing ONLY the shift key. I don't rely on clicking the trackpad to wake my Mac, for example, and the shift key does not cause anything that I don't expect (such as a trackpad button launching something when the Mac wakes, because the click registered as a trigger. It may never happen that way, but the Shift key prevents any inadvertent triggers.) Does pressing the shift key wake up your MBPro, after it has been sleeping for 10 minutes or so?

 

[Rhisiart]

I think you can check if your system logs the cause for the shutdown.
Open your console, then enter the word "shutdown", or maybe "shutdown cause" in the Filter block - that's like an active search, and will then only display lines with those terms.
Look at approximate time of the shutdowns. The cause for the shutdown should be listed - it will be a number code. Cause 5 is a normal shutdown/restart that is software initiated (when you choose to shutdown from the menu, for example)
I have a list of about 18 different "cause" codes, so let me know if yours is different than 5

The cause code is -128

Be sure to check for any changed settings in your Energy Saver pref pane.

I have "Put HD to sleep whenever possible" unchecked

When you say that you have to press the power button to bring it back to life - Does your MacBook Pro start up, or does it wake up? If a start up, then you see the grey Apple (a full start up from off).

I see the login screen as when the system is set to do that from sleep.

Please add other information, especially things like "I had to press and hold the power button for 5 seconds before anything would happen".

I need to hold for 5 seconds.

Does pressing the shift key wake up your MBPro, after it has been sleeping for 10 minutes or so?

Yes, but then I often get the message that this computer was not shut down properly.

 

[DeltaMac]

"cause code -128"
Of course - not on the list that I have.
Searching for that cause code -128 is really limited, but seems to sometimes point to an external device - What else do you have connected to your MBPro?
I saw one thread where the possible fix was replacing the power adapter, but that was not, in my opinion, conclusive, but anecdotal.
Another had a faulty UPS. I haven't known too many users that use a UPS (maybe a power/line conditioner) with a laptop, so that may not apply to you at all.
Another fix mentioned was replacing any 3rd party RAM that you might have installed - but that sounds more like the typical Apple response when you ask about hardware problems, and Apple finds out that you have third-party memory installed.
I don't know exactly what to recommend, but you can consider external hardware (anything) or your RAM memory as possible links.
Be sure to try both PRAM and SMC resets.
This article about SMC resets http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
does list possible issues that are very close to your symptoms.

 

[Rhisiart]

"cause code -128" Of course - not on the list that I have. Searching for that cause code -128 is really limited, but seems to sometimes point to an external device - What else do you have connected to your MBPro?

Nothing connected, except the power cable.

Be sure to try both PRAM and SMC resets. This article about SMC reset http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964 does list possible issues that are very close to your symptoms.

Will do. Thanks!