Mac keeps switching itself off and resetting time and date

[clandestino]

My ibook g4 has started switching itself off suddenly - when I restart it the time and date have been reset. When it switches itself off, there's a definite click as it happens. It's happening a couple of times a day now.

Any idea what the trouble might be?

Thanks

 

[cybertect]

First step: reset the Power Management Unit

e2a: If that doesn't work, it might also be an indication that your battery is on its way out. Is it switching off when still plugged into the mains, or only when running off the battery?

 

[clandestino]

First step: reset the Power Management Unit

e2a: If that doesn't work, it might also be an indication that your battery is on its way out. Is it switching off when still plugged into the mains, or only when running off the battery?

I was thinking it might be the battery actually. I'll check the Power Management thing first though.

Thanks!

 

[Lazy Llama]

When it switches itself off, there's a definite click as it happens. It's happening a couple of times a day now.

The click is probably just the hard drive self-parking when it loses power.

After it resets, have a look in the system.log (Applications>Utilities>Console, then select "system.log" from the logs window. There should be some entries timed around the time of the shutdown, though if the machine just lost power completely it might not have had time to write to the log. Those may have a shutdown code which could help with diagnosis.

 

[Detroit City]

bloody Apple shit.

 

[hiccup]

bloody Apple shit.

You can get pills for that you know

 

[cybertect]

A long shot, but I just remembered that I did have a similar problem with a PowerBook at work a year or so ago.

After swapping out with a known-to-be good battery and lots of other faffing about, I opened up the innards and it turned out that a screw holding the terminal block for the battery compartment had worked itself loose. Tightened it up and things got sorted straight away.

 

[Detroit City]

You can get pills for that you know

 

[cybershot]

Get a Windows PC

 

[rocketman]

So did you try the PMU reset? This may do the trick. If it doesn't, please say.