Like quite a few other Powerbook users, I have been suffering from the PB narcolepsy problem. Judging from experiences I read online, my PB might fall asleep more persistently as well as less often than many.
After eliminating a faulty temperature sensor or battery to be the problem, resetting the power circuit, using memtestosx (I use non-Apple RAM) etc. I finally discovered, after a period of 6 months, at least one culprit:
When I cover or otherwise dim the light sensor underneath the left speaker grill, my Powerbook goes to sleep. This is one cause I have not come across online (and there's a bunch of 'em). It explains, ofcourse, why the notebook would bail on me when handling the power cord (it's located on the left), or the entire machine. Why there did not seem to be any logic to when the screen would go black and the pilot light up, or when put on a desk and left for hours the notebook might keep working. Or not. I had to wait for a dark, rainy day and a flash of insight to properly diagnose the problem.
Naturally, I would now like to know how to disable the light sensors using software/OSX (I don't care much about the automatically backlit keyboard). If that doesn't work or is incredibly involved (disabling a faulty temperature sensor sometimes is), there might be clues in the system.log and especially panic.log.
Hopefully this thread might serve others suffering from a similar issue, many thanks to everyone helping out!
Specifications:
The problem started about 6 months ago, several months after I got the new battery (re-installing the old one didn't change a thing).
Logs
A typical entry in system.log after the Powerbook has gone down:
AppleUSBOHCI[0x2793000] Processing WDH before suspending
Jun 2 16:57:34 Powerbook kernel[0]: IOUSBWorkLoop::closeGate - interrupt Thread being held off
Jun 2 16:57:40 Powerbook kernel[0]: System Sleep
Jun 2 16:57:40 Powerbook kernel[0]: IOBluetoothHCIController::restartShutdownWL this is a wake from sleep
Jun 2 16:57:40 Powerbook kernel[0]: System Wake
Jun 2 16:57:40 Powerbook kernel[0]: Wake event 0020
Jun 2 16:57:41 Powerbook kernel[0]: UniNEnet::monitorLinkStatus - Link is up at 100 Mbps - Full Duplex
Jun 2 16:57:42 Powerbook mDNSResponder: Repeated transitions for interface en0 (192.168.1.3); delaying packets by 5 seconds
Sometimes I would be unable to wake my Powerbook at all, I recently discovered loads of kernel errors that have occurred in the past months. Today, for the first time, I also got an explicit one ("please restart your mac" message):
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Sat May 10 20:50:35 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 40000000, dar = 000000002C259040
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 0000000000000000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x439EE280)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x2C259040; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F33CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Sun May 18 22:15:57 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 40000000, dar = 000000002C259040
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 0000000000000000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x439EE280)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x2C259040; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F33CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Fri May 23 17:26:23 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 40000000, dar = 000000002C259040
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 0000000000000000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x439EE280)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x2C259040; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F33CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Wed May 28 16:16:43 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 40000000, dar = 000000002C259040
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 0000000000000000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x439EE280)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x2C259040; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F33CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Mon Jun 2 10:39:34 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 42000000, dar = 0000000002353000
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 00000000fff00000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x38239000)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x02353000; DSISR=0x42000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F23CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x3841DA00)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Note that all of them mention a "Uncorrectable machine check", and all but the last one (that differed by manifeseting itself explicity on-screen) list "Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)".
After eliminating a faulty temperature sensor or battery to be the problem, resetting the power circuit, using memtestosx (I use non-Apple RAM) etc. I finally discovered, after a period of 6 months, at least one culprit:
When I cover or otherwise dim the light sensor underneath the left speaker grill, my Powerbook goes to sleep. This is one cause I have not come across online (and there's a bunch of 'em). It explains, ofcourse, why the notebook would bail on me when handling the power cord (it's located on the left), or the entire machine. Why there did not seem to be any logic to when the screen would go black and the pilot light up, or when put on a desk and left for hours the notebook might keep working. Or not. I had to wait for a dark, rainy day and a flash of insight to properly diagnose the problem.
Naturally, I would now like to know how to disable the light sensors using software/OSX (I don't care much about the automatically backlit keyboard). If that doesn't work or is incredibly involved (disabling a faulty temperature sensor sometimes is), there might be clues in the system.log and especially panic.log.
Hopefully this thread might serve others suffering from a similar issue, many thanks to everyone helping out!
Specifications:
- Alu Powerbook G4 15" (FW800)
- Tiger 10.4.11
- 40 months old
- non-apple RAM
- recently replaced battery (old one had lost too much capacity as was to be expected after almost 3 years)
The problem started about 6 months ago, several months after I got the new battery (re-installing the old one didn't change a thing).
Logs
A typical entry in system.log after the Powerbook has gone down:
AppleUSBOHCI[0x2793000] Processing WDH before suspending
Jun 2 16:57:34 Powerbook kernel[0]: IOUSBWorkLoop::closeGate - interrupt Thread being held off
Jun 2 16:57:40 Powerbook kernel[0]: System Sleep
Jun 2 16:57:40 Powerbook kernel[0]: IOBluetoothHCIController::restartShutdownWL this is a wake from sleep
Jun 2 16:57:40 Powerbook kernel[0]: System Wake
Jun 2 16:57:40 Powerbook kernel[0]: Wake event 0020
Jun 2 16:57:41 Powerbook kernel[0]: UniNEnet::monitorLinkStatus - Link is up at 100 Mbps - Full Duplex
Jun 2 16:57:42 Powerbook mDNSResponder: Repeated transitions for interface en0 (192.168.1.3); delaying packets by 5 seconds
Sometimes I would be unable to wake my Powerbook at all, I recently discovered loads of kernel errors that have occurred in the past months. Today, for the first time, I also got an explicit one ("please restart your mac" message):
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Sat May 10 20:50:35 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 40000000, dar = 000000002C259040
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 0000000000000000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x439EE280)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x2C259040; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F33CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Sun May 18 22:15:57 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 40000000, dar = 000000002C259040
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 0000000000000000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x439EE280)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x2C259040; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F33CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Fri May 23 17:26:23 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 40000000, dar = 000000002C259040
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 0000000000000000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x439EE280)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x2C259040; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F33CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Wed May 28 16:16:43 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 40000000, dar = 000000002C259040
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 0000000000000000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x439EE280)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x2C259040; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F33CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Mon Jun 2 10:39:34 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000A8C00): Uncorrectable machine check: pc = 000000000049E4D8, msr = 0000000000149030, dsisr = 42000000, dar = 0000000002353000
AsyncSrc = 0000000000000000, CoreFIR = 0000000000000000
L2FIR = 0000000000000000, BusFir = 00000000fff00000
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8C00 0x000A7E90 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x38239000)
PC=0x0049E4D8; MSR=0x00149030; DAR=0x02353000; DSISR=0x42000000; LR=0x0049E42C; R1=0x21F23CB0; XCP=0x00000008 (0x200 - Machine check)
Backtrace:
0x002D4B80 0x004A0948 0x002D43D0 0x0003CA1C 0x000A9714
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI(2.5.5)@0x497000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(2.8.1)@0x463000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x48d000
Exception state (sv=0x3841DA00)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
*********
Note that all of them mention a "Uncorrectable machine check", and all but the last one (that differed by manifeseting itself explicity on-screen) list "Exception state (sv=0x00DA5500)".