Macbook restarts by itself then error screen

I have a problem with my macbook it will close down by itself and then try to restart. It comes up with the error screen and tries to restart again eventually it will restart after about five or six restarts and then error screen. Help

How about some specs? Year and model? Version of OS X?

Restarts are usually related to hardware problems:

1. Bad memory

2. Overheating

3. Bad power supply

And lastly, software errors causing constant kernel panics. So how about providing some more details. Error message? As a start, try booting up your machine in safe mode to see if it restarts by itself that way. Hold down the shift key as soon as you hear the boot chime.

And please do not cross post your question or post it twice. I removed your other post regarding the same subject.

Its a 2009 Macbook pro running Mountain Lion.
4 gb Ram
2.66 GHz
The error message is the grey screen "your computer restarted because of a problem press any key...."
It gets caught in a loop restarting and then the error message.

Are you able to post the error message here? It's likely a kernel panic message. Also, did you try starting your machine in safe mode to see if the same thing happens?

I haven't tried the safe mode because it can go days without doing it.

That's a kernel panic. The next time it happens, go to your logs and post the kernel panic log entry for us to look at. Sometimes it'll give us a clue as to what could be causing it. I agree that starting in safe mode for now is not a practical approach if it only happens every 5 days or so.

Be sure to post back to this same thread.

Could you tell me how to get the logs as Im unsure how to do this
thanks

One way is to click on your Apple icon in the upper left corner, then select "About This Mac". Click on "More Info". Scroll on down to software, and then to logs. You'll see all the logs that are created on your Mac listed. You can highlight them one by one and that will display the contents. Highlight the kernel panic log and copy the contents to the clipboard and then paste it in your next reply.

theres one here in the logs


Source: /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Kernel_2012-12-29-161050_Paul-Reeds-MacBook-Pro.panic
Size: 5 KB (5,048 bytes)
Last Modified: 29/12/2012 16:10
Recent Contents: Sat Dec 29 16:10:49 2012
panic(cpu 1 caller 0xffffff8002cb7bd5): Kernel trap at 0xffffff7f843fab36, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x0000000080010033, CR2: 0x0000000000000010, CR3: 0x000000000bad3000, CR4: 0x0000000000000660
RAX: 0x0000000000000001, RBX: 0xffffff8067783000, RCX: 0xffffff800e64c000, RDX: 0xffffff807bbcba38
RSP: 0xffffff807bbcbb60, RBP: 0xffffff807bbcbb60, RSI: 0x0000000000000000, RDI: 0x0000000000000000
R8: 0x0000000000000000, R9: 0x00000000000003ff, R10: 0xffffffffffffffff, R11: 0x00000000ffffffff
R12: 0xffffff8067783000, R13: 0x0000000000000000, R14: 0x0000000000000002, R15: 0x0000000000000000
RFL: 0x0000000000010246, RIP: 0xffffff7f843fab36, CS: 0x0000000000000008, SS: 0x0000000000000010
Fault CR2: 0x0000000000000010, Error code: 0x0000000000000000, Fault CPU: 0x1

Backtrace (CPU 1), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff807bbcb800 : 0xffffff8002c1d626
0xffffff807bbcb870 : 0xffffff8002cb7bd5
0xffffff807bbcba40 : 0xffffff8002cce4ed
0xffffff807bbcba60 : 0xffffff7f843fab36
0xffffff807bbcbb60 : 0xffffff7f843e5182
0xffffff807bbcbbb0 : 0xffffff7f843e50d8
0xffffff807bbcbbd0 : 0xffffff7f843b640e
0xffffff807bbcbc00 : 0xffffff7f8330a350
0xffffff807bbcbc40 : 0xffffff7f8330a2bf
0xffffff807bbcbc60 : 0xffffff7f8330f708
0xffffff807bbcbcf0 : 0xffffff7f83307e00
0xffffff807bbcbd20 : 0xffffff7f83357b67
0xffffff807bbcbd70 : 0xffffff8003033dbb
0xffffff807bbcbdc0 : 0xffffff8003063ff7
0xffffff807bbcbe30 : 0xffffff8002c97d2f
0xffffff807bbcbe80 : 0xffffff8002c20aed
0xffffff807bbcbeb0 : 0xffffff8002c10448
0xffffff807bbcbf00 : 0xffffff8002c1961b
0xffffff807bbcbf70 : 0xffffff8002ca5b16
0xffffff807bbcbfb0 : 0xffffff8002cced53
Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.3.5)[803496D0-ADAD-3ADB-B071-8A0A197DA53D]@0xffffff7f832fe000->0xffffff7f83335fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.7.2)[B1B77B26-7984-302F-BA8E-544DD3D75E73]@0xffffff7f832af000
com.apple.NVDAResman(8.0)[A4C53A36-22B6-3075-82B9-9DE612A9C015]@0xffffff7f83355000->0xffffff7f83657fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.7.2)[B1B77B26-7984-302F-BA8E-544DD3D75E73]@0xffffff7f832af000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(2.3.5)[86DDB71C-A73A-3EBE-AC44-0BC9A38B9A44]@0xffffff7f83341000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.3.5)[803496D0-ADAD-3ADB-B071-8A0A197DA53D]@0xffffff7f832fe000
com.apple.GeForce(8.0)[2E56ED9A-D848-3795-9E52-56BABDC9000C]@0xffffff7f843b5000->0xffffff7f84477fff
dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(8.0.0)[A4C53A36-22B6-3075-82B9-9DE612A9C015]@0xffffff7f83355000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(2.3.5)[86DDB71C-A73A-3EBE-AC44-0BC9A38B9A44]@0xffffff7f83341000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.7.2)[B1B77B26-7984-302F-BA8E-544DD3D75E73]@0xffffff7f832af000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.3.5)[803496D0-ADAD-3ADB-B071-8A0A197DA53D]@0xffffff7f832fe000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: WindowServer

Mac OS version:
12C60

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 12.2.0: Sat Aug 25 00:48:52 PDT 2012; root:xnu-2050.18.24~1/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: 69A5853F-375A-3EF4-9247-478FD0247333
Kernel slide: 0x0000000002a00000
Kernel text base: 0xffffff8002c00000
System model name: MacBookPro5,3 (Mac-F22587C8)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 68879188751
last loaded kext at 68353067249: com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9.5d0 (addr 0xffffff7f84b3c000, size 36864)
loaded kexts:
com.bresink.driver.BRESINKx86Monitoring 8.0
com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.snowleopard 5.8
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9.5d0
com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC 1.60
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 4.0.9f33
com.apple.iokit.IOUserEthernet 1.0.0d1
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 7.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleTyMCEDriver 1.0.2d2
com.apple.driver.AGPM 100.12.69
com.apple.filesystems.autofs 3.0
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAHardwareConfigDriver 2.3.1f2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 2.3.1f2
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver 122
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothUSBDFU 4.0.9f33
com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHCIControllerUSBTransport 4.0.9f33
com.apple.driver.AppleSMCLMU 2.0.2d0
com.apple.driver.ApplePolicyControl 3.2.11
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin 1.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleMuxControl 3.2.11
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight 170.2.3
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 3.5.10
com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl 1.0.33
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver 2.3.1f2
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.6.0
com.apple.GeForce 8.0.0
com.apple.driver.SMCMotionSensor 3.0.2d6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCButtons 235.4
com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver 3.0.1
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless 1.0.0d1
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib 1.0.0d1
com.apple.BootCache 34
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyEventDriver 235.4
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard 235.4
com.apple.driver.AppleIRController 320.15
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBCardReader 3.1.0
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 3.5.1

OK, I see you found one and posted it. Good going! Take a look at this:

panic(cpu 1 caller 0xffffff8002cb7bd5): Kernel trap at 0xffffff7f843fab36, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x0000000080010033, CR2: 0x0000000000000010, CR3: 0x000000000bad3000, CR4: 0x0000000000000660

Click to expand...

If I had to guess... it looks like a flakey memory module that may be acting up. One way to find out for sure is to run some extended tests on the memory.

Download the free MemTest for Mac from here and run it in extended mode. Post the results.

well i think i did the test right seems to have passed


Last login: Sat Dec 29 19:03:16 on console
Paul-Reeds-MacBook-Pro:~ paulreed$ memtest all

Memtest version 4.22 (64-bit)
Copyright (C) 2004 Charles Cazabon
Copyright (C) 2004-2008 Tony Scaminaci (Macintosh port)
Licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2 only

Mac OS X 10.8.2 (12C60) running in multiuser mode
Memory Page Size: 4096
System has 2 Intel core(s) with SSE
Requested memory: 1562MB (1638580224 bytes)
Available memory: 1562MB (1638580224 bytes)
Allocated memory: 1562MB (1638580224 bytes) at local address 0x0000000101000000
Attempting memory lock... locked successfully
Partitioning memory into 2 comparison buffers...
Buffer A: 781MB (819290112 bytes) starts at local address 0x0000000101000000
Buffer B: 781MB (819290112 bytes) starts at local address 0x0000000131d56000

Running 1 test sequence... (CTRL-C to quit)

Test sequence 1 of 1:

Running tests on full 1562MB region...
Stuck Address : ok
Linear PRN : ok
Running comparison tests using 781MB buffers...
Random Value : ok
Compare XOR : ok
Compare SUB : ok
Compare MUL : ok
Compare DIV : ok
Compare OR : ok
Compare AND : ok
Sequential Increment: ok
Solid Bits : ok
Block Sequential : ok
Checkerboard : ok
Bit Spread : ok
Bit Flip : ok
Walking Ones : ok
Walking Zeroes : ok

All tests passed! Execution time: 1533 seconds.

Paul-Reeds-MacBook-Pro:~ paulreed$

Yes, it does look like it passed. Since it only happens once every 5 days or so, it could still be a bad or poorly seated module that's acting up once in awhile. Why don't you do this...

Open up your machine and remove the modules and then re-seat them. In other words, remove them and put them back where you removed them from. That's called re-seating. Sometimes that will work.

how do you do that (thanks for helping)

You'll have to open up your MacBook Pro and pull the memory modules and then reseat them as I suggested above. Go to the ifixit web site and look up the instructions for opening up your MBP and installing memory. Make sure you have your model number on hand.

iFixit: The free repair manual

I see in the back trace log it was working with the GeForce drivers and kexts at the time of the panic.
Try to repair disk permissions , you may have a corrupt .plist in the IOGraphicsFamily kext.
Also It could definatly be heat related , This could be why it repeats . I am thinking that the next time it panics on you . shut it off and leave it for a half hour or so to let it cool off then try to restart it.