Mac runs hot, battery drains while sleeping--not a hardware problem--where to start?

I have a 2017 Macbook Pro running High Sierra 10.13.4.

A few months after I bought it, it began to have some graphics glitches. Then it began to run very hot (like sizzling!) while unplugged and asleep. If I left it unplugged/asleep/lid closed for an extended period, it would drain the battery within a few hours.

I sent it back to Apple and they spent 3 days running diagnostics, then declared that it was not a hardware problem, but must be caused by software I had loaded. I was also advised not to migrate my old Mac contents onto the new laptop and not to use a Time Machine backup, but to reload individual programs by hand.

I did this, gradually reloadin my software a little at a time, hoping to catch the culprit. After two months, I began to again have the same problem. Removing the software has not helped to reverse the problem. So, maybe some change I made to settings...or maybe malware...or something? is causing the computer to run while asleep, to the point of draining the battery. I need to fix this and Apple will not help.

My question is, how do I diagnose what the Mac is trying to do while it's asleep? Activity Monitor doesn't help because as soon as I open the lid, the computer stops doing whatever it was doing. (Notably, it cools down a lot when I wake it from sleep.)

What should I be checking for? What are likely culprits?

(Note: please don't tell me to zap the PRAM or reload the operating system or any of those obvious first-step troubleshooting things...this has been done and redone many times and doesn't work). I need to know WHERE TO LOOK to find software or setting problems that are making the computer check something fruitlessly during sleep.

Thanks for any advice you have for me!

I need to know WHERE TO LOOK to find software or setting problems that are making the computer check something fruitlessly during sleep.

Thanks for any advice you have for me!

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In order to do that you need to stop all third-party software from running to confirm any of it is actually the cause.

To do so, boot up using Safe Boot Mode and do some testing.

SBM = press and hold down the shift key during bootup time, at least until the spinning grey gear shows up. Then select your username and login.

You Mac will probably have a red "Safe Mode" at the top right corner of your monitor display while it's enabled.




- Patrick
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I think Patrick's idea an extremely good one.

I also wondered whether creating another User Account would replicate the problem. It would be helpful to know if it was User-specific.

Ian

IWT said:

I think Patrick's idea an extremely good one.

I also wondered whether creating another User Account would replicate the problem. It would be helpful to know if it was User-specific.

Ian

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That's another good idea to try when trying to track down any third-party problems Ian.

I'm rather surprised at Apple's rather slack attempt to at least try some of the diagnostic tests or they must have a virgin tester boot drive they could use.
Anyway, everyone seems to want to just blame someone else these days for any problems.


And BTW: Having a look at Activity Monitor.app windows to see what might be causing the possibly high CPU drain/usage etc. would be a good idea as well.




- Patrick
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I'm rather surprised at Apple's rather slack attempt to at least try some of the diagnostic tests or they must have a virgin tester boot drive they could use.
Anyway, everyone seems to want to just blame someone else these days for any problems.

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We have to assume Apple ran the full gamut of hardware tests and came up with no problems found. I'm rather surprised they didn't advise our OP to wipe the machine, reinstall a new copy of High Sierra and then load his software one by one testing each for the symptoms he describes.

And BTW: Having a look at Activity Monitor.app windows to see what might be causing the possibly high CPU drain/usage etc. would be a good idea as well.

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The OP has already stated he can't do that because when he opens the lid, the symptoms stop. Something is going on when the machine is in sleep mode according to the OP.

@vamail:

You need to wipe that machine and do a clean install. Do not load any software on it just yet but instead, let it go to sleep to see if the overheating shows up.

(Make sure you do a backup first to preserve your data before wiping the machine.)

The OP has already stated he can't do that because when he opens the lid, the symptoms stop. Something is going on when the machine is in sleep mode according to the OP.

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Yeah, sorry I overlooked that, and the situation sounds almost like there's some sort of short when the lid's closed to make it heat up and drain the battery so drastically.

As you say, I'd agree to do a backup to save all user data and then do a 'Nunke & Pave' at least to show Apple there's a software problem or not, assuming the problem still occurs.




- Patrick
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chscag said:

We have to assume Apple ran the full gamut of hardware tests and came up with no problems found. I'm rather surprised they didn't advise our OP to wipe the machine, reinstall a new copy of High Sierra and then load his software one by one testing each for the symptoms he describes.

@vamail:

You need to wipe that machine and do a clean install. Do not load any software on it just yet but instead, let it go to sleep to see if the overheating shows up.

(Make sure you do a backup first to preserve your data before wiping the machine.)

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OP here. (Ahem, female OP.) Apple did all the hardware diagnostics, wiped the machine, and concluded the issue was not hardware when the problem did not recur. They then advised me to add software back piecemeal (and not use migration assistant or time machine). I did that.

The problem is that, after loading software gradually, the problem began happening intermittently again, and when I removed all the recently added software it did not fix the problem. So, I'm wondering if there is some setting that got changed with a software installation that continues to cause the problem despite the application being removed and discarded. Candidates for where to look for that issue would be welcome. The software that seemed make the overheating recur seems to be R, R Studio, EndNote, or Adobe Flash Player Install Manager.

I'd also love to hear more about how User Accounts might be affecting this. This is a university-owned machine and their IT does the setup of User Accounts. They maintain administrative privileges over my computer but they won't help me with this problem. (They will install univ-owned software for me but won't troubleshoot anything that deals with other software issues.)

So, just in case I wasn't clear:

The computer has been wiped. The latest OS has been installed. Software was added back gradually. When the problem began to recur intermittently, I removed all the software added around the time of the first malfunctions. Removing the applications + empty trash + restart --> does not fix problem. Problem is now occurring every time I let the computer sleep despite running only software that was not problematic before.

Where to look next?

What I would recommend is that you open Activity Monitor and leave it running all the time. When the MBP starts to run hot, open AM and look to see what is taking up the CPU. That will be the most likely suspect. What you need to identify is what drives the CPU hard. Adobe Flash is one product that definitely is a CPU and GPU hog, but I don't think the Install Manager is that nasty. Frankly, if you can get away without it, I would get rid of Flash altogether. It is a major source of heating when it is in operation.

Problem is now occurring every time I let the computer sleep despite running only software that was not problematic before.
... Where to look next?

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What I would recommend is that you open Activity Monitor and leave it running all the time. When the MBP starts to run hot, open AM and look to see what is taking up the CPU.

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Using Activity Monitor is certainly a good idea and suggestion, but it that Mac has had a clean OS X installed and it's still heating up and killing the battery that should eliminate software as the cause of the problem and I would truly suspect some sort of short when the lid is closed as I mentioned in my #6 post above.

If it does the same thing with just a clean OS X installed, I'd be contacting Apple again for help and a fix!!

Heck, it may even have some stuck down keys but I can't see how that could cause the battery drain or excessive heat.




- Patrick
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But the OP reinstalled software, so it isn't a "clean" install at this point. Read post #8. Something that was reinstalled is driving the CPU.

MacInWin said:

But the OP reinstalled software, so it isn't a "clean" install at this point. Read post #8. Something that was reinstalled is driving the CPU.

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Thanks Jake,

I took it that the OS got a "clean install" considering that the Mac had been "wiped".

Maybe my terminology is on a different page.

But the "software was added back gradually" part I gather is where the problem started again but that's just my assumption for how I read the situation.

I'm just wondering if the problem existed before any such third-party software install or just after the "wipe" and OS install??? If they checked as I have suggested.

Or what the Apple Store genius could/should have done to test by using a pristine OS X boot drive, and then check the Mac for the problems.





- Patrick
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Well, I took the description to mean that Apple made a "clean" install, found no problems and the OP agreed it was fine at that point. Then the OP added in apps one at a time, and when the problem reappeared, tried to undo those installs, but the problem persists. From that I would suspect that something that got added back has left behind some hidden component that is still running, even if the OP tried to delete the program. Activity Monitor may show that residue.

Well, I took the description to mean that Apple made a "clean" install, found no problems and the OP agreed it was fine at that point.

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I suspect that you are correct Jake.

And yes, it's most likely in that case to use a good "application deleter", whichever one is the better these days I don't know, and/or Find Any File.app and spend a bit of manual searching.
Find Any File (FAF)
http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.php

It seems a bit odd to me that possibly just maybe a small remaining software bit(s) or piece(s) could have such a drastic effect. Rather strange eh???





- Patrick
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Not really, Patrick. Some of those small daemons can get into a runaway mode and just cycle and cycle. In addition to FAF, there is also EasyFind and Tembo. Lately I've been using Tembo more because I like the interface.

Not really, Patrick. Some of those small daemons can get into a runaway mode and just cycle and cycle. ... ... ... Lately I've been using Tembo more because I like the interface.

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Quite right Jake, I guess I don't give some of the daemons etc. the credit of some of the power they might have.

As for Tembo, it still relies on Spotlight's database and its rules of where one can search, unless it has changed lately.




- Patrick
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You mentioned you tried the NVRAM reset, but did you try the SMC reset?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

ferrarr said:

You mentioned you tried the NVRAM reset, but did you try the SMC reset?
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

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My gosh, was that not mentioned previously and if so how did we miss the suggestion.

Good catch ferrarr and is that a new avatar you seem to be sporting, or just my failing memory???


EDIT:
OK. It seems so from a later thread I just read:

ferrarr said:

That was an old issue, that I would love to have the ability to add an avatar.

I may have to delete this account and create a new one to have this ability so it seems.

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RavingMac said:

Ask and you shall receive . . .

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Gee, with all these new changes it's hard to keep up. ;D




- Patrick
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Good catch ferrarr and is that a new avatar you seem to be sporting, or just my failing memory???

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We could always assign an avatar to Bob's account but the on going problem we have is that it won't accept the one he chose. At one time in the past he was able to use that particular avatar but his account got messed up similar to what happened to Jake. I was able to fix Bob's account and get all his permissions reset but his original avatar just will not take.

We could always assign an avatar to Bob's account but the on going problem we have is that it won't accept the one he chose.

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And then I'm guessing that's the avatar of him with a huge big hat that's giving all the problem, but now he's saying he never received his. Hmmm... what's with all that eh???




- Patrick
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