Random Restart

Hi guys. I got the following problem, when I leave my macbook alone and running it happens from time to time that it randomly restarts.
It NEVER happened to me when I was at the computer working on it, only when I leave it on my desk all alone.
Could it be that it has something to do with iAlertU? Cause I experienced it before that when I start iAlertU and leave the computer on when I return, I find the macbook rebooted on my desk showing me the login window.

I certainly don't think that this issue has something to do with the "random shutdown" issue I found in a lot of topics on the web. Cause mine does NOT shutdown, but rather REBOOT!

Today also something weird happened: My Mb told me that it was not able to REBOOT because Safari hindered it from rebooting. (Tabs where open).
Maybe there is some odd power setting set, or another weird problem.
Hope someone can help me.

Thanks
Flo

Well a simple way to see if iAlertU is the culprit is by preventing it from loading on startup (look in System Preferences > Accounts > yourusername and remove from your startup items, if there), then rebooting and leaving the computer alone. If it keeps happening, it's something else. If it stops happening, then it's iAlertU.

It defenitely IS something else. It rebooted again!
I left my Laptop on and when I came back it was rebooted again.

Maybe this may help us, (its the system.log)
I left my Macbook at about 16:15 and returned at 17:55, can you read something out of the error messages?

Dec 25 16:29:07 apfelwurm Dock[138]: _DESCRegisterDockExtraClient failed 268435459
Dec 25 17:30:54 apfelwurm /System/Library/CoreServices/coreservicesd[79]: SFLSharePointsEntry::CreateDSRecord: dsCreateRecordAndOpen(Users öffentlicher Ordner) returned -1
4135
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm loginwindow[53]: DEAD_PROCESS: 0 console
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm SecurityAgent[318]: CGSShutdownServerConnections: Detaching application from window server
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm loginwindow[53]: CGSShutdownServerConnections: Detaching application from window serverDec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm com.apple.loginwindow[53]: Tue Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm.lmz.intern loginwindow[53] <Warning>: CGSShutdownServerConnections: Detaching application from w
indow server
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm com.apple.WindowServer[87]: mach_msg (CGXKickEventHandler) failed (ipc/send) timed out
Dec 25 17:31:26: --- last message repeated 15 times ---
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm SecurityAgent[318]: MIG: server died : CGSReleaseShmem : Cannot release shared memory
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm loginwindow[53]: CGSDisplayServerShutdown: Detaching display subsystem from window server
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm com.apple.loginwindow[53]: Tue Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm.lmz.intern loginwindow[53] <Warning>: CGSDisplayServerShutdown: Detaching display subsystem from
window server
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm SecurityAgent[318]: MIG: server died : Set a breakpoint at CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are returned
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm SecurityAgent[318]: HIToolbox: received notification of WindowServer event port death.
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm SecurityAgent[318]: CGSDisplayServerShutdown: Detaching display subsystem from window server
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm SecurityAgent[318]: port matched the WindowServer port created in BindCGSToRunLoop
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm ScreenSaverEngine[322]: HIToolbox: received notification of WindowServer event port death.
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm ScreenSaverEngine[322]: port matched the WindowServer port created in BindCGSToRunLoop
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm com.apple.launchd[117] ([0x0-0x25025].com.apple.ScreenSaver.Engine[322]): Exited: Terminated
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm com.apple.launchd[117] (com.apple.pboard[139]): Exited: Terminated
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm com.apple.launchd[117] (com.apple.UserEventAgent-Aqua[137]): Exited: Terminated
Dec 25 17:31:26 apfelwurm /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOS/loginwindow[326]: Login Window Application Started
Dec 25 17:31:27 apfelwurm loginwindow[326]: Login Window Started Security Agent
Dec 25 17:58:58 apfelwurm authorizationhost[333]: MechanismInvoke 0x1232d0 retainCount 2
Dec 25 17:58:58 apfelwurm SecurityAgent[334]: MechanismInvoke 0x153880 retainCount 1
Dec 25 17:58:58 apfelwurm SecurityAgent[334]: NSSecureTextFieldCell detected a field editor ((null)) that is not a NSTextView subclass designed to work with the cell. Ignoring...
Dec 25 17:58:58 apfelwurm loginwindow[326]: Login Window - Returned from Security Agent
Dec 25 17:58:58 apfelwurm SecurityAgent[334]: MechanismDestroy 0x153880 retainCount 1
Dec 25 17:58:58 apfelwurm authorizationhost[333]: MechanismDestroy 0x1232d0 retainCount 2
Dec 25 17:58:58 apfelwurm loginwindow[326]: USER_PROCESS: 326 console
Dec 25 17:58:58 apfelwurm com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.UserEventAgent-LoginWindow[330]): Exited: Terminated
Dec 25 17:58:58 apfelwurm mDNSResponder[15]: SetupAddr invalid sa_family 0Dec 25 17:58:59: --- last message repeated 1 time ---
Dec 25 17:58:59 apfelwurm Dock[358]: _DESCRegisterDockExtraClient failed 268435459
Dec 25 17:58:59 apfelwurm mDNSResponder[15]: getifaddrs ifa_netmask for vmnet8(7) Flags 8863 Family 2 172.16.210.1 has different family: 0
Dec 25 17:58:59 apfelwurm mDNSResponder[15]: getifaddrs ifa_netmask for vmnet1(8) Flags 8863 Family 2 172.16.61.1 has different family: 0

Ok... so it looks like the computer "decided" to reboot about 1 hour and 15 minutes after activity ceased. Do you know how long your settings are set for to, say, put the monitor to sleep, turn off hard drives, etc etc? If you have a combination of variables that come out to 1 hour and 15 minutes, then therein may lay the problem.

One other thing to try: create a new user on the computer, log into that one, and let's see if the problem occurs with that user also. When you do this, also make sure any external devices are unplugged and the computer isn't connected to a router or modem.

The problem is that I changed them in the meantime, so I can't really say what the original settings were before I posted this.
One thing that keeps me thinking though, is: why would the energy saving settings make my computer REBOOT?! I mean, turning it off... I could see that, but rebooting?

Thanks for your kind help so far
Flo

Flavian said:

The problem is that I changed them in the meantime, so I can't really say what the original settings were before I posted this.
One thing that keeps me thinking though, is: why would the energy saving settings make my computer REBOOT?! I mean, turning it off... I could see that, but rebooting?

Thanks for your kind help so far
Flo

Click to expand...

Well the energy savings feature, in itself, shouldn't, but you may have some flaky hardware issues that aren't playing well with those features.

There's one absolute sure-fire way to see if a problem is hardware-related here (or possibly a bug in the OS itself). Create a new partition on your computer, then install OS X on that and make a new user. Do NOT import any users, any data, or anything whatsoever from your existing partition or backup. You want a fresh, virgin install of OS X that is wholly untainted by anything 3rd-party. Once done, boot into that install (hold down the OPTION key while rebooting).

Now... if this problem continues to occur while using a virgin installation of OS X, then you likely have some hardware issue, or there is some bug with the OS and that combo of hardware. In either case, there is little to do but contact Apple and see about a replacement.

I got some news!
I had the luck to appear infront of my macbook exactly the minute it wanted to shut down! Take a look at the screenshot I made. This can not be a hardware bug, can it?
Is this maybe a program triggering the restart? And if so, WHY?!

What the box says in english is the following:
"Do you really want to close all programs now and sign out?
- If you do not choose an option, the system will sign out automatically within 41 seconds."

What are your thoughts?

Can someone please help me?

no one?

Solving the 'log out after a period of inactivity' problem...

Hey - I was having this same problem and found your plea for help...

..a bit of googling and I found this post over on the apple support discussion [discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5991040]

All you have to do is:

• Open your Security preferences
• Clear the 'log out after 60 minutes of inactivity option
• Save & close....

Job done!

dominicwinsor said:

Hey - I was having this same problem and found your plea for help...

..a bit of googling and I found this post over on the apple support discussion [discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5991040]

All you have to do is:

• Open your Security preferences
• Clear the 'log out after 60 minutes of inactivity option
• Save & close....

Job done!

Click to expand...

*lol* how easy!
Thank you SOOO MUCH for your help!!!

Not solved

In my security settings the "restard after 60 minutes of inactivity" was not checket, but I still experience the problem.

Might that be a over heating problem?

A

dominicwinsor said:

Hey - I was having this same problem and found your plea for help...

..a bit of googling and I found this post over on the apple support discussion [discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5991040]

All you have to do is:

• Open your Security preferences
• Clear the 'log out after 60 minutes of inactivity option
• Save & close....

Job done!

Click to expand...