This message is from Brian Swichkow. This message is being sent to anyone I have ever talked to about my computer issues and a few others. If anyone can figure this out or give me any hints I will be forever in your debt. If you’re getting this e-mail, it means you’re smart, so please help, seriously.
The (Short) Story:
My first computer was a 20" Intel iMac from early 2006. This was one of the white ones, the first with the Intel processor. After 15 months of owning the computer it started restarting itself at random intervals, but never when I was using it. Also, when I shut down the computer (using either the power button or Apple>Shutdown) the computer would turn itself back on at random intervals.
After using the tech support provided by AppleCare over a three month period, no solution. Apple decides to send an on-site repair tech to "fix" my computer. In this repair, he replace the logic board, power supply, power inverter, temperature sensors, and ambient light sensor.
5 days later my computer started to continue its activity of randomly restarting and powering on. I contacted Apple and the sent the same guy out to replace the same parts, but in addition the memory. The theory was that the memory had short circuited the logic board in the first computer and the second. The on-site guy replaced all the parts and when he sealed up the computer, it wouldn't power on.
The day before this had happed I had gotten the new Leopard operating system in the mail and used Time Machine to do a complete backup of my system to a 500 GB external hard drive. Thank god because this saved all of my data.
Two weeks later, Apple sent me a band new 20" Intel iMac. This was one of the newer ones with the glossy screen and the aluminum case. Apple felt bad so the gave me a complementary processor upgrade from 2.0 GHz to 2.4 GHz. Sweet right? Not really.
When I got the new computer I used the time machine portion of Leopard to restore all documents, settings, and applications from my previous computer.
Another two weeks later, the new computer started randomly restarting and powering on. I again called Apple, this time they didn't even try to troubleshoot. Apple immediately sent me a new computer, this time a 24" Intel iMac with a 2.4 Ghz processor; a little upgrade for my troubles.
Sweet right? Not really.
Two weeks later, my new computer arrived. I again used Time Machine to restore all of my documents, settings and applications. Everything was good for a while, everything functioning fine and then . . . Disaster. Almost a month and a half later, my third computer started to randomly restart and power itself on.
I called Apple and this time we started to trouble shoot. The first action the product specialist had me take was to create a secondary administrative profile to see if the activity continued. Two days later (today) I came home from class and the computer had powered itself on.
We are now back to square one.
My Setup (currently):
24" Intel iMac, 2.4 GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive
Externals:
Memorex 18x DVD burner - USB
Miglia TV Max+ - USB
Kensington Trackball Expert Mouse - USB
HP All-in-One Printer - USB
Small "Home" APC UPC - USB (to monitor battery status)
Western Digital 500GB HDD - Firewire
Side Notes:
- During this whole ordeal, with the first and current (third) computers, I was using my computer when I got a warning the my computer was running off my UPC. About 20 seconds later, ~20% of my battery had been drained and began to charge back up again.
- All of my external devices are new!!! The only two external devices that were hooked up to all computer from the start of this issue is the printer and the Miglia TV Max+ (I use this to watch television on my computer) At one point in time it was thought that the programming guide in the software was restarting the computer because of its settings. This has been proven untrue as I have changed the preferences in question. The computer has also restarted itself when the Miglia TV Max+ was unplugged and its EyeTV software was disabled.
- I have not scheduled power events where the computer turns on at a specific time
- The computer is NOT set to restart after power failure
- All sharing functions (remote pc) are turned completly off
Other than that, if anyone can help me please do.
At this point my computer is either possessed or trying to create SkyNet and take over the world.
ALSO, I have the log from my console for the last two times this has happened. If you e-mail me I can send them to you. In these logs you can clearly see the computer turning itself on. In the first log (all messages.log) I turned off my computer at 4:38:20PM to 4:38:22PM. The computer the powered on by itself at 7:00:17PM. At 8:03:45PM the computer went into sleep mode and at 8:25:08PM it woke up when I clicked my USB mouse, thus showing me my login screen.
On the second log (all messages2.log) I turned off the computer at 4:38:20PM to 4:38:22PM. At 7:00:22PM the computer powered itself on.
As I am writing this I just noticed a 5ms difference in the time that the computer powered on. Again, I have (and have never had) any schedules set for my computer(s) to turn on at any specific time.
Help Me,
Brian Swichkow
[email protected]
The (Short) Story:
My first computer was a 20" Intel iMac from early 2006. This was one of the white ones, the first with the Intel processor. After 15 months of owning the computer it started restarting itself at random intervals, but never when I was using it. Also, when I shut down the computer (using either the power button or Apple>Shutdown) the computer would turn itself back on at random intervals.
After using the tech support provided by AppleCare over a three month period, no solution. Apple decides to send an on-site repair tech to "fix" my computer. In this repair, he replace the logic board, power supply, power inverter, temperature sensors, and ambient light sensor.
5 days later my computer started to continue its activity of randomly restarting and powering on. I contacted Apple and the sent the same guy out to replace the same parts, but in addition the memory. The theory was that the memory had short circuited the logic board in the first computer and the second. The on-site guy replaced all the parts and when he sealed up the computer, it wouldn't power on.
The day before this had happed I had gotten the new Leopard operating system in the mail and used Time Machine to do a complete backup of my system to a 500 GB external hard drive. Thank god because this saved all of my data.
Two weeks later, Apple sent me a band new 20" Intel iMac. This was one of the newer ones with the glossy screen and the aluminum case. Apple felt bad so the gave me a complementary processor upgrade from 2.0 GHz to 2.4 GHz. Sweet right? Not really.
When I got the new computer I used the time machine portion of Leopard to restore all documents, settings, and applications from my previous computer.
Another two weeks later, the new computer started randomly restarting and powering on. I again called Apple, this time they didn't even try to troubleshoot. Apple immediately sent me a new computer, this time a 24" Intel iMac with a 2.4 Ghz processor; a little upgrade for my troubles.
Sweet right? Not really.
Two weeks later, my new computer arrived. I again used Time Machine to restore all of my documents, settings and applications. Everything was good for a while, everything functioning fine and then . . . Disaster. Almost a month and a half later, my third computer started to randomly restart and power itself on.
I called Apple and this time we started to trouble shoot. The first action the product specialist had me take was to create a secondary administrative profile to see if the activity continued. Two days later (today) I came home from class and the computer had powered itself on.
We are now back to square one.
My Setup (currently):
24" Intel iMac, 2.4 GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive
Externals:
Memorex 18x DVD burner - USB
Miglia TV Max+ - USB
Kensington Trackball Expert Mouse - USB
HP All-in-One Printer - USB
Small "Home" APC UPC - USB (to monitor battery status)
Western Digital 500GB HDD - Firewire
Side Notes:
- During this whole ordeal, with the first and current (third) computers, I was using my computer when I got a warning the my computer was running off my UPC. About 20 seconds later, ~20% of my battery had been drained and began to charge back up again.
- All of my external devices are new!!! The only two external devices that were hooked up to all computer from the start of this issue is the printer and the Miglia TV Max+ (I use this to watch television on my computer) At one point in time it was thought that the programming guide in the software was restarting the computer because of its settings. This has been proven untrue as I have changed the preferences in question. The computer has also restarted itself when the Miglia TV Max+ was unplugged and its EyeTV software was disabled.
- I have not scheduled power events where the computer turns on at a specific time
- The computer is NOT set to restart after power failure
- All sharing functions (remote pc) are turned completly off
Other than that, if anyone can help me please do.
At this point my computer is either possessed or trying to create SkyNet and take over the world.
ALSO, I have the log from my console for the last two times this has happened. If you e-mail me I can send them to you. In these logs you can clearly see the computer turning itself on. In the first log (all messages.log) I turned off my computer at 4:38:20PM to 4:38:22PM. The computer the powered on by itself at 7:00:17PM. At 8:03:45PM the computer went into sleep mode and at 8:25:08PM it woke up when I clicked my USB mouse, thus showing me my login screen.
On the second log (all messages2.log) I turned off the computer at 4:38:20PM to 4:38:22PM. At 7:00:22PM the computer powered itself on.
As I am writing this I just noticed a 5ms difference in the time that the computer powered on. Again, I have (and have never had) any schedules set for my computer(s) to turn on at any specific time.
Help Me,
Brian Swichkow
[email protected]