Random black-screen hanging; wifi etc lights on

[timyeo]

Hi.

So i've searched and poured through the forums searching for an answer, but haven't found a conclusive one.

You guys know the problem: screen goes black, wifi etc lights on. What I don't know is:
1. Why it happens, and apparently at random (at first I thought it was because the machine was too hot; but it's happened a couple of times not long after I turn it on)

2. What's causing it

3. How can I fix it

4. If it can't be fixed, how can I live with this as painlessly as possible (I lose data I'm typing halfway)

What do you guys think?

Tim..

[fussball]

Can you be more specific about when this happens?

[timyeo]

hmm.. Like I said, it happens rather randomly. Some examples:
1. I'm copying files to an external usb hard drive
2. I'm just surfing the net, nothing that stresses the machine
3. it's idle, and then it suddenly hangs
4. sometimes the fan is on, sometime it's off, so I don't think the machine is overheated (I suspected that was the cause, but it even turned off when the machine was cool and just turned on).

So yeah, kinda random.

What do you think?

[timyeo]

oh, recently, something else strange is happening.

The machine randomly goes to sleep on it's own. It doesn't hang, it just goes to sleep. I've checked the power management utility in System Pref, and I've actually set it to never sleep, hard disk never sleep. Yet, the machine still sleeps randomly.

Do you guys have this issue? how can these 2 problems be fixed?

Tim..

[timyeo]

just so anyone else is facing this problem, i re-installed the kexts, repaird permissions and cleared extensions. so far, i'm not having that problem.

if you guys had that issue, try my solution. so far so good

[timyeo]

I spoke too soon. the problem still persists: randomly, the machine goes to sleep. it seems when I try to tax the machine "too much" (e.g. running iTunes, iPhoto, Firefox at the same time...geez..), it happens more often.

Anyone got any ideas? I'm really getting tired of having to hard-reboot the machine. it happens as often as 7-8 times a day. it's getting really annoying.

Anyone?

[fryke]

sounds like processor overheating. does the problem ever occur on win xp or anything else? certainly haven't run into any such problems on either system here...

[bpl07]

I had this exact same problem too when I first installed my new Broadcom BCM4321 card. The back of the card sticks out farther than the native card, and was causing shorts with the motherboard. I put some scotch tape along the back of the card and haven't had a short since. My symptoms were exactly as you described.

If you never installed a wireless card aftermarket, maybe something else inside is causing a short.

[timyeo]

Hi all.

Finally! some responses on the thread

Nope, i made no hardware installations.

It feels like the s10's processor is over-taxed, hence the shutdown. but I find it hard to believe that running iPhoto, iTunes and Firefox together is all that taxing.

Questions:
1. Do you think re-installing will help?
2. my first installation was based on EBA420's guide on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtlivuKr ... re=related
I compared it to Carlo's post (viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1187); the different is that Carlos installed the VoodooPower kext. Do you think that will help?

[haraldrt]

Doyou have fan-control running AppleACPIThermal... ?
If not you could overheat. With the right kext's installed this is no "healthy" behaviour. Have you any other System installed?
Try to Monitor your temp with TemperatureMonitor.