Intermintent reboots

[convert2mac]

Is anyone else experiencing reboots? I can be working along like normal, and all of a sudden, the mouse freezes and the computer just reboots. This started happening after I installed El Cap. a few weeks ago. I have not noticed it happening while using any specific program. It has happened while using Safari, Mail, Word, Excel, iBank...

This weekend I believe it happen 4 times on Sunday. The computer was on all day, so it happened every few hours. There was one time it even happened while not at the computer. I was in the other room, and I just heard the reboot chimes. Luckily, not much of the work was lost each time, but it is quite annoying and concerning.

I have an early 2008 15" Macbook pro. Any thoughts on the cause or suggestions as to stop if from happening would be appreciated.

 

[Weaselboy]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/TS3742

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201753

It sounds like a kernel panic. Read over these tech support articles from Apple. Look in the folder below for a crash log from the date and time of the last crash and post the contents of that log here so we can have a look.

/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports

 

[convert2mac]

Thank you for offering to take a look. I want to make sure I get you the right thing. I don't want to waste anyone's time. the file name is "WindowServer_2015-10-17-214439_jerry-strojnys-macbook-pro.wakeups_resource.diag". The contents are about 50 pages worth. Are you sure you want all of it? Or is there a more discrete area of it that you would like to see that would be more useful than have to search and find it.

 

[Weaselboy]

Thank you for offering to take a look. I want to make sure I get you the right thing. I don't want to waste anyone's time. the file name is "WindowServer_2015-10-17-214439_jerry-strojnys-macbook-pro.wakeups_resource.diag". The contents are about 50 pages worth. Are you sure you want all of it? Or is there a more discrete area of it that you would like to see that would be more useful than have to search and find it.

No.. that does not sound like a kernel panic log and won't help. It sounds like it just crashed and did not KP then.

Can you think of any hardware or software changes you made recently that may have caused this?

Try holding the shift key when you boot to boot to safe mode and see if it does it then. It it does not, that tells us it is one of the startup items you have running.

Also, try running the Apple Hardware Test.

 

[convert2mac]

There have been no hardware changes. Software wise...About 6 weeks ago, I had a total failure of the OS. The computer was freezing up and the only solution was a reboot. I decided to go into Disk Utility and do a Repair. It said to run First Aid. I did that, and it came back with something to the effect of "there are multiple errors, you need to reformat the hard drive." I did that, and loaded the backup. After about 20 hours, it was done. Things were working much better after that. A couple weeks later, El Cap came out so I upgraded to that. Now in the last couple weeks I'm get these unprompted reboots. So to make a long story longer, there have not been any new software programs added, just the OS "stuff".
I just tried to do the Apple Hardware Test/Apple Diagnostics. I can not get it to work. I tried like 4 times, it never enters the test. It just boots like normal. I am even pressing D before I hit the power button. Good grief. Any idea why that may not work? (I installed a larger HD a few years ago, so the original HD is no longer in there. Is the info written on the factory HD?)
It has not happened today, so I will hold tight for the next occurence and see if there is anything fishy. But all the times over last weekend, it happened while in apps that we use all the time, and have for years. Weird.

 

[Weaselboy]

About 6 weeks ago, I had a total failure of the OS. The computer was freezing up and the only solution was a reboot. I decided to go into Disk Utility and do a Repair. It said to run First Aid. I did that, and it came back with something to the effect of "there are multiple errors, you need to reformat the hard drive."

This is kind of concerning. That should not just happen on its own. You may have a disk on the way out.

The Apple Hardware Test will be on the second grey installer DVD that came with your Mac on a 2008 model like yours.

 

[convert2mac]

Thanks. I hope it's not the disk. I will see if I can find those DVD's tonight after I am done chauffeuring the kids around tonight. (and dinner, and baths, and stories.....)