For the past 2 months I’ve been experiencing intermittent shutdown issues with my iMac 27” from mid 2015 which is still covered by Apple Care.
It first started when I noticed that my Mac kept powering off while I was away from it. Gradually as time went on (3weeks) id notice my Mac was turned off more and more when it should be on. Until one day it shutdown while I was using it as if someone had just pulled the plug from the wall. It’s worth me mentioning the unit needed what I now know to be a SMC reset in order to restart (removing the plug).
At first I thought that’s weird, but then the time it took the issue to resurface got shorter and shorter, peaking on the day I rang Apple support where the machine wouldn’t even get to the sign in screen before it switched off.
This sparked my first conversation with Apple, who have always been great (from my experience with broken iPhones). The advisor on the chat tool ran some hardware tests which all came back clean & did some resets but the issue reoccurred again at the log in screen. So he booked me in for the 1st availbile appointment at an Apple Retail Store (1 week later and at a neighbouring city).
My experience at first in the store was great, the tech ran some tests all which came back clean so advised he could either wipe the software and reinstall now and I’ll have the unit back same day or allow them to keep it in store to run tests and if required replace hardware. Almost 1 week later I get a call, they haven’t witnessed my issue so would like permission to wipe and reinstall the OS (and requested I do not restore from a TM backup - which I didn’t) I agreed & got the machine back that day, the Apple store told me if the issue reoccurred bring the machine straight back (without appointment) and they’d take it back in.
4 days later and I’m staring at a black screen, so straight into the car and to the store. As they promised they took me in without appointment and to their credit with only 10mins wait. I was surprised to hear they’d held a Logic Board in store incase I came back. A few days later the machine was ready for pick up with a new logic board.
Then less than 24hrs after plugging the machine in yet another shutdown. So straight back to the Apple store (my 5th visit to another city) and this is where I start to experience the unhelpful side of Apple. As soon as I stepped in the store the person running the Genius Bar told me they were backed up with macs so couldn’t help. I demanded to speak to the manager. He agreed my machine needed to come back in however refused to take it in without an appointment, the next being over a week away. Fortunetly I checked the website and noticed a free appointment the next day at another store (yet another city, but this one not too far from where I would be with work).
So the next day I went to this store. Here the employee was incredibly unhelpful, when I explained this would be the 3rd repair he said that the “software step isn’t a repair so it’s only had one repair” and it’s my choice to bring it to the store each time, as there’s a service centre 1mile from my home (I’ve since checked, there isn’t). He then told me that the issue had never happened in store (more on this later) so it’s an issue with either a usb device or with my home wiring (something I doubted as I’ve ran other units in that socket and a basic power cut surely wouldn’t need a smc reset). He however agreed to take the unit in again and run some tests and call me in 2 days.
2days later an email comes and my machine is ready to pick up again, so I head to the store where I’m informed that they have finally witnessed it powered off when it should be on, so they agree that it isn’t anything to do with my home. They replaced the power board.
This brings us to yesterday when I notice that the little LED on my external hard drive isn’t on, and lone behold neither is the Mac. So I give it the benefit of the doubt and turn it all back on (after a SMC reset). This morning it’s off again. So I try to power on and it shuts off on the log in screen.
Obviously there’s no available appointments in store so I opt to ring Apple Support, who promptly call me back. The tech quite quickly escalated the call to the senior technical advisor who has taken on my case (they request you call them directly not through the switchboard). He reviewed my notes and to my surprise told me that the store have witnessed the issue multiple times, which begs the question why would the store lie about that to me? He’s requested that I take the unit back to a store for “1 last time” as he needs them to do some hardware checks, he made it clear he does not want the store to attempt a repair and that he’ll be leaving them extensive notes on my case number. As I mentioned though there are no appointments at all so I’m having to go in without an appointment later today in the hope that they take my Mac.
We’re almost 2 months after I first reported this to Apple and it seems nobody is any the wiser to what is doing it.
I’ll try to keep you updated when more happens once I’ve been back to the store.
It first started when I noticed that my Mac kept powering off while I was away from it. Gradually as time went on (3weeks) id notice my Mac was turned off more and more when it should be on. Until one day it shutdown while I was using it as if someone had just pulled the plug from the wall. It’s worth me mentioning the unit needed what I now know to be a SMC reset in order to restart (removing the plug).
At first I thought that’s weird, but then the time it took the issue to resurface got shorter and shorter, peaking on the day I rang Apple support where the machine wouldn’t even get to the sign in screen before it switched off.
This sparked my first conversation with Apple, who have always been great (from my experience with broken iPhones). The advisor on the chat tool ran some hardware tests which all came back clean & did some resets but the issue reoccurred again at the log in screen. So he booked me in for the 1st availbile appointment at an Apple Retail Store (1 week later and at a neighbouring city).
My experience at first in the store was great, the tech ran some tests all which came back clean so advised he could either wipe the software and reinstall now and I’ll have the unit back same day or allow them to keep it in store to run tests and if required replace hardware. Almost 1 week later I get a call, they haven’t witnessed my issue so would like permission to wipe and reinstall the OS (and requested I do not restore from a TM backup - which I didn’t) I agreed & got the machine back that day, the Apple store told me if the issue reoccurred bring the machine straight back (without appointment) and they’d take it back in.
4 days later and I’m staring at a black screen, so straight into the car and to the store. As they promised they took me in without appointment and to their credit with only 10mins wait. I was surprised to hear they’d held a Logic Board in store incase I came back. A few days later the machine was ready for pick up with a new logic board.
Then less than 24hrs after plugging the machine in yet another shutdown. So straight back to the Apple store (my 5th visit to another city) and this is where I start to experience the unhelpful side of Apple. As soon as I stepped in the store the person running the Genius Bar told me they were backed up with macs so couldn’t help. I demanded to speak to the manager. He agreed my machine needed to come back in however refused to take it in without an appointment, the next being over a week away. Fortunetly I checked the website and noticed a free appointment the next day at another store (yet another city, but this one not too far from where I would be with work).
So the next day I went to this store. Here the employee was incredibly unhelpful, when I explained this would be the 3rd repair he said that the “software step isn’t a repair so it’s only had one repair” and it’s my choice to bring it to the store each time, as there’s a service centre 1mile from my home (I’ve since checked, there isn’t). He then told me that the issue had never happened in store (more on this later) so it’s an issue with either a usb device or with my home wiring (something I doubted as I’ve ran other units in that socket and a basic power cut surely wouldn’t need a smc reset). He however agreed to take the unit in again and run some tests and call me in 2 days.
2days later an email comes and my machine is ready to pick up again, so I head to the store where I’m informed that they have finally witnessed it powered off when it should be on, so they agree that it isn’t anything to do with my home. They replaced the power board.
This brings us to yesterday when I notice that the little LED on my external hard drive isn’t on, and lone behold neither is the Mac. So I give it the benefit of the doubt and turn it all back on (after a SMC reset). This morning it’s off again. So I try to power on and it shuts off on the log in screen.
Obviously there’s no available appointments in store so I opt to ring Apple Support, who promptly call me back. The tech quite quickly escalated the call to the senior technical advisor who has taken on my case (they request you call them directly not through the switchboard). He reviewed my notes and to my surprise told me that the store have witnessed the issue multiple times, which begs the question why would the store lie about that to me? He’s requested that I take the unit back to a store for “1 last time” as he needs them to do some hardware checks, he made it clear he does not want the store to attempt a repair and that he’ll be leaving them extensive notes on my case number. As I mentioned though there are no appointments at all so I’m having to go in without an appointment later today in the hope that they take my Mac.
We’re almost 2 months after I first reported this to Apple and it seems nobody is any the wiser to what is doing it.
I’ll try to keep you updated when more happens once I’ve been back to the store.
