macbook freeze?

[strictlypreme]

lately my 2009 macbook pro have been experiencing constant freezing. the screen will completely freeze and the arrow (cursor) will not move. the keyboard also freezes. my only option was either wait or turn it off with the power button. i waited for 15 mins but no changes. i was force to turn it off using the power button. when i turn it back on, i wasnt able to start up. all i could see was a black screen with the flashing white light just on the right of the trackpad. i gave it 30 mins rest before i turn it on again. after 30 mins, i turn on the computer and it worked. after spending a couple of mins browsing online, i get yet another freeze. i kept turning off the power button and rebooted my computer (not sure if its harmful). i later learn that it was a kernal panic so i decided to reformat my entire computer. i use the cd and i reset pram as well. it seems as if my computer is working fine but at times i am still getting the freeze. what should i do?

[trevor]

Is your MacBook's fan working?

Have you run Apple Hardware Test? What does it report?

Trevor

[strictlypreme]

how do i check if my macbook fan is working?
how do i run a apple hardware test?
srry, i am pretty new at this

[letty]

I have had the same problem for over a year! I have installed a new hard drive and wiped my mac and reinstalled everything and it still happens. It usually happens when I walk away from it and then when I come back it freezes. I have had an apple technician look at it and they think it may be the motherboard which is not worth replacing. If you solve it please let me know!

[trevor]

Quote: Originally Posted by strictlypreme how do i check if my macbook fan is working?

Listen for the fan when the MacBook is running something that gives it a workout (like a game).

Quote: Originally Posted by strictlypreme how do i run a apple hardware test?

Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test

Trevor

[strictlypreme]

the hardware turns out to be ok
i put my ear close to the keyboard and i am unable to hear anything
i dont want to disassemble the computer just to check out if the fan is ok

when i turn on my computer, i get this message
problem report for mac os x kernel

problem details

Interval Since Last Panic Report: 0 sec
Panics Since Last Report: 1
Anonymous UUID: BC5650B2-FC76-46CA-9A4D-D6BB90156701

Sun Jan 16 14:36:13 2011
panic(cpu 1 caller 0x0019FEE7): "simple lock deadlock detection: lock=0x30001c, cpu=1, owning thread=0x41d1e824"@/SourceCache/xnu/xnu-1228.14.1/osfmk/i386/locks_i386.c:317
Backtrace (CPU 1), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x2a3a7bd0 : 0x12b4c6 (0x45f1bc 0x2a3a7c04 0x13355c 0x0)
0x2a3a7c20 : 0x19fee7 (0x467648 0x30001c 0x1 0x41d1e824)
0x2a3a7c40 : 0x13180f (0x30001c 0x142281 0x21e7f00 0x78328efe)
0x2a3a7ca0 : 0x19d8b1 (0x44fadf0 0x300000 0x44fadf0 0x297)
0x2a3a7cb8 : 0x40a55e (0x44fadf0 0x47c2c80 0x2a3a7ce8 0x3f7c42)
0x2a3a7cd8 : 0x691785 (0x44fae10 0x47c2c80 0x2a3a7d08 0x3f8682)
0x2a3a7d48 : 0x6952ce (0x441c000 0x779a387d 0x84 0x7)
0x2a3a7d98 : 0x6942e6 (0x441c000 0x779a387d 0x84 0x7)
0x2a3a7e98 : 0x688036 (0x441c000 0x779a387d 0x84 0x44ef200)
0x2a3a7ef8 : 0x689199 (0x44bf000 0x779a387d 0x84 0x44ef200)
0x2a3a7f38 : 0x83a915 (0x44bf000 0x44ef200 0x0 0x0)
0x2a3a7f58 : 0x83a9f0 (0x44bf000 0x77995308 0x84 0x1a436f)
0x2a3a7f78 : 0x13ebde (0x44bf000 0x44ef4bc 0x0 0xbfff7630)
0x2a3a7fc8 : 0x1a14ec (0x522b60 0x0 0x1a40b5 0x4cf93c8)
Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver(3.4.6)@0x838000->0x83cfff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(3.4.6)@0x59d000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily(1.5.5)@0x683000
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily(1.5.5)@0x683000->0x6bcfff

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
9J3061

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.7.1: Thu Apr 23 13:52:18 PDT 2009; root:xnu-1228.14.1~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: MacBookPro5,5 (Mac-F2268AC8)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 569192543255
unloaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.InternalModemSupport 2.4.0 - last unloaded 257018328324
loaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9d0 - last loaded 21862240663
com.apple.driver.InternalModemSupport 2.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 2.1.7f5
com.apple.filesystems.autofs 2.0.2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAPlatformDriver 1.7.0a50
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAHardwareConfigDriver 1.7.0a50
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 1.7.0a50
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver 1.0.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 2.7.5
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver 1.7.0a50
com.apple.driver.AGPM 100.8.7
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 1.7.0a50
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 6.0.3
com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl 2.8.15
com.apple.nvidia.nv50hal 5.4.6
com.apple.driver.SMCMotionSensor 2.1.1d2
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP 1.7.7
com.apple.driver.AppleIRController 113
com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver 1.0.6
com.apple.kext.AppleSMCLMU 1.4.5d1
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin 3.4.0a17
com.apple.driver.NVSMU 1.1.7
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI 1.0.1d1
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.3.1
com.apple.driver.AppleTyMCEDriver 1.0.0d28
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight 1.6.0
com.apple.GeForce 5.4.6
com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController 2.1.7f5
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCButtons 1.7.4f1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMultitouch 189.35
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyEventDriver 1.7.4f1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard 1.7.4f1
com.apple.driver.iTunesPhoneDriver 1.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBCardReader 2.0.8
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 3.4.6
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 2.1.0
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 2.1.0
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 2.7.91
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCISerialATAPI 1.1.2
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 1.2.2
com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver 1.1.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub 3.4.6
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI 3.9.5
com.apple.driver.AirPortBrcm43xx 364.39.0
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 1.7.0
com.apple.nvenet 1.0.54
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 1.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleSmartBatteryManager 158.10.5
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC 1.2.3
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET 1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPCI 1.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons 1.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS 1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC 1.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC 1.4
com.apple.security.seatbelt 107.12
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 1.6.77
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 3
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement 76.0.0
com.apple.driver.DiskImages 199
com.apple.BootCache 30.4
com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily 9.4
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib 1.7.0a50
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController 1.0.1d1
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily 1.7.0a50
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily 1.6.9fc4
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib 1.1
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily 3.4.0a17
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC 2.3.1d1
com.apple.NVDAResman 5.4.6
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport 1.7.3
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily 1.7.3
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController 2.1.7f5
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily 2.1.7f5
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver 3.4.6
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass 2.0.7
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite 3.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 2.1.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 2.1.0
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily 3.4.7
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family 216.1
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily 1.5.0
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 1.6.1
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime 1.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily 1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 1.5.6
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 1.5.5
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform 1.2.5
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.6
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily 1.2.0

what could this be?

[trevor]

Quote: i put my ear close to the keyboard and i am unable to hear anything i dont want to disassemble the computer just to check out if the fan is ok

If your fan is not working, then you would get overheating problems, which would explain the behavior you are seeing in your computer. I would take the computer in to Apple (or your preferred Apple Authorized Service) for repairs.

Trevor

[DeltaMac]

You can monitor to fan speed and various temperatures inside with a variety of different utilities. I like iStat Pro.
http://www.islayer.com/apps/istatpro/
With that, you can check to see if the fan controller is reporting any RPM from the fan. If it shows zero, then - the fan likely has failed.

[Albertnicolie]

The Constant freezing in your macbook may be also because of your RAM. I have experienced this in macbook. Check whether the RAM does not have any problem. I hope this also might needs to be checked in your case.

[christinaporter]

Overheating is one of the probable reasons for the freezing problems, about three months ago I bought a laptop fan which is USB powered this helps my MB to have a proper ventilation besides of the MB's fan it is called a cooling pad