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User profile for user: mick kelly
mick kelly Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

iMac randomly switching off

I have a 2017 5k 27" iMac. Recently it has been switching off and powered down when I come back to it on occasion. Normally it would just wake out of sleep.


Today working on it it just went blank and switched off whilst I was typing also accompanied by a buzz (very similar to an iPhone set on vibrate). I could not switch it on again but if i turned it off at the mains and wait about 3-5 minutes it will switch back on. It then switched off again about 3 minutes later.


I've now left it for about 10 minutes with the mains switched off at the plug, turned on the power and it came back on as normal with the accompanying apple tone. As I entered my password it started to login and then just switched off again. I am now back in and all the screens I did have open are there.


I'm baffled - any advice?


There is no sign of any overheating and no error messages come up when switched back on.


MacOS Big Sur v 11.5.2

iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 11.5

Posted on Aug 22, 2021 4:22 AM

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User profile for user: mick kelly
mick kelly Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Posted on Aug 23, 2021 3:25 AM

I think I found the issue after running EtreCheck pro (well recommended) I had a Plantronics exe spokesupdateservice file which was causing a major memory leak. I had over 100 crashes from it in a 2 day period. It's well known issue on the web. It fundamentally took over the CPU along with another Apple file distnoted which attempts to process the system message for the spokes file.


Took an age to get rid of all the Plantronics files and folders. Especially as most were hidden away in in hidden folders.

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User profile for user: mick kelly
mick kelly Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Aug 23, 2021 3:25 AM in response to mick kelly

I think I found the issue after running EtreCheck pro (well recommended) I had a Plantronics exe spokesupdateservice file which was causing a major memory leak. I had over 100 crashes from it in a 2 day period. It's well known issue on the web. It fundamentally took over the CPU along with another Apple file distnoted which attempts to process the system message for the spokes file.


Took an age to get rid of all the Plantronics files and folders. Especially as most were hidden away in in hidden folders.

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iMac randomly switching off

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