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Help Phone Shutting off randomly?

BigCat8 said:
...just now changed the screen time-out to 30 minutes...
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And, to confirm, you'll never let it go to sleep on its own? I've used the power button for putting it in sleep mode and waking it for months. It's second nature - I don't even think about it. Like turning lights on and off rather than letting a timer do it for me.

You previously wrote "...within the last 20 hours, my phone has shut itself off 5 times." Let us know how it goes today after adopting your new on/off habit.
 
Jack45 said:
And, to confirm, you'll never let it go to sleep on its own? I've used the power button for putting it in sleep mode and waking it for months. It's second nature - I don't even think about it. Like turning lights on and off rather than letting a timer do it for me.

You previously wrote "...within the last 20 hours, my phone has shut itself off 5 times." Let us know how it goes today after adopting your new on/off habit.
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Pretty sure I used the power button to put my phone to sleep every time, and I still had two shutdowns within the course of an hour and a half. Hopefully this proves more fruitful after I get it charged back to 100%.
 
well I am fairly certain mine is nearly exclusively due to overcharging.

when left plugged in all night the battery stays full for 8+ hours. when only charged until the battery is full, for about 30-40 min, it only takes about an hour of regular use or 20 min of high use for the battery to plink down a notch.

I have set my screen to 30 min time out and only put it to sleep with the power button and my shut downs have significantly decreased.

If my phone is lower than full battery it almost never shuts down randomly - with full battery its every time it falls asleep pretty much.

at least by switching the sleep timer to 30 min it lessens my phone ability to go to sleep on its own, and then shutting down without my knowing.

thanks for all the tips.
 
I bit the bullet as of last night and started using CKA because shutdowns haven't ceased. Unfortunately, I had to set it at 70%, but my battery life has been a lot better recently, so I felt I could make that sacrifice.
 
Ad nauseum...

Many devices have power management issues with some reaching a tipping point more easily than others - causing shutdowns. A few common threads in Samsung's moth-eaten fabric are:

1. Many folks have shutdowns at high charge levels, hence the use of Captivate Keep Alive. Not a cure, simply a salve.

2. Keeping screen timeout and power saving decisions away from the phone can, and has, kept some devices from achieving a state of coma.

3. There are apps that will serve as catalysts for shutdowns. Some apps and phones play nicely. Some don't. Device-specific.

4. It's not the battery. Sure, some batteries may be defective, but that's normal in the course of things. They have not been identified as primary culprits in the ever-spreading shutdown issue. Confirmed with AT&T's warranty group. The knowledgeable among them no longer send batteries to users as potential fixes.

>>> It appears to be a catastrophic failure in the hardware or a low-level component of the OS (Android) causing a 'hard crash' (similar to BSOD in Windows).

Agreed.

>>> I do not know for certain, but it seems from reading through this far too lengthy thread is that exchanging your device for a new one is the only option.

Short of waiting for Froyo to address this issue (???), or being content with CKA addressing high charge levels as a shutdown cause for some, it's the only sane option for responsibile individuals.

>>> I do not know if Samsung is aware of this problem...

Is Santa fat? They're aware of it, but the script in front of them causes the brains of support people to go into a state of robotic denial and they offer a stock solution, good for everything from psoriasis to ingrown toenails to, yes, random shutdowns:

1. "I've never heard of this problem."
2. "Have you tried a factory reset?"

If a forum member chooses to use "Samsung" and "support" in the same sentence I will not reply to that post, as your sense of reason is clearly deficient.
 
My phone just turned off below 80% (CKA is set to 80%) and I have 2 days left with Amazon Wireless for a replacement so definitely doing that. I can tolerate a GPS that takes a minute or two to lock on, but only being able to have my battery 70% full other wise the phone will turn off is something I can't deal with. Fingers crossed the replacement is better.
 
FWIW, I support your decision 100%. I am wondering, though, if your replacement will start a new clock ticking with Amazon for a potential future replacement. If you don't know, it's a question worth asking.
 
Hi all,

I am a complete newbie to droids and this phone (longtime blackberry user), I have also had many of the problems listed in this lengthy forum. I am still within the return period so that seems to be many people's conclusion but also have seen the factory reset seem to work well for some. Any definitive advice as to whether froyo or gingerbread (I don't think available on this phone, yet?) solves the problem, any samsung fixes etc?

I guess I am seeing if someone more knowledgeable than me give me a rundown on this what this entire thread has concluded, I did see the above by jcollake, just curious if anyone else has been following this and could shed some light.

Thanks!
 
Hello, and welcome!

I'm glad you first read up on the problem.

1. Factory reset? Placebo.
2. Froyo or Gingerbread? Not yet officially available. No indication whether power management will be addressed. Rumor says "yes" for Froyo, but it's simply rumor.
3. Captivate Keep Alive? Good for shutdowns that occur only at high battery charge levels.
4. To remove a couple of power management decisions from phone's arsenal of decisions...set screen timeout to 30 minutes and always put phone to sleep and wake it up using gentle touch of on/off button. Plus, turn off power saving mode.

If you're well into the 30 day exchange window you won't have much time to test the above. If you still have a couple of weeks or so you can see if the suggestions help.

If none of the above addresses the issue, exchange the phone for a new one before the 30 days expire. After that, if you still experience shutdowns, keep exchanging it under warranty 'til you're satisfied with the phone's innards as this problem is not universal.

Keep in touch.
 
Thanks for your response, I bought the phone on the first of the month so might have a chance to do some troubleshooting. I will try the power management changes and factory reset, quick question before the factory reset, that will delete all personal information IE contacts, songs, pictures correct? And speaking of backing things up, what program do you (or others) use to hook up phone to computer, I have been using double twist (mac user) but found it only good for moving songs/movies but not to back up the phone well.
 
PS: Does having Launcher pro or double twist have any instances of causing this problem, I saw one post saying he deleted launcher pro and all was well, not sure if that was one of the main problems seen.
 
mattm3mr said:
Thanks for your response, I bought the phone on the first of the month so might have a chance to do some troubleshooting. I will try the power management changes and factory reset, quick question before the factory reset, that will delete all personal information IE contacts, songs, pictures correct? And speaking of backing things up, what program do you (or others) use to hook up phone to computer, I have been using double twist (mac user) but found it only good for moving songs/movies but not to back up the phone well.
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I wouldn't futz with the factory reset. It's just a stock answer that Samsung gives for any and all ills affecting the world.

Two fine backup programs: Titanium and MyBackup Pro. Both worth their modest cost. Computer not needed, but I would install an "external" SD card in the phone to store your backups on. It becomes a portable repository that will enable you to make full restorations of apps and settings to a new device. It also protects your backup (as a removable device) in the event the phone becomes unusable.
 
mattm3mr said:
I am a complete newbie to droids and this phone (longtime blackberry user)
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Welcome to the wonderful world of Android. :)

Just a semantics correction for starters: "Droid" refers to specific models made by Motorola and HTC for use on the Verizon network. It's not really correct as slang to refer to all Android phones. Toss on the additional two letters to avoid confusion. ;)

Cheers...
 
Just got my new Captivate. It's a 1010 like my old phone but there are some differences, one kind of interesting one is that the new phone has less of a blueish hue when when displaying white, it also locks onto the GPS satellites a bit quicker.

I'm going to charge it up to 100% before I go to sleep, fingers crossed the phone is still on when I wake up.

Edit: first night it was still on when I woke up in the morning, so fingers crossed it won't die from more normal use,
 
After much frustration with many different attempts to fix this issue I was ready to RMA my unit. Before doing so I flashed the older ROM (before At&t's last update) and did a factory reset... I HAVE NOT SEEN THE PROBLEM SINCE and DEFINITELY would have by now...... I reinstalled Gmail and several other apps. I haven't put the external sdcard back in yet. At&t OTA update fails after reboot at 50%, and that is fine with me. Just for what its worth....good firmware is I897UCF6. The possibility that an earlier firmware (or perhaps wiped user data) does also explain why I did not see this problem for the first while. Empirical evidence I've read here (not read it all) suggests it is more likely the firmware.

It's now been over 36 hours. Previously the record was a few hours before I found it shut off. It especially liked to shut off during long idle periods, and it has had several of those in that period.

I will be watching closely for this errata to reappear. Who knows, instead of the firmware update it could be some common, benign seeming, app... all I know now my phone is finally is reliable again. I will post any updates I get if it reappears. I'll be carefully tracking what apps I install, etc. Since I have a Tab now anyway I can afford to not have all my usual apps installed (which, btw, are nothing out of the ordinary.. Facebook, Gmail, etc..). No Advanced Task Killer or anything controversial in this circle.

For me, this was a big discovery. I'm wondering why I can't complete the OTA update, I see others have that problem.. but would rather not get the OTA update and keep my functional phone if it stays this way, lol. If they did screw things up in the last OTA update, they really screwed the pooch. That is a big assumption though. We'll see, time will tell... but it is definitely gone. As for user settings, those are all back like I had them before (afaik).

I did try 2.2 Froyo unofficial, FWIW. The bug existed there seemingly more than anywhere. However, it existed in AT&T's 2.1 update too, as that was a big impetus for me to try the upgrade.
 
Crud. I am now experiencing this. Maybe to a lesser degree than some, but still. I put my Captivate in my purse, and later go to check something only to realize its off for some reason.

Since I never had this issue at first, should my first step be to uninstall apps and then slowly add them back on to see what the problem might be? Is there any better way to test/judge which app might be the problem? (Or is this definitely bigger than an app issue?)

Or ... is there any chance I'm somehow turning it off, vs the phone shutting off randomly? I'm wondering if others experience that, it seems unlikely but perhaps I just need a case for inside my purse (pain, but ... at least that I can do something about). Or perhaps there's something I could do to require more steps to turn it off? (Hate that the screen lock doesn't have to be moved to turn off the phone, this is the only reason I'm considering it could maybe be a fluke of being in the purse.)
 
Glucklichste said:
Crud. I am now experiencing this. Maybe to a lesser degree than some...
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Forget "lesser degree." One time is too many. Especially if that one time is when a family member or friend needs to reach you in an emergency.

If you're sure that something in your purse is not repeatedly pressing the power button (an unlikely scenario), exchange the phone 'til you're satisfied that the issue isn't affecting the replacement unit.

Don't waste your time playing detective by futzing with apps. None have been proven to be the source reason for shutdowns. Some simply push the defective phone over the edge.

Don't settle.

http://androidforums.com/samsung-ca...calling-samsung-re-shutdowns.html#post2043879
 
Jack45 said:
Exchange the freakin' phone. I've been telling members to do this for months. Link serves as confirmation.
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If I still had the problem, I would. I don't though, for the time being anyway. I believe it is a firmware issue, though I could be wrong. I mentioned the common app possibility only to be thorough. I don't think it is apps either, even as a 'tipping point'...

It is all guessing, except I know what has worked for me personally.

The day it does this to me again is the day I call the 1800 number I've already got from AT&T. Like I said, I was ready to take it back, that's why I re-flashed the old ROM.

Normally I'd say thinking is a good thing, but in this case you are right -- the consumer shouldn't have to waste hours trying to fix an extremely annoying bug. Especially when we paid so damn much for this thing (and continue to pay monthly).

The guy at AT&T was well aware of this bug. He'd heard of it many times before. So this is not uncommon at all. But we know that.

For the moment, I'm just elated to have a working phone again, lol. I am under the strong belief AT&T or Samsung mucked up their OTA update. Either that, or I just haven't reached the 'tipping point' yet on my refreshed phone.

We'll see when 2.2 is issued. I'll update. If it happens, 1-800... The speculation is that 2.2 is delayed as they try to address this, further increasing my suspicion that is definitely a software issue. But why wouldn't they pull the OTA update if it was the cause? Unknown.

I would not be surprised if, one day, it suddenly starts up again ... I also wouldn't be surprised if it never happens again and the 2.2 OTA update goes perfectly. If we actually had some TRANSPARENCY here then we might know if it is a hardware or software issue. The lack of transparency makes me think maybe it is hardware and you're right -- and that their attempts to fix it with a software patch are to save them money.
 
I wish you well, my friend. Just don't settle. You "sound" like a responsible individual upon whom others rely. As I've written before, this responsibility includes being there for those who count on you. I have a gut feeling that you want to do just that.
 
I edit my posts like 10 times after posting, please forgive me, lol. I can't help it. Truth is I am a 'helpful' kinda guy, dunno how you nailed that trait down so quick ;).

I would recommend the same as you to anyone having this problem (get a new unit), as without 'advanced' (not really that advanced, but not Average Joe stuff) knowledge there is no way you can even flash an older firmware like I did. Further, flashing of any firmware is dangerous, may void warranties, and just shouldn't be done. They made the mistake and should pay for it. They certainly profit enough off us already.

Honestly, my only personal hesitation is having to go through BS troubleshooting with the support person.. They will [most likely] find any excuse not to give you a new unit, even if there is a known defect (SW or HW), and certainly make you jump through hoops. Hey, at least they aren't a bank you're dealing with, could be worse, lol.

I would like to caution newbies NOT to root your device. It might sound good, but the lack of privileges actually protects you from potentially malicious software. Rooting is only for developers and 'power-users'.
 
[removed for further investigation]. I recommend getting a replacement unit ASAP. Never had a problem with my Galaxy Tab, which is really a bigger version of this (with some improvements in specs of course).
 
Hello All:

I recently upgraded from my trusty old reliable Palm Centro (which I didn't have a single problem with!) to the Samsung Captivate because AT&T told me my Palm Centro will stop working on Jan 2011 due to network upgrade. So... here I am with the new Captivate phone and two days into ownership, the phone started shutting off on me randomly. Here's my observation to date: (By the way, my phone is completely stock... no rooting, no firmware updates, no messing with any internal software, just handful of apps)

If the phone is on the charger, it will not shut off on its own. If the battery is fully charged, and disconnected from the charger, the phone randomly powers off. I can simply turn the phone back on by pressing the power button and it will go through the boot-up sequence (AT&T world phone, 3G screen... etc etc) then function normally. I then put the phone to "standby" by pressing the power button briefly to turn the screen off. If I press the power button again shortly after, the phone comes back to life and functions normally. If I put the phone back to sleep and leave it on "standby" for 30+ minutes, it will power off on its own and I have to reboot the phone. The phone setting is as follows: I have turned off the power saving mode, screen time out is set to 2 minutes, screen brightness is set to manual at almost the lowest setting, WiFi is off, bluetooth is off. Everything else is left at default setting. The problem seems to only occur when the battery is fully charged. When the phone was first used, the battery was at 80% out of the box. I plugged it in and let the battery charge up while I played with the phone and downloaded apps. I let the battery discharge all the way down the next day and did a full charge. That's when the problem begin.

I downloaded Captivate Keep Alive (CKA) and left it at the default setting of "turn off CKA at" 85% battery life. When I plug in the phone to the charger, the CKA icon turns off. When I unplug it from the charger, the CKA icon turns on and the phone stays alive! It has functioned correctly for the past 5 days without randomly powering off EXCEPT during one particular function. If I have the phone off the charger and running on batteries only AND I use the clock "alarm" function, the phone randomly powers off! If I turn off the alarm function on battery mode, the phone stays alive. It has been going for 5 days now without randomly powering off as long as CKA is running in the background. Also, even with the CKA running, my phone battery lasted 30 hours from full charge to "Please plug in the charger. Your battery is low" warning. I don't use my phone as an MP3 player and I don't surf the web on it constantly, but I do a fair amount of email and texting so 30 hours WITH CKA running is very impressive. That has been consistent. I chatted with a Samsung "tech support" and they were useless. I chatted with AT&T and they were useless. Neither knew anything about the random powering off problem or were playing dumb about it. In any case, there definitely is a problem with the Captivate phone. My phone was manufactured on Nov 6 2010 and has firmware 2.1-update 1 and baseband version is i897UCJH7. It has kernal version 2.6.29 jetaek.lee@sep-11 #2 build ECLAIR.UCJH7

My two cents worth....
 
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