Sleepless Mac
February 22, 2010 3:51 PM Subscribe
I tell my MacBook Pro to sleep. Instead, it shuts down. What gives?
Using one of the latest MacBook Pro models (13") with 10.6, whenever I use the "Sleep" command in the Apple menu, the computer shuts down instead. If I just leave the computer by itself, it usually wakes up OK if I haven't left it for too long. If I leave the computer for too long and it goes to sleep, often the light is on (indicating that it's sleeping) but it shuts down as soon as I press any keyboard key to wake it up.
The battery is working fine and reports itself as charged; I've also reset the power manager and PRAM on multiple occasions. I've installed the SmartSleep preference pane, but no luck. I'd prefer not to do a clean install, and I'm thousands of miles away from an Apple store.
So 1) how do I make my computer go to sleep, and more importantly, wake up, and 2) if that fails, what are the appropriate preference files that I can delete (which may have been corrupted)?
(An unrelated question: is it normal that it takes two long presses of the power button to power the computer up? I have to press it briefly and then hold it down for several seconds to have the power flight flash and the computer will boot up.)
Using one of the latest MacBook Pro models (13") with 10.6, whenever I use the "Sleep" command in the Apple menu, the computer shuts down instead. If I just leave the computer by itself, it usually wakes up OK if I haven't left it for too long. If I leave the computer for too long and it goes to sleep, often the light is on (indicating that it's sleeping) but it shuts down as soon as I press any keyboard key to wake it up.
The battery is working fine and reports itself as charged; I've also reset the power manager and PRAM on multiple occasions. I've installed the SmartSleep preference pane, but no luck. I'd prefer not to do a clean install, and I'm thousands of miles away from an Apple store.
So 1) how do I make my computer go to sleep, and more importantly, wake up, and 2) if that fails, what are the appropriate preference files that I can delete (which may have been corrupted)?
(An unrelated question: is it normal that it takes two long presses of the power button to power the computer up? I have to press it briefly and then hold it down for several seconds to have the power flight flash and the computer will boot up.)
Are you sure that the computer is actually off and not just hung with a dark screen? Your "unrelated question" suggests that you're actually forcing the machine to shut down manually, with that long press of the power button.
Regardless, it's a problem. I think the first thing you should do is check Applications > Utilities > Console and see what kinds of messages you're getting in system.log as soon as you reboot after this happens. It may be able to indicate the culprit file(s).
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 3:58 PM on February 22, 2010
Regardless, it's a problem. I think the first thing you should do is check Applications > Utilities > Console and see what kinds of messages you're getting in system.log as soon as you reboot after this happens. It may be able to indicate the culprit file(s).
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 3:58 PM on February 22, 2010
The light being on doesn't indicate sleep, it actually shows that the machine is powered up but has dimmed the screen. When sleeping the light should pulse.
Second the idea that your two long presses are actually a hard shutdown and restart.
I don't understand what happens when the machine puts itself to sleep: how can you tell that pressing any key shuts it down at that point?
NB: It can take a while for the machine to fall asleep -- it's writing out memory, so even though the screen is dark, it will be unresponsive for a while. Listen closely for the fans and hard drive: when they stop it's asleep.
What happens when you just close the lid?
posted by bonaldi at 4:15 PM on February 22, 2010
Second the idea that your two long presses are actually a hard shutdown and restart.
I don't understand what happens when the machine puts itself to sleep: how can you tell that pressing any key shuts it down at that point?
NB: It can take a while for the machine to fall asleep -- it's writing out memory, so even though the screen is dark, it will be unresponsive for a while. Listen closely for the fans and hard drive: when they stop it's asleep.
What happens when you just close the lid?
posted by bonaldi at 4:15 PM on February 22, 2010
If you are holding the power button long enough for it to flash this is engaging the firmware updates. And to answer this part, no, you shouldn't have to do that.
posted by cjorgensen at 4:17 PM on February 22, 2010
posted by cjorgensen at 4:17 PM on February 22, 2010
Response by poster: To clarify – let me describe what happened just now, after I deleted the PowerManagement.plist file:
I shut down the computer. I got to the login screen for entering your username and password; instead, I chose the "Sleep" option (instead of logging in, in order to make sure it's not an account issue). The computer dimmed and the power light began to pulse (to indicate sleep). I waited a few seconds and then pressed a letter key (I don't use the power key to wake up from sleep). The CD drive whirs and the keyboard lighting flashes on for half a second before all of this abruptly stops and the computer shuts down entirely.
posted by trouserlouse at 4:37 PM on February 22, 2010
I shut down the computer. I got to the login screen for entering your username and password; instead, I chose the "Sleep" option (instead of logging in, in order to make sure it's not an account issue). The computer dimmed and the power light began to pulse (to indicate sleep). I waited a few seconds and then pressed a letter key (I don't use the power key to wake up from sleep). The CD drive whirs and the keyboard lighting flashes on for half a second before all of this abruptly stops and the computer shuts down entirely.
posted by trouserlouse at 4:37 PM on February 22, 2010
I shut down the computer. I got to the login screen for entering your username and" password
Not to be picky, but I think your terminology is wrong here: if you shut down the computer, it would have powered off. If you got to the login screen, you either chose "Log Out" from the Apple menu, or "Login Window" from the user menu, or something weird happened.
Your other problem sounds like it's actually crashing on waking from sleep, not that it's having a problem going to sleep. If it's crashing hard -- ie, you're not getting the kernel panic screen with the big shutdown logo -- it suggests something's wrong at the hardware side of things.
What have you got Smart Sleep set to? If it's set to just sleep, then it could be a memory problem, though that'd be unusual. If it's one of the hibernate options, it could be problem with the HD.
Is there anything of note in the console log (Applications -> Utilities -> Console)?
posted by bonaldi at 4:51 PM on February 22, 2010
Not to be picky, but I think your terminology is wrong here: if you shut down the computer, it would have powered off. If you got to the login screen, you either chose "Log Out" from the Apple menu, or "Login Window" from the user menu, or something weird happened.
Your other problem sounds like it's actually crashing on waking from sleep, not that it's having a problem going to sleep. If it's crashing hard -- ie, you're not getting the kernel panic screen with the big shutdown logo -- it suggests something's wrong at the hardware side of things.
What have you got Smart Sleep set to? If it's set to just sleep, then it could be a memory problem, though that'd be unusual. If it's one of the hibernate options, it could be problem with the HD.
Is there anything of note in the console log (Applications -> Utilities -> Console)?
posted by bonaldi at 4:51 PM on February 22, 2010
Try resetting the PMU. You mentioned doing this already, but I recommend that you try it again.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:14 PM on February 22, 2010
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:14 PM on February 22, 2010
Also, look at the console logs. See if there's anything in there that tells you it's crashing.
This is totally incorrect behavior.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:20 PM on February 22, 2010
This is totally incorrect behavior.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:20 PM on February 22, 2010
Response by poster: Here are the system.log entries for when I recreated the problem and started the computer back up after confirming it was off:
loginwindow[28]: loginwindow SleepWakeCallback WILL sleep
/usr/libexec/UserEventAgent[705]: ACRR: Failed to save usage store to /Users/[my username]/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/Intervals_78F97041-9914-5251-8AE0-9F62D925BDC4.plist
configd[13]: PMConnection mDNSResponder com.apple.powermanagement.applicationresponse.slowresponse 102 ms
com.apple.launchd[1]: *** launchd[1] has started up. ***
localhost DirectoryService[15]: Improper shutdown detected
These are other sleep-related entries I saw:
localhost configd[13]: Sleep: Success - AC 95
localhost configd[13]: Wake: Drivers Failure - AC 95 - MCHC MCH2 LPCB IMAP SBUS TRIM NVPM
(in another place:) kernel Sleep failure code 0x00007b80 0x21000000
posted by trouserlouse at 5:55 PM on February 22, 2010
loginwindow[28]: loginwindow SleepWakeCallback WILL sleep
/usr/libexec/UserEventAgent[705]: ACRR: Failed to save usage store to /Users/[my username]/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/Intervals_78F97041-9914-5251-8AE0-9F62D925BDC4.plist
configd[13]: PMConnection mDNSResponder com.apple.powermanagement.applicationresponse.slowresponse 102 ms
com.apple.launchd[1]: *** launchd[1] has started up. ***
localhost DirectoryService[15]: Improper shutdown detected
These are other sleep-related entries I saw:
localhost configd[13]: Sleep: Success - AC 95
localhost configd[13]: Wake: Drivers Failure - AC 95 - MCHC MCH2 LPCB IMAP SBUS TRIM NVPM
(in another place:) kernel Sleep failure code 0x00007b80 0x21000000
posted by trouserlouse at 5:55 PM on February 22, 2010
Response by poster: This also happens I just close the lid, by the way.
posted by trouserlouse at 5:55 PM on February 22, 2010
posted by trouserlouse at 5:55 PM on February 22, 2010
Response by poster: Here's what else I found, these entries were made during startup. Thank you for all the suggestions so far! I reset the PMU and PRAM two or three more times to be sure, but the problem persists. I would go to Apple if I could, except it might be several months before I'm in a first-world country.
22.02.10 22:02:04 kernel Previous Shutdown Cause: -79
And better yet:
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22.02.10 22:02:02 de.jinx.SmartSleepDaemon[43] ilure could not find hibernation key
22.02.10 22:02:02 de.jinx.SmartSleepDaemon[43] SmartSleepDaemon: machine does not support sleep.
posted by trouserlouse at 6:26 PM on February 22, 2010
22.02.10 22:02:04 kernel Previous Shutdown Cause: -79
And better yet:
22.02.10 22:02:02 de.jinx.SmartSleepDaemon[43] h
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22.02.10 22:02:02 de.jinx.SmartSleepDaemon[43] ilure could not find hibernation key
22.02.10 22:02:02 de.jinx.SmartSleepDaemon[43] SmartSleepDaemon: machine does not support sleep.
posted by trouserlouse at 6:26 PM on February 22, 2010
SmartSleep has known problems. For simplicity's sake delete the PrefPane, delete the .plist file BP mentioned, and try again.
Other things which may cause sleep problems: system monitoring apps (i.e. temp/fan monitors), fast user switching, Office 2004, having a CD/DVD in the drive, and, on recent models, Samsung HDDs shipped with APM turned off.
posted by Pinback at 6:45 PM on February 22, 2010
Other things which may cause sleep problems: system monitoring apps (i.e. temp/fan monitors), fast user switching, Office 2004, having a CD/DVD in the drive, and, on recent models, Samsung HDDs shipped with APM turned off.
posted by Pinback at 6:45 PM on February 22, 2010
Has it done this since you had it, or did it just start recently? It sounds like you could potentially have a hardware problem. The reason I say that is because I've seen similar behavior in a desktop Mac hooked up to a UPS that isn't beefy enough to handle the power draw when waking from sleep. It will start to wake up, then the whole system keels over.
posted by joshrholloway at 11:12 PM on February 22, 2010
posted by joshrholloway at 11:12 PM on February 22, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Library -> Preferences -> SystemConfiguration -> com.apple.PowerManagement.plistthat you could delete and reboot.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:56 PM on February 22, 2010