How to Fix Sleep Issues on Portable Macintosh Computers

Portable Macs, iBooks, PowerBooks and the newest MacBooks are susceptible to Sleep problems. Instead of going to Sleep when the lid is closed, portable Macs may shut themselves down or may not wake properly forcing you to restart. They may also wake up from Sleep on their own, causing the computer to run extremely hot, drain the battery and eventually shut down.

Software issues, power management problems and peripheral devices may contribute to the Sleep issues. Here are a few ways to help your computer Sleep soundly. These steps are not meant to be taken in order, but are suggestions as to how to help your computer Sleep properly.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Portable Macintosh Computer (iBook, PowerBook, MacBook)
• Apple Hardware Diagnostic CD

1. Check your Energy Saver Settings by going to System Preferences > Energy Saver. If the Sleep Options are set to "Never"--your computer will not Sleep.

2. Disconnect all peripheral devices before you put the Mac to Sleep. This means external hard drives, mice, iPods, iPhones, printers, and so on.

3. Do not connect any peripheral devices while your Mac is Sleeping.

4. Put the computer to Sleep manually. Click on the Apple on the top left and select "Sleep."

5. Close the lid slowly and carefully to make sure the computer is actually going to Sleep.

6. Disable Bluetooth devices before Sleep.

7. Turn off "Allow Bluetooth devices to wake up this computer" by going to System Preferences > Bluetooth (under the Hardware section) and click the "Advanced" button. There is another place to turn this off in System Preferences > Keyboard and Mouse.

8. Disconnect from the Network. Either unplug the Ethernet Cable or turn off Airport--click on the Wireless Network symbol at the top right of your screen and select "Turn Airport Off."

9. Quit problem programs. Apple says in one of its Knowledge Base articles that playing songs in iTunes, certain web pages that refresh themselves and playing DVDs can prevent your computer from sleeping properly.

10. Turn off File Sharing. If someone's accessing your files on your hard drive, the computer will not Sleep. Go to System Preferences > Sharing and uncheck all Services. Don't forget to turn them back on when you need them.

11. Check for faulty hardware. RAM and expansion card issues may prevent Sleep. You can use Apple's Hardware Diagnostic CD that comes with a new Mac to test the hardware. Insert the CD and restart the computer. Hold down the C or D key (for Power-PCs or Intel-based Macs, respectively) until you see the "Loading" icon on your screen.

12. Reinstall Mac OSX as a last resort if none of the above steps work.

Resources

• Apple Knowledge Base Article on Sleep Issues

[momandpopoften]

on 5/31/2008 Really helpful suggestions! Thanks!