Dual Quad-core Mac Pro reboots from sleep

Chateaubugs wrote:
Since the exchange costs don't seem to matter to them, perhaps some Greenpeace attention to Apple's suggestion to turn the sleep preference to never and how that sits with their EnergyStar certification might help.

Funny how there is no mention of the restart issue; just their EnergyStar compliance. Weasels.

Applied the update and have had 3 successful wakes in a row. That's not bad. However, given the fact that PRAM/SMC resets also worked for a while, I'm not jumping for joy...yet. Especially since the (normally) terse update notes said nothing about the sleep/wake/reboot issue...just "system stability" and the quoted Energy Star comments.

But it's encouraging so far. We shall see.

Ok, BUT 🙂 this problem is occuring for systems with the 8800GT card at just the same rate - so IF this really changed anything, fair enough - but that means there is a firmware issue in all graphics cards shipped? Seems a bit farfetched. A mechanical problem or one with the system firmware seems more plausible, but let's see...
d

Good point. I haven't had the chance to test the firmware update yet, because, yeah, believe it or not I actually have other things to do with my computer other than sit around testing possible solutions to something that should work right out of the box.... but, I will report back as soon as I do test it and I encourage others to do the same. Perhaps an 8800GT update is next, although I agree with dosers that a system firmware problem is more likely, and the fact that Apple didn't mention anything about reboots in their description of the 2600 update may support this idea.

And the verdict is....?

STILL NOT FIXED.

I applied the update, put it to sleep, and it rebooted. First time.

Fantastic.

My new 2.8 Octo had also been acting up, albeit sporadically. I had tried in the past to reset the SMC and PRAM, and it never really seemed to help. Last night I unplugged EVERYTHING, and left it that way overnight. This morning it worked fine (and just as an observation: after waking up in the past, the system's fans would go full tilt for a few minutes -- after the most recent reset, the fans no longer do this upon waking up from sleep).

We'll see how it goes. I know SMC/PRAM resets haven't been a solution for all (as they hadn't been for me), but perhaps I just wasn't performing the SMC reset properly.

Hi kinda sleepers,
On my fourth call to apple with wake-from-sleep problem. During next to last call did archive-install and added latest firmware update as part of software update. Return from sleep failed after first attempt. Just finished another call to apple care and I'm now running without my owc memory and second hard drive. In the last half hour, sleep has worked fine. But I have already checked out memory with tech tool deluxe and it showed memory as okay. Waiting to see what happens.
Lou

Even worse news. Just now I was working on my Mac Pro and all of a sudden it just goes to sleep. Actually, it seems like it went into hibernation, because I couldn't wake it up using the keyboard. I thought it had shut down. So, I hit the power button, and it did wake up to its previous state - but Safari had crashed.

I have a serious lemon on my hands. I want Apple to take this back and give me a new one. Actually, I wish I would have just gotten the mature, solid, previous generation of Mac Pro. It's not the first time the first generation of a new Apple product has had these kind of problems.

I just experienced the most unbelievable "tech support" call I've ever encountered in 20 years with Apple. This guy was flat not only completely unhelpful, but flat our rude. He refused to acknowledge any reboot from sleep issue, and said that people on the Apple Discussion forums "don't know what they're talking about". He implied that I had done something to make this happen. When I went through the list of things I've done to troubleshoot this, he finally capitulated and told me to take it in to the Apple Store. I told him I didn't want to be without my computer for three days. He said "too bad", or you can spend $300 on AppleCare for an onsite repair.

I asked him for his full name, because I'd like to complain about him. Of course he didn't give it to me. His first name is John, and he was a Mac Pro product specialist. I plan on writing a letter to Apple - I doubt it will do any good, but I've never been treated so poorly on a "support" call in my life.

I'm getting really, really angry at this point. Thanks, Apple.

Apple software update today offered me "ATI HD 2600 firmware update 1.0" that improves stability and makes the card Energy Star 3.0 compliant. If I understood correctly Energy Star 3.0 specifies low power consumption during sleep, however a graphics board doesn't need any power in sleep mode. So, it could do something to amend this whole sleep issue.

Owners of ATI Radeon HD 2600XT who installed this update, please reset SMC and report if it helped.

EDIT: Not sure if it will help, but after you unplugged your Mac during SMC reset try pressing power button. On regular PC this operation would have emptied any residue charge in capacitors ensuring that the system has no power left.

Message was edited by: ViktorCode

As I posted above, for me the 2600 update DID NOT solve the problem.

In fact, I'm having more problems than before. Now my computer not only reboots from sleep, but has automatically gone to sleep or shut down without warning twice since I installed the firmware update.

I spoke to a Level 2 tech support rep yesterday and asked for a new computer. He refused. He also denied there is a known "reboot from sleep" issue with these computers.

At this point, I'm not sure what to do. I'm considering swallowing my pride and paying for AppleCare so I can get an onsite "repair", which will likely mean a replacement since Apple apparently doesn't know how to replace this. I know that some have received replacements that have the same exact problem, but I also know that there are other Mac Pro owners out there without this reboot from sleep issue (see the Xlr8yourmac.com feedback page).

This suggests to me that it must be a hardware problem. If it's in the software or firmware, I can't understand why everyone wouldn't have it. Anyone else have insight on this? I'd love to hear it, because I don't want to go through the hassle of getting a new machine only to find it doesn't work.

I still don't have this problem, but I have had my Mac Pro only for a week now. Will try to put it to sleep more often to make sure.

"When you take it to the Apple Store" it is also "off the mains" and getting an SMC reset/drain power... which is why it "fixes" the system, if only temporarily (sometimes for a week even).

And the Stores etc have to have good reliable current, more so than most homes, though no one has found an issue that could be directly linked to over loading their mains.

Well, I never did let Apple replace the Power Supply or the Logic Board in an attempt to fix this problem. I didn't want to be the guinea pig as after reading this thread and so many others on different sites their solution didn't seem well thought out and just a stab in the dark. Let them do that with the units in the engineering lab.

After dealing with the problem daily, I did the SMC/PRAM combo on Feb 24th and have been reboot free (knock on wood) since. I usually sleep my unit overnight and during lunch for a short period, both situations have been waking without incidence. I know that many have tried this combo with varied results, just thought I would share my order of operations. The new MPs do in fact have an SMC reset switch, located just right of center behind the top RAM riser. I confirmed this with 2 different level 2 specialist. I pointed out the article ( http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304123 ) that states that it doesn't and the response was that for safety reasons the "Note" about the Jan 08 MPs not having and SMC_RST switch was added to the article.

So what did I do? I turned off the MP, let it cool down for ten minutes or so, then unplugged everything starting with the power cord, then DVI and then USB and Firewire cables. After opening up the case, I then removed the top RAM riser and used a wooden dowel (non-conductive) to press the SMC_RST briefly just until the LEDs to the right of it lit up, (a second or so). Put everything back together and plugged all the cables in leaving the power cord for last. I then hit the power button and did a PRAM reset, letting the unit chime 4 times - read somewhere despite the recommended 2 that you should always let it go for 4 times. I figured what the heck. So far so good as I've said before. Since that time I have upgraded to the 8800gt and still haven't had the issue return.

As far as the SMC_RST goes, it does concern me that Apple would tell people that there isn't one when there is and that their reasoning is because of safety issues - I'm assuming a chance of a shock situation. I'd be interested to know what the response is from others after dealing with AppleCare to see if they said if there is an SMC_RST or not.

One last thing, just goes to show where Apple's priorities are in terms of user satisfaction, also there's a new ipod shuffle firmware update as well.
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macbookairsmcupdate10.html

That is exactly why I refuse to take my MP to an Apple Store for service. It's very likely that when they plug it in and test it, it will work (because of the SMC reset as you mentioned). They'll then say "it's fine" and tell me it must be a "software issue" and to do another re-install of Leopard bla bla bla. A complete waste of time.