Dual Quad-core Mac Pro reboots from sleep

applied the work around : qbout a month without a reboot and counting.....

2.8 Mac Pro rebooting after wake here too...

So, a question about this 'deselection of the startup disk' thing:

What is the difference between resetting the PRAM, and then LEAVING the startup disk pref. pane in a deselected state (its like not touching anything, if i am correct?!), and just simply zapping the PRAM??

If by doing a PRAM reset at startup fixes the whole problem now, that we know it leaves the pref. pane deselected, why didn't it fix it before?

What's going on here, i'm getting really confused :S

In my case, I have four internal drives and a couple of external ones. I think it is likely that over the course of a number of days, that I set one of the other drives as the start up drive after I had reset PRAM. I have been careful this time to use the option key when I want to boot from another drive instead of changing the start up drive. I have not had the reboot from sleep problem reappear.

The_Scort writes: "I was told by Apple care to do an archive-reinstall, and it appears that there is no longer a disk selected, and so far, no problems!!!! Lets hope it keeps up!"

that's just absolutely not an option. I didn't create this problem. My computer came with this problem. Apple needs to fix this now so folks aren't forced to zap the PRAM and then make sure they don't select a new start up disk or even more obtrusive, archive-reinstall. that's crazy. the most a person who spent this much money should be required to do is get an update via software update and perhaps have to restart once after the update is installed. but this problem is clearly widespread so these machines shouldn't have been sold until it was worked out.

Hi Jayhawk,
I know what you mean and I agree, but I'm happy to find a way around it so I can keep working. I like the machine, although it is quirky for the price, but I have yet to find a computer brand that isn't. I have my memory back in and the machine "seems" okay for now. keep me in mind if you need help to storm the castle.
lou

In answer to your inquiry: If by doing a PRAM reset at startup fixes the whole problem now, that we know it leaves the pref. pane deselected, why didn't it fix it before?

In my case, I had selected the hard drive in the second bay as the start-up drive so I always had to highlight that drive in preferences, because the computer will always boot from the drive in bay one if no other is selected. Once I had changed that, the problem was eliminated. Others, may also have been booting from a drive other than the one in the first bay, particularly those using Windows on a different drive. Also, some people (including me) might have just re-highlighted their start-up drive after doing the PRAM reset, not realizing that it would make any difference.

Anyone else installed the firmware update? I came here to see if this thread was locked - I figured that if the firmware update was intended to fix the reboot after sleep problem that the thread would be locked, but alas it is not.

In any case, my sleep behavior seems much more consistent. Upon waking up from sleep, the fans run for about 3 seconds and then it takes another 3 seconds for the computer to output to the display (30" ACD in my case) and spin the HDs up. Before the firmware update, the fans would run anywhere from 2-30 seconds before the computer woke up/restarted.

Apple, thank you so much for addressing this problem. I really wish it was addressed in some official capacity before this - IE: "We are aware of this issue and are developing a fix", but at this point I really can't complain. I feel absolutely secure in putting my machine to sleep from now on. I may come back and regret those words but I doubt it.

Not yet - but I am curious too!!!

Just for the record: I fixed my problem with the 'don't select startup disk' trick as well. I did NOT do a Pram or SMC reset, no swapping drives. I had the problem consistently!!
After booting up to the install DVD as startup, then rebooting with it removed (no startup disk selected) I have had no reboot on wake for about 1 week...
The Console has a bunch of error with OS X wondering about the startup disk not being consistent with the selection.....

Having said that, when waking successfully before (it didn't reboot 'every' time) as well as now with no startup disk, my Mac Pro ALWAYS woke quickly - that is, fans 3 seconds, then video. I NEVER had it take 2-30 seconds (unless of course the reboot occurred 😉 )

I will try the firmware today, and, I guess, re-select my startup disk and see what happens....

Anyone else?

Let's not 'thank' till we know it's fixed..... 🙂

Cheers,
Dan

I am backing up my boot drive right now, and then I'll install the firmware update and test it with a startup disk selected.

Well, after cloning my boot drive, I downloaded, burned the recovery CD, and then dove into the Firmware Update...

I did not see any further action after the Updater ran, so I did a Shutdown. then after a moment pressed the power button and held as instructed in one of the articles... Got the flashing power light, then the long beeeep, gray screen with the spinner, no progress bar, and then it booted on up.. Onto the wrong drive, as I had none selected, so I did a Restart and held the Option key, which then let me select the right drive, and up it came.. Selected a Startup disk in Prefs, and put it to sleep. came right up, no reboot.. So, at first glance this was the final fix.. So I shattered the recovery CD, no use anyway..

I have been cloning to an ATA HD I popped into the empty optical drive space, it seems to go to the top of the startups if none is selected.. I did discover the only way to tell which HD is the boot drive is to look at the list on the left of a folder, not the icon positioning on the desktop.. 🙂 had me going the other day.. As in, just where am I? Cloning confusions could be dangerous!

Anyway, relief, progress!

geOrge

darn. Yesterday I deselected the startup disk, and the machine has yet to reboot on wake (only slept it twice though). A day later... *Apple releases a firmware update*.

Can someone that hasn't done the workaround tell us if the update fixes the issue? If not, I'll try this weekend.

Why do I care? Because a 'workaround' still isn't a 'fix'.

Cheers

Message was edited by: JasonBee

It's a bit premature to determine if this is "the fix". So far, I up to about 10 for 10 on waking from sleep sucessfully. It will take a week or two to know for sure. But a few days of good behavior will be a good sign.

I think I'll add myself to the list. I've had my Mac Pro 8 core 2.8 for a little over a month. I didn't start using the sleep mode, though, until a few days ago. Worked flawlessly until this morning when I went to wake it up. I would not wake from the keyboard as it usually will, so I pressed the power button and it rebooted.

This is the second time I have let it sleep overnight, but the first time it was fine. This is actually the first time it has rebooted on a wakeup.

After installing the firmware update the reboot mistake did not repeat! I hope, this firmware update really solves the problem!!

I agree that it is premature to declare victory. Several of the other suggested fixes appeared to work, only to recur later.

I thought the installation was a bit confusing. Using Software Update, I installed (or thought I installed...) the software several times. After the installer said it finished and that my Firmware should show the new code, I restarted, only to find that it still showed the old code. I did this several times, to no avail. (full disclosure...I'm a recent returnee to the ways of Mac after having been seduced for the last decade by the ways of the dark side. My last Mac was a IIvx and ran OS 7 or 8 or something. So for you veterans, please excuse my buffoonery...). In any case, I finally went to the Apple Support website, found the update, downloaded it and read the accompanying documentation (which doesn't pop up when you use Software Update). It said to Shutdown, then restart holding the Power Button. That worked and my Sys Profile showed the new Firmware code. The point of all this...there is more to installing this firmware than meets the eye when you use Software Update.

As for the fix, I have had no issues with rebooting after sleep since applying this update. I've probably tried it half a dozen times. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Finally, I wish Apple would tell us specifically what this Firmware Update is intended to address and whether it is actually intended to fix the rebooting issue. I see no value to the company in being secretive about fixing a simple hardware issue. Every company has them, it's the nature of the business.