Q: Dual Quad-core Mac Pro reboots from sleep

Using the logic, If it was a software problem, we would be seeing the same subject in all the Mac models discussions...
When you see a subject in these discussions with 224 replies and 7082 views, you see the peak of the iceberg of a real problem. Most of the buyers doesn't put the computer to sleep, or doesn't has time to post here or simply doesn't know that these discussions exists.

I recommend getting acquainted with the report from users on Accelerate Your Mac
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/2008mac_proreports.html#storytop

Update here... I slept the computer overnight and it woke up without a problem this morning. I'm going to add back all of my 3rd party RAM at once and see if I have a problem. It could be that for whatever reason the SMC reset that happened when I took out the RAM fixed it, and it's not the RAM itself. I haven't had any problems with the RAM otherwise, and the computer is running perfect other than the sleep problem. Hmmm....

I've done the PRAM and SMC reset 3 times each over the past few days. Still reboots from sleep. What's the latest from Apple? Just replace? No software or firmware fixes in the works?

I wonder if I should bother trying to replace my compute or hope for a future firmware fix. I had my new Mac pro for 4 days and it woke up with no issues until this morning when it rebooted instead of waking.
I reset PRAM and SMC. Keeping my fingers crossed...

People getting the latest Mac Pros from the Apple Store are reporting wake from sleep rebooting problems. I don't think at this time getting a new Mac Pro to replace your 4-day old Mac Pro will help and you may find the new Mac Pro has worse problems than waking from sleep.

Tom

Do the other mac models have the same firmware tied to the components they're built from? I dunno. Could be that this new batch of MacPros has got another underlying issue that's just conflicting with the sleep function as it is built now.

There was a longstanding similar problem with the display in MacBooks - in that the control panel would conflict with the display brightness buttons that are built into the keyboard. Played holy riot with husband's MB until I sussed out that he could only change the brightness values for the display from either the control panel OR the keyboard - not both. When he did, he got lines on the display. Quite annoying but easily fixed - you have to change habits as a user, that's all.

This wouldn't be the first time that having dual control access for a device or function causes unexpected behaviour..

Go Apple! LOL

VK, stick with your 2.6 MacPro. If like me, you bought it recently, what you have is the end-of-manufacture for the form, it is the full mature flower of the build and has the potential for years of service.

In some instances, the sleep problems seem to be related to is the Energy Saver control panel. Go into it and un-check the 'hard drive sleep whenever possible' box - don't want that on as it will crash on wake (if the hard drive is already asleep when the rest of the system goes down it crashes - end of story). Set the timer for the display and the computer to never sleep.

Reboot with the new settings.

Then try setting the sleep manually from the menu bar and see if that does the trick. You can only change the sleep timer ONCE between reboots. If you do it more than that, it goes all pear shaped and runs flonky.

Deb.

actually, my computer is a new 3.2 not a 2.6. I don't really want to rush and try to replace it. I suspect Apple will come up with a firmware fix eventually if the problem is as common as it seems to be. I just zapped PRAM and SMC. We'll see if that helps. I'll try your suggestions as well, thanks. However, I should add that the problem ONLY occurred when I put the computer to sleep manually. Always before (remember it's just 4 days old) I just let it go to sleep by itself and it woke up fine. Last night I put it to sleep manually and BAM! - a restart after I tried to wake it up this morning.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts here!

Interesting that the reboot is happening after short sleeps for some; so much for the long sleep hypothesis.

I did not reboot from sleep, short or long, since I did these things yesterday:

1. cleared the checkbox for disk drives to sleep when possible
2. set the sleep timer to 45 minutes from the 15 minutes 'out of the box' default
3. disabled fast user switching (even though only one user was ever logged on)
4. substituted a corded MS mouse for the corded Mighty Mouse

The experiments continue - and bad me for changing four variables. Will post back if things stay stable and as I undo each of the above changes one by one.

Yesterday, I also ran a little tool called SleepX that is part of the X Code tools to force the machine into a sleep/wake cycle, but didn't see any problems.

As Deb posted, I never (that I can remember - head spinning after days of this) had a wake problem if I put the machine to sleep manually via the Apple menu. But, I'd like the auto sleep to work as it should for energy savings...

Karl

Csteves wrote:

Each one has started a Kernel Panic, and each has started with:

2/24/08 6:04:07 PM kernel ** Device in slot: SLOT-1 **
2/24/08 6:04:07 PM kernel ** GPU Debug Info Start **

And of course it runs through the debug business and then continues to sit there crunching numbers until I shut it down.

I didn't get a kernel panic, but my screen locked up, but with mouse still moving, this morning. cmd-opt-esc did nothing. Had to hold the power button to shut down and then restart. Log file was filled with hex dumps from the kernel, ending in GPU Debug Info End. (The part that you show was deleted from my logs - the log files having gotten so filled with hex dump info.)

Someone else mentions this problem in this thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1376038&start=0&tstart=0

I had the random garbage on screen - crazy yellow/etc polygons - problem mentioned there happen once a couple of days ago. Restarted and fine since.

So... another survey question: Are all of us who are having this reboot problem running with the ATI 2600 card? Maybe the card is the root of this?

Karl

I was wondering why you would want to put the computer to sleep overnight? Why not just shut it down and then in the morning switch it back on? Are there benefits to putting it to sleep apart from a quicker switch on time. I have a Mac Pro 2.8 with 8800GT on order and I am now concerned about this issue

sam1974 wrote:
I was wondering why you would want to put the computer to sleep overnight? Why not just shut it down and then in the morning switch it back on? Are there benefits to putting it to sleep apart from a quicker switch on time. I have a Mac Pro 2.8 with 8800GT on order and I am now concerned about this issue

I would never want to sleep overnight. This is just part of my stress-testing to figure out the sleep problem. For me, it generally happens for sleeps longer than an hour or so...which is mostly when I'm not awake.

My goal is to minimize power consumption and carbon emisions which is why I've spent half my waking hours for a week trying to track this thing down, since AppleCare has no ideas to share.

Cheers,
Karl

I put this post up on the main board. Just wondering if anybody has tried it earlier, and what results?

Decided to call Apple myself about this issue.

He said to reset Power Management by:

Go to Mac HD/lib/pref/System Configuration folder/then trash com.apple.PowerManagement.

yvonnejim wrote:
I put this post up on the main board. Just wondering if anybody has tried it earlier, and what results?

Decided to call Apple myself about this issue.

He said to reset Power Management by:

Go to Mac HD/lib/pref/System Configuration folder/then trash com.apple.PowerManagement.

God, isn't that going to be a kick in the pants if it's the fix.