Boot Camp and Windows 7 - closing lid, won't wake up

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Boot Camp and Windows 7 - closing lid, won't wake up

Hi all,

I just installed build 7600 of Windows 7 (32-bit) in Boot Camp on a Macbook I bought around December 2008. For the most part, Windows 7 seems completely compatible with the Boot Camp system. Unfortunately, I'm having problems with the screen remaining black after either putting the computer to sleep manually or by closing the lid. What happens each time is that the computer sleeps the first time I attempt this and then wakes up like normal, but the second time I do it, the black screen refuses to go away. When I close the lid, the little white light on the front of the Mac stays lit (it doesn't flash), and when I open it, it actually turns off(?!?).

I really don't know what to do about it, and it's super unfortunate because if I forget to not let my computer fall asleep I lose all my work. Has anyone found a successful fix in Windows 7 or even in Windows Vista?

Thank you everyone. 😀

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Aug 8, 2009 9:07 PM

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Answer 1

bkadoctaj Author

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Aug 13, 2009 9:36 AM in response to bkadoctaj

Well folks, it turns out that I haven't been able to fix this exact problem. However, an alternative mode of putting the Macbook to sleep is available. Simply use the Sleep option from the Start Menu and then close the lid of the computer. It will wake from sleep after the lid is reopened. I look forward to a more direct approach to resolving this issue.

🙂

Message was edited by: bkadoctaj

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Answer 2

Arseni

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Aug 25, 2009 8:43 AM in response to bkadoctaj

same problem here. i just installed windows 7 on my new macbook and when i close the lid the screen doesnt go to sleep.
does anyone have a solution for this?

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Answer 3

Aug 25, 2009 12:50 PM in response to Arseni

Me three. I have a white Macbook 2.0 Core 2 Duo with 2 GB of Memory. Sleeps fine, then when it wakes the system is fine but the display will not come back on (though you can faintly see the system is awake in enough light and you can reboot it to get the screen back.

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Answer 4

Aug 25, 2009 2:07 PM in response to Help Desk Owner

Me four - what I stumbled on by accident (aka bang on all the keys and see what happens) is to touch the Fkey to raise backlight brightness (F3, I think) - appears that the situation sets the backlight to zero and doesn't reset it automatically when the lid is opened and the computer wakes up.

Let me know, meanwhile I'll try that Start/Sleep option!

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Answer 5

Aug 25, 2009 3:16 PM in response to bkadoctaj

I am really happy that the click-tap feature now works in bootcamp as it didnt before.

I would guess there is an update waiting for the macbook to make the lid work normally in windows 7. I guess i will install Vista instead of W7 until the figure out what to do with the lid.

let me know how you do people. Regards.

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Answer 6

Aug 25, 2009 4:55 PM in response to arsenijcz

Actually, I'm two days into my Win 7 experiment and very happy with it (or as happy as I'll get with Windows). On the whole, I'd think you'd be better to go with Win7 than Vista, but there is the question of what you have a legal license and registration key for. Seems like we have at least 2 reasonable work-arouonds for the lid issue, and performance is very good on my 2006 MacBook. YMMV of course.

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Answer 7

Aug 26, 2009 1:14 AM in response to Michael King

Work arounds around the lid issue? Have you found a solution? If you would help me solve the lid issue problem i would very much appreciate it!
When I close the lid the screen doesn't go to sleep, it keeps the screen on and keeps the computer running. I'm used to leaving the lid closed and leaving my laptop running (even though its not recommended).
I can not find an option in W7 that will allow me to put the screen to sleep right when i close the lid.

Thank you.

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Answer 8

Aug 26, 2009 1:15 AM in response to arsenijcz

Now that i have read carefully actually this topic isn't the right one. I have a different issue - read above.
Although it relates to the original topic too.

Anyone with any ideas for my problem?

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Answer 9

Aug 26, 2009 6:25 AM in response to arsenijcz

Some more info I have gleaned from my 13" white Core 2 Duo Macbook (not sure what generation - came with Tiger though). If I uninstall the Intel graphics drivers, the Sleep option is gone from Windows 7 but it will hibernate, and when resuming from hibernation the screen comes back on. However, when the Intel drivers are reinstalled the "screen off" problem is present for both hybernate and sleep. Two other data points: the power manager can't turn off the screen (after X minutes, etc) and I can't get any picture on an external monitor either. Just wanted to share.

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Answer 10

Aug 28, 2009 1:49 PM in response to Help Desk Owner

PROBLEM SOLVED. I bought Snow Leopard and ran the Boot Camp installer in Windows and now it sleeps and wakes fine 🙂

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Answer 11

Aug 29, 2009 4:56 PM in response to Richard Hoyer-Ellefsen

Richard Hoyer-Ellefsen wrote:
PROBLEM SOLVED. I bought Snow Leopard and ran the Boot Camp installer in Windows and now it sleeps and wakes fine 🙂

When you say you "ran the...installer in Windows" - exactly what do you mean? The post installing Win 7 step where you overlay the Apple hardware drivers?

Assuming so, how might one get said drivers, sans a trip to the store for Snow Leopard?

Thanks!

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Answer 12

Aug 29, 2009 11:51 PM in response to Richard Hoyer-Ellefsen

Not stated, but did you INSTALL Snow Leopard in addition to the Win drivers?

Thanks!

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Answer 13

Xster

Level 1

12 points

Aug 30, 2009 7:37 PM in response to bkadoctaj

Same problem with late-2008 Macbook on x64 Windows 7 RTM with bootcamp 3.0. The first time the screen turned off (to conserve power), when I moved the mouse and it turned back on, it was flickering like ****. Then everything starts deteriorating until seemingly all hardware drivers crash after 1 minute. Since then, after the screen turns off or after sleep, it never comes back on.
It also takes a full minute for the computer to go to sleep

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Answer 14

Sep 2, 2009 8:42 AM in response to Xster

FIX!

To fix this issue all you need to do is install the latest nVidia 9400M drivers from the nVidia site.

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

It will automatically uninstall the Apple supplied drivers and install much newer and up to date drives. Sleep issue will be fixed.
This works for both Vista and 7.

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Answer 15

Sep 4, 2009 2:05 AM in response to bkadoctaj

I had the same problem running Snow Leopard 10.6 and Windows 7 on Boot Camp. I would close the lid for an extended period of time. Upon opening the lid the backlight of the Macbook would not come on. I uninstalled the Intel Graphics Driver that came on the 10.6 CD. Then I installed this driver:

Windows 7 Driver For Intel 945 Chipset:
http://bit.ly/aM5j9

Long URL:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProductID=2115&DwnldID=17 803&strOSs=189&OSFullName=Windows%207,%2032-bit*&lang=eng

This fixed my problem PDQ.

-Brad

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