MacBook Pro screen does not turn off when lid is closed

Question

Level 1

15 points

MacBook Pro screen does not turn off when lid is closed

When I close the lid of my MBP the backlight for the display does not turn off. I am assuming that it is not sleeping.

I use the MBP in clamshell mode with an external monitor at the office but the no sleep on close issue happens pretty much all the time.

Is this normal? Is there some setting I can change to get sleep on close?

MacBook Pro 2.8 GHz, 4 GB, Mac OS X (10.5.8), also iBook G4

Posted on Aug 29, 2009 10:08 AM

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Answer 1

S.U.

Level 6

9,601 points

Aug 30, 2009 3:56 PM in response to Thomas Seery

You can always go to energy Saver and be sure nothing is set to "Never Sleep."

You could also try resetting the SMC, since this does control some sleep functions:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411?viewlocale=en_US

On my MBP, the sleep magnet is on the right side of the display slightly over half way up--you should be able to find it with a paperclip. If it's not there, then that's likely the problem and you will have to tell it to sleep manually.

Good luck!

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Answer 2

louie

Level 4

2,950 points

Aug 29, 2009 7:54 PM in response to Thomas Seery

Perhaps the activation magnet in the screen has slipped. You can test by getting any magnet, and holding it on the far right edge of the MBP, about 3.5 inches from the front (just below the speaker grille).

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Answer 3

Thomas Seery Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 31, 2009 4:46 AM in response to S.U.

Louie -

I have the mid 2009 MBP - is there a magnet inside the unibody aluminum housing? The lid latch below the track pad is smooth and seems to have some magnetic attraction to the lid itself.

S.U. -
My problem is that the screen does not go off when the lid is closed. The problems described with the SMC reset involve the screen backlight not turning on. It also says to not reset the SMC unnecessarily. WIll that reset affect anything else?

Tried the paper clip - no joy. Will check with a magnet at work.

Is there a time setting for sleep mode on close?

Message was edited by: Thomas Seery

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Answer 4

Thomas Seery Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 31, 2009 7:56 AM in response to louie

Thanks. It may simply be that with the 4GB of RAM that I am not being patient enough when I am paying attention.

I saw some things about this in the forum you referred me to.

Thanks for your help.

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Answer 5

S.U.

Level 6

9,601 points

Aug 31, 2009 2:49 PM in response to Thomas Seery

Sleep is caused by a magnet activating something like a reed switch. If the magnet is missing or displaced, then the reed switch which puts the Mac to sleep will never be activated and the Mac won't sleep.

Do you have access to a store that retails Macs similar to yours? If so, see if you can find the sleep magnet on one of them. If you can, but cannot on yours, then that is the problem, and it will be covered by your warranty.

Good luck!

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Answer 6

louie

Level 4

2,950 points

Aug 31, 2009 7:04 AM in response to Thomas Seery

Aha. You're posing in the wrong forum. You need
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=251
for the late 2008/2009 unibody MBP. This is for the original aluminum MBP.

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