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iMac won't wake up from sleep using keyboard or mouse

I'm not sure what is happening but as of today neither of my wireless devices will wake the iMac - no problem use keyboard and mouse once the iMac is awake. Yesterday I had problems with the wireless keyboard disappearing from Bluetooth.
Now I have to press the power button if the iMac goes to sleep and even then it is a bit slow to respond. It is real pain in the face. What is the remedy anyone?

iMac 21.5 inch, Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Nov 5, 2009 7:38 AM

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573 replies

Jan 15, 2012 11:25 AM in response to Jon Israel

+1 for the not waking from sleep problem here on a brand new 27" iMAC with Lion 10.7.2 and bluetooth keyboard and magic mouse. Occasionally (about 3 times a week) after the machine has entered auto-sleep and has stayed asleep for some time (usually a couple of hours at least), the machine will not wake up and I have to power it down with a long press on the power button and then restart it.


There doesn't seem to be anything in the logs on the machine around the time I tried to wake it, only the usual boot messages from the point it was re-started.


Reading this thread I think there is a fundamental issue with the machines waking from sleep with bluetooth devices, though I haven't tried attaching a wired jeyboard to see if that improves matters. Will have a go at that next.

Jan 15, 2012 2:43 PM in response to Jon Israel

Update: the issue has deteriorated for me. Is morning, the usual unresponsiveness was followed by full-on kernel panic upon reboot. Rebooting multiple times when prompted did nothing to alleviate the issue. A Disk Repair attempt was thwarted by an apparently unrepairable disk. I erased my hard disk, re-installed Lion (a much less painful process than I'd imagined - only took an hour for the whole rigmarole) and I'm restoring from a Time Machine backup as we speak. I realize this may not fix the wake issue, but it sure as **** will get rid of the kernel panic, which is my top priority right now.


My big fear at the moment: what if the computer goes to sleep during the backup restoration (7 fraking hours) and cannot wake? What if a reboot in that state somehow fries my Time Machine backups? Too paranoid? I mean, I presume that the computer won't go entirely to proper "sleep" sleep with the backup restoration in process. Am I right?


By the way, has anyone had any luck fixing the wake issue with a clean OS install and backup restoration?

Jan 15, 2012 2:48 PM in response to Paul_31

Paul, that's what I was going to try next had my computer properly rebooted instead the whole kernel panic incident and it's the solution I'll try if the OS reinstall doesn't help. Ive done the math, and even here in California where electricity isn't exactly cheap, an idling iMac with the monitor asleep only draws enough power to cost about $10/month. Not exactly free, but even presuming this computer lasts me another 3 years, that's $360, which is still way the **** cheaper than a new Mac, right?

Jan 15, 2012 11:56 PM in response to targus

Going by the various threads on here discussing this issue I'm certain it's a glitch in the OS rather than hardware. Although this thread stared as a 10.6 issue it's continued into 10.7.

This is how I have my Energy Saver settings and since doing this, no wake from sleep problems. I've even tried re-instating sleep and the problem comes back. Change back to never sleep and the problem is gone:

User uploaded file

Jan 16, 2012 12:04 AM in response to Paul_31

That's exactly what I did, Paul. I hate to waste all the electricity, both for environmental and personal economical reasons, but Apple hasn't left me much choice. Though, as I posted earlier, even here in expensive California, an idle Mac with the monitor asleep running 24/7 would cost a maximum of an extra US$10 a month, so I guess it's not that bad.


I just wish I knew why I never had the problem at all until a few days ago. Absolutely mystifying...


Thanks again!

Jan 16, 2012 8:02 AM in response to targus

Just as mystifying is the same problem cleared up for me. I set the 'display sleep' at 10 minutes and moved the 'computer sleep' to 25 minutes. I still use the trackpad and wireless keyboard but have turned off bluetooth speakers when I'm not actually using them. I really don't know what has changed but I don't have the sleep/wake problems (I'll keep my fingers crossed).

Jan 16, 2012 8:12 AM in response to Kingstonian

I wish things were going that well for me. I awoke today to find my Mac asleep EVEN THUGH I SET COMPUTER SLEEP TO "NEVER" and the usual reboot resulted in a kernel panic DESPITE THE BRAND NEW CLEAN LION INSTALL. I even got a kernel panic when trying to repair the disk by booting with "alt" held.


After removing my Firewire drive, powering down my USB drive, and unplugging my Wacom tablet, however, I wa able to boot normally. Disk checks out as having no issue. I'm starting to suspect my Wacom in the panocs and perhaps even in the sleep issue. Uninstalled unneccessary tools and gadgets associatec with it (along with Adobe Air, which was reqired to run some of it), installed the newest driver, and unplugged the tablet. If the sleep problem - or, at the very least, the kernel problem - goes away, I'll cancel my Genius Bar appointment this evening and chalk one up in the win category...

Jan 16, 2012 8:35 AM in response to Paul_31

I have had this issue every since i got my iMac about a year ago. I never have to reboot i just force to to sleep either with the on button or using the key sequence. I wait for 10 sec and then wake it up with the keyboard or mouse. Works fine but is a pain. I too hate the thought of wasting energy for no reason..... especially with an expensive Mac... I sent my machine into local apple service and they had it for a couple weeks while i was away and when i got back the just said they could not recreate the issue....................... they could have let me know before then i thought. So went down changed the sleep settings to a short time and it did the error right in front of everyone. I was not there 5 min and left again....... They changed the video card or something and sent me on my way but it happened as soon as i took it home again. Changing the setting to wake up on Network access to off seemed to help mine a bit. It did not do it as much but still does it. I think upgraded to Lion just a couple weeks ago and that did not change anything either. I use the Mac Bluetooth keyboard and a usb wireless mouse. I also have an external drive for time machine.


My Mac does this when it tries to go to sleep but does not quite make it.. I have an external monitor as well and that monitor does wake up but the main display does not.


Before Lion when i was trying to figure out what was going on.. i even had the display not come on a few times when it booted.


I am in the middle of a Mac project right now but once i get some time i will haul it over to the repair center and let them play with it some more i guess.


The only other think i have that is extra is 4 gigs of extra ram. Bought it from Apple so i have a total of 8 gigs.


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iMac won't wake up from sleep using keyboard or mouse

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