I used the Terminal to change both "standbydelayhigh" & "standbydelaylow" to a shorter time, 10,800, I think.
I just used "pmset" to find out the current setting for both. Both are set to 86,400. I didn't change them! How did macOS change them back to the default without me changing them?
How do I permanently set both of them to a lower setting?
Mac mini, macOS 10.14
I did some more exploring.
Sharing is completely disabled.
I found out about "pmset -g assertions".
This is the summary:
Assertion status system-wide:
BackgroundTask 0
ApplePushServiceTask 0
UserIsActive 1
PreventUserIdleDisplaySleep 0
PreventSystemSleep 0
ExternalMedia 0
PreventUserIdleSystemSleep 1
NetworkClientActive 0
"PreventUserIdleSystemSleep" was set to "1". I did some online research & read about Handoff. It was enabled. I don't have an iPhone or an iPad. I unchecked the Handoff tick box. I ran "pmset -g assertions" again & "PreventUserIdleSystemSleep" was set to zero. I also unchecked Power Nap & Wake on Network Access. "Sleep" shows "1" with no message. I hope that I haven't screwed something up!
Only time will tell!
Do it again and confirm the change was effective.
Resetting NVRAM will reset those values to defaults.
I set standbydelayhigh to 3600 last night, but that Mac is running Catalina. So far it hasn't changed.
I realize that brings you no closer to an answer. I'll keep testing and let you know if it spontaneously resets itself. In the meantime you might try an NVRAM Reset anyway, followed by setting the parameters to your liking. Perhaps another one became corrupted, causing the system to reset all of them. That's just a guess.
sharingd is used for screen sharing, file sharing, etc; all found in Sharing Preferences.
Would changing any of these settings prevent Mojave from resetting the delays to the default?
I have no reason to believe they would. It's certainly possible one setting might conflict with another but I can't think of any.
My thought was that it was specific to Mojave, but obviously it isn't. It happens also in Catalina.
I was thinking the same. The one I'm testing (an older iMac running Cat) still hasn't changed:
iMac15:~ john$ pmset -g
System-wide power settings:
Currently in use:
standby 0
Sleep On Power Button 1
womp 1
halfdim 1
hibernatefile /var/vm/sleepimage
powernap 1
gpuswitch 2
autorestart 0
networkoversleep 0
disksleep 10
standbydelayhigh 3600
sleep 1 (sleep prevented by backupd)
autopoweroffdelay 28800
hibernatemode 0
autopoweroff 1
ttyskeepawake 1
displaysleep 10
highstandbythreshold 50
standbydelaylow 86400
iMac15:~ john$
File sharing and screen sharing are shown below, so I have no explanation for that one's behavior.
Other Sharing preferences have been enabled from time to time with no adverse effects on system sleep or anything else.
Wake for Network Access and Power Nap are enabled also. App Store, FaceTime, Mail, Safari... lots of other apps are running.
I noticed that when the Chrome browser was open, the "sharingd" showed up when I did pmset.
Try uninstalling it? Google infests a system with a plethora of modifications notorious for causing unacceptable behavior. To suggest Google is altering nvram contents is absurd, but altering sharing preferences is plausible, and it's not as though Google hasn't been caught altering macOS itself. That's particularly egregious, and illustrates one reason (among many) I prohibit its installation on my systems.
The website suggested restarting the computer. Maybe it's a good idea to periodically restart the computer instead of keeping it in standby all of the time.
Yeah I see that recommendation frequently. When facing an inexplicable problem rebooting is a simple first step, but doing that routinely or periodically is unacceptable to my requirements. For one, FileVault requires a user to physically be present to log in after a reboot, otherwise the Mac will just shut down again. They all sleep and wake as required (and desktops all use UPSs protected with backup generators).
Macs should go for weeks or months on end without restarting. They seem to work better that way. If there is a periodic need to restart them to fix some problem its cause ought to be investigated and addressed. It's always some ill-tempered app or system modification.
Other than that suggestion I have no explanation. I'm afraid that leaves you no closer to resolving the issue.
I didn't change the NVRAM or the SMC. I don't want the defaults (86400).
I used "sudo pmset..." to change the standbydelayhigh (& low) to 10800. I used "pmset...) to verify both. Both were set on 10800. This morning I noticed the lite was on on the mini. I used "pmset" to check the standbydelayhigh (& low). For some weird reason, the settings were back on 86400 for both of them! Why did Mojave change the settings back to the default? I certainly didn't change them.
How do I permanently change the standbydelayhigh (& low)?
Macmini8,1 is that correct? To determine your Mac model please refer to Find the model and serial number of your Mac.
If that's what it is don't have one, but I'll effect that change on another model and determine if it remains unaltered.
I wondered also if I install Catalina on my mini would I have the same problem with Catalina. I have a 2013 MacBook Air. Yesterday, I nuked the SSD & did a clean install of Catalina. I haven't tried changing the standbydelay parameters on Catalina.
I have Mojave on my 2018 mini.
I've wondered if doing a NVRAM AND SMC reset would solve the problem. Should I do BOTH NVRAM AND SMC? Is doing a reset of both redundant?
Is there an alternative keyboard keys combination to reset the NVRAM that doesn't require both hands?
I doubt if there is a Terminal command because the computer must be off initially. I doubt if there is an AppleScript command for the same reason - the computer must be off initially.
Resetting the SMC is easy.
Actually all you have to do is hit the power button and then hold the keys down, just do that as quickly as possible. Immediately prior to the power on chime is definitely ok. Just after it might be ok.
I forgot to add something to my initial post. I bought the mini brand-new in April of this year.
I also have arthritis in my left hand. It is difficult for me to spread my fingers to reach all of the keys. This morning I tried to use my left hand to simultaneously press the "command", "option" & "r" keys together. It is difficult. Why doesn't clicking on "restore defaults" reset the NVRAM? The NVRAM is hardware, right? Would nuking the SSD & doing a clean install of Catalina on my mini solve the spontaneous reset problem?
I think that I used "sudo pmset..." to reset the standby delays to 7200. Maybe, for some weird reason, that's too short. I don't see why it would be too short.
I can try again to set the standby delays to a shorter time. I'm not a patient person. I'm not going to keep resetting the delays.
I don't understand why a brand-new computer would spontaneously reset the delays to the default.
I did a "pmset -g" this morning & found this: sleep 1 (sleep prevented by sharingd).
What is it? What is being shared? I think that I figured out how to change that setting. But then it changed back. Maybe a system update restored the defaults. The setting of "1" means that it is enabled, right? Then I should be able to disable it. But if I disable sleep my mini will be awake 24/7/365 & I don't want that. Maybe Mojave wasn't spontaneously resetting it. By George, I hope that I've solved the problem!
In fact, here are the current settings:
System-wide power settings:
Currently in use:
standby 1
Sleep On Power Button 1
womp 1
autorestart 0
hibernatefile /var/vm/sleepimage
proximitywake 1
powernap 1
gpuswitch 2
networkoversleep 0
disksleep 10
standbydelayhigh 86400
sleep 1 (sleep prevented by sharingd)
hibernatemode 3
ttyskeepawake 1
displaysleep 10
tcpkeepalive 1
highstandbythreshold 50
standbydelaylow 86400
Would changing any of these settings prevent Mojave from resetting the delays to the default?
A website suggested using the Activity monitor to find out what is preventing sleep. I followed the suggestion & "hidd" is the only process that's preventing sleep. I researched it. It is required & if it is killed, it is restarted immediately. The website suggested restarting the computer. Maybe it's a good idea to periodically restart the computer instead of keeping it in standby all of the time.
I think that I figured out why that "sharingd" keeps showing up!
The other day, I nuked the SSD on my 2013 MacBook Air & did a clean install of Catalina. This morning, I noticed the same "sharingd" on Catalina when I did "pmset -g". I noticed that when the Chrome browser was open, the "sharingd" showed up when I did pmset. Also when I opened the App store the "sharingd" showed up. When I opened FaceTime, QuickTime Player, Calendar "sharingd" didn't show up. I reckon that I left the browser open when I walked away from my mini. The browser & AppStore connect to the internet. Maybe only apps that connect to the internet keep the computer from sleeping. Next time that I use my mini, I'll make sure that all apps on the Taskbar are not running before I walk away. If my mini still doesn't sleep, then I'll repost.
My thought was that it was specific to Mojave, but obviously it isn't. It happens also in Catalina.
As I type this another thought has occurred to me. PowerNap is enabled in Energy Saver. I don't use Time Machine & I don't use iCloud & I don't need either of my computers to check for new e-mails while they sleep. So, I wonder if disabling Power Nap would help.
I'm not a patient person.
😄
Patience helps too. I spent a whole year (or was it longer?) trying to get Back to My Mac to work, with a lot of interaction with Apple. They got the last laugh when they killed it. Problem solved.
The light is still off!
I last used my mini around 4:30 PM local time yesterday. I set both delays to 10800. Around 8 PM last nite, I looked at the mini. The lite was still off. It is now around 8:40 AM & the lite was still off. I just woke up my mini. Maybe unchecking the Handoff solved the problem. It's annoying & frustrating to have to spend hours trying to figure out the problem. But, I am learning Terminal commands & I'm learning more about macOS.
You state that hibernatemode is 3 for laptops & 0 for desktops. My mini is set to 3. Since Apple makes tens of thousands (millions?) of computers, they probably install only one OS on every computer. I downloaded Catalina & did a clean install on my laptop. The hibernatemode is set to 3 on my laptop. I have Mojave on my mini & it is set to 3 not 0. So, that's why I'm thinking that only 1 OS is installed on ALL Apple computers.
I might as well go ahead & nuke the SSD on my mini & do a clean install of Catalina.
So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Thanks for your help!
macnerd48 wrote:
I don't want the defaults
Apparently your Mini does. Which model is it?
standbydelayhigh (& low) changed after I set both of them to a shorter time using Terminal