Q: macbook air screen goes black

Hi All,

My issue the same. Day by day black screen suddenly while work...

...but I noticed other weird things. Sometimes after I open my Air I see really bright white screen for a while.

And when Lion was on the MBA the LED panel blacked out slowly while going it to sleep. Since I installed the Mountain Lion it just switches down the screen. Like when come the "suddenly black screen".

Any news from Apple about this problem???

I am having the same issue, not hot corner. Just goes off! HELP!!!

I also have the same issue -- hot corners are disabled.... Apple, please help/fix!

I FIGURED IT OUT! I had the same problem. And I searched the web trying to find a solution. One person replied to this post saying that if you have a magnet near the keyboard it would act like you are closing your screen lid. Well, I recently purchased a new wallet that had a magnet money clip, which I carry in my front pocket. Even though I have a thick sponge case below my computer at all times the magnetism still reach the keyboard. That is the cause of the problem. Nothing is wrong with your MBA, I promise! As soon as a I figured that out last night I was very relieved. Anything, ANYTHING, magnetic near your computer will cause it to put the display to sleep.

First, go into your system preferences>display, and "undot" the Automatically adjust Brightness, that should solve the bright screen fading to darker screen. Second, while using your MBA, MB, etc, remove any magnetic or metal object away from the base of your computer. The base can sense the magnetism and thinks you have closed the lid. Therefore, your screen goes black as if you have actually closed your computer. And, BOOM problems solved.

I had the same problem for several weeks until someone suggested I keep the Macbook Air away from any magnetic field. I had been using my Macbook Air on top of my Macbook Pro and ever since I stopped doing that I have not had a problem with the screen going black. I no longer put my Macbook Air on top of my Macbook Pro, even when I'm not using it. The screen going black used to occur every day, but it has been weeks since it last happened.

So my wife's been having this problem (perhaps the same, maybe just similar), and I finally got to looking at it today.  I could get it to reproduce in a specific way.

MacBook Air aluminum case 13".  Mac OS X 10.6.8.

Symptoms: as you're working along, screen blanks out, but then comes back again shortly thereafter.

Running on battery power.  Didn't really test plugged in.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Closed lid.  Presumably, this put machine into sleep mode.  Timed closure for 15 seconds
2. Opened lid.  Screen came on.  Left system alone.
3. After about (maybe exactly?) 15 seconds, screen would blank out and then come back.

Depending on your circumstances, if you just opened up your machine and started working, you might perceive this to be a “reset” of the screen right in the middle of what you’re doing.

I checked a few things as best I could from prior posts.

Hot Corners: I checked the settings, and found nothing was enabled. 

No magnetic fields nearby that would suggest lid closure to the system.

I saw posts suggesting MS Word or Excel were involved, and she uses Word a lot, but after lots of trials of shutting down this or that application, I found it reproduced even after having quit all applications (visible through command-Tab application switching).

I also tried changing Energy settings (bright vs. dim display when on battery) and Display settings (sleep after 1 minute, sleep after 10 minutes) and screen saver timing.  None made a difference.

In the end, I came across an article that talks about resetting the System Management Controller:

http://macs.about.com/od/usingyourmac/qt/Resetting-The-Smc-System-Management-Con troller-On-Your-Mac.htm

After taking those steps (basically for this kind of MBA: plug in, left shift+control+option+power, restart), I tried to reproduce the symptoms again using the close lid, wait, open lid, wait – and it didn’t blank out after 15 seconds any more!

So that SMC restart appears to have solved my problem.  I'm curious if others who are having a blank screen problem can reproduce their problem similarly, and whether the SMC restart works for them.

Thanks!  It was my new JotPro Stylus pen for my iPad which has a strong magnet in it that was getting too close to my Air!

Problem solved.

removing another mac laptop out of the way of my macbook air solved the problem,

imo, the magnetic latch that trigger the sleep mode is suspicious

this was happening to me, on my machine that I purchased in June 2011. I had Applecare so I had a warranty.  I took it to Apple and they replaced the video card, it didn't help, then I took it again and they sent it to the factory and they replaced the display. That didn't help either. Then they gave me a new computer. I think it must be a problem with the Macbook Air because I think this new one might have the same problem. I have had it for 5 days, it happened this morning. I am going to try the thing that someone suggested about turning off the automatic brightness adjustment under the settings for the display. I'll see if that works and stops it.

There is nothing wrong with the computer. You must have something metal or magnetic around your computer. Remove that object, whatever it is, and your problem will exist no longer!

I actually had the same problem, moved my iphone away while using it, didn't change a thing, and then I realised it was because my mac cover has magneted clips, and I use to always put my mac on the cover shile using it, since a I stopped using my computer on the magnetique cover, it's been working great !
Good luck to you all, hope it helps you

thanks jc2013, this is the case for me as well, i have the case for mac book air which has a magnet on it, i used my mba on top of it, this is the reason!

elejaces, unfortunately your hot corner solution is not relevant to me. I thought that this could be an explanation but it is not. My screen flickers on and off regardless of mouse movements.

If you live on Earth, its magnetic field is enough to trigger the problem.