mhutson
Level 1 (13 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Power button doesn't put MacBook Pro to sleep

Occasionally pressing the power button doesn't put my Macbook Pro to sleep. I'll hold it down for several seconds and nothing happens when I release it. (If I hold it down too long, it forcefully shuts down my computer.) Selecting Sleep from the Apple menu does work, however. This problem began after installing Sierra.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS Sierra (10.12)

Posted on Oct 21, 2016 10:48 PM

Close
mhutson

Q: Power button doesn't put MacBook Pro to sleep

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by alex_h1,

    alex_h1 alex_h1 Oct 22, 2016 1:01 PM in response to mhutson
    Community Specialists
    Oct 22, 2016 1:01 PM in response to mhutson

    Hello mhutson,


    Thanks for asking about your power button issue here in the Apple Support Communities. I am happy to check this out with you.


    The first thing we want to ensure is that all your data is safe. You can make a backup using Time Machine and an external hard drive. Use this article for help making a backup of your Mac: Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac.


    Then, I recommend you boot into safe mode. Safe mode will tell us if the issue is related to a startup item or plugins, and sometimes is all that is necessary to correct some problems. When you boot to safe mode, log in to your account and check if the issue is also occurring in safe mode or not. This help article will help you with the steps for safe mode: Try safe mode if your Mac doesn't finish starting up. If everything is working properly in safe mode, but then is not working after you restart the Mac to leave safe mode and boot back into your user account, please check the section titled "If an issue doesn't happen in safe mode" for troubleshooting steps.


    If the issue is also happening in safe mode, you want to test this in another test administrator user account on your Mac. A test user will let us know if the issue is isolated to your account, or system wide. Please check this help article: How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac. If the issue is being experienced in the test user also, then we need to check the section titled "If an issue happens in more than one user account" from the article provided above which will lead you to this help article: Mac OS X: How to troubleshoot a software issue.


    If you are still unable to sort the issue out, please provide some detailed information about this.


    1. Please mention if it worked properly in safe mode or the test user.

    2. When does it happen? Does the power button not work properly after the Mac wakes from sleep, or after it is used for 8 hours, or when specific apps are being used?

    3. What do you do to get it to work again properly? 

    4. If it did work properly in safe mode or the test user, please mention that.

    5. How often does it not work? Multiple times a day? Once a day? Once a week? 


    Thanks again and have a great rest of your day.