Lid close -- no sleep mode?

[Applemac85]

Hey, I'm a recent switcher from pc to mac, and I had my previous windows laptop set up to "do nothing" when I closed the lid. This enabled me to perform long downloads overnight without the bright screen keeping me from sleeping.

So far, I have been unable to figure out how to keep my new aluminum macbook from going into sleep mode when I close it. Is there a way to do this? and if not, can I at least shut the screen off and keep programs running? Thanks

 

[119576]

InsomniaX is your friend

 

[iBlue]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone 3G; CPU iPhone OS 0_o) like Mac OS X; dude) AppleWebub/420.1 (KHTMLOL, Abide) Venda/ Mind if I do a j?/ Safari/420.69)

Without a hack or specific application, such as the one above, it will always sleep when the lid is shut. However, in system preferences > energy saver you can tell it to never sleep and put the display to sleep after a few minutes of inactivity. You'll have to leave the lid open but I think it will accomplish what you're looking for without any additional stuff. (just as another idea)


edit: I didn't know about the one below, that's handy.

 

[mtfield]

also if u hit control+shift+eject it will turn the screen off without turning off sleeping the computer

 

[fuzzielitlpanda]

wow so many new little tricks i have to learn.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

To address this question, I would say that it doesn't matter. For one thing, a Mac in good shape takes about 1 second to wake from sleep (faster if you have an SSD) and about 1/4 second to sleep. Secondly, why in the world would you want to move your laptop, down stairs no less, without sleeping it in the first place? I certainly wouldn't carry my laptop around without ensuring that it's sleeping first as that spins down the hard drive and in general makes it much safer to move.

If you have a USB keyboard attached to your Mac, I believe you can wake it back up after sleep by hitting a key after closing it. Also, if an external display is connected, the computer won't sleep when you close the lid.

 

[happle]

i dont recommend using the macbook closed. it wasnt meant to be. not only does it not cool as well because the keyboard is covered, as well the back vents, but also your screen can heat up more than usual. some kid actually damaged his screen by doing this

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

i dont recommend using the macbook closed. it wasnt meant to be. not only does it not cool as well because the keyboard is covered, as well the back vents, but also your screen can heat up more than usual. some kid actually damaged his screen by doing this

This was true of the iBook, but not the MacBook. The MacBook was most definitely designed to work with the screen closed. The back vents are not covered any more with the lid closed than without. Also, a MacBook does not do any active venting at all through the keyboard, I'm not sure where you got that idea.

If you look through the user manual for the MacBook, Apple gives specific instructions on how to use it closed with an external screen. So I'd deduce that if Apple tells you how to do it with the computer, it was designed to do it.

As for the kid, I never heard that story (not to say it didn't happen). Do you have a link?

 

[logana]

This was true of the iBook, but not the MacBook. The MacBook was most definitely designed to work with the screen closed. The back vents are not covered any more with the lid closed than without. Also, a MacBook does not do any active venting at all through the keyboard, I'm not sure where you got that idea.

The air that is blown out of the back vents is drawn in through the holes under the MacBook keyboard so there most certainly is active venting throught he keyboard.

While the MacBook can be used with the lid closed it is not a good idea to do so for extended periods. It will run hotter and the vents at the back will discolor with the heat in time.....

 

[GGJstudios]

i dont recommend using the macbook closed. it wasnt meant to be. not only does it not cool as well because the keyboard is covered, as well the back vents, but also your screen can heat up more than usual. some kid actually damaged his screen by doing this

The air that is blown out of the back vents is drawn in through the holes under the MacBook keyboard so there most certainly is active venting throught he keyboard.

While the MacBook can be used with the lid closed it is not a good idea to do so for extended periods. It will run hotter and the vents at the back will discolor with the heat in time.....

That is absolutely not true. There is a solid sheet of plastic under the keyboard, so the keyboard can not be used for venting at all. The rear vents are for both intake and output. It's perfectly safe to operate the MacBook in clamshell mode, even for extended periods of time. It will not create problems, since it was designed to do just that.

 

[logana]

The OP has an aluminium unibody - I was really replying to the statement that MacBooks were designed to run happily in clamshell mode.

My comments were about the pre-Unibodied MacBooks which do have perforated keyboard and do run hotter than normal when the lid is closed.....

 

[GGJstudios]

My comments were about the pre-Unibodied MacBooks which do have perforated keyboard and do run hotter than normal when the lid is closed.....

Even the pre-unibody MacBooks do not vent through the keyboard. They never have.

The following Apple portables support the use of an external display or projector while the internal display is closed.

MacBook Pro
MacBook
PowerBook G4
MacBook Air

Note: iBooks do not support closed clamshell mode. You should not close the display lid of an iBook computer while using an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

 

[AlphaDogg]

Even the pre-unibody MacBooks do not vent through the keyboard. They never have.

That is certainly not true. On my 2007 White MacBook, if you ramp up the fans to 6200rpm, you can feel a suction through the entire left side of the keyboard. When my MacBook was overheating, the genius said that it was because of my keyboard cover. And sure enough, after I removed my keyboard cover, it cooled down instantly.

 

[GGJstudios]

That is certainly not true. On my 2007 White MacBook, if you ramp up the fans to 6200rpm, you can feel a suction through the entire left side of the keyboard. When my MacBook was overheating, the genius said that it was because of my keyboard cover. And sure enough, after I removed my keyboard cover, it cooled down instantly.

First, don't trust everything that Apple Geniuses say. "Genius" is their job title, not an indication of their knowledge or intelligence. MacBooks, even back in 2007, were designed to run in clamshell mode. That means they do not depend on venting through the keyboard for cooling the system. Heat from the system is radiated to the keyboard, which is why you feel heat there, but it is not venting through the keyboard. Teardowns of MacBooks and MacBook Pros reveal that there is a solid sheet under the keyboard, which prevents any significant venting. The vent in the back of both the MacBook and MacBook Pro models (all years) provides all the air intake and exhaust required to keep the system at a safe temperature. If this were not true, Apple would recommend against using clamshell mode, and they would have included the polycarbonate MacBook in the exclusion, along with the iBook.

 

[vistadude]

You can simply turn the brightness all the way down, which will shut the display off.

 

[logana]

Teardowns of MacBooks and MacBook Pros reveal that there is a solid sheet under the keyboard, which prevents any significant venting. The vent in the back of both the MacBook and MacBook Pro models (all years) provides all the air intake and exhaust required to keep the system at a safe temperature. If this were not true, Apple would recommend against using clamshell mode, and they would have included the polycarbonate MacBook in the exclusion, along with the iBook.

Have you ever actually looked at a pre-Unibody MacBook keyboard ? There is no solid sheet of anything !!!!

The left side of the keyboard is like a cheese grater !

It is covered in holes and if you hold it up to the light you see light shining through all the holes. The holes are to provide cool air as an intake for the fan. The holes are directly above the heatsink area. There are vents at the back which act as intakes too bit the holes above the heatsink are the main source of the air that the fans exhaust.

When the lid is closed these keyboard vents are restricted in the amount of air they can provide which is why the MacBook runs hotter. Also when the lid is closed the lcd panel is only a few millimetres away from the now much hotter heatsink. LCD panels do not enjoy these temperatures.....

Yes - you can use MacBooks with the lids closed but not for extended periods....

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

For all this debating Apple specifically says that the MacBook is designed to be used for any amount of time with the lid closed. So if it messes up your screen, Apple owes you a replacement anyway.

I've used my PowerBook with the lid closed for hours on end before, and I'd do the same with my MacBook.

 

[MachenM1234]

Thanks (sry for the bump)

also if u hit control+shift+eject it will turn the screen off without turning off sleeping the computer

I sincerely appreciate this information. Precisely what I needed. ty.

 

[TinPigeon]

Keeping MacBook from sleeping with lid closed

Hey, I'm a recent switcher from pc to mac, and I had my previous windows laptop set up to "do nothing" when I closed the lid. This enabled me to perform long downloads overnight without the bright screen keeping me from sleeping.

So far, I have been unable to figure out how to keep my new aluminum macbook from going into sleep mode when I close it. Is there a way to do this? and if not, can I at least shut the screen off and keep programs running? Thanks

Just read the first page of this thread. Could it have gotten any further off-topic? SHEESH.

I use my 2007 white MB frequently in clamshell, connected to external monitor. It is necessary to be connected to power adapter to drive the monitor, and the Energy Saver settings are not enough to keep it awake. Slider settings are to "Never" sleep computer and monitor. The box "Put HDD to sleep" is un-checked. Yet after some period of time, it goes to sleep, thus killing active downloads, and disabling AirPlay.

I found one workaround by accident. Open a TextEdit document and put just one character in it. Leave it open and unsaved. When the system tries to go to sleep, it won't be able to because the app will not want to close until it gets user input to "Save" or "Discard."

 

[neko girl]

This might be of help to you. If you are using your MacBook with an external monitor and want to use clamshell mode, then:

• While the MacBook is in standby, apply Magsafe power cord first, then your usb devices. This will wake the MacBook up.
• When moving away from your desk, place the computer in standby from the menu bar, then unplug power first, then your USB devices. This way the computer will remain in standby and you can walk away with it.
• Plugging/unplugging the Mini DP has no effect on wake from sleep.

 

[chilichow]

I don't know if this is what you're looking for but I have found the solution that works for me!
In my case, I wanted to move the default screen off my macbook pro and onto an external monitor.

1. Make sure the external monitor is plugged in as well as your POWER SUPPLY.
2. Once the external monitor is working, simply close the lid on your macbook and it will move your default screen to the external monitor!

Amazing!