Force MBP to shut down after given time?

[SDAVE]

This is my first Apple laptop, as far as owning one, though I've pretty much advanced in OSX since I have a Mac Pro.

However, I can't get this thing to turn off (hybrid mode, or whatever it's called) after a given time. It's always sleeping and draining the battery and I am not always near a power outlet.

 

[gr8tfly]

Try System Preferences > Energy Saver. Then click on "Schedule...". You can set sleep, restart or shutdown on a given schedule.

 

[SDAVE]

I understand that menu, however, my question was let's say the MBP is sleeping for 1 hour of no use (with the power light dimming in the front) can it shut down on it's own without a timer?

 

[SDAVE]

I understand that menu, however, my question was let's say the MBP is sleeping for 1 hour of no use (with the power light dimming in the front) can it shut down on it's own without a timer?

Or go into hybrid mode so I can resume while the MBP doesn't eat the battery?

I understand I can shut it down, but that's not a good way to work for me.

 

[gr8tfly]

I understand the need to try and start the day with maximum battery power, but sleep takes very little power. But, no, I don't know of an elapsed time shutdown. If you think you might forget and leave it sleeping, you could set it to shutdown at like, say 2am.

As an example, I've left mine sleeping, then driven for 11 hours and had plenty of battery left (on both my 17" PB and 2.33 MBP. My 17" UB wouldn't even notice, since it has roughly twice the mAh). If you leave it sleeping for a few hours and then consistently run low on battery, it sounds like you'd need a 2nd anyway (in other words, even if it was shutdown, you'd run low).

I think you will be missing a great feature of OS-X on a portable: the virtually instant wake. Normally, I only shutdown or restart when needed for an update/install, maintenance (booting off another volume), or Bootcamp. (and, once in a while, for a problem that's easier to resolve by a restart). Otherwise, it's sleeping. I sometimes go many weeks without a restart.

edit: I think by "hybrid" you mean "Safesleep", in Apple-speak. AFAIK, you will only go to Safesleep if there is no power whatsoever (i.e. the battery is run to the shutdown level, or you unplug w/o a battery installed - that's how you can swap batteries when sleeping. When you remove the battery, it automatically resorts to Safesleep recovery.)

 

[raclotz]

nope... i dont think so thats possible.. once the mbp goes in sleep state you have to start it manually and then shut it down...

 

[SDAVE]

Are there any 3rd party applications that would do this? "Safesleep" after 5 hours would be perfect. Usually when the battery is 100%, it goes to sleep, I wake up 8 hours later and 15% is gone.

 

[gr8tfly]

nope... i dont think so thats possible.. once the mbp goes in sleep state you have to start it manually and then shut it down...

Probably. I haven't actually tried that scenario. Even though the timers are active during sleep, it would still have to go through the normal "save work" queries, before shutting down - obviously, needing to be awake.

 

[gr8tfly]

Are there any 3rd party applications that would do this? "Safesleep" after 5 hours would be perfect. Usually when the battery is 100%, it goes to sleep, I wake up 8 hours later and 15% is gone.

It looks like there is at least an Applescript out there which will modify the pmset parameters for sleep. There is a "hibernate now" mode. Or, you could do it manually from Terminal, using the "pmset" command. Also, you could check out: "Deep Sleep". I don't have any experience with "Deep Sleep", though.

Modifying pmset will cause hibernate to occur, instead of normal sleep - which writes to the Safesleep HD image, then enters sleep, and wakes from RAM. The state you are looking for writes to the Safesleep hd image, then goes to hibernate, forcing wake from the Safesleep image - which is rather slow.

edit: just a word of caution in modifying the hibernatemode using pmset. If you select the mode which disables Safesleep altogether, you run the risk of losing your sleep state upon loss of power, which also means possible data loss. See the man page for "pmset".

It still sounds like you need a 2nd battery, if 15% makes the difference between getting through your work and not.