How is this possible?!

[Nermal]

I have two computers on one desk; an MBP and a generic PC desktop. If I follow a certain series of steps then I get an interesting result!

- Start with both computers up and running.
- Put the MBP to sleep by closing the lid, keeping the power supply connected.
- Put the desktop to sleep.
- Unplug the power supply from the MBP.
- The desktop will then wake itself back up.

What's going on here? I don't have wake on LAN or anything like that turned on (that I'm aware of) and regardless I don't see how unplugging a sleeping computer can make the other one turn on. Any ideas?

 

[SFStateStudent]

That's really odd. Do you by chance SHARE between those two computers? I know my iPhone, MBAir and MBP always show up on my Mac Pro, but I've never run them through the tests that you've mentioned. The other's also show my other computers as well...

 

[Nermal]

The PC has a shared folder, but I always unmount it when I'm not using it (and before putting everything to sleep).

 

[SFStateStudent]

The PC has a shared folder, but I always unmount it when I'm not using it (and before putting everything to sleep).

Hmmm, if you are able to unmount, then I'm baffled. I know sometimes I forget to disconnect other computers and I forget that they are being SHARED, and it seems that my iPhone stays in shared mode 24/7 and shows up as Mac0024XXXXXXX on all of my Macs. And I pretty much leave my Mac Pro and MBP on 24/7 on a regular basis...

 

[darkcurse]

Have you tried with any other electrical/electronic appliances to see whether it exhibits the same behaviour? Maybe a change in voltage/current is making the PC wake up? Or (I know this sounds dumb) but maybe the act of unplugging the MBP jolts the table just enough to activate the mouse? I don't know, just putting it out there

 

[spinnerlys]

It's the power spike that is shared then between the two computers, as they are on the same outlet/fuse I guess.

When my iMac is sleeping, and I switch off/on the lights in my room, it awakes.

 

[UltraNEO*]

It's the power spike that is shared then between the two computers, as they are on the same outlet/fuse I guess.

When my iMac is sleeping, and I switch off/on the lights in my room, it awakes.

Haha.. I was just about to say the same thing...

For instance, my MacPro for example can cause the light on the entire first floor to flicker when it's switching from Main to Battery (UPS).

 

[SFStateStudent]

Wow, all these posts are amazingly new to me. Surge protector or power spike; what's next? LOL

 

[sushi]

Have you tried with any other electrical/electronic appliances to see whether it exhibits the same behaviour? Maybe a change in voltage/current is making the PC wake up? Or (I know this sounds dumb) but maybe the act of unplugging the MBP jolts the table just enough to activate the mouse? I don't know, just putting it out there

Agree.

Based on the OP's description, I would think that these might be possibilities.

 

[infernohellion]

Its Steve Jobs Ghost

 

[Nermal]

I figured it might be something to do with power, not really my forté so I didn't know whether that was a good guess or not

Thanks for all the "clues"

 

[alphaod]

If you use a surge protector, it may prevent any power surges on one outlet [on the protector] to affect another. Of course this also means buying a quality surge protector, not some crappy one.

 

[dannomac]

I figured it might be something to do with power, not really my forté so I didn't know whether that was a good guess or not

Thanks for all the "clues"

What part of New Zealand do you live in? Is it fairly rural? I know Saskatchewan, Australia, and New Zealand tend to use SWER power to rural residents.

SWER is great, it's low cost, safe and reliable for single phase transmission, but you can get a nice voltage drop that could affect appliances. A surge protector or UPS will fix that.

 

[Nermal]

No, I'm not in a rural area.

Anyway, it looks like this isn't actually any sort of hardware failure so I'm not actually worrying about it