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Is there a way to stop the MacBook from turning on when I open the lid?

S

Scott M

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 25, 2009
274
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Not a big fan of this feature. Is there a way I can turn this off so that I have to actually use the power button to turn the MacBook on?

It’s the M1 MacBook Air.
 
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That terminal command worked last year on my 2017 MacBook, or one similar to it. Haven't tried it on the M1 yet.
 
Scott M said:
As far as I’m aware, that command doesn’t work on the M1 MacBooks :(
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Oh weird. I remember doing it on my 2020 Intel Air, but I guess I never got around to setting it up with the M1 Air I replaced it with. Boot-on-open bugs me on a theoretical level, but in practice it's really pretty rare for me to have my laptop shut down completely, and even rarer that I'd want to open it up while keeping it powered off. Still, it's a weird and kind of controlling "feature" for them to add.
 
When I had a Mac I used an app called Keyboard Cleaner that locked all keys except Cmd+Q combo. It doesn't solve the boot on lid open or any key, but it did enable me to clean the keyboard properly. :)
 
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fisherking said:
ha, i did not know that (and don't get the point of it). how does anyone with a newer mac clean their keyboard? (hopefully someone here has an answer).

compressed air? magic? gently, with an eyeglass cloth?
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I bought a little vacuum on Amazon, I was cheap about it so it worked about equally as well as the compressed air. Then a very quick wipe

It is definitely frustrating. on the bright side, great motivation to avoid snacking near my computer. But I’ll have to look at one of the apps

I don’t exactly see the benefit for most people, as I never held the power button before closing/opening my laptop before anyway. What average user is doing that? I’d just shut the lid. This doesn’t seem like it’s saving me a step unless I’m missing something
 
thv said:
I bought a little vacuum on Amazon, I was cheap about it so it worked about equally as well as the compressed air. Then a very quick wipe

It is definitely frustrating. on the bright side, great motivation to avoid snacking near my computer. But I’ll have to look at one of the apps

I don’t exactly see the benefit for most people, as I never held the power button before closing/opening my laptop before anyway. What average user is doing that? I’d just shut the lid. This doesn’t seem like it’s saving me a step unless I’m missing something
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i very-rarely shut down my mac completely. that (of course) is where i'd need the power button to turn it back on. and when i do shut it down, that's when i clean the keyboard and trackpad.

but yes: a small vacuum. or compressed air. and/or a gentle wipe with a microfiber cloth. and no chocolate-on-a hot day, or raspberries when i work ☺️👍
 
phrenologist said:
what happens if you clean the keyboard while at the lock screen (or while logged out)?
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It enters all the key strokes into the password field. The top row of keys will trigger stuff too, like the brightness, volume, etc.

My old cleaning routine would be to shut down the laptop, and then clean the keyboard/screen with a microfibre cloth (with a spray or two of screen cleaning liquid onto it, if required). I could use enough pressure to clean off all the oils from the keyboard and I would make sure I don't press the power button in the process, to avoid booting up the laptop. At the end, I would hold the laptop up in the light and look at the keyboard/screen from different angles to make sure I got every smudge. I'd get it looking spanking new, before closing the lid and putting it away.

The process is such a chore now. I still haven't figure out a good way to do it. I don't like that I can't clean the keyboard without the screen registering all the buttons that are being pressed when the laptop is on (and turning the laptop on when it is off). It is infuriating.
 
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More seriously I, like OP, am quickly discovering this so-called feature is in fact a complete PITA. Wouldn't be so bad if, after opening the lid and powering up, the thing stayed shut-down when you shut it down, instead of switching on when you so much as sneeze on literally any key. I'd like to meet the person at Apple who thought this was a great idea and b*tch slap them. Or have them clean my keyboard. Probably both.
 
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I see the opportunity for a MacOS app here which effectively freezes all the keys on your computer and blanks the screen until you press something like QAZPLM at the same time, which you're not generally going to hit as a random combination during cleaning. Shame I'm not a coder. Well I am, but I'm not sure they write apps in 6502, 6809 or Z80A any more.
 
There's an app in the App Store called "Real Keyboard Cleaner" which locks the keyboard for cleaning. It's a paid-for app though.
 
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Scott M said:
Not a big fan of this feature. Is there a way I can turn this off so that I have to actually use the power button to turn the MacBook on?

It’s the M1 MacBook Air.
Click to expand...
i am wondering the same, i have a M1 MBP 14 inch and im desperate to turn off the auto boot on lid open...
PLEASE HELP!!
 
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