MacBook Pro Energy Saving

[cppnerd]

Hello all,
I am running a MacBook Pro (15 "CD 2.0) as my main computer. I realized yesterday that my computer has not voluntarily gone into sleep mode/dimmed the screen/shut off the LCD when idle even though the Energy settings say it is set to blank screen after 3 minutes and sleep after 10.

Here's a quick synopsis:
-I don't have any applications running besides the obvious core applications and services.

-I'm not sure when exactly this started malfunctioning--the only thing I have done to the computer worth mentioning is the latest EFI update (however it did work fine after the update still). My power management settings have been locked since I set them on here, and they aren't changing (i.e. through some other application).

-Apple Menu->Sleep works just fine

-Computer sleeps when lid is shut (and wakes up fine when lid is opened)

This has really baffled me. I'd like to figure out how to fix this problem since I really can only leave my computer unplugged for 3-4 hours now (rather than being able to leave it on and just let it auto-sleep when I'm not using it which normally lasts me my working day when I am without a power cord.)

I am very knowledgeable with computers (longtime Unix user and administrator here), but I really don't know how the Macintosh manages this kind of thing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Makosuke]

I've seen this symptom before, but it's always been caused by either an application that remains "active" even when it shouldn't, or some background service that's mucking things up.

You said nothing but the "stock" applications running, but are you sure you haven't installed any additional pref panes, drivers, or such recently? Nothing untoward listed in the Login Items section of the Accounts Pref Pane?

The other thing you might try is deleting the relevant preference file (not remembering where it's stored, but Spotlight should find it for you) and/or changing the settings a bit, saving the changes (by switching to a different pref pane) then changing them back, to get things "reset".

If you want to be more drastic you might also try a cache cleaning, but I seriously doubt that will do anything.

 

[cppnerd]

Hello,
Thank you for your advice. I was not familiar enough with the Macintosh specific operating system to catch this:

Nothing untoward listed in the Login Items section of the Accounts Pref Pane?

There was, for some reason an iCal alarm application in there to run on startup (I don't even use iCal very often). I removed it and voila, my power saving works again. I guess it simply was probably a mis-click activating something to do with an alarm while I was in iCal. Once again, thank you--I wouldn't have even thought to look there.