Titanium PowerBook won't sleep

[CJRhoades]

Hello,

I've recently dug one of my TiBooks out of storage and for some reason I cannot get it to sleep. It's a 667MHz DVI model running Tiger. Closing the lid or choosing sleep from the menu will put it to sleep for a brief moment, the hard disk audibly begins to spin down and the sleep light comes on, but within 1 second it wakes back up. The only way I can actually make it to sleep is to run the battery down to 0% and it will put itself to sleep. I can then plug it in and it will remain asleep until I wake it.

Any ideas on what could be the issue here? It did not have this problem before, although it's been a few years since I had it running. The PRAM battery is now dead (it wasn't before) so maybe that's the issue? Seems like a new one may be difficult to get though.

 

[DearthnVader]

Try a reinstall of the OS, otherwise, some HW issue, maybe the dead Pram battery.

 

[AphoticD]

Will it sleep with the lid open if you choose Sleep from the Apple menu / Special menu or when setting energy saver to put the system to sleep after a short (5 min) period of idle?

You could also try the CUDA reset button on the main board - lift up the keyboard and you’ll see a little button through a cut out at the top right.

This should reset the power management, etc.

I would also try disconnecting the keyboard and booting up, then close the lid and see if it stays asleep. It could be a stuck modifier key or F key or something being held down.

 

[eyoungren]

Hello,

I've recently dug one of my TiBooks out of storage and for some reason I cannot get it to sleep. It's a 667MHz DVI model running Tiger. Closing the lid or choosing sleep from the menu will put it to sleep for a brief moment, the hard disk audibly begins to spin down and the sleep light comes on, but within 1 second it wakes back up. The only way I can actually make it to sleep is to run the battery down to 0% and it will put itself to sleep. I can then plug it in and it will remain asleep until I wake it.

Any ideas on what could be the issue here? It did not have this problem before, although it's been a few years since I had it running. The PRAM battery is now dead (it wasn't before) so maybe that's the issue? Seems like a new one may be difficult to get though.

Do you have Bluetooth? If so, turn off allow BT devices to wake the PB.

If you don't have BT, do you have any USB devices connected to it? Another user had this same problem and it turned out his USB device was immediately waking the Mac.

 

[CJRhoades]

I would also try disconnecting the keyboard and booting up, then close the lid and see if it stays asleep. It could be a stuck modifier key or F key or something being held down.

Wow, that was it. Turns out the “/“ key was stuck. Not physically, the key moves normally, but it seems something inside it is not right. I tried blowing some compressed air into it and exercising it and it’s a little better now. I can get the computer to sleep, but just breathing on it is enough to make the computer think I’m pressing it.

I removed the key cap and it looks normal. The scissor mechanism and rubber nipple look normal so I’m not sure what the problem is. Any suggestions for repair?

I thought about stealing the keyboard off my other TiBook which has a broken hinge. Unfortunately while it’s also a 667MHz machine, it’s an Onyx not a DVI so while the connector is the same, the ribbon cable is a different length.

 

[svanstrom]

Wow, that was it. Turns out the “/“ key was stuck. Not physically, the key moves normally, but it seems something inside it is not right. I tried blowing some compressed air into it and exercising it and it’s a little better now. I can get the computer to sleep, but just breathing on it is enough to make the computer think I’m pressing it.

I removed the key cap and it looks normal. The scissor mechanism and rubber nipple look normal so I’m not sure what the problem is. Any suggestions for repair?

I thought about stealing the keyboard off my other TiBook which has a broken hinge. Unfortunately while it’s also a 667MHz machine, it’s an Onyx not a DVI so while the connector is the same, the ribbon cable is a different length.

Not a suggestion for a repair; but for some software that might help deal with some of the pain.

I had a similar problem myself once upon a time, and then I used Karabiner to disable the internal keyboard whenever an external keyboard was connected.

Disable the built-in keyboard when external keyboard is connected

You can disable MacBook built-in keyboard if external keyboards are connected. This feature is useful when you put the external keybaord on top of the built-in keyboard. Enable Disable the built-in keyboard while this device is connected in Devices tab. Configure the built-in keyboard detection...

karabiner-elements.pqrs.org

 

[AphoticD]

Wow, that was it. Turns out the “/“ key was stuck. Not physically, the key moves normally, but it seems something inside it is not right. I tried blowing some compressed air into it and exercising it and it’s a little better now. I can get the computer to sleep, but just breathing on it is enough to make the computer think I’m pressing it.

I removed the key cap and it looks normal. The scissor mechanism and rubber nipple look normal so I’m not sure what the problem is. Any suggestions for repair?

I thought about stealing the keyboard off my other TiBook which has a broken hinge. Unfortunately while it’s also a 667MHz machine, it’s an Onyx not a DVI so while the connector is the same, the ribbon cable is a different length.

I’ve had a few laptop keyboards with phantom stuck keys revive by generously spraying the area with IPA, then pressing the key repeatedly until it becomes unstuck. Something inside the membrane is creating random contact, likely residue from a coffee / soda spill in the past.

 

[CJRhoades]

I’ve had a few laptop keyboards with phantom stuck keys revive by generously spraying the area with IPA, then pressing the key repeatedly until it becomes unstuck. Something inside the membrane is creating random contact, likely residue from a coffee / soda spill in the past.

IPA? Isopropyl alcohol? I’m a little afraid that might eat away some of the adhesives inside the keyboard, assuming there are some. I don’t see any screws to take it apart so I’m assuming it’s somewhat glued together.

 

[AphoticD]

IPA? Isopropyl alcohol? I’m a little afraid that might eat away some of the adhesives inside the keyboard, assuming there are some. I don’t see any screws to take it apart so I’m assuming it’s somewhat glued together.

That’s the one. No damage in my experience. Nothing has come unstuck other than the sticky keys

 

[CJRhoades]

That’s the one. No damage in my experience. Nothing has come unstuck other than the sticky keys

Well this did the trick. I tried to only apply a little but ended up accidentally soaking the keyboard in alcohol. After letting it dry a few days, no more sticky key.