Herbie Murray
If your MacBook Pro won't wake from sleep mode, don't panic. This is a common issue with a variety of simple solutions you can try. Sleep mode is a valuable, power-saving feature that enables your Mac to conserve energy when not in use, so it's important to get it working again. Usually, you can wake your Mac from sleep mode by moving your mouse, pressing any key on your keyboard, or opening your device's lid. If these methods don't work, there are other troubleshooting steps you can take, such as checking your brightness settings, disconnecting external devices, resetting SMC, or performing a hard shut down.
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What You'll Learn
Try the usual methods to wake your MacBook Pro
If your MacBook Pro won't wake from sleep, there are several methods you can try. Firstly, check if your MacBook Pro is in sleep mode by looking for a pulsating sleep indicator light. If you can't find the light, try the usual methods to wake your MacBook Pro, such as moving your mouse, pressing any key on your keyboard, or opening the lid. If these methods don't work, try pressing the power button without holding it down.
If your MacBook Pro still won't wake from sleep, there are a few other things you can try. Check your screen brightness and use the brightness keys to increase it if it's set to a minimum. You can also try resetting the SMC (System Management Controller), which can fix issues related to sleep settings. To do this, shut down your MacBook Pro, then press and hold the "Control," "Option," and "left-side Shift" keys for 10 seconds. Release the keys, wait a moment, and then press the power button to turn it back on.
If your MacBook Pro is still unresponsive, you can try a few more advanced methods. One method is to reset the PRAM and VRAM. To do this, shut down your MacBook Pro, then press and hold the "Command," "Option," "P," and "R" keys simultaneously while pressing the power button. Continue holding the keys until you hear the startup sound, then release them. Another method is to disable "Power Nap" in your power settings, as this has been known to cause issues with waking from sleep.
If none of these methods work, you may need to take your MacBook Pro to an Apple Store or contact Apple Support for further assistance.
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Check if your MacBook Pro is actually on
If your MacBook Pro won't wake from sleep, it's important to first check if it's actually on. There are a few ways to do this. Firstly, check the sleep indicator light. Not all Mac models have this light, but if yours does, look for a slowly pulsating light that brightens and dims, indicating sleep mode. Another way to check is by observing the power button. If pressing the power button briefly doesn't wake your MacBook, try pressing and holding it down to perform a hard shut down. If that doesn't work, try a simple SMC reset to refresh the wake settings. To do this, hold down the power button to shut down your Mac, then press Control, Option, and the left-side Shift key for 10 seconds. Release the keys, wait a moment, and then press the power button again.
If your MacBook is still unresponsive, it may be powered off. To check, try pressing a keyboard button, moving your mouse, or opening your MacBook's lid, which should wake it from sleep mode. If it doesn't respond, the battery may have drained, causing an automatic shutdown. In this case, connect your MacBook to a power source and try turning it on. If your MacBook still won't turn on, try resetting the PRAM and VRAM. Shut down your MacBook, then press and hold the "Command," "Option," "P," and "R" keys simultaneously while pressing the power button. Continue holding the keys until you hear the startup sound, then release them.
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Try disconnecting external devices
If your MacBook Pro won't wake from sleep mode, it could be due to an issue with an external device. To address this, try disconnecting all external devices, such as hard drives, flash drives, and SD cards. It is important to properly "eject" these devices before disconnecting them and putting your MacBook to sleep.
When your MacBook is asleep, external devices will usually disconnect since they have nothing to connect to. However, if they are not ejected properly, drive management files can become corrupted or damaged, leading to erratic behavior and potential recognition issues with the external devices.
To prevent this, follow these steps:
- Eject all external devices.
- Power them off if they have a separate power source.
- Put your MacBook to sleep.
- Wake up your MacBook from sleep.
- Power on the external devices.
Alternatively, you can try the following:
- Power on the external devices first.
- Then wake your MacBook from sleep.
You can try both methods to see which one works best for your setup.
Additionally, if you suspect that your external drive is drawing too much power, consider using a powered hub or connecting it directly to your MacBook to ensure it receives sufficient voltage.
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Reset the SMC
Resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) can be an effective fix when your MacBook Pro won't wake from sleep mode. The process for resetting the SMC depends on the model of your MacBook Pro.
For MacBook Pro models from 2018 or later with the Apple T2 Security Chip:
- Shut down your MacBook Pro.
- Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release it.
- Wait a few seconds, then restart your MacBook Pro.
- If that doesn't work, shut down your MacBook Pro again.
- Unplug the power cord and wait 15 seconds.
- Reconnect the power cord and wait 5 seconds.
- Press the power button to turn your MacBook Pro back on.
For MacBook Pro models from mid-2009 to 2017 (pre-2018 models) with non-removable batteries:
- Shut down your MacBook Pro.
- Press and hold Shift, Control, and Option on the left side of the keyboard.
- Simultaneously, press and hold the power button for 10 seconds.
- Release the keys, then turn on your MacBook Pro.
For MacBook Pro models with removable batteries:
- Shut down your MacBook Pro.
- Remove the battery.
- Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
- Put the battery back in and turn on your MacBook Pro.
If your MacBook Pro still won't wake from sleep mode after resetting the SMC, you can try other solutions such as tapping on the trackpad, pressing a few keys on the keyboard, or performing a hard shut down by holding down the power button.
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Contact Apple for support
If your MacBook Pro won't wake up from sleep mode, there are several things you can try before contacting Apple for support. Firstly, check if something is pressing the trackpad, mouse button, or keyboard keys, causing the MacBook to wake up unintentionally. Next, ensure that no apps are accessing your disk and keeping your MacBook from going to sleep. Apps like Music and DVD Player can prevent your MacBook from sleeping. Similarly, Spotlight indexing can also keep your MacBook awake for several hours, depending on the number of files. Additionally, malfunctioning USB and Thunderbolt storage devices may be the culprit, so try disconnecting them and see if your MacBook goes to sleep. If it does, reconnect each device individually until you find the malfunctioning one.
You can also try adjusting your sleep settings. Go to "Battery" in the sidebar and click "Options" to set the amount of time that should elapse before your MacBook goes to sleep. Additionally, you can turn off "Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off" in your battery settings. If your MacBook still won't wake up, try a simple SMC reset, which can refresh the disordered wake settings. To do this, press and hold the power button for a few seconds to shut down your MacBook completely. Then, press Control, Option, and the left-side Shift key for ten seconds. If you have a T2-based Mac, use the right-side Shift key instead. Release the keys, then press the power button again to turn on your MacBook.
If none of these solutions work, your MacBook may have other software or hardware issues. In this case, it's best to contact Apple for support. You can describe your situation to their support team and get suggestions or send your MacBook for repair. If your MacBook is still under warranty, take it to an authorized Apple Store or reseller to have the problem fixed. Additionally, you can try resetting PRAM and VRAM on your MacBook by pressing the "Command," "Option," "P," and "R" keys simultaneously when restarting your device. If your MacBook is not charging properly, ensure that you connect AC power when possible and only run on batteries when no AC sources are available.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several reasons why your MacBook Pro might not be waking from sleep. It could be due to power management problems, a hardware-based configuration fault, or malicious software.
Try the following:
- Check if your MacBook Pro is actually turned on.
- Press the power button but do not hold it down.
- Tap on the trackpad, then tap a few keys on the keyboard.
- Check your sleep settings.
- Reset the SMC.
- Disconnect all external devices.
- Check for malicious software.
If none of the above solutions work, you can call AppleCare, take your MacBook Pro to an Apple Store, or send it for repair.
