Gina Johnson
If your iMac is experiencing sleep/wake failure, you're not alone. This issue has been reported by several iMac users, and there are a variety of potential fixes you can try. Firstly, check if your iMac is infected with malware or viruses, as these can interfere with your iMac's operations. If you find any, be sure to delete them immediately. Next, try resetting the SMC (System Management Controller), which manages various low-level settings, including sleep and wake functions. If that doesn't work, you can try disabling the Put hard disk to sleep when possible feature, as this has been known to cause issues for some users. Additionally, you may want to check your sleep settings and ensure they are configured as desired. If all else fails, you can try performing a hard reboot, although this may result in unsaved data being lost, so it should be a last resort.
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What You'll Learn
Reset the SMC (System Management Controller)
Resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) can help solve hardware or power-related issues on Intel-based Macs. The SMC is a chip that manages important physical components of your computer, such as cooling fans, status lights, system performance, and power supply.
- Shut down your Mac.
- 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 all the keys.
- Press the power button again to turn on your Mac.
If your Mac notebook has a removable battery, follow these steps instead:
- Shut down your Mac.
- Remove the battery.
- Press and hold the power button for five seconds.
- Put the battery back in.
- Turn on your MacBook.
For desktop Macs with the Apple T2 Security Chip (typically models from 2018 or later), the process is slightly different:
- Shut down your Mac.
- Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release.
- Wait a few seconds and restart your Mac.
If the issue persists, try shutting down your Mac again, unplugging the power cord for 15 seconds, and then plugging it back in and restarting.
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Check for viruses or malware
Sleep/Wake failure on an iMac can be caused by both software and hardware issues. If basic troubleshooting does not work, it may be time to check for viruses or malware.
Firstly, it is important to note that there are currently no known viruses in the wild that affect Macs. However, malware is a different story. Malware is often hidden in illegal copies of expensive software, such as Photoshop, Mathematica, and Avid. It is best to avoid downloading from these types of sources. The App Store and Known Developers settings on your Mac allow apps from known developers who are registered with Apple and can be security checked.
If you suspect your Mac is infected with malware, do not type any passwords or login details, as a hidden keylogger may be running. Signs of malware include slow operating speed, which could mean someone is using your machine to mine cryptocurrency or run DDoS attacks. Another sign is the inability to access personal files, which could mean you are the victim of a Trojan horse or ransomware.
To prevent malware, you can use anti-virus apps, although these can slow down your device as they run in the background. Apple has its own built-in program to do any cleaning, so there is no need to worry. You can also use apps like MalwareBytes, which is recommended by most users.
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Change your sleep settings
If your iMac is not going to sleep or waking up as expected, you may need to change your sleep settings.
Firstly, check if your iMac is affected by any of the following:
- Unwanted software or malware: Use an antivirus tool to scan for and remove any threats.
- Power issues: Ensure your iMac is plugged in and receiving adequate power. Try connecting it to a different power outlet or using a different power adapter to rule out power-related issues.
- Peripheral devices: Disconnect any peripheral devices such as external storage, printers, or other USB devices. These could be interfering with your iMac's sleep settings.
- Network environment: Consider whether there are any differences in your network environment, such as the availability of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Ethernet connections. These factors may impact your iMac's sleep behaviour.
Once you've addressed the above potential issues, follow these steps to adjust your sleep settings:
- Click 'Energy' in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down) and turn off 'Wake for Network Access'. This will prevent your iMac from waking up unexpectedly due to network activity.
- Adjust the time before your iMac goes to sleep: Click the pop-up menu next to 'Turn display off on battery when inactive' or 'Turn display off on power adapter when inactive', and then select your preferred option.
- Disable 'Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off' in your Battery settings. This will ensure your iMac goes to sleep when expected.
- Disable 'Put hard disks to sleep when possible': This feature may interfere with your iMac's ability to wake up from sleep mode.
- Manage shared services: If you're using shared services on your iMac, such as a shared printer or stored files, you can turn off any services you don't need. Go to System Settings > General > Sharing and turn off the services accordingly.
- Check for unexpected activity: Ensure that no apps are accessing your disk, as this can prevent your iMac from sleeping. Also, check for unexpected keyboard presses, mouse clicks, or trackpad clicks that may be waking up your iMac.
By following these steps and adjusting your sleep settings, you should be able to resolve the sleep-wake failure on your iMac.
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Disable hibernate mode
Sleep Wake Failure is a common issue faced by many Mac users. This issue can be caused by both software and hardware problems. In some cases, the problem may be as simple as a power outage causing the MacBook to shut down automatically, while the user assumes it is in sleep mode. In other cases, it may be due to the "Put hard disks to sleep" option in Energy Saver disrupting the wake-up process from hibernation.
Hibernation mode, also known as "Safe Sleep" or "Deep Sleep", is a power-saving mode developed by Apple. In this mode, all memory in RAM is suspended to the disk, and the RAM is powered off. When the device wakes up from hibernation, the sleep image needs to be loaded back into the RAM, which takes longer than standard sleep mode.
To disable hibernation mode and force your Mac to only use standard sleep mode, you can make changes to the hibernatemode, standby, and autopoweroff settings. Here are the steps to disable hibernation mode:
- Open the Terminal application on your Mac.
- Type the following command:
Sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
Press Enter to execute the command.
By setting hibernatemode to 0, you are disabling hibernation mode completely. This means your Mac will only use standard sleep mode, which consumes more power but allows for a faster wake-up process.
Note that disabling hibernation mode may not be the best idea if you have a portable MacBook, as it will cause the battery to drain gradually when left in sleep mode. However, if you are facing Sleep Wake Failure issues, disabling hibernation mode could be a potential solution.
If disabling hibernation mode does not resolve the Sleep Wake Failure issue, you may need to try other troubleshooting methods or contact Apple Support for further assistance.
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Contact Apple Support
If your iMac won't wake up from sleep mode, there are a few simple tricks you can try. Firstly, check if your iMac is charged. Leave it to charge for half an hour, then press the power button to see if it starts up. If your iMac still won't wake up, try resetting the SMC (System Management Controller). To do this, hold the power button for 10 seconds to shut it off, reconnect the adapter, wait 5 seconds, then press the power button to restart.
If your iMac still won't wake up, it may be caused by unwanted software or malware. You can use an antivirus tool to scan your system and remove any threats.
If none of these simple fixes work, your iMac may have a more complex software or hardware issue. In this case, you should contact the Apple Support team. You can describe your situation and get suggestions or send your iMac for repair. You can also try starting up your iMac in Safe Mode to see if the issue is related to non-Apple startup items, login items, or kernel extensions.
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Frequently asked questions
If you suspect that viruses or malware are causing the issue, use an antivirus tool like Mackeeper's Antivirus to scan your system and remove any threats.
Here are a few quick fixes you can try:
- Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) by holding the power button for 10 seconds to force shut off, then reconnect the adapter, wait 5 seconds, and press the power button to restart.
- Reset NVRAM by pressing the power button to shut down, then pressing the power button along with Option + Command + P + R keys for 20 seconds.
- Check your sleep settings and adjust them as needed.
If the basic troubleshooting steps don't work, the issue could be more complex or related to hardware. Contact Apple support to describe your situation and get suggestions, or send your iMac for repair if necessary.
