Carrying MBP around in sleep or deep sleep

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I can't seem to find a recent post about this issue, or one that answers my specific question, so here goes.

Numerous posts suggest that it has always been fine to carry a MB or MBP around in sleep mode (in a bag, to and from work for example). But the guy at the Mac store here in Taipei (not sure if he has the "genius" status or not) says that this my damage the hd, as it still spins very slowly during sleep. My first quesiton is, who's right on this point?

Second, other posts suggest that deep sleep is better than regular sleep if you don't mind waiting a bit longer to wake up, in that it saves the current state to hd memory instead of RAM. My second question is, does this make it any safer for carrying the computer around without shutting down?

Incidently, I found that the original Deep Sleep widget (Deep Sleep, last update Feb. 2009) doesn't seem to work with Snow Leopard, it just keeps asking me for my admin password, even after I enter it. I did find a new one that does, however, from Axonic Labs (Axonic Labs - DeepSleep Widget - Hibernate your Mac). Let me know if you have tried a different one, and which you prefer.

Thanks!
 

chscag

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Lots of opinions around on this one. :) But here's my take anyway....

When carrying around your Mac in a backpack or whatever, and it's sleeping or hibernating, there's always a chance the machine can wake up. If the machine wakes up the hard drive will spin up also. That can result in data loss or may even damage the hard drive (if you jar or bump the carry case hard).

As for "Deep Sleep", it's not compatible with Snow Leopard. Instead download and use the free "Safe Sleep" which does the same thing but is a bit more configurable. It installs as a preference pane.

Regards.
 
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Well, I've been carrying my Macbook around for the past two years or so without much care or concern. No problems so far.
 
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Is that what you use? And what settings do you at yours to?
 

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Don't forget about the "Sudden Motion Sensor" technology...at least in newer Apple laptops.

- Nick
 
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riverteeth
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The main difference as far as I can tell, is that certain things will definitely wake a machine up from regular sleep, like the detection of a wifi spot if you've left airport on, or detection of a hard drive. In some cases, it seems to me that this may cause your MB to wake up while you're carrying it, leaving the possibility of doing damage to your HD.

But, as far as I can tell, hibernate is really just like shuting down, so that nothing could "wake it up" from this state except pressing the power button. The difference between it and regular shut down is that when you next boot up, the MB uses the image it saved prior to shuting down, and after about 45 sec. (in my case) you are brought back to where you left off.

The like that cshcag left is for a program that allows you to set regurlar sleep to safe sleep or hibernate, but does not install a preference pane. That program is called SmartSleep. It looks useful, but still means that you can only use sleep, "smart sleep", safe sleep, or hibernate, all the time. I like the Deep Sleep widget from Axiom I linked to above becuase with it, I can close the lid for regular sleep, or click the widget when I want to hibernate and go to work or home.

Correct me if I still don't have it all right! Frustrating that this stuff isn't in the apple help files in plain english!
 
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I need to be honest, when I read the title of this thread I thought it would be about someone who took his macbook with him everytime he was sleep walking.
 
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Detection of a Wi-Fi hotspot should not wake up a Macbook. If it does, then you've got an issue that needs to be resolved. Inserting anything into the USB ports will wake a Macbook.

I've been lugging my Macbook around for three years while in sleep mode. I've taken it to class, I've taken it on planes, and I've walked around the house with it, all while the lid was closed and it was sleeping. As long as you keep it in a sleeve, there is no way for it to wake up and cause damage to the hard drive. And even if it does wake up, there's the sudden motion sensor that will lock down the hard drive.

There's really nothing to worry about when it comes to moving a Macbook around while it's sleeping. If you're really that paranoid about it, then just shut it down.
 
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*agrees with kash*
 

chscag

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The like that cshcag left is for a program that allows you to set regurlar sleep to safe sleep or hibernate, but does not install a preference pane. That program is called SmartSleep. It looks useful, but still means that you can only use sleep, "smart sleep", safe sleep, or hibernate, all the time. I like the Deep Sleep widget from Axiom I linked to above becuase with it, I can close the lid for regular sleep, or click the widget when I want to hibernate and go to work or home.

riverteeth:

SmartSleep does install a preference pane. Did you try it? I use the "sleep only" option because it will sleep the machine immediately. When using hibernate, there's a delay while the system state is copied to memory. Usually the delay is short though.

Regards.
 

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I do the same thing as Kash. I just close the lid and put it in my messenger bag and I'm off to school. On my bike, running to class whatever and it's fine.
 
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Here’s a silly newbie question for you guys. I always switch mine off when i finish for the day.
I do not use it for much other than looking about online, DLing music and videos. That’s about it. Does it really matter if i turn it completely off? It will be off for about 12 hours before i switch it back on again. I am never doing any work that needs saved or can wait till the next morning to start.
 
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I only open and close the lid, I never shut the MBP down or reboot unless Apple Software Update asks me to reboot.

Cheers ... McBie
 

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Here’s a silly newbie question for you guys. I always switch mine off when i finish for the day.
I do not use it for much other than looking about online, DLing music and videos. That’s about it. Does it really matter if i turn it completely off? It will be off for about 12 hours before i switch it back on again. I am never doing any work that needs saved or can wait till the next morning to start.

Well if you are the least bit concerned about energy cost and global warming I would turn off anything you aren't using, especially electronics.

Other than that it's fine to leave on or let sleep overnight. I haven't turned off my MB in almost a year.
 
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Well if you are the least bit concerned about energy cost and global warming I would turn off anything you aren't using, especially electronics.

Other than that it's fine to leave on or let sleep overnight. I haven't turned off my MB in almost a year.


I couldn't care less about Global warming because it’s a myth. Sorry to sound so course it’s not ment in the nasty tone it reads
 
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I couldn't care less about Global warming because it’s a myth. Sorry to sound so course it’s not ment in the nasty tone it reads

Let's not open that can of worms here...

I only ever restart my MBP after I've installed something which requires it. It's either on, or asleep. I chuck it in it's sleeve, in my car and then drive to Uni, drag it around all day and have had no problems.
 

CrimsonRequiem


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I couldn't care less about Global warming because it’s a myth. Sorry to sound so course it’s not ment in the nasty tone it reads

Wow you totally missed the sarcasm. >_>"
 
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Here’s a silly newbie question for you guys. I always switch mine off when i finish for the day.
I do not use it for much other than looking about online, DLing music and videos. That’s about it. Does it really matter if i turn it completely off? It will be off for about 12 hours before i switch it back on again. I am never doing any work that needs saved or can wait till the next morning to start.

Mac OS X likes to run things in the middle of the night that do things for you to make it work better than windows. Stuff like defragging disks, rotating logs and that sort of thing. If you're going to shut it down it's a good idea to keep it up for at least one night a week to give the OS the opportunity to run these clean-uup processes. Otherwise, like I and others do, it stays on all night every night, and goes to sleep to come to work with me. Only time it gets booted or shut down is if Software Update needs to for an update and even then it's a restart unless there is a hardware upgrade.
 
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Mac OS X likes to run things in the middle of the night that do things for you to make it work better than windows. Stuff like defragging disks, rotating logs and that sort of thing. If you're going to shut it down it's a good idea to keep it up for at least one night a week to give the OS the opportunity to run these clean-uup processes. Otherwise, like I and others do, it stays on all night every night, and goes to sleep to come to work with me. Only time it gets booted or shut down is if Software Update needs to for an update and even then it's a restart unless there is a hardware upgrade.

Thanks a lot. From now on the only time i will shut it down is if it needs to be shut down to install something. I was going to ask the question about defraying and how to clean up the Mac so i guess it does all that itself or are there any handy free programes i can DL that help the Mac run better. I have a new MacBook Pro 15” 250 GB Hard drive with 4GB
;D
 

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