Keeping Mac Air

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I have a Mac Air Book with MAC OS X 10.7.5. How would I keep the Mac running for a few days (not going into sleep mode) so I can get all my files backed up on Carbonite? Should I keep the lid of the laptop open so the keyboard doesn't heat up?

Also (beginner question) what is the difference in what the Mac can do when it is in sleep mode versus fully off?
 
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Generally a mac cannot do anything when it's asleep or off. The newer retina mac's can do minimal things when asleep like keep internet connection alive, do system updates, etc.
 
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You can change your system preferences to set the laptop to never sleep. Start your backup and leave it be.

Just so you know, my MacBook Air is never opened and it runs for weeks at a time. It isn't going to overheat as long as the fan exhaust isn't blocked.
 
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chas_m

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I have a Mac Air Book with MAC OS X 10.7.5. How would I keep the Mac running for a few days (not going into sleep mode) so I can get all my files backed up on Carbonite?

Adjust your Energy Saver preferences so that the DISPLAY goes to sleep but not the computer.


Should I keep the lid of the laptop open so the keyboard doesn't heat up?

Yes.

Also (beginner question) what is the difference in what the Mac can do when it is in sleep mode versus fully off?

On the VERY latest MacBook Pros and recent Air models, Apple has introduced a feature called Power Nap that allows them to do some routine chores while sleeping:

Mountain Lion: About Power Nap

Apple - OS X Mountain Lion

But excluding those models, what the Mac can "do" in sleep versus fully off is simply get back up and running a great deal faster (as in "instantly"). There is no practical difference in the amount of energy saved between sleep and "fully off" (the latter of which still draws a trickle charge anyway), so there is no real reason not to sleep the machine for routine use. Apple's own recommendations say to sleep the machine for normal periods of inactivity, only turning it off for transport or for prolonged periods of inactivity (they don't specify what they mean by "prolonged" but my interpretation is "longer than a weekend").

If you live in an area plagued by lots and lots of lightning strikes or power irregularities, I'd add that it is of course prudent to unplug your Mac from the main power source during such periods, or invest in a good Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) or both.
 
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You can change your system preferences to set the laptop to never sleep. Start your backup and leave it be.

Just so you know, my MacBook Air is never opened and it runs for weeks at a time. It isn't going to overheat as long as the fan exhaust isn't blocked.

I don't know about previous versions of OS X but you cannot choose to stop your laptop from sleeping in Mountain Lion. There is simply no "never" option for sleep.
 
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chas_m

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Sure you can, and you've always been able to. It's how I set all my notebooks up; I only let them sleep when I manually put them to sleep:

Energy-Saver-never.jpg

Energy-Saver-never2.jpg
 
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Sure there is.....

Screen Shot 2013-03-03 at 7.11.45 PM.png
 
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Wow. That's so weird! I just checked (yet again) and there it was! I was so disappointed when I first got my mac that I had no option for 'never'... Weird. Ok, I was wrong. Thanks!
 
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Thanks everyone. Know I know all I need to about when and how to put my Mac to sleep. This is my first time using the Forum. You guys are a great resource!
 

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