Power key often doesn't work

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my power button doesn't shut down the computer in 10 secs. Usually it takes about 40 sec and this morning it would not start up at all. I had to close the lid and leave it for half an hour before trying again. Is there a hard reset hole somewhere on the machine? MacBook Air Mountain Lion.
 

pigoo3

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Firstly…why are you using the power button to shut down your computer? Why aren't you using the sleep or shutdown commands from the Apple menu?

Secondly…if your computer has a "lid" why is this thread posted in the "Desktop" area?;)

- Nick
 
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Wow use that and troubles will follow. What is wrong going via the 'Shut Down' program? Are you actually quitting any open programs using the Quit command, or simply clicking the red dot which shuts the window but leave the program running?
 
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I apologise, I can see I did not explain it very well at all.
I normally would use the shutdown selection but when I open the 'lid' to start up the computer it fails to start and I am left with a dead black screen. I then try a restart by holding down the power key together with the cntrl & cmd keys. This is when it takes a long time to start and sometimes completely fails to start. I am afraid to shut it down in case I cannot get it going again. (this is why I asked if there is not a hard reset hole somewhere?) Paul (Macbook Air OsX8.5)
 
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I wonder if the OP is a bit confused here between actually booting up and the Mac not waking properly from sleep mode…???
 

pigoo3

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I normally would use the shutdown selection but when I open the 'lid' to start up the computer it fails to start and I am left with a dead black screen.

This is exactly what should happen when the "Shut Down" command is used.

I then try a restart by holding down the power key together with the cntrl & cmd keys. This is when it takes a long time to start and sometimes completely fails to start.

Why are you pressing the power key + command key + control key?? This is not the way to power on a Macintosh computer.

Bottom line. If you want the computer to "start up" and be ready to use when you open the computers "lid"…then you need to use the "Sleep" command…not the "Shut Down" command.

- Nick
 

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