17" MBP sleep issues - can other users please test this for me...

[Littlehoof]

My flatmate and I both have 17" MBPs...

My flatmates was a Rev A and shortly after he got it he found that any pressure on the front right corner (superdrive area) when the computer was closed would wake it from sleep. Many things were tried to fix the problem. The top case was replaced - no change. Then the whole lid was replaced - this minimised the problem somewhat but didn't fix it. Finally the logic board was replaced and still the problem remained. So eventually after months of hassle, about a month ago now, Apple replaced his computer.

I bought my 17" MBP in May. One of the things I checked right away was whether my computer had the same problem my flatmates did. I did find that if I squeezed the computer on the front right corner fairly strongly during sleep then the computer would wake from sleep - but I had to apply a fair amount of pressure to make this happen so I didn't consider it an issue. The issue I did have however was that my bottom case was not flat - the front right foot was raised by about 2mm-3mm from any flat surface. It took me till now to get the bottom case replaced because I couldn't be without the computer for study and work for a month or so and then when I had the time to let it go for repair Apple tried to tell me the problem was purely cosmetic and not covered under warranty - a month of me hassling them latter and they finally replaced the bottom case under warranty...

Now I've just got my computer back with the replaced bottom case today and I've found that I now have the same problem my flatmate originally had - if the computer is in sleep and I pick it up around the superdrive corner it wakes from sleep. Once I set it down it will whir for 5 seconds or so and then go back to sleep. Knowing how much hassle I've gone through with Apple already regarding the bottom case and knowing how much difficulty my flatmate had with this problem getting apple to fix it Im distressed at the prospect of further repair schedules :S but I don't want to just live with this problem.

Could anyone reading this who has a 17" MBP of any revision please run this experiment for me? Close your laptop and let it sleep. Then pick it up by the front right corner - the superdrive area. If nothing happens move your hand around a little and apply pressure in slightly different spots. I would like to know if anyone else has this issue and to what degree(Ie. how hard you have to push to make the this smptom present itself)? Apple told my flatmate they had never heard of anything like his problem before but it seems beyond coincidental that a problem that no one else has turns up twice in the same household...

Hope you can find the time to read and respond! Thanks in anticipation
Cheers, Ash.

 

[ScottDrummer]

by pressing the case, you could be pressing the trackpad button or a button on the keyboard. as long as it dosnt happen naturally i.e when its in your laptop bag etc... then i dont think its an issue you need to worry about

 

[Nightkrawler]

Just wanted to say that i have the exact same problem
I was told that the problem could be that the magnet of the lid could be "too strong" or misplaced and the sensor gets wrong values. I dont think that it is the keyboard.

I disabled lidwake to prevent my mbp waking up when i transport it.

 

[hotboiled]

i have rev a MBP 17 "

noting happening up here

 

[Littlehoof]

thanks for the feedback so far, would appreciate more comments from other people

ScottD: The pressure of picking it up isn't pressing anywhere over the keyboard or the trackpad. And I think it is waking from sleep in its case. it doesn't take much to wake it - a light bump will do it. 4% of my battery burned in a 20 min bus ride with the computer in sleep on the way home today... I think thats more than would be normal right? I'll try and measure this more quantativly tomorrow.

KinghtK: Did Apple make any attempts to fix the problem for you? The magnet thing was what Apple thought it was with my flatmates computer - but if it was then replacing the lid should have fixed it and while that action did reduce the problem it didn't adequately resolve it.

 

[devman]

There's a magnet in the left side of the lid about halfway. When it gets in proximity to the top case it activates a switch/sensor that puts the machine to sleep. If there was enough play in the lid (speculation) I guess the magnet is being moved far enough away from the top case that the sensor is activated and the machine thinks the lid is open and thus wakes.

 

[Littlehoof]

hm, well I hoped I might have had a few more responses to this

anyhow, just incase anyone was interested in the problem... I ran tests with my computer in sleep in its bag during a half hour bus ride and checked the system logs after the trip. The first trip it had woken about 15 times and burned 6% of the battery. The second trip I used one of those neoprene pouches around it aswell as putting it in my normal carry case and that time it woke up 3 times in the first 5 minutes and then it stayed awake for the rest of the trip - it was hot when I got home and took it out of the bag - it had crashed and had used 11% of the battery.

I've taken it into the mac repair shop and they're ordering a new top case for it. I'm dubious as to whether this can fix the problem since this was the same step they took first with my flatmates computer and it didn't make a difference - but it seems I just have to jump thruough the right hoops.

 

[AppLocation]

My Rev C 17" would wake up while in my backpack as well. Everything else worked well and no dead pixels so I decided to live with it. I had also just waited over 2 months to get the MBP so I wasn't about to start sending it back. I disabled lid wake and haven't really had a problem since...its part of my workflow now when I connect to an external monitor at work.

I guess I could start complaining to Apple, but I'd rather have this issue than something else go wrong while trying to fix it.

 

[Nightkrawler]

Its me again, im sorry that i wasn't responding before but my mbp was in service .
I just wanted to say that they fixed it
They replaced the topcase/palmrest. I couldnt ask them what it exactly was because i was in a hurry, sorry. Its nice to have a new topcase, the keyboard and touchpad got replaced too so its like new, after 9 months
Before that, my mbp woke up exactly like yours (while pressing near the superdrive when its closed, holding the mbp at the corner etc.)

I am pretty sure that apple is aware of the problem.

 

[Littlehoof]

Thanks NightK! Thats encouraging to hear!
I'm meant to get a phone call from the service centre today - they expect to get the topcase part they've ordered in today... I suspect it won't come till Monday or Tuesday though, lol, coz in my experience these things are never prompt :S

 

[Littlehoof]

Final resolution.

This thread is way old now - but I've still been dealing with issues with my computer until now - I just gave up posting about it... The replacement of the topcase I was writting about last did fix the matter of the computer waking when it was lifted or bumped on the right side. Unfortunately it introduced a new fault again. After that repair my computer would only sleep when closed about 50% of the time. Half the time when you closed the lid it would just stay awake. Further to this, if the computer didn't sleep when you closed it then often when you opened it up it would then go to sleep. If the computer was put to sleep by the OS and then closed often closing it would cause it to wake. After waiting more than a month the topcase was replaced again. This hasn't had any effect - I still have the problem I've just described...

So I'm updating this thread for two reasons - partly incase anyone else has similar problems and is trying to figure out if topcase replacements help it, in my experience they didn't - and mostly to brag Coz I'm now getting my machine replaced with a brand new one yay!! Its the latest revision {{{and}}} I'll get leopard