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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Unlocking the screen saver?

Unlocking the screen saver?
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danbrew
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Jul 16, 2004, 09:50 AM
 
Silly problem - I've had a 17" PB for about a year and generally leave the unit turned on. When I'm done using it, I simply close the cover and leave it on my desk. It is always plugged in. Recently I've noticed that when I open the cover to begin work, I sometimes have to enter the password six or eight times in order to get it out of the sleep/screen saver mode. I'm certain that it's not me typing the password in incorrectly.

It's a real pita. Any suggestions?
     
kafoochy
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Jul 16, 2004, 10:05 AM
 
I haven't seen that problem. You'd get more posts if you post it under the Mac OS X Software troubleshooting forum. Although you have a Powerbook, this isn't quite the place the post your question since it doesn't sound like it is specific to your Powerbook.
     
danbrew  (op)
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Jul 16, 2004, 11:29 PM
 
yeah, god knows the rest of those macs have lids you can close to put to sleep...!
     
rag on a muffin
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Jul 17, 2004, 01:26 AM
 
Originally posted by danbrew:
yeah, god knows the rest of those macs have lids you can close to put to sleep...!
i dont think thats the problem. try deleting the password, and re-enableing it.
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AlbertWu
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Jul 17, 2004, 02:53 AM
 
Sometimes if my computer wakes up while the lid is closed (due to an external keyboard or something,) the password screen doesn't go away and when I do finally open the lid, they're stacked.
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danbrew  (op)
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Jul 17, 2004, 06:39 AM
 
yes, that sounds exactly like the problem i'm having, albert. no external keyboard, though. bluetooth mouse.

hmmm. i'm sure the machine is not staying "on" (vs. sleep mode) because it's not hot. it's just a pain to have to type the password and then have the dialog box jump up four or five more times.
     
chabig
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Jul 17, 2004, 12:49 PM
 
I would bet money you're typing the password wrong. You have to wait for the machine to wake up and present the dialog before you start typing. If you type too fast, you'll miss the first few letters.

Chris
     
danbrew  (op)
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Jul 18, 2004, 02:07 PM
 
I'm certain it's not me typing the password in incorrectly.
This might explain it the first time, even though I'm not typing it too fast. But it would not explain that it pops up and once I enter the password, it immediately pops up a dialog asking again - this goes on three or four times before I can use the machine. Frustrating.
     
chabig
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Jul 18, 2004, 03:14 PM
 
Yeah, you're right. I guess that would just explain it the first time.
     
danbrew  (op)
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Jul 18, 2004, 08:22 PM
 
Also, what's really interesting is this - if you type in the password incorrectly, you get an "incorrect password" notice. I don't get that. I get the unlock and it shows the screen and then the locked dialog box pops up. I've got to go through this a few times - sometimes once or twice, sometimes six or seven times. there are no hotspots in the corners that turn on the screen saver or lock the screen either.

wierd.
     
olePigeon
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Jul 18, 2004, 08:46 PM
 
Fast User switch to the Login Menu before you close your lid.
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you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
t4r1q
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Jul 18, 2004, 09:23 PM
 
i recall someone mentioning a similar problem. he would put his laptop to sleep and upon opening the lid to use it later on, he would have 6-7 password boxes open. in that case, he found the laptop was inadvertently being woken up, followed by going to back to sleep and then woken up again (continuously).
     
rag on a muffin
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Jul 19, 2004, 12:08 AM
 
Originally posted by danbrew:
yes, that sounds exactly like the problem i'm having, albert. no external keyboard, though. bluetooth mouse.
well, if your having problems with it going on, the bluetooth mouse can turn on the computer if you budge it while its off. it thinks you want to go into clamshell mode, when you really dont.

here is the solution to your problem if the computer coming on is the problem:
[list=1][*]go to the document: [your home folder]/library/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist[*]open it with text edit[*]where you see the term:"BluetoothSystemWakeEnable" below it there will be a term that says "true", change that to false[*]save changes and quit[/list=1]

that should work, if not i am not sure what to do.
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wuzup101
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Jul 19, 2004, 12:49 AM
 
There was a post about this a few weeks back about people who carried their PBs in their bags and the latches weren't firm enough to keep the books from waking up from sleep and going back to sleep. The result was the same, a stack of password dialogues similar do what you're getting. I would suggest trying the above fix for you're bluetooth mouse, it should do the trick. Like you said, you can type the password in wrong the first time... but you're not going to do it 5 times...
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danbrew  (op)
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Jul 19, 2004, 06:19 PM
 
excellent - thanks for the informative post. i've made the changes and will see what happens over the next few days.

     
   
 
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