How to make my mac not sleep when closed?

laiman · 21 Apr 2008 at 20:50

As title really, is it possible to have my MacBook Pro (leopard) closed and still fully operational? I.e running itunes? Similar to the way you can set XP to do nothing (instead of sleeping) when you close your laptop lid?

edit: Have had a look through all the preferences but I'm new to macs so don't really know where to look!

Felix E · 21 Apr 2008 at 21:24

It's possible when using an external screen.. if you put the macbook to sleep by closing the lid and then turn off the external and turn it on again, the macbook will come back to life but it will still be closed. If you lift the lid up the macbook screen will stay off, I sometimes do this when I just want to focus on one screen e.g. watching a movie.

I'm not sure running it with the lid closed is a good idea though due to the extra heat.

Doug · 21 Apr 2008 at 22:41

Checked under Energy Saver? If it's anywhere, I'd think it would be in there.

laiman · 22 Apr 2008 at 03:50

Yup, checked there to no avail! Was just because I often use it in the studio and will have some headphones in, get up to go up to the library or down to the lab and it annoys me that I can't keep playin my tunes. For the heat thing, if it does it with an external monitor then it should be ok right??

MacBook is starting to get on my nerves for silly things like this!! lol

Slogan · 22 Apr 2008 at 04:13

There's some programs you can use to keep it awake, something like Insomniax is one.

However, I wouldn't suggest it as the cooling is pretty much designed around the air flowing up off the keyboard unit - when the lid is closed it's keeping it trapped.

edit - spelling!

Felix E · 22 Apr 2008 at 13:17

Ahh yeah I remember now, yep InsomniaX will allow you to close the lid without it sleeping but as Slogan said there will be a heat issue. If it's just for a brief walk to the library then it probably won't matter so much.

Macbook has very few little issues imo... the only things that annoy me are the bong startup sound (although you can turn this off with a 3rd party pref pane) and the fact that I can't change volume from my macbook when connected to external speakers, these are pretty small issues though.

My point about the external monitor was that you could open the macbook screen up again but it would stay off and still output to the external. Therefore no extra heat.