Problem with iBook locking up on wake

Stuart Rogers · 01-04-2003, 03:12 PM

I have a problem with my iBook's keyboard and trackpad locking up,
and I really hope someone can help because it's driving me nuts...

This usually occurs when the iBook has been asleep connected to
the a/c supply for a few hours, then switching to battery power
just before being woken up. The only remedy appears to be to
hit the power button - which is not good.

Less common variations are:
* The track pad settings are not as I set them, and attempting
to check the mouse preferences results in it locking up, as will
sending the iBook to sleep and re-awakening it.
* Waking whilst still on a/c.

I strongly suspect this to be a software problem as it started
happening when I installed Jaguar OSX 10.2, and still happens
under 10.2.2. Reinstalling hasn't helped.

Zapping the PRAM and/or resetting the battery does not fix the problem.

The problem is not associated with any apps (including Classic) as it
also happens when no apps are running.

Any suggestions for a complete cure will be most welcome, as this problem
greatly reduces my enjoyment of this otherwise great laptop.

Best wishes

Stuart Rogers / stuart dot rogers at clara dot co dot uk
iBook: late 2001 dual-USB 600MHz with 384Mb RAM no USB devices.

griffman · 01-04-2003, 04:21 PM

Have you loaded 10.2.3? It ended my iBooks (very occasional) wake from sleep glitches...

-rob.

hayne · 01-04-2003, 10:30 PM

Stuart - you did a very good job of describing the sort of problems that I have experienced several times with my iBook. I haven't been able to pin it down but it definitely was related to waking from sleep. I thought it might be a networking related problem as I usually am connncted via Airport and so that is something else that is "waking up" at the same time.

I note a discussion of similar problems in this thread:
http://forums.macosxhints.com/showth...&threadid=5835
where one person thought that the problem was related to having 3rd-party menu items that caused the hang. I have been avoiding such menu item programs for a few weeks now. I did have one episode in the last few weeks in spite of this so maybe that is not the issue. I am now running 10.2.3 but I can't recall if that episode came before or after I upgraded to 10.2.3
One person mentioned that plugging in a USB mouse fixed the problem for them. I tried that one time when it happened to me and the mouse did work just fine but my trackpad & keyboard were still inoperative.

Stuart Rogers · 01-05-2003, 05:45 AM

Thanks for the suggestions so far...

* No, I haven't tried 10.2.3 yet. I posted this query on comp.sys.mac.system
and someone there replied that they *started* suffering this problem with
10.2.3. Ho hum.

* I shall have to dig out my USB mouse and try out Hayne's suggestion. (My
USB mouse is currently buried under a pile of junk, gathering dust along with
my PC!)

And thanks Haynes for the link to the macosxhints link - this never came up
from any of my searches of the site. Someone on that thread reckoned the
problem (at least in his case) was linked to menu gadgets, so I'll have to
investigate that - which is a shame as I like the gadgets I have (although I can
do without the volume control gadget).

Stuart.

hayne · 01-07-2003, 12:47 AM

I don't know if this is related or not but I wanted to point out this other thread where people have been having lernel panics upon logout that they seem to have correlated with problems in mouse/trackpad preference files:
http://forums.macosxhints.com/showth...=&postid=40368
(see the last few posts on the 2nd page)

I haven't experienced this kernel panic problem - but I never logout. I just sleep my iBook - I'm always logged in and am the only user.

But there might be a common issue at the base of both of these problems and maybe doing something with the preference files would prevent the problems we have sometimes been having upon wake from sleep?

Stuart Rogers · 01-07-2003, 12:53 PM

preference files

>I don't know if this is related or not but I wanted to point out this other thread >where people have been having lernel panics upon logout that they seem to
>have correlated with problems in mouse/trackpad preference files:

I had been suspecting corrupt preference files. After one lock-up I checked
for recently changed .plist files and noticed a spurious reference to "com.apple.soundmgr._DV" (or something similar) in my user
com.apple.systempreferences.plist file. I deleted that and for a while the
problem went away. Further lock-ups seemed to be associated with this
spurious key popping up, so I thought that was the problem, but now I
think it's coincidental, as I've had lock-ups without any plist files changed.

I wasn't aware of the 'tapBehaviour' entry referred to in the item you
mentioned, so I'll take a peek at that.

>I haven't experienced this kernel panic problem - but I never logout. I just sleep >my iBook - I'm always logged in and am the only user.

Same here.

>But there might be a common issue at the base of both of these problems and >maybe doing something with the preference files would prevent the problems
>we have sometimes been having upon wake from sleep?

Quite possibly - I do hope so.

I'll be trying 10.2.3 later this week.

Stuart.

Stuart Rogers · 01-07-2003, 05:42 PM

A quick update:

Upgrading to 10.2.3 has not fixed the problem.

Plugging in a USB mouse has no effect (it's a Microsoft Intellimouse
Explorer mouse that works under normal occasions).

Stuart.

Stuart Rogers · 05-03-2003, 05:30 AM

Just a quicky to tidy up this thread...

Quote:


	Originally posted by Stuart Rogers I have a problem with my iBook's keyboard and trackpad locking up, and I really hope someone can help because it's driving me nuts... This usually occurs when the iBook has been asleep connected to the a/c supply for a few hours, then switching to battery power just before being woken up. The only remedy appears to be to hit the power button - which is not good.

I should mention, in case anyone else comes across this thread because they're suffering the same problem, that there is a workaround for this problem....

Simply ensure that the Energy Savings preferences for a/c power and battery are identical. That's it. (Credit to Michael Blakeley for this - thanks Michael.)

I don't know if this problem is fixed in 10.2.5

Stuart.

01-04-2003, 03:12 PM	#1
Stuart Rogers Prospect Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Berkshire, England, UK Posts: 5	Problem with iBook locking up on wake I have a problem with my iBook's keyboard and trackpad locking up, and I really hope someone can help because it's driving me nuts... This usually occurs when the iBook has been asleep connected to the a/c supply for a few hours, then switching to battery power just before being woken up. The only remedy appears to be to hit the power button - which is not good. Less common variations are: * The track pad settings are not as I set them, and attempting to check the mouse preferences results in it locking up, as will sending the iBook to sleep and re-awakening it. * Waking whilst still on a/c. I strongly suspect this to be a software problem as it started happening when I installed Jaguar OSX 10.2, and still happens under 10.2.2. Reinstalling hasn't helped. Zapping the PRAM and/or resetting the battery does not fix the problem. The problem is not associated with any apps (including Classic) as it also happens when no apps are running. Any suggestions for a complete cure will be most welcome, as this problem greatly reduces my enjoyment of this otherwise great laptop. Best wishes Stuart Rogers / stuart dot rogers at clara dot co dot uk iBook: late 2001 dual-USB 600MHz with 384Mb RAM no USB devices.

01-07-2003, 12:47 AM	#5
hayne Site Admin Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montreal Posts: 32,473	preference files I don't know if this is related or not but I wanted to point out this other thread where people have been having lernel panics upon logout that they seem to have correlated with problems in mouse/trackpad preference files: http://forums.macosxhints.com/showth...=&postid=40368 (see the last few posts on the 2nd page) I haven't experienced this kernel panic problem - but I never logout. I just sleep my iBook - I'm always logged in and am the only user. But there might be a common issue at the base of both of these problems and maybe doing something with the preference files would prevent the problems we have sometimes been having upon wake from sleep?

01-04-2003, 04:21 PM	#2
griffman MVP Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,472	Have you loaded 10.2.3? It ended my iBooks (very occasional) wake from sleep glitches... -rob.

01-04-2003, 10:30 PM	#3
hayne Site Admin Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montreal Posts: 32,473	Stuart - you did a very good job of describing the sort of problems that I have experienced several times with my iBook. I haven't been able to pin it down but it definitely was related to waking from sleep. I thought it might be a networking related problem as I usually am connncted via Airport and so that is something else that is "waking up" at the same time. I note a discussion of similar problems in this thread: http://forums.macosxhints.com/showth...&threadid=5835 where one person thought that the problem was related to having 3rd-party menu items that caused the hang. I have been avoiding such menu item programs for a few weeks now. I did have one episode in the last few weeks in spite of this so maybe that is not the issue. I am now running 10.2.3 but I can't recall if that episode came before or after I upgraded to 10.2.3 One person mentioned that plugging in a USB mouse fixed the problem for them. I tried that one time when it happened to me and the mouse did work just fine but my trackpad & keyboard were still inoperative.

01-05-2003, 05:45 AM	#4
Stuart Rogers Prospect Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Berkshire, England, UK Posts: 5	Thanks for the suggestions so far... * No, I haven't tried 10.2.3 yet. I posted this query on comp.sys.mac.system and someone there replied that they started suffering this problem with 10.2.3. Ho hum. * I shall have to dig out my USB mouse and try out Hayne's suggestion. (My USB mouse is currently buried under a pile of junk, gathering dust along with my PC!) And thanks Haynes for the link to the macosxhints link - this never came up from any of my searches of the site. Someone on that thread reckoned the problem (at least in his case) was linked to menu gadgets, so I'll have to investigate that - which is a shame as I like the gadgets I have (although I can do without the volume control gadget). Stuart.

01-07-2003, 12:53 PM	#6
Stuart Rogers Prospect Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Berkshire, England, UK Posts: 5	preference files >I don't know if this is related or not but I wanted to point out this other thread >where people have been having lernel panics upon logout that they seem to >have correlated with problems in mouse/trackpad preference files: I had been suspecting corrupt preference files. After one lock-up I checked for recently changed .plist files and noticed a spurious reference to "com.apple.soundmgr._DV" (or something similar) in my user com.apple.systempreferences.plist file. I deleted that and for a while the problem went away. Further lock-ups seemed to be associated with this spurious key popping up, so I thought that was the problem, but now I think it's coincidental, as I've had lock-ups without any plist files changed. I wasn't aware of the 'tapBehaviour' entry referred to in the item you mentioned, so I'll take a peek at that. >I haven't experienced this kernel panic problem - but I never logout. I just sleep >my iBook - I'm always logged in and am the only user. Same here. >But there might be a common issue at the base of both of these problems and >maybe doing something with the preference files would prevent the problems >we have sometimes been having upon wake from sleep? Quite possibly - I do hope so. I'll be trying 10.2.3 later this week. Stuart.

01-07-2003, 05:42 PM	#7
Stuart Rogers Prospect Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Berkshire, England, UK Posts: 5	A quick update: Upgrading to 10.2.3 has not fixed the problem. Plugging in a USB mouse has no effect (it's a Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer mouse that works under normal occasions). Stuart.