Read the following off the latest MacHOME HOTTIPS 5/12/04): ASLEEP ON THE JOB Q: I've been reading your recent newsletters, and I've been fascinated to learn that OS X does maintenance routines on its own. I'm confused, though. Does the computer have to be awake? Or will the operating system perform the routines even when the computer is asleep? ? Chuck Small
A: In order for OS X to perform its maintenance routines, the computer must be on and awake. It can no more perform maintenance while asleep than I can mow the lawn while I'm asleep. And that's too bad, because I really hate mowing the lawn. Is this correct, that the automatic maintenance routines like "Cron jobs" only run if the computer is not only on but is awake. If this is so why have the Energy Saver Preference (unless its a laptop). Should you leave put the computer to sleep on 'Never" and just "save" the display? I assumed my iMac had been doing its thing nightly, weekly and monthly. Maybe it's never done it! My body works to "repair" its parts when I sleep at night and I know these repair jobs don't get done if I keep awake all night. I keep my laptop off unless I'm going to be using it again soon since someone at APPLE Care told me that was best for the poor little thing. It would help it keep its cool. Anne Cartwright | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be May 25. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup>
