Mac OS X 10.4 Help
My computer screen keeps going black
If your computer screen goes black, and then comes back on when you press a key or click the mouse, your computer or display have gone to sleep. To save energy, they go to sleep automatically when the computer isn't used.
You can set separate times for putting your computer goes to sleep and putting your display to sleep. Because the display wakes up faster than the whole computer, it's usually set to go to sleep before the whole computer.
Depending on the computer you are using, you can select an option to reduce the brightness of the display before it goes to sleep. You might be able to select an option to keep the display dimmed when it is using the battery.
To change sleep settings:
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, and then click Energy Saver.
- Select the options you want to use.
- To change other settings, click Options.
If you're using a portable Mac, choose a power source from the "Settings for" pop-up menu. Then choose from the options in the Optimization pop-up menu, or choose Custom to specify your settings.
If you're using a desktop Mac, drag the sliders that control sleep for the computer and display.
To wake your computer and your display from sleep, press a key on the keyboard or click the mouse.