How to stop sleep/hibernation with external display & lid down

What is the proper way to get my MBA to not sleep, hibernate, etc. when I have an external display attached and lid closed while watching a movie or webcast. In such a case I am not touching the mouse, trackpad, or keyboard.
I have bluetooth keyboard and usb wireless mouse attached.
I also disabled the sleep/poweroff options in the energy settings while watching.
The MBA still would go to sleep or something after 10 or 15 minutes of no agitation.
Also, the Monitor goes blank since their is not signal coming through to it.
Was this just not a use case that was thought through: Watch video stream with external monitor and lid closed? Make sure the MBA knows this scenario invalidates the powersave options????? And yes, the power was plugged.
Thanks

Caffeine puts a little coffee cup icon at the top bar. Click to turn it off and on - it is on when the cup is dark, ie has coffee in it. However, this won't solve your problem - the MBA will still sleep with the lid closed. There are settings to allow use of an external monitor but what I did was download InsomniaX. This little free app keeps your computer from going to sleep when you close the lid. That way you can close the lid, walk down a hall or do something, then open the lid and keep working. Just don't forget it is on and leave the Mac too long or it will run out of battery.
Insomnia isn't in the App store, had to download it at http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/22211/insomniax

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Solution for sleep issues with external display?

I had an Early 2011 Macbook Pro that worked quite well with an external display. I now have a Mid 2012 Macbook Pro (bought 5 days ago, and running 10.10.3) that will not consistently work with the same external monitor.
I had it working yesterday for a few hours only if I left the MBP with the top open (both the MBP screen and external monitor stayed lit). But, today it is back to freezing each time the monitor is connected to it.
I have tried:
1. Connecting the external monitor to the MBP with the top open. Results in the MBP screen now going dark and no signal being passed to the external monitor. If the external monitor is disconnected, the MBP screens stays dark and the computer is unresponsive requiring a hard restart.
2. Connecting the external monitor to the MBP with the top closed. Results in no signal being sent to the external monitor. Disconnecting the external monitor and reopening the MBP yields, again, and unresponsive computer which requires a hard restart.
I have tried three different external monitors, all giving the same result. The MBP is connect to external power, and I am running the latest OS (10.10.3).
Any suggestions before I return this to the Apple store in a rage? :-)

Hello there, Gaflin.
I'm sorry to hear you're having so much trouble getting your external display to work the way you are expecting with your new MacBook Pro. The following Knowledge Base article provides a great checklist of steps for troubleshooting the issue you seem to be describing:
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays - Apple Support
No video or no signal, image distortion, "snow," or flickering
Check connections
When using an external display be sure to check the following:
If you're using an Apple notebook, confirm the AC power cable or adapter is securely connected to the computer and the cable providing power to the display is also secure. It is always good to have your notebook connected to AC power when an external display is in use.
Confirm display adapters are fully seated in their respective connections and that they are supported models and for the computer and display. Refer to these articles to assist you with adapter compatibility and further configuration information:
Monitor and Display Adapter Table
About Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapters
Apple Mini DisplayPort adapters: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Remove all display cable extenders, KVM switches, or other like devices and retest to determine if the issue is resolved.
Try unplugging the video adapter or cable and then plug it back in.
If more than one video adapter is in use (or "daisy-chained"), troubleshoot by using only one adapter.
Example: A mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter connected to a DVI to HDMI adapter is an unsupported configuration because there is a series of adapters in use.
If available, try using a different display and or adapter (or use a different connector by using DVI instead of VGA, for instance).
Reset the system
You can reset the Mac's parameter RAM and SMC.Reset the resolution
Start by resetting the Mac's parameter RAM. If the display does not come up, was previously set to an unsupported resolution, and still results in no video:
Start up in Safe Mode.
From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences.
Choose Displays from the View menu to open the preferences pane.
Select any resolution and refresh rate that your display supports.
Restart your computer.
Using Closed lid, Extended Desktop, or Mirroring display modes
When using multiple displays, information can be presented in a number of ways. For more information and what modes are supported by your Apple product refer to:
Apple Portables: How to use your computer in closed lid (display closed) mode with an external display
How to use multiple displays with your Mac
Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Pedro.

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My 15" ALPB si connected in closed mode to a Viewsonic external monitor. When not used for a while, the Powerbook will of course get to sleep. But then there is no way to make it wake up again. Disconneting screen and other devices won't help. Only a restart will do, thereby losing all ongoing work. (BTW, never had this problem with a 12" ALPB also connected to the same type of display).
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I just got a brand new samsung syncMaster (730mw to be exact) and went right on to pug it into my 12 inch powerbook, with the help of my minidvi to DVI of course.
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Hey, I wonder what you mean by "You need to have the PowerBook plugged into the mains for an external display to work". I am currently jooking it up with a DVI cable and the minidvi-DVI.
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I cannot afford to be using both screens as I lack desk space, and I really need the bigger screen.
If I can't get this to work properly I guess a mac mini is the way to go?
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-rodrigo

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THe USB devices are much more likely to be the culprits than the monitor, tasslehawf.
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http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
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You will always have to use the power button to turn it on, and you'll have to open the display for that.
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How to stop sleep/hibernation with external display & lid down

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