Mac Pro won't sleep when I want it to

Question

Hello all
I have a 2006 Mac Pro (1,1) running 10.7.5, 8GB RAM and an 8800GT video card.   It also has a Sonnet USB card and a Sonnet e-SATA card.  Lately, the computer has not been going to sleep when I set it to in the Energy Saver preferences panel.  If I set it to sleep after a certain amount time (say, 10 minutes), it doesn't.  AND if I set it to "Never Sleep" - it does.  This is a new one for me, as I have usually seen machines not go to sleep, but never a mac that does sleep when told to "never".  It is frustrating, because it seems that whenever I want the computer to stay awake (for a lengthy download or a Time Capsule backup), it won't.  And when I want it to sleep because I got called away from the computer, it doesn't.
I've run permission repair and I've looked at the console log.  Last night I set it to "never sleep" so I could do an initial backup (wirelessly, so it would take a few hours).  When I woke up, the machine was sleeping peacefully.  Here are the log entries for when it fell asleep and woke up:
5/17/13 11:25:27  PM  kernel:  ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS:  sock settclassopt got error 57
5/17/13 11:25:27 PM   kernel:  ASP_VFS afpfs_DoRecoonect:  connect on /Volumes/Time Capsule failed 49
5/17/13 11:25:27 PM   kernel:  AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect:  sleep for 1 seconds and try again
7:49:14  AM  kernel:  Wake reason:  EHCI
There are a lot of those "error 57" and "sleep for 1 seconds and try again" messages.  My uneducated guess is that somehow the Time Capsule went to sleep in the middle of the backup, but that wouldn't explain why the Mac went to sleep when it was set not to.
Can anyone please help?  Thanks!
Richard

Answer 1

Test after each of the following steps that you haven’t already tried:
Step 1
Take all the steps suggested in this support article.
Step 2
From the menu bar, select
 ▹ System Preferences ▹ Print & Scan ▹ Open Print Queue
Check all printers for unfinished jobs. Deal with any you find.
Step 3
 ▹ System Preferences ▹ Sharing: uncheck all boxes.
Step 4
Reboot and see whether there's any change.
Step 5
Reset the SMC.
Step 6
Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal. Don’t launch any applications at first. If sleep still doesn’t work properly, back up all data and reinstall the OS. After that, if you still have the issue, make a “Genius” appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.
If sleep now works as expected, go on to the next step.
Step 7
Still in safe mode, launch the usual set of applications that are running when you have the problem, including your login items, one at a time, testing after each one. Some applications may not work; skip them. You might be able to identify the cause of the problem this way.
Step 8
If sleep is still working after you’ve launched all the usual applications, reboot as usual (not in safe mode) and test again. If sleep still works, you’re done, at least for the moment.
If you still have the sleep issue after booting out of safe mode, post again.