Optimize Your Workstation Energy Saver Settings

Configure Energy & Power Settings

Correct energy and power settings are critical to maintain a stable connection to Tops Ortho. If a workstation goes to sleep, Tops Ortho will disconnect.

Apply these settings to all Tops Ortho workstations.

Important: Tops Ortho workstations should remain powered on and should not be allowed to sleep during business hours.

macOS 15.x (Sequoia)

Desktop Macs (iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio)

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Energy
2. Set:
   • Low Power Mode: Off
   • Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off: On
   • Put hard disks to sleep when possible: Off
   • Wake for network access: On
   • Start up automatically after a power failure: On
3. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen
   • Turn display off when inactive: 30 minutes or longer
   • Start Screen Saver when inactive: 30 minutes (optional)

MacBooks (Laptops)

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Battery
2. Select Power Adapter
3. Set:
   • Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off: On
   • Put hard disks to sleep when possible: Off
   • Wake for network access: On
   • Low Power Mode: Off
4. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen
   • Turn display off when inactive: 30 minutes or longer

MacBooks used as Tops Ortho workstations should remain plugged into power during normal use.

macOS 14.x (Sonoma)

Desktop Macs

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Energy
2. Set:
   • Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off: On
   • Put hard disks to sleep when possible: Off
   • Wake for network access: On
   • Start up automatically after a power failure: On
3. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen
   • Turn display off when inactive: 30 minutes or longer

MacBooks

1. Go to System Settings > Battery > Power Adapter
2. Set:
   • Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off: On
   • Put hard disks to sleep when possible: Off
   • Wake for network access: On
3. Go to System Settings > Lock Screen
   • Turn display off when inactive: 30 minutes or longer

macOS 13.x (Ventura)

Note: Screen Saver settings alone do not prevent system sleep.

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Lock Screen
   • Turn display off when inactive: 30 minutes or longer
   • Start Screen Saver when inactive: 30 minutes (optional)
2. Go to System Settings > Battery
   • Click Options
   • Set Wake for network access: Always
3. Desktop Macs only:
   • Go to System Settings > Energy
   • Enable Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off

macOS 12.x and Earlier (Monterey and older)

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Energy Saver
2. Set:
   • Computer Sleep: Never
   • Display Sleep: 30 minutes
   • Put hard disks to sleep when possible: Unchecked
   • Wake for network access: Checked
   • Allow power button to put the computer to sleep: Unchecked
   • Start up automatically after a power failure: Checked

Common Causes of Tops Ortho Disconnects

Most Tops Ortho disconnect issues are caused by macOS power or sleep settings. Review the items below if users experience frequent disconnections, freezing, or unexpected logouts.

❌ Workstation Goes to Sleep

• System sleep ends active network connections.
• This is the most common cause of disconnect tickets.
• Ensure Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off is enabled where available.

❌ MacBook Running on Battery or Low Power Mode

• macOS limits network activity when running on battery.
• Always configure Power Adapter settings on laptops.
• Tops Ortho workstations should remain plugged into power during business hours.

❌ Display Sleep vs. System Sleep Confusion

• Screen Savers and display sleep are not the same as system sleep.
• On macOS 13 and newer, settings are spread across multiple menus.
• Make sure system sleep is disabled, not just the screen turning off.

❌ Wake for Network Access Disabled

• If Wake for network access is off, the Mac may not respond to background network traffic.
• This can cause silent disconnects that require restarting Tops Ortho.

❌ Hard Disk Sleep Enabled

• Allowing disks to sleep can interrupt reads and writes.
• This may cause delays, freezing, or disconnects during active use.