How to Troubleshoot a Vista Sleep Mode Problem and Find a Solution
Published by Sandeep

STEP ONE:
Check Your Mouse and Keyboard

For a USB Mouse or Keyboard:

1. Check the BIOS settings to make sure that you have a Legacy USB option enabled.

For a Wireless Mouse or Keyboard:

1. Unplug the receiver on the back of the computer and test.

2. If sleep or hibernation works now, then try:

A) Download new drivers for you wireless mouse and test again with the receiver plugged in.
NOTE: Always get your drivers from the source, never from Windows Updates. They do not work properly sometimes.

B) Disable the wireless mouse and/or keyboard wake up option in Step Five below. If you have to disable both of them, then you can wake the computer up by pressing the power button on the case.

C) Time to get a new mouse and/or keyboard that is compatible with Vista.

For a Optical Mouse:

1. Try not to have direct bright light shining on the sensor or moving around it.

STEP TWO:
Check Settings in Power Plan Options

1. Open the Control Panel. (Classic View)

2. Click on the Power Options icon.

3. Click on the Change plan settings link under your power plan. (See screenshot below)

4. Click on Change advanced power settings. (See screenshot below)

5. Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable. (See screenshots below step 10)
NOTE: This will allow any Power Options that are grayed out to now work and not be grayed out.

6. Recommended Settings for Sleep -
NOTE: Sleep saves any open documents and programs to memory only, and then puts the computer into a low-power state.
WARNING: If you lose power to the computer, you will also lose what is in memory.

Main Setting	Sub Setting	Recommendation
Hard disk		Set to at least 1 minute before the computer (Sleep after setting below) is set to sleep.
Sleep	Sleep after	This is for the computer. Set to at least 1 minute after Hard disk and Display is set to turn off.
Sleep	Allow hybrid sleep	Set to Off.
Sleep	Hibernate after	Set to Never.
USB settings	USB selective suspend setting	Set to Disabled.
Power buttons and lid	Start menu power button	Set to Sleep.
PCI Express	Link State Power Management	Set to Off.
Display	Turn off display after	Set to at least 1 minute before the computer (Sleep after setting above) is set to sleep. Usually set this as the same as the Hard drive is set to turn off.
Multimedia settings	When sharing media	Set to Allow the computer to sleep.

7. Recommended Settings for Hybrid Sleep -
NOTE: Hybrid sleep saves your open documents and programs to memory and to the hard drive, and then puts the computer into a low-power state. After the Hibernate after time you set, it will then put the computer into hibernation.
WARNING: Use the same Recommended Settings for Sleep in step 6 above, except for these changes:

Main Setting	Sub Setting	Recommendation
Sleep	Allow hybrid sleep	Set to On.
Sleep	Hibernate after	Set to at least 1 minute after the computer (Sleep after setting above) is set to sleep.

8. Recommended Settings for Hibernation -
NOTE: Hibernation is a power-saving state that saves your open documents and programs to the hard drive and then turns off your computer. If Hibernate after is not listed, then make sure that you have the Hibernation File enabled or restored to. It is by default unless it was cleaned in Disk Cleanup
WARNING: Use the same Recommended Settings for Sleep in step 6 above, except for these changes:

Main Setting	Sub Setting	Recommendation
Sleep	Sleep after	Set it to Never.
Sleep	Allow hybrid sleep	Set it to Never.
Sleep	Hibernate after	Set it to at least 1 minute after Hard disk and Display is set to turn off.
Power buttons and lid	Start menu power button	Set it to Hibernate.

9. Click on OK to apply

10. Just exit out the other windows.

11. Test sleep mode. If it is still not working correctly, then continue to the next step.

STEP THREE:
Check Sleep State in BIOS

1. Open the Start Menu.

2. In white line (Start Search) area, type cmd and press Enter.

3. In command prompt, type powercfg -a and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This will give you a report of the available sleep states for your computer and will attempt to report reasons why sleep states are unavailable. You will want to see if the ACPI S1 and/or S3 is listed.

4. Restart the computer into the BIOS settings, and go into the Power Management section in the BIOS.
NOTE: Usually you will press the F2 or Delete key as soon as your computer starts booting to enter the BIOS.

5. Make sure ACPI mode: S3 or S1 is enabled.
WARNING: S1 (Sleep) and S3 (Hybrid deeper sleep). If you are running an incompatible video card, some or all of these states below may be unavailable. If one of the settings causes your computer to not wake back up afterwards, then reset the CMOS on the motherboard and restart the computer, or unplug the computer for a moment and plug it back in, and reset the BIOS back to the factory default settings.

6. Make sure Wake on Ring and Wake on Lan are disabled.
NOTE: This will help with keep the computer from waking up on it’s on.

7. Save the BIOS setting changes and exit to restart the computer.

8. Test sleep mode. If this does not help, then move on to the next step.

STEP FOUR:
To See the Lastwake List

1. Open the Start Menu.

2. In white line (Start Search) area, type cmd and press Enter.

3. In command prompt, type powercfg lastwake and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Notice that I had USB\ROOT\HUB listed. For me, this would be the USB wireless mouse. Your list results will vary of course.

STEP FIVE:
To List, Enable, or Disable Device Names Currently Configured to Wake Up the System From any Sleep State

1. Open a elevated command prompt.

2. To List Devices that Can Wake Up the Computer -

A) In the command prompt, copy and paste in bold: (See screenshot below)
powercfg -devicequery wake_armed and press Enter.

B) Go through the list of devices to see if you have one you do not want to wake up your system.
EX: A Network Device (Modem, Ethernet, etc.) or Wireless Mouse.

C) If you found a device that may be causing the problem, then check with the STEP SIX section below first to see if you can disable a wake up option for the device in it’s Power Management settings in Device Manager to test to see if that is it before proceding.

3. To Disable a Listed Device From Waking Up the Computer -

A) In the elevated command prompt, type below in bold and press Enter.
WARNING: Be sure to write this device name down in case you want to be able to enable it again in step 4. Once you disable it, it will not be listed again in step 2A until enabled again.

powercfg -devicedisablewake “exact name of device listed in step 2A“

NOTE: For example, if I wanted to disable the listed (step 2A) High Definition device (HDAC), then I would type powercfg -devicedisablewake “High Definition Audio Controller” and press enter.

4. To Enable a Listed Device Again to Waking Up the Computer -

A) In the elevated command prompt, type below in bold and press Enter.
WARNING: Be sure to write this device name down in case you want to be able to enable it again in step 4. Once you disable it, it will not be listed again in step 2A until enabled again.

powercfg -deviceenablewake “exact name of device listed in step 2A“

NOTE: For example, if I wanted to reenable the High Definition device (HDAC) that was disable and removed from the list in step 3, then I would type powercfg -deviceenablewake “High Definition Audio Controller” and press enter.

5. When done, close the elevated command prompt, and test sleep mode.

STEP SIX:
To Disable or Enable the “Allow this device to wake the computer” Option for a Device

1. Open the Control Panel. (Classic View)

2. Click on the Device Manager icon.
NOTE: You need to be in a Administrator account.

3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.

4. Open the device’s list that you want to change. (See screenshot below)
EX: Network Devices

5. Right click on the device name and click on Properties.
EX: Network Devices

6. Click on the Power Management tab. (See screenshot below)

7. Uncheck Allow this device to wake the computer. (See screenshot above)
NOTE: To Enable it again, just check this instead. If you need to disable the wireless mouse and keyboard, then you can wake the computer by pressing the power button on the case.

8. If listed, check Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. (See screenshot below step 6)
NOTE: This will turn the device off when the computer goes into sleep mode.

9. Click on the Advanced tab. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This is only for the Network device.

10. Check the boxed in red Property: items below to see if they are set to Disabled in the Value: area. (See screenshot above)
NOTE: This area may be different for your particular network device since it is based on the driver, but it should be similar. You will be looking for any Wake on type property options listed.

11. Click on OK to apply and close properties window. (See screenshot below step 6 or 9)

STEP SEVEN:
Check the Screen Saver

1. In the Screen saver settings, select an alternate screen saver, or set it to None, then click on OK.

2. Test sleep mode.

STEP EIGHT:
Check Startup Programs

1. Open the Start Menu.

A) In the white line (Start Search) area, type msconfig and press Enter.

B) Go to step 3.

OR

2. Click on All Programs, Administrative Tools, and System Configuration.

3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.

4. Under the General tab, dot Selective startup. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: When done with the test, dot Normal startup, to return to the default settings before the test, and click on OK.

5. Uncheck Load startup items and click on OK and restart the computer.
NOTE: You will get a notification that you made changes to the Startup programs in the bottom right Notification area. Just ignore it for now. It will go away when you put it back to Normal startup after you finish.

6. Test sleep mode.

7. If unchecking (disabling) Load startup items fixed the sleep problem, then enable one startup item at a time and test to see if the problem occurs again. Continue enabling startup items, until you find the program that is causing the problem. Remove or update the problem program.
NOTE: See Method One or Two here: How to Check and Change the Startup Programs in Vista

A) When done, change the setting back to Normal startup (step 4).

8. If unchecking (disabling) Load startup items did not resolve the sleep problem, then set it back to Normal startup (Step 4) and go to the next step below.

STEP NINE:
Check Scheduled Tasks for Programs

1. Check in the suspected program settings to see if there is a feature that may wake the computer.
NOTE: Sometimes it can be the Auto-Update feature in the program.

2. Check Task Scheduler for items that are set to Wake-Up the computer to perform it’s action.

A) Expand out the list in the left pane and click on the suspect item’s folder. Double click on the task in the middle pane.

B) Click on the Conditions tab.

C) Uncheck the Wake the computer to run this task box.

3. Check Windows Automatic Updates settings.

STEP TEN:
Windows Sidebar Gadget

1. Turn off Windows Sidebar as a test to see if your computer will enter sleep on it’s own now.

2. If it does, then turn Windows Sidebar back on and turn off each Gadget one by one. Test sleep again after each one until you find the one causing the problem.

STEP ELEVEN:
Check Motherboard Jumpers

1. Pull out or download your motherboard manual, and check for any such jumpers.

2. If you have one that is related (ex: USB device wake-up), then test sleep mode inbetween toggling the jumper on and off.

STEP TWELVE:
Try System Restore

1. Save any open files and close all programs, then backup anything that you do not want to lose to be safe..

2. See: How to Do a System Restore in Vista
NOTE: If System Restore resolves the problem, the problem is probably caused by software that was installed after the restore point date.

I hope this helps,
Suyash