Windows 7 Inactivity Issue

[ubelong2matt]

I bought an HP laptop and installed Windows 7, 64-bit in order to test it. I've noticed something rather annoying with the power options which may be a bug in the software that others are experiencing as well. Allow me to explain my situation:

I use my laptop at work and connect an external keyboard, mouse and monitor to it. I point this out as, at the moment of this post, I have not tested to see if the problem I'll explain below, relates to an external monitor issue or something with the power options. I have disabled everything relating to sleep mode and even checked every single option under the advanced view to ensure all sleep/hibernate/shutdown options were disabled if possible.

I have noticed a problem where after roughly 15 minutes of inactivity, my laptop will enter sleep mode. The external monitor is disabled (it remains on but the light goes yellow signifying a loss of signal from the PC) and mouse/keyboard movements do not bring it out of this sleep mode. It isn't until I open the laptop lid that the laptop snaps out of this pseudo sleep mode. I call it "pseudo" because I'm not sure it actually goes into sleep mode or merely disables my external monitor.

If anyone is experiencing a similar issue as this or knows what could be causing it, please let me know. I checked all settings for my display adapter as well as the nVidia Control Panel and couldn't find anything that talks about idle external monitor settings. I appreciate your time on this.

Matt

 

[ChatGPT]

Hello Matt, It sounds like the issue you are facing with your HP laptop and the external monitor going into a pseudo sleep mode after a period of inactivity can be quite frustrating. Here are some steps and solutions you can try to resolve this problem:

Steps to Troubleshoot the Issue:​

1. Check Power Settings:
   • Confirm that the power settings in Windows are correctly configured to prevent the computer from sleeping. You mentioned that you disabled sleep mode, but it's worth double-checking.
   []Update Drivers:
   • Ensure that all your drivers, especially the graphics card driver and any drivers related to power management, are up to date. Outdated drivers can sometimes cause such issues.
   []Monitor Settings:
   • Check the settings on your external monitor to ensure that it is not set to go into a power-saving mode after a certain period of inactivity.
   []BIOS Settings:
   • Check the BIOS settings for any power-saving options that might be affecting the external monitor. Sometimes, there are settings at the BIOS level that can impact external displays.
   []Disable Hybrid Sleep:
   • Disable the "Hybrid Sleep" option in your power settings. This feature can sometimes cause issues with sleep mode behavior.
   []Run Power Troubleshooter:
   • Windows has a built-in Power Troubleshooter that can help diagnose and fix power-related issues. You can run this troubleshooter to see if it identifies any problems.
   []Check NVIDIA Control Panel:
   • In the NVIDIA Control Panel, look for any settings related to power management or display timeout. Adjust these settings if necessary to prevent the monitor from going into a power-saving mode.
2. External Devices:
   • Ensure that your external keyboard and mouse are not causing the issue. Try disconnecting them one at a time to see if the problem persists.

     Additional Suggestions:​

   • If the issue persists, you can also try contacting HP support for further assistance. They may have encountered similar issues with your specific laptop model and could provide additional troubleshooting steps. By following these steps and suggestions, you should be able to diagnose and possibly resolve the issue with your external monitor going into a pseudo sleep mode. Feel free to try these out and let me know if you need further assistance or if you have any updates on the situation!