Windows 10 Sleep Function no longer works correctly after update

Howard Rippiner

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Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
38
Ever since I upgraded to Windows 10 I have used the 'Sleep' mode successfully on a daily basis and it has always worked - which was not the case on my Windows 7 installation!

Yesterday, I installed KB3124262 (Cumulative Update for Windows 10 version 1511) together with an Intel Driver update for HD Graphics 4600, both updates being automatically downloaded via Windows Update.

Now when I select 'Sleep' mode, the system partially shut down; the screen goes blank, the 'operating' lights on the PC go off but at least one of the fans keeps running. Trying to re-start it via a left mouse button click doesn't work and the only way to get it to come back to life correctly is to push the off button until it stops completely and then start from scratch. Is this a new 'feature' of the latest update? Anyone any ideas how to fix it?

Ironically, for some time I had been planning to implement the 'Hibernate' feature. I have just done that and it works OK!

BTW: My PC is Windows 10 Pro 64-bit on an almost new i5 system built on a Gigabyte motheboard
 
Solution
I would see if there is a BIOS update for your system and also is this a desktop or laptop and what kind of keyboard and mouse do you use USB or PS/2?
 
Thanks for the quick reply Neemobeer. I'm in the process of checking for a later BIOS. My current PC was only built last August by a local PC Professional, so it's not a 'branded' product. I contacted AMI (the manufacturers of the BIOS) but they advised me that I need to contact Gigabyte (manufacturers of my motherboard) as they may have created a BIOS update. (It's currently dated as July 2014). I still need to action this.

The PC is a desktop with a Logitech K200 USB keyboard. The mouse is a Microsoft Optical with a USB connection.

It's funny that Hibernate works OK but Sleep doesn't.
 

If you find nothing else works check that 'Hybrid sleep' is enabled in the advanced power options. I'm unsure if this will help but might be worth a try?
 
Solution
I had the same problem in the very early builds, on one of my Dell Laptops (No hybrid choice).

I experimented with many combinations. In the end U set the HD to "never" sleep. This solved the problem instantly. I have not noticed any problems with this, subsequently. My son, with a great deal of Electronic experience, assures me that this will not result in any extra wear on the HD. If it is not in use, then it is not wearing!
 
Well that's not true. If the computer is on and not in sleep mode then the disk is A. still spinning (mechanical wear) and if you close all your programs and B. if you run procmon you will still see lots of read and write operations so yes your HDD is still being used and there is wear.
 
You will find, if you google, a few different views on this. I think they probably apply to many digital items with a motor. here is one who has the experience: (Quote)

Steve Gibson, author of SpinRite, a venerable and
highly-regarded hard drive maintenance program.
"Cycling the drive [turning it off and on] is
definitely worse for it…Almost everyone's
experience [with hard drive crashes is] that they
turn on a computer that was working perfectly the
last time it was in use [and it doesn't work
anymore]."

P.S. Came back to add:
It may depend on the users life expectancy for the computer and/or HD. Like many users, over many years, since desktops were first introduced, I have changed both many times, usually for the purposes of updating and buying a new computer. I have never yet had an HD wear out, but will, obviously, admit to the possibility. Only a guess, but I would say my current external is my oldest HD - about five years. Runs from morning to night, every single day. I have my Email linked to this external, together with other automatic routine tasks.
It has been my practice, since Windows 8, to have the hd to never sleep.
 
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I always set mine to not turn off too.. Plus electrical components usually break when being switched. A good example is the light bulb. You hardly ever see one go out when in operation it's usually when you turn them on that they pop.
 
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This is not restricted to computers. It is the TOL syndrome: aka Take Off and Landing. The statistics show that (despite the media attention leading one to believe else) the outstanding preponderance of aircraft fail on takeoff and landing and this is particularly true if you exclude human error from the same statistics. Computers, light bulbs, electric kettles, TV, motor cars... tis all the same story.

I have a special 'remote' which switches everything else off except the desktop box: both monitors, printers, speaker systems... dropping the power down to a miserable 40w. I used to have an expensive UPS to do the job, with everything being switched off when the PC went to sleep, but it introduced more problems than it solved. I definitely agree about keeping disks spinning, but things might change when I have changed all my disks to SSD.

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