Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

You would spend a lot more time looking at the blue-tiled logo and the startup loading animation if it wasn’t for Windows Sleep Mode feature. It keeps your laptops & desktops powered on but in a low energy state. It thus keeps the applications & Windows OS active allowing you to get right back to work after taking a quick coffee break. Sleep mode usually works flawlessly on Windows 10, however, once in a blue moon, it can prompt a headache. In this article, we will be walking you through the correct power settings for sleep mode and other fixes for resolving Windows 10 sleep mode not working issue.

Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

How to Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

Sometimes, you may disable the Sleep Mode feature unknowingly & then think it’s no longer working. Another very common issue is that Windows 10 fails to go to sleep automatically after the pre-defined idle time. Most sleep mode-related issues arise due to:

  • misconfiguration of Power settings 
  • interference from third-party applications.
  • or, outdated or corrupt drivers.

PC can be put to sleep by choosing the desired option from the Windows Power Menu while closing the laptop lid puts it to sleep automatically. Additionally, Windows computers can be configured to automatically fall asleep after a set idle time to save power. To wake up the system from sleep and get back to action, simply move the mouse around or press any key on the keyboard.

Method 1: Run Power Troubleshooter

If manually adjusting the power settings hasn’t proved fruitful yet, use the built-in Power troubleshooter to resolve this problem. The tool checks all your power plan settings and system settings such as display & screensaver to optimize power usage and automatically resets them if needed. Here’s how to run it:

1. Press Windows + I keys simultaneously to open Windows Settings.

2. Click Update & Security settings, as shown.

Go to the Update and Security tile.

3. Navigate to the Troubleshoot tab in the left pane.

4. Scroll down to the Find and fix other problems section in the right pane.

5. Select the Power troubleshooter and click on the Run the troubleshooter button, shown highlighted.

go to Troubleshoot settings menu and scroll down to Find and Fix other problems, select Power and click on Run this troubleshooter

6. Once the troubleshooter has finished running its scans and fixes, a list of all the detected issues and their solutions will be displayed. Follow on-screen instructions that appear to apply said fixes.

Method 2: Disable Screensaver

If you are still facing this issue, you will need to check the screensaver settings or disable it altogether. It might seem like an odd fix but many users have resolved power issues by simply switching off their beloved bubble screensaver and we recommend you do the same.

1. Open Windows Settings and click on Personalization, as shown.

click on Personalization from the Windows Settings

2. Move to the Lock screen tab.

3. Scroll to the bottom and click Screen saver settings in the right pane.

Scroll to the bottom on the right pane and click Screen saver settings.

4. Click the Screen Saver drop-down menu and choose None as depicted.

Click the Screen Saver dropdown menu and choose None.

5. Click Apply > OK to save changes and exit.

Click Apply button followed by Ok to save and exit.

Also Read: Fix Computer Won’t Go to Sleep Mode in Windows 10

Method 3: Run powercfg Command

As mentioned earlier, third-party programs and drivers can also cause Windows 10 sleep mode not working issues by repeatedly sending power requests. Thankfully, powercfg command-line tool available in Windows 10 OS can be used to figure out the exact culprit and carry out necessary actions. Here’s how to execute it:

1. Press the Windows key, type Command Prompt, and click on Run as administrator.

Type Command Prompt, and click the Run as administrator option on the right pane.

2. Type powercfg -requests and press Enter key to execute it, as shown.

Carefully type the below command which lists all active application and driver power requests and press Enter key to execute it

Here, all the fields should read None. If there are any active power requests listed, canceling the power request made by the application or driver will allow the computer to fall asleep without any problem.

3. To cancel the power request, execute the following command:

powercfg -requestsoverride <CALLER_TYPE>“<NAME>”<REQUEST>

Note: Replace the CALLER_TYPE as PROCESS, NAME as chrome.exe, and the REQUEST to EXECUTION so the command would be powercfg -requestsoverride PROCESS “chrome.exe” EXECUTION as illustrated below.

powercfg command to cancel power request

Note: Execute powercfg -requestsoverride /? to obtain more detail about the command and its parameters. Moreover. a few other useful powercfg commands are listed below:

  • powercfg -lastwake: This command reports about what woke up the system or prevented it from going to sleep last time.
  • powercfg -devicequery wake_armed: It displays devices that wake up the system.

Method 4: Modify Sleep Settings

First, let’s ensure that your PC is allowed to fall asleep. Windows 10 allows users to customize the power button actions and also what transpires when the laptop lid is closed. Certain third-party applications and malware are known to mess with power settings and modify them unbeknownst to the user. The sleep settings could also have been changed by your sibling or one of your co-workers. Here’s how to verify and/or modify sleep settings to fix Windows 10 sleep mode not working issue:

1. Hit the Windows key, type Control Panel, and click on Open.

Type Control Panel in the Start menu and click Open on the right pane.

2. Here, set View by > Large icons, then click Power Options, as shown.

Click on the Power Options item. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

3. On the left pane, click on Choose what the power buttons do option.

Note: On few Windows 10 PC, it may be displayed as Choose what the power button does.

On the left pane, click on the Choose what the power buttons do link.

4. Select Sleep action as Do nothing for When I press the sleep button option under both On battery and Plugged in, as illustrated below.

In the When I press the sleep button, click the dropdown list under both On battery and Plugged in and choose Sleep option.

5. Click on the Save changes button and close the window.

Click on the Save Changes button and close the window. Check if the computer is able to enter sleep mode now. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

Also Read: Fix PC Turns On But No Display

Method 5: Set Sleep Timer

For most users, sleep mode problems are caused due to sleep timer values being set too high or Never. Let’s dive into power settings once again and reset the sleep timer to its default values, as follows:

1. Launch Control Panel and open Power Options as instructed in Method 4.

2. Click on Choose when to turn off the display option in the left pane, as shown.

Click on the Choose when to turn off display hyperlink on the left pane. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

3. Now, select the idle time as Never for Put the computer to sleep option under both On battery and Plugged in sections, as illustrated below.

Note: The default values are 30 minutes and 20 minutes for On battery and Plugged in respectively.

Click the drop-down lists corresponding to Put the computer to sleep and choose the idle time under On battery and Plugged in.

Method 6: Disable Fast Startup

This solution primarily applies to older systems that do not support fast startup & are failing to fall asleep. As the name implies, Fast Startup is a Windows feature that speeds up the system boot process by saving a kernel image and loading drivers onto the hiberfil.sys file. While the feature does seem beneficial, many argue otherwise. Read Why You Need To Disable Fast Startup In Windows 10? here and implement the given steps:

1. Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do as instructed in Method 4.

2. Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable to unlock the Shutdown settings section.

Note: Click Yes in User Account Control prompt.

Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable to unlock the Shutdown settings section.

3. Uncheck the Turn on fast startup option (recommended) option

Uncheck the Turn on fast startup option option. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

4. Click on the Save Changes button to bring the changes into effect.

Note: Make sure the Sleep option is checked under Shutdown settings.

Click on the Save Changes button to bring the changes into effect.

Also Read: How To Create Windows 10 Sleep Timer On Your PC

Method 7: Disable Hybrid Sleep

Hybrid sleep is a power state that most users are unaware of. The mode is a combination of two separate modes, namely, Hibernation mode and Sleep mode. All these modes essentially put the computer in a power-saving state but have a few minute differences. For example: In sleep mode, the programs are saved in memory while in hibernation, they are stored on the hard drive. As a result, in hybrid sleep, active programs and documents are saved on both, memory and hard drive.

Hybrid sleep is enabled by default on desktop computers and whenever a desktop is put to sleep, it automatically enters the hybrid sleep state. Here’s how to disable this feature to fix Windows 10 sleep mode not working issue:

1. Press the Windows key, type Edit power plan, and hit Enter key.

Type Edit power plan in the Start menu and hit Enter to open. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

2. Click on Change advanced power settings option, as shown.

Click on Change advanced power settings option.

3. In the Power Options window, click on the + icon next to Sleep to expand it.

expand the Sleep option. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

4. Click Allow hybrid sleep and choose the values Off for both On battery and Plugged in options.

In the Advanced Settings expand the Sleep option then expand Allow hybrid sleep, turn Off for both on battery and plugged in options for Power Option window

Method 8: Disable Wake Timers

To exit sleep mode in Windows 10, you normally need to press any key or move the mouse around a bit. However, you can also create a timer to automatically wake the computer at a specific time.

Note: Execute the command powercfg /waketimers in an elevated command prompt to acquire a list of active wake timers.

You can delete individual wake timers from within the Task Scheduler application or disable all of them from the Advanced Power Settings Window as discussed below.

1. Navigate to Edit Power Plan > Power Options > Sleep as shown in Method 7.

2. Double-click on Allow wake timers and choose:

  • Disable option for On battery
  • Important Wake Timers Only for Plugged in

Click Allow wake timers and choose Disable from the menu. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

3. Now, expand Multimedia settings.

4. Here, ensure both On battery and Plugged in options are set to Allow the computer to sleep for When sharing media as illustrated below.

Navigate to When sharing media under Multimedia settings. Ensure both options are set to Allow the computer to sleep.

5. Click on Apply > OK to save changes.

Also Read: How to Change Screen Brightness on Windows 11

Method 9: Reset Power Settings

Running the power troubleshooter will fix sleep mode issues for most users. If not, try to fix MoUSO Core Worker Process in Windows 10. Fortunately, you can also choose to take matters into your own hands and reset all power settings to their default state. Follow these steps to fix Windows 10 sleep mode not working issue by resetting Power Settings:

1. Go to Edit Power Plan > Change advanced power settings > Power Options as earlier.

2. Click on the Restore plan defaults button shown highlighted in the pic below.

Click on the Restore plan defaults button at the bottom right. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

3. A pop-up requesting confirmation of the action will appear. Click on Yes to immediately restore power settings.

A popup requesting confirmation of the action will appear. Click on Yes to immediately restore the power settings. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

Method 10: Update Windows

Reports of sleep mode issues were aplenty last year due to bugs present in certain Windows builds especially May and September 2020. In case, you haven’t updated your system in a long time, head down the following path:

1. Hit the Windows + I keys simultaneously to open Windows Settings.

2. Click Update & Security from the given tiles.

Choose Update and Security from the given tiles.

3. In the Windows Update tab and click on Check for updates button, as shown.

On the Windows Update page, click on Check for Updates. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

4A. Click the Install now button if there are any Updates available & restart your PC.

Go to Windows Update tab and check for updates. If there is any update the system will download it. Click Install now button to update the Windows Update.

4B. If there are no updates available then, you will get the message stating You’ re up to date, as shown.

windows update you're up to date. Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

Also Read: How to stop Mouse and Keyboard from waking Windows from sleep mode

Additional Solutions to Fix Windows 10 Sleep Mode Not Working

  • You can also boot Windows 10 into safe mode first and then try to put the system to sleep. If you are successful in doing so, start uninstalling third-party programs one after the other based on their installation dates until the sleep mode issues cease to exist.
  • Another potential fix for this issue is updating all device drivers on Windows 10.
  • Alternately, disconnecting a hypersensitive mouse, along with other peripherals, to prevent random wake-ups in sleep mode should work. If one of the keys on your keyboard is broken or if the typing device is archaic, it might not randomly wake up your system from sleep.
  • Moreover, scanning your system for malware/viruses and removing them has helped many users.

Pro Tip: Prevent Device Wake Up from USB

To prevent a device from waking up the system, follow the given steps:

1. Right-click on the Start menu, type & search Device Manager. Click on Open.

press windows key, type device manager, and click on Open

2. Double-click on Universal Serial Bus Controllers to expand it.

3. Again, double-click on the USB Root Hub driver to open its Properties.

double click on Universal serial bus controllers and select USB Root Hub driver in Device Manager

4. Navigate to the Power Management tab and uncheck the option titled Allow this device to wake the computer.

 navigate to device properties and uncheck the option for Allow this device to wake the computer in the power management tab.

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Hope the above methods helped you resolve Windows 10 sleep mode not working issue. Keep visiting our page for more cool tips & tricks and leave your comments below.

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