Windows 8.1 refuses to sleep

[Steve06]

@prism, interesting, what's your ethernet adapter for a make? And what's your mainboard?

 

[linw]

Thanks, John, for the understanding! And I have read all the posts in several threads!

I am just trying to understand why my perfectly stable sleeper under W7 and 8 has reverted to a hit and miss one like several others have reported. My feeling is that the delay in going to sleep after the trigger is indicative of the problem and until the PC sleeps instantly, like it does manually, and like it does by running this code (C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState 0,1,0), we won't have fixed the problem of erratic results.

Seems like the sleep process is given a low priority and other system work going on over rides it. I looked at files written to disk when the delay was in progress. They just seemed like system housekeeping with nothing obvious sticking out.

Pity that safe mode removes the power sleep timer option.

 

[johnpombrio]

I did some heavy duty digging last night into how the computer sleeps. From Technet:
System Sleep Criteria (Windows)

ANY app or program not properly setting the SetThreadExecutionState can cause sleep to fail. Mind you, this is NOT JUST THE DESKTOP PROGRAMS, BUT THE METRO APPS AS WELL. There might be more to the Metro app crashes and the lack of sleep being just "coincidental". Maybe we should start uninstalling Metro Apps to see if any of those are affecting the computer. Ai-yi-yi.

EDIT 2013-12-28 This did not fix the problem. For me, a MS update on Dec 11th fixed it.

 

[prism]

@prism, interesting, what's your ethernet adapter for a make? And what's your mainboard?

I'm running a Dell XPS 8500, Ethernet adapter is Realtek, not sure about the mobo.

 

[johnpombrio]

K, FINALLY removed Homegroup from the computer. Just leaving the Homegroup on a computer does NOT turn off the Homegroup. ALL the computers on the homegroup have to leave it. Then it is a matter of following the MPC article about creating and sharing using the Guest account making sure to turn password protection off. I also disabled IPv6 for good measure since I no longer need it for Homegroup. All the machines now share folders and go to sleep (but sleep is still not instant like when the network adapter is disabled).

Crap. Now all my Metro apps are crashing again.

EDIT: NO FIX. Problem came back intermittently a couple of days later.

EDIT 2013-12-28 This did not fix the problem. For me, a MS update on Dec 11th fixed it.

 

[Steve06]

@john: do let us know if this really works permanently for you, i.e., even after long work sessions without re-logging in. Like you, I already quit all homegroup, ipv6, and other "fancy" services a week ago or so and still sleeps only works for a while after logging in.

Maybe we should start uninstalling Metro Apps to see if any of those are affecting the computer. Ai-yi-yi.

This would be really ironic - re-establishing basic functionality (automatic sleep) by stripping the OS of most of its features. But I agree with you in that it would perhaps allow to find the culprit metro app. I can already tell you that just killing metro app processes does not help as they shortly appear again in your task manager's process list.

 

[linw]

OK. At least for my machine, after stopping the 'Power' svc from starting, I get an instant sleep. All other svces are started.

Where this leads I don't know. Interesting that it still knows that I have a 1 min sleep delay even without the power svc started.

 

[prism]

I'm surprised there are no window app that force sleeps the PC (equivalent to manually putting it to sleep). Sleep issues have plagued the Windows OS in one form or another as far as I can remember! Or maybe there is an app and I am just not aware of it?

 

[Wynona]

Maybe we should compare our hardware including Ethernet chipsets to find any patterns? For example, John, you have an Asus Z87-Pro board that has an Intel Gigabit controller. Many with troubles here have Realtek and Broadcom (like myself).

Can anybody confirm they are having troubles while owning an Intel Ethernet adapter like John who managed to solve his problems?

Steve, I'm not that well versed on this, but I have an Intel DG33 BUX mobo in this self-built system. Tell me what to look at and I will certainly do so. It's a dual boot system, with Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and Windows 8.1 Pro 32 bit (won't take 64 bit).

At any rate, I seem to remember that I have broadcom, but am not sure.

Edit: It seems to go to sleep OK.

 

[johnpombrio]

Two step s forward, one step back. My machines all sleep now BUT if I wake up one of the machines, the others wake up too! IPv6 definitely has to be disabled for sleep to occur, that I proved. One machine is so persistent that I will manually force it to sleep with a button on the keyboard and it will wake itself up as long as another computer is running. Then sleep for a bit, then wake up again. I have to turn the power off to get some sleep (me-it's in my bedroom and had all these LED bling lights I installed when it was my main machine)!

I also found that pretty much ALL of the Metro/Start Menu apps crash to desktop once I disable Homegroup and IPv6 (not sure which of these two is the direct cause). Uninstall and reinstall of the apps fixes them (for good I think). ANSWER: Turning off Ipv6 will definitely crash the apps. I turned it on then turned it off and now the apps crash once again.

Now to work on the waking up part. FIXED. the computers are really picky about shared folders. If they are not shared JUST RIGHT, it causes problems, waking up, asking for credentials, no files being shared, computers not showing up on the network. I just wish I knew exactly what I am doing, heh.

EDIT: NO FIX. Problem came back and intermittent.

EDIT 2013-12-28 This did not fix the problem. For me, a MS update on Dec 11th fixed it.

 

[bouldernerd]

My new Dell laptop with Win 8.1 Sleeps with no problems without fail. This problem must be a combination of certain hardware and the OS that that causes the insomnia.

 

[linw]

I am happy with my workaround, now. I have stopped the Power service from starting and the machine times into sleep mode instantly, and as far as I can tell, doesn't wake up on its own. The power settings are stored in the registry so it doesn't seem necessary to have the Power svc running except when you want to change the settings. Still looking for adverse ramifications but have fingers crossed.

Not a 'proper' solution but it will do till something better comes along.

@Prism - yes, the Internet is riddled with reports of Windows sleep problems going way back!
@bouldernerd - you're right, it will be combinations of factors that bedevil some but not others. That's what makes it so darned hard to troubleshoot.

 

[johnpombrio]

I am happy with my workaround, now. I have stopped the Power service from starting and the machine times into sleep mode instantly, and as far as I can tell, doesn't wake up on its own. The power settings are stored in the registry so it doesn't seem necessary to have the Power svc running except when you want to change the settings. Still looking for adverse ramifications but have fingers crossed.

Not a 'proper' solution but it will do till something better comes along.

linw, are you able to share files between computers with the Power service turned off? Or do you not have a network set up at home?

 

[linw]

Yes, sharing between my NAS and other computers is perfectly normal.

 

[Steve06]

@linw: can you explain how exactly to stop power service? what are the drawbacks so far?

 

[linw]

Sure, Steve. Like all things in Windows, there are several ways to do things! The easiest, I think, is to run msconfig and then click the 'Services' tab. scroll down and untick 'Power'. Then reboot.

Easiest way to run msconfig is to go to the 'metro' screen and simply type 'msconfig'. Or, in desktop mode, rt click the start square bottom left, left click Run, then type in msconfig and hit Enter (or OK).

It would be good to see if my 'fix' works on other machines or whether it is peculiar to mine.

Haven't noticed any drawbacks yet but it is early days! But nothing bad can happen with this one and it is just a matter of re-ticking it to get it back.

Cheers.

 

[videodj]

My board is a Asus P8P67 Deluxe and I'm using the intel LAN port. After updating the drivers, it work ok for a few days and today it's stop working again. At this rate I may just go back to Windows 8 as it's no gppd my pc waking for a backup if it then stays awake all night.

 

[linw]

Could you try the Power stop to see if that works on yours? As I said above, easy to re-instate it.

 

[johnpombrio]

Sure, Steve. Like all things in Windows, there are several ways to do things! The easiest, I think, is to run msconfig and then click the 'Services' tab. scroll down and untick 'Power'. Then reboot.

Easiest way to run msconfig is to go to the 'metro' screen and simply type 'msconfig'. Or, in desktop mode, rt click the start square bottom left, left click Run, then type in msconfig and hit Enter (or OK).

It would be good to see if my 'fix' works on other machines or whether it is peculiar to mine.

Haven't noticed any drawbacks yet but it is early days! But nothing bad can happen with this one and it is just a matter of re-ticking it to get it back.

Cheers.

Sleep is working for me now. 3 computers go to sleep and no longer wake up when one is woken up.

Tried turning the Power config off. I donno if it fixes sleep or not (I got sleep to work by making sure my network shares were properly set up). It disables both the "change when the computer sleeps" options AND disables the "advanced power settings". The last one is a deal breaker as the "enter password from wake" is back on so I am pretty sure that all the advanced settings are put back to their default conditions like hibernate, media allowing sleep, and other important settings. If you are OK with default advanced power settings, I guess no harm but I do not recommend turning off Power function.

EDIT 2103-11-09 So far, this is the ONLY workaround that is consistently letting the computer sleep.

EDIT 2013-12-28 This did not fix the problem. For me, a MS update on Dec 11th fixed it.

 

[prism]

Interesting that it still knows that I have a 1 min sleep delay even without the power svc started.

You mean it still remembers your timer settings before you killed power SVC?