Windows 8.1 refuses to sleep

[Gork]

@linw
Same for me, as I've described before. Did you use your MS account up front, or was it a local account on your computer first which you then "upgraded" to a MS account? If the former and you decide to try the "long shot experiment" I laid out two posts above to see if it somehow fixes the problem please report your findings... I'll certainly report mine as soon as I'm able to try out the experiment when I get time off from work again. I don't really want to try it out through an RDP connection.

EDIT:
Another new page in this looooong thread. 223,259 views. Wowzers...

 

[Noun0]

This is a long shot, but I just came up with a new idea I haven't tried before and don't recall being brought up in this thread previously. Many (most?) of us (though not all) have reported that the sleep function works fine when logged on with a local account but doesn't work properly when we're signed on using a MS account. Each time I have installed Win8.1 I have used a MS account up front. I wonder if it might change something if I instead created a local account then LINKED IT TO a MS account? I only learned tonight that this is possible - and the Windows installation will supposedly keep the original local account's username. (I say supposedly because I only read some post elsewhere indicating as much - I don't know this from my own experience.)

I plan on trying this out, but don't have time off for a few weeks so thought I'd post my little idea in case someone else might want to jump on the bandwagon a little sooner. I don't want to interrupt the current user setup on my computer, so I'll probably create a new local user on my computer, create a new MS account then link the two together and do some testing.

Instructions to link a local user account to a MS account on Win8.1 using a mouse:
1) Create and log into a local account on the Win8.1 PC
2) Hover the pointer in the lower right corner of the screen
3) Click on Settings
4) Click on "Change PC settings" (located at the very bottom of the side bar)
5) Click Accounts
6) Click on "Connect to a Microsoft account"
7) Follow the online instructions to complete the connection

Note: There is a security "feature" and MS will either SMS or email (to a separate email address, not the MS account email address) you a code you must enter during this process in order to complete the link. It might be easiest to make sure you've entered a separate security email address and/or cell phone number into the MS account you'll be using prior to this attempt.

@caperjack (and anyone else with an 8.1 install properly "automatically sleeping")
Curious... Do you recall whether you changed a local account into a MS account on your Win8.1 computer which sleeps properly? Or did you create your account initially as a MS account?

Already tested for me and it's not working. => local account "upgraded" to a MS account.
However, I have this problem of sleep with all kind of accounts (Local and MS)

 

[Gork]

@Noun0
Thanks - not sounding like my idea will be fruitful then, other than the difference you have with sleep not working with local accounts as well. At this point I still plan on giving it a shot though. Thanks for your input!

 

[caperjack]

We've been through this a million times.

For some it works all the time.

For some it never works.

For some it works for a while, stops working, and for various reasons starts/stops working again.

There are fixes for some people (perm and temporary) but no magic bullet fix for all.

Those seeking the magic bullet will be sadly disappointed.

If you need a crude, outdated, tool that works in almost all cases use StandbyHelper

agree 100% ,so why do people call it win8 bug

Personally, its not worth arguing over the semantics any more. It's at least an incredibly unstable feature for one hell of a lot of people? Agreed?

agreed, mums the word

 

[linw]

@Gork - always had an MS account.

 

[orbitalfenestra]

If someone has the time. Try my experiment. Clean Install windows 8.1 OFFLINE then once on the desktop, plug internet, activate Windows then update everything (win update and drivers) then test sleep before doing anything else. I was thinking about it, some of us use different version of Windows 8.1 (core, pro, enterprise) Could one be more sensitive than the others?

I use win 8.1 pro (not VL)

Note: be sure to solve other sleep issues (powercfg /requests , powercfg /devicequery , etc etc) before giving up. Stay offline account for a while. Save your progress in file history by creating a image disk. Reactivate features one by one and notice the change in sleep behavior.

 

[Noun0]

Already tested with a clean install offline :huh:
I use Win 8.1 Pro too.

Sleep issue appears from the beginning on my config (proco Haswell).

Furthermore, john has written few days ago : "I reloaded Windows 8.1 and had not installed any 3rd party programs (except for some basic video drivers ) and the problem popped up so it sure seems to be confined to Win 8.1 proper."

 

[orbitalfenestra]

Already tested with a clean install offline :huh:
I use Win 8.1 Pro too.

Sleep issue appears from the beginning on my config (proco Haswell).

Furthermore, john has written few days ago : "I reloaded Windows 8.1 and had not installed any 3rd party programs (except for some basic video drivers ) and the problem popped up so it sure seems to be confined to Win 8.1 proper."

Well, I guess that's all I have to offer. I am frustrated because I cannot find an answer to that problem.

 

[Noun0]

I'm frustrated too since the 8.1 update.
Maybe the answer doesn't exist

EDIT : The only solution I have is to quit my session each time that I want to retrieve the sleep function (OR use StandByHelper.)

 

[werty]

Hi, you can try the following: open Control panel/System and security/Find and fix problems/View all and then run the Power, System Maintenance and Windows Update troubleshooters and then open Control panel/System and Security/Power options/Require a password on wakeup/Change settings that are currently not available and untick the Sleep (Show in Power menu), save changes. Then put the tick back again. Also verify that there are no drivers that prevent Windows from going to sleep. Restart Pc.
Good luck!

 

[Noun0]

Well, it's done but I already tried troubleshooters options (power only).
Now, waiting...

 

[Vincenzo]

Also verify that there are no drivers that prevent Windows from going to sleep.
Good luck!

How do you do this?

Thanks

 

[werty]

Also verify that there are no drivers that prevent Windows from going to sleep.
Good luck!

How do you do this?

Thanks

See this thread on SevenForums Devices - See Devices that are able to Wake Up the Computer - Windows 7 Help Forums.

 

[Noun0]

I give up...

 

[linw]

I give up...

Know how you feel!! Mine seems to be the same as yours. With MS account it sleeps for a while then stops. Like you say, logout and login fixes it till next time.

It's like there is some register being incremented causing a sleep problem eventually. Logging back in resets the counter.

And, as we know, unplugging the ethernet cable sees it resuming sleep again. Plug it back in, sleep stops.

My target at the moment, is OneDrive. OD syncing was added in 8.1 and it depends on the comp being connected to the Internet.

There are a lot of registry entries for SkyDrive relating to syncing but who knows whether this is the right track?? I have set these to off so will see how long my comp keeps sleeping (it has been sleeping since 2030 last night).

I definitely don't hold out any hope, though!! Therein lies disappointment and I am past that stage.

 

[NCguy]

I give up...

Know how you feel!! Mine seems to be the same as yours. With MS account it sleeps for a while then stops. Like you say, logout and login fixes it till next time.

It's like there is some register being incremented causing a sleep problem eventually. Logging back in resets the counter.

And, as we know, unplugging the ethernet cable sees it resuming sleep again. Plug it back in, sleep stops.

My target at the moment, is OneDrive. OD syncing was added in 8.1 and it depends on the comp being connected to the Internet.

There are a lot of registry entries for SkyDrive relating to syncing but who knows whether this is the right track?? I have set these to off so will see how long my comp keeps sleeping (it has been sleeping since 2030 last night).

I definitely don't hold out any hope, though!! Therein lies disappointment and I am past that stage.

I really think (at this point) it's going to at least take a debug version of Windows. That probably rules out all of the posters in this thread.

 

[caperjack]

I give up...

Know how you feel!! Mine seems to be the same as yours. With MS account it sleeps for a while then stops. Like you say, logout and login fixes it till next time.

It's like there is some register being incremented causing a sleep problem eventually. Logging back in resets the counter.

And, as we know, unplugging the ethernet cable sees it resuming sleep again. Plug it back in, sleep stops.

My target at the moment, is OneDrive. OD syncing was added in 8.1 and it depends on the comp being connected to the Internet.

There are a lot of registry entries for SkyDrive relating to syncing but who knows whether this is the right track?? I have set these to off so will see how long my comp keeps sleeping (it has been sleeping since 2030 last night).

I definitely don't hold out any hope, though!! Therein lies disappointment and I am past that stage.

I really think (at this point) it's going to at least take a debug version of Windows. That probably rules out all of the posters in this thread.

I have access to debug version ,but would be a huge learning curve for me to use it

 

[NCguy]

Know how you feel!! Mine seems to be the same as yours. With MS account it sleeps for a while then stops. Like you say, logout and login fixes it till next time.

It's like there is some register being incremented causing a sleep problem eventually. Logging back in resets the counter.

And, as we know, unplugging the ethernet cable sees it resuming sleep again. Plug it back in, sleep stops.

My target at the moment, is OneDrive. OD syncing was added in 8.1 and it depends on the comp being connected to the Internet.

There are a lot of registry entries for SkyDrive relating to syncing but who knows whether this is the right track?? I have set these to off so will see how long my comp keeps sleeping (it has been sleeping since 2030 last night).

I definitely don't hold out any hope, though!! Therein lies disappointment and I am past that stage.

I really think (at this point) it's going to at least take a debug version of Windows. That probably rules out all of the posters in this thread.

I have access to debug version ,but would be a huge learning curve for me to use it

I'm impressed that someone even has access to it. I assumed those jewels were well protected.

 

[caperjack]

I really think (at this point) it's going to at least take a debug version of Windows. That probably rules out all of the posters in this thread.

I have access to debug version ,but would be a huge learning curve for me to use it

I'm impressed that someone even has access to it. I assumed those jewels were well protected.

its available on my msdn acct, I'm downloading it now for what that's worth ,lol , ill try to find time to install it on another hard drive to see what differs

 

[NCguy]

I have access to debug version ,but would be a huge learning curve for me to use it

I'm impressed that someone even has access to it. I assumed those jewels were well protected.

its available on my msdn acct

It seems to me that it's going to have to be addressed at least at that level. I'm not sure that's enough. I'm guessing you don't have the source to go with it on msdn?