Sleep mode kills my computer

[Timo]

For some reason, when I press the power lid button (sleep)/Go Start>Sleep, my computer hates me. It seems to close down fine, but the power lid light doesn't flash, and when I press the power lid button or mash the keyboard with my hand the computer simply doesn't turn on. I've tried unplugging it, turning it off and on at the back but to no avail. After a period of time (anywhere between ten minutes and hours) it'll let me turn it back on, and say windows didn't shut down properly. I've tried running a repair install from my Vista OEM disc but that hasn't found/done anything.

I can kind of get over not being able to sleep, sure it's a little annoying, but why on earth does it not let me turn it back on immediately, instead making me wait potentially hours before it decides that I can press the power button to turn it on? I don't understand how a bad OS shutdown can mean the power button doesn't work. If I shut down the computer instead of putting it into sleep, the power button works just fine, everytime. I've tried making sure all the connections inside are fine, and making the reset button the power button and hitting that, but that doesn't work either. I've tried searching for this problem, but every answer points to a faulty PSU, which isn't faulty in my case. Sometimes it'll say windows has recovered from an error blah blah, but when I check for a solution it brings up nothing. Has this weird problem happened to anyone else?

tl;dr - when I go into sleep mode my computer won't let me turn it on from the powerlid for what can be ten minutes or hours. Help!

[Zeph]

this is typically a BIOS problem.

[Timo]

I just spent the last few hours recovering from a failed BIOS update (woohoo BSOD on startup), and i've just reset the BIOS so i'm not too keen to try and update again unless its completely necessary >_<

E: Well I just shut down the computer safely/normally, and it's not wanting to turn back on. Guess i'll be attempting to fix the BIOS then v_V

[Zeph]

Vista always sets itself to shut down, sleep, or hibernate correctly. The BIOS, however, doesn't always know how to respond. You'll probably have to flash the BIOS if it wont turn on properly now.

[beele]

Try new video drivers, they solved my hibernation problem, not sure it'll fix yours, but it's worth a shot in my opinion.

Also like Zeph said, maybe a bios update. But check the release notes first to see if any problem alike is described in there, if not, then there is no need to update your bios.

[Timo]

Well I got the USB drive set up to go, just need to wait for the computer to let me turn it on. Times like these make me wish I could tip it out a window, although what's happened is probably my fault :p

beele i'll give your idea a go, when my computer decides to let me turn it on. v_V

EditEdit: Well it finally decided to turn on, and it successfully updated the BIOS ^_^ I'll put it into sleep now to see if it works. *crosses fingers*

EEEEDIT: Well, shit. It didn't work, and it still won't turn on. Does anyone know of any other ways to figure this out, or it this BIOS simply screwed and I need it replaced?

It's going again, but now i'm afraid to turn my computer off :smith:

[Patrickssj6]

You should never flash your BIOS unless it's vital, which is this case it isn't (worst case just forget about sleep >.>)

For me the Wireless Card doesn't come back from sleep so everything is running after sleep mode but my Wireless card is not. Might be some of your hardware...even if it is the BIOS don't flash it.

[beele]

Try hibernate if your sleep mode isn't working :)

[Patrickssj6]

Try hibernate if your sleep mode isn't working :)
Hibernate is restricted to Laptops as far as I know.

[beele]

Hibernate is restricted to Laptops as far as I know.

Is it? Didn't know that, my bad :embarrassed:.

Maybe Timo can trick his pc to think it's a laptop ;)

[Timo]

You should never flash your BIOS unless it's vital, which is this case it isn't (worst case just forget about sleep >.>)

For me the Wireless Card doesn't come back from sleep so everything is running after sleep mode but my Wireless card is not. Might be some of your hardware...even if it is the BIOS don't flash it.
Well when my computer decided to not let me turn it off after just shutting down I thought it was necessary ;). But now it seems to be going alright with shutdowns, i'll try to go into hibernation now.

Edit - well hibernation worked thank god, I guess i'll just have to say goodbye to having my computer going from sleep to running in a few seconds.

[ExAm]

Hibernate is restricted to Laptops as far as I know.
No, it's not. You have to enable it in power management.

[Xetsuei]

Vista always sets itself to shut down, sleep, or hibernate correctly. The BIOS, however, doesn't always know how to respond. You'll probably have to flash the BIOS if it wont turn on properly now.

No, vista has always had problems with sleep mode. I don't know why the fuck why but it does, but very single laptop I've used with vista I've tried this on (10-12), sleep mode doesn't work. I don't know about desktop PCs, but laptops definitely.

For me it's not a problem though, I never use sleep (hibernate FTW).

[ExAm]

My friend's Vista laptop has trouble with sleep mode too :/

[Zeph]

Xetsuei™;286164']No, vista has always had problems with sleep mode. I don't know why the fuck why but it does, but very single laptop I've used with vista I've tried this on (10-12), sleep mode doesn't work. I don't know about desktop PCs, but laptops definitely.

For me it's not a problem though, I never use sleep (hibernate FTW).
An operating system can not have problems with a sleep mode. It does the same thing every time. The variable is the BIOS.

[Xetsuei]

An operating system can not have problems with a sleep mode. It does the same thing every time. The variable is the BIOS.

So what you're telling me is every single laptop has BIOS problems? Great logic right thar.

[kenney001]

mine works....has on my:

-sata-injected XP-SP2 installation
-two vista's,
-ubuntu
-fedora

I don't think its an OS problem, however maybe a driver problem.

[Timo]

It originally worked perfectly fine on my computer, now it just doesn't.

[beele]

Xetsuei™;286164']No, vista has always had problems with sleep mode. I don't know why the fuck why but it does, but very single laptop I've used with vista I've tried this on (10-12), sleep mode doesn't work. I don't know about desktop PCs, but laptops definitely.

For me it's not a problem though, I never use sleep (hibernate FTW).

And every laptop I've used works just fine with sleep/hibernate. You just need to have the right video drivers installed, and bios updates. Blaming vista is a weak excuse. And when you have incompatible video drivers, the hibernate option disappears, but with a simple reg key you can get it back, and it works (what can't be said of the sleep mode though).

[Xetsuei]

And every laptop I've used works just fine with sleep/hibernate. You just need to have the right video drivers installed, and bios updates. Blaming vista is a weak excuse. And when you have incompatible video drivers, the hibernate option disappears, but with a simple reg key you can get it back, and it works (what can't be said of the sleep mode though).

I wasn't talking about hibernate, GG. You didn't even say every single laptop with vista. Next time you're using a vista laptop, try it. Two of my laptops at home (vista) have the right video drivers, and the BIOS is fine. Yet, sleep mode NEVER works. On the other hand my other laptop (XP), and one of my brothers laptops (same model as one of my vista laptops, XP obviously) go into sleep fine. You cannot deny it is a problem exclusive to vista.

[FluffyDucky™]

That's interesting. Are you talking about laptops alone though? My pc is on vista and goes into sleep mode perfectly fine... never had any troubles. How can you prove it is OS based? Has it been said? Or is it just false coincidence that many people are having very similar problems? :confused2:

[Timo]

It failing to go into sleep started happening a long time ago - I think due to a horrible shut-down or a bad system restore or something, and has never worked since. It not wanting to turn back on is fairly new. But it seems to be working now, and will hopefully keep that way until I really really want sleep mode back and decide to see if reformatting does the trick ;)

Thanks for your help guys! Locking this until the problem with shutting down starts happening again