Computer Won’t Wake Up From Sleep – Windows 10/11

Have you ever had trouble waking up your Windows PC from sleep mode? People tend to put their PCs in sleep mode when not using them as it consume less power and is faster to access when required. Instead of turning the PC on, a simple press of a space bar or moving a mouse can get you into your computer easily, all thanks to the sleep mode. However, things don’t always go as planned.

Several users have shared how computers won’t wake up from sleep. The issue is common, considering there is a lot of chatter on multiple forums.

The problem is common. No matter what you try, the computer won’t wake up from sleep. Ultimately, you have no choice but to restart it to use it. If you have experienced the same, do not worry; this post will lead you to the ultimate issue resolution! Keep reading…

Causes For Why Your PC Might Behave in This Manner

Multiple factors usually contribute to your computer not waking up from sleep errors on Windows 11/10. The top ones are gaps in your system power configuration and outdated PC drivers.

Some of the most common errors that are culprits behind the issue on pressing the spacebar include –

Outdated video or chipset driver.
Incorrect power option settings.
Old or corrupt hiberfil.sys.
Interference caused by software or application.
Corrupt Windows system files.
Outdated BIOS.

Knowing all these errors make a difference, you must consider identifying if any of these issues are present on your PC. More importantly, how do you fix them? Well, if the computer is stuck in sleep mode and an error is hampering your experience, check out the next section to get your hands on ways to fix the Windows 11/10 sleep error.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

7 Solutions to Computer Won’t Wake Up From Sleep on Windows 10/11

When the system becomes unresponsive, you will first need to hard reset the PC to try the fixes.

To do so, press the power button for 10 seconds and let the system shut down. As the CPU fan turns off, wait a minute or two and restart the PC by pressing the power button.

Now that you are on your computer and out of sleep mode let’s try some fixes to resolve the error.

Fix #1 – Turn Fast Startup Off

Fast startup is an added feature in the latest versions of Windows (11/10) that allows you to speed up the boot process. While it is a utility feature to improve the experience, its configuration often messes up with sleep and other boot features. Turning it off may help to wake from sleep mode.

Here’s how you turn fast startup off –

Step 1- Press Win+R to open the Run search utility
Step 2 – In the Run search, use the command powercfg.cpl and hit enter.

Step 3 – The above command will open your system’s power management settings.
Step 4 – In the opened settings, find the option “choose what the power button does. You may find it in the left panel of the opened setting.
Step 5 – Uncheck the fast startup setting in the opened Window and save the changed settings.

Assuming you are habitual in keeping your PC asleep, this should not affect your boot-up time. However, remember that while this change may fix the sleep mode error on your computer, it might extend the overall boot time.

Fix #2 – Check if Your Keyboard & Mouse are Allowed to Wake the System Up

Another crucial issue that causes the issue is the configuration of your input devices and their ability to wake up the system. Here’s what you need to do –

Step 1 – Press Windows + R to open the Run search.
Step 2 – In the Run search, use the command devmgmt.msc to open the Device Manager.

Step 3 – The opened Device Manager lists all the PC components. Find your Keyboard and right-click to open its properties.

Step 4 – After opening the properties, simply move to the Power Management tab and ensure that “Allow this device to wake the computer” is enabled.

Step 5 – Use the same steps to ensure that your mouse can also wake your device.

This method helps you determine whether the space bar you were pressing has the power to wake the device.

Fix #3 – Update PC Drivers

Last but probably the most important fix for the computer won’t wake up from sleep error is updating your PC drivers. Usually, the Device Manager is used to update any driver on Windows. However, since you might require to update multiple drivers, using the Device Manager to update manually might not be the ideal method.

You may require a solid driver updater tool like the Advanced Driver Updater to simplify the method and automate the process.

Here’s how the tool works-

Step 1 -Download, install, and run the tool on your PC from the desktop shortcut or start menu.

Step 2 – Use the Start Scan Now button to initiate scanning for drivers that need updates.

Step 3 – You will have the list once the scan is over. Click on Update All and let the process finish.

Fix #4 – Change Power Management Settings

If the above two fixes do not work, you should play around with your power management settings.

Step 1- Press Win+R to open the Run search utility
Step 2 – In the Run search, use the command powercfg.cpl and hit enter.

Step 3 – In the Power Management window, click on the Change plan settings to alter the settings of the current plan you are using.

Step 4 – Now, click on Change advanced power settings in the Windows that open up in the Change plan settings window.

Step 5 – Change the settings to your preference and ensure when the PC sleep and whether you need wakeup timers to act up while the system is running.

Step 6 – Apply your changes, which may fix the error for you.

Keep in mind that getting too creative with these settings might damage the system. Hence, it is advised that you change only the required settings.

Fix #5 – Modify Hibernation Settings

Users are usually confused between sleep mode and hibernation mode. This confusion is particularly common among laptop users, as closing the lid of the device often puts the system into hibernation mode rather than sleep.

The same issue may be bugging your experience as well. You should consider modifying the hibernation settings to prevent this.

Here’s how you do it –

Step 1- Press the Win key on your keyboard to bring up the start menu.
Start 2 – In the start menu, search for the command prompt and click Run as administrator to open it up.

Step 3 – In the opened command prompt window, use the command –

powercfg.exe /hibernate off && powercfg.exe /hibernate on

This command will reiterate the entire hibernation setting. This means it will turn it off and then turn it on, re-enabling the entire process.

Try putting your PC to sleep now and waking it up to check if it made a difference. If it did, the issue is now resolved if it didn’t, check out the next fix.

Fix #6 – Run Windows Troubleshooter (Windows 10)

If the above fixes haven’t helped you yet, you can try finding the Windows Power Troubleshooter on your Windows 10 PC. While the above-mentioned fixes are valid for both operating systems, this one is only limited to Windows 10, as troubleshooters have changed in Windows 11.

In Windows 10, simply follow the instructions given below –

Step 1 – Open the Control Panel via the start menu. Ensure the display setting is set to Large icons.
Step 2 – From the available options, click on Troubleshooting.
Step 3 After opening the Troubleshooting options, click on Improve Power Usage under System and Security.

Step 4 – Run the troubleshooter properly and let it finish running. Restart once the problem has been resolved.

Check your PC by putting it into sleep mode and trying to wake it. Only this time, it should work. Troubleshooting on Windows 10 is definitely a great way to understand and fix the issue. In case the error is not fixed, the troubleshooter will share the exact details as well, making it easier for you to resolve the error.

Fix #7 – Run SFC Scan for System Files

If none of these prove helpful, you can also try the SFC scan, as there may be a problem with system files.

To run the scan, all you have to do is –

Step 1 – Open Command Prompt as an administrator via the start menu.
Step 2 – Use the command sfc/scannow and hit enter.
Step 3 – Let the scan run. Once it is complete, restart your PC.

A quick sfc/scannow in the command prompt can help you identify corrupt files on the PC and fix the issues related to them.

These 7 fixes may assist in solving your computer won’t wake up from sleep issues on Windows.

It’s Time to WAKE your PC Up from Errors!

The computer won’t wake up from sleep is a common problem. What makes it severe is ignorance. Fortunately, you can now fix the issue using the solutions provided. Simply bookmark this blog for future reference or share it with a friend who may be facing the same error.

Updating your device drivers can help you resolve almost 85% of regular computer errors. Hence, we recommend you download and use the latest version of Advanced Driver Updater, which is safe and one of the best tools available for Windows.

With that being said, we have concluded the post. Try the fixes out and let us know if there’s any confusion at any step. We will also be more than happy to assist you in the comments section.

Thanks for reading! Good Luck!

Dishank Sharma

A creative tech-writer who loves to explore latest tech-trends & convey them to his readers in the simplest way possible. He loves to blend the crispness of technology with a pinch of creativity while curating best practices for the readers. In his free time, he likes to scribble poetry, listen to rap & travel.