Sleep mode is a useful Windows feature to save power when you need to step away from your desk. Of course, the idea is to resume work quickly without restarting your computer again and launching the programs. However, it can be aggravating when sleep mode fails to work properly on Windows 11.
In this post, we’ll look at some potential solutions to help you fix the sleep mode not working on Windows 11. So, without further ado, let’s start.
1. Verify Screen and Sleep Settings
To begin troubleshooting, check the screen and sleep settings in Windows 11 to ensure that you haven’t disabled sleep mode accidentally. Here’s how you can go about it.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + X to open the Quick Links menu and select Settings from the list.
Step 2: In the System tab, click on Power & battery.
Step 3: Click on Screen and sleep to expand it.
Step 4: Set your preferred sleep mode duration using the drop-down menus next to each option.
After making the changes mentioned above, Windows should enter sleep mode after the specified amount of time.
2. Run Windows Troubleshooter
Windows 11 includes a plethora of troubleshooters capable of detecting and resolving most of the system-level issues. So, if the sleep mode is not working right, you can run the power troubleshooter on Windows to see if it helps.
Step 1: Open the Search menu, type in trouble shooter settingsand click on the first result that appears.
Step 2: Select Other trouble shooters.
Step 3: Lastly, click on the Run button next to Power.
Windows will go through your current power settings and fix any irregularities.
3. Modify Power Options
If the troubleshooter fails to find any problems, you’ll need to explore the power options yourself. Such problems may occur if your PC is set to wake up from sleep or the hybrid sleep feature is enabled. Here’s how to disable them.
Step 1: Click on the Search icon on the Taskbar, type in control panel in the box, and select the first result that appears.
Step 2: In the Control Panel window, use the drop-down menu in the top-right corner to change the ‘View by’ type to large or small icons, and then go to Power Options.
Step 3: Click on Change plan settings next to your active power plan.
Step 4: Click on the ‘Change advanced power settings’ option.
Step 5: In the Power Options window, double-click on Sleep to expand it.
Step 6: Double-click on Allow wake timers to expand it.
Step 7: Use the drop-down menu next to On battery and Plugged in to select Disable from the list. Then, hit Apply to save changes.
Similarly, enabling the hybrid sleep feature can keep Windows from going to sleep at times. You can disable it from the same Power Options window by expanding the Allow hybrid sleep menu.
4. Prevent Mouse and Network Adapter From Waking Your PC
Another reason why the sleep mode may not work as expected is if your mouse or the network adapter keeps waking your PC from sleep. Here’s how you can change that.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + S to open Windows Search, type in device managerand press Enter.
Step 2: Click on ‘Mice and other pointing devices’ to expand it.
Step 3: Right-click on your mouse and select Properties from the list.
Step 4: Under the Power Management tab, uncheck the box that reads ‘Allow this device to wake the computer’ option. Then, click on OK.
Similarly, you’ll also need to repeat the above steps for your current network adapter. To do so, expand the Network adapters in the Device Manager window. Then, right-click on your network adapter and select Properties.
Under Power Management, uncheck the ‘Allow this device to wake the computer’ option before hitting OK.
5. Disable Fast Startup
Fast startup is a nifty feature on Windows that allows your PC to boot faster after shutdown. However, this feature can occasionally interfere with sleep timer and prevent Windows from entering sleep mode. So, if the problem persists, you can try disabling it completely by employing the steps below.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, type in controland press Enter.
Step 2: Switch the view type to icons and select Power Options.
Step 3: Click on ‘Choose what the power buttons do’ on the left sidebar.
Step 4: Click the text at the top ‘Change settings that are currently unavailable.’
Step 5: Uncheck the box that reads the ‘Turn on fast startup (recommended),’ and click on Save Changes button at the bottom.
Restart your PC after this and check if the sleep mode works.
6. Identify and Close Programs Keeping Your PC Awake
Background apps and processes often prevent your PC from going to sleep mode. If that seems the case, you can use the command prompt to identify those apps and close them manually. Here’s how.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin) from the list.
Step 2: In the console, paste the following command and press Enter.
Powercfg /Requests
From the results, close any apps or programs that keep your PC from sleeping. After that, sleep mode should work normally.
Sleep Well Windows
Most of the time, the misconfigured power settings, background apps and process, or a wake timer causes such issues with sleep mode. Which one solutions helped you fix any issues with sleep mode on your Windows 11 computer?