Sending to sleep

[mtav]

I think my computer has had this problem from new: when I try to enter the Sleep mode the screen goes black immediately but after a few seconds turns blue, and then after another minute or two the desktop re-appears and Vista is back to normal working. Does anyone know of a cure?

[mike]

Hi Mtav,

 

I have never seen this problem before, but after doing a bit of research on the internet a few people on other forums seem to have resolved similar issues by increasing the size of the page file.

 

Here is a good tutorial on how to do this. Please report back your findings... Make sure you restart your computer after you have increased the size.

 

Understanding Windows Vista Paging File Size :: the How-To Geek

 

Mike

[mtav]

Thanks Mike.

 

I have 2GB of RAM. I followed the instructions in the link and found my paging file size was set to 2345MB but that the "recommended size" was 3067MB. In changing it to a custom size you have to set both an "initial size" and a "maximum size" - not knowing what this meant I chose 3067 and 5000, and restarted the computer.

 

No improvement, I'm afraid. Do you have any other suggestion?

 

I have now reverted to "automatically manage paging files size" and find that the page size has gone back to 2345MB (less than the 'recommended' size).

 

Incidentally, the instructions in the How-To Geek site are incomplete. If anyone else wants to try it the steps are: Right-click on Computer, click Properties, click 'Advanced system settings' (and give permission); in the System Properties 'Advanced' tab click Performance 'Settings', and in the Performance Options window open the Advanced tab.

[RandyL]

Hi mtav;

It sure sounds like something is waking up your computer. One likely suspect is your NIC card. It might be waking up to refresh your network state so try this:

 

Open Device Manager by right clicking Computer and clicking the Properties tab and select Device Manager.

 

Locate your network device. Right click it and select Properties.

 

Click on the Power Management tab and make sure the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power is checked.

 

Click OK.

 

The other option here is the Allow this device to wake the computer. With the first option checked this option should not cause a problem and can remain checked. You may want to test it though.

 

 

You might have to change the BIOS too if there is a wakeup on LAN or any other wakeup set in there but try the first option first.

 

After that check the properties of other devices in device manager to see if there is a Power Management option to allow the device to wake up the computer. For instance your mouse might be sensitive and is waking it up. But like I said try the NIC card controller first as it's the most likely culprit.

 

On another note some computer models have their own Power Management plan but that would be specific to a model and usually a laptop.

[BeeCeeBee]

With regard to page file settings the minimum or initial size should be 1.5 X your RAM. In your case approximately 3000. The 3067 therefore seems to be the correct setting based on what is being recognised by your system. The maximum size is 3 X Ram or, double the initial setting. It may not solve your curent problem if you set to the recommended sizes but it should improve overall speed and efficiency.

[mtav]

Thanks for the advice. I have now altered the page file settings to 3067 and 6000 as you suggest. I wonder why Vista seems to prefer 2345.

[BeeCeeBee]

While the formula I gave you is know to be proper for XP, I was not as sure for Vista but the consensus from my research seems to indicate that it is the same. Has your main problem been solved??

[mtav]

I was wrong about the blue screen lasting for a minute or two - it is actually only 30 seconds, and repeatably so. It seems unlikely that anything should always want to wake my computer at just this time.

 

For the NIC in Device Manager Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power is already checked, and Allow this device to wake the computer is unchecked.

 

The only other devices with Power Management tabs are (1) four Human Interface Devices, for which Allow the computer to turn off ... is greyed out and Allow this device to wake ... is unchecked; (2) the keyboard, for which Allow the computer to turn off ... is already checked; and (3) two USB Root Hubs, for which Allow the computer to turn off ... is unchecked. but I tried checking each of them, and it made no difference.

 

Thanks for the suggestion anyway, RandyL. Do you have any other ideas?

[mtav]

Not yet, I'm afraid, BeeCeeBee

[DirtyPolo]

Hey mtav,

 

Can you please follow these instructions and either post a screenshot of the results or just type them into your reply.

 

- Click "Start"

- Type in "CMD" and press Enter.

- In the box that opens type in "powercfg lastwake" and press Enter.

 

Below is my example of what you should see and what I would like you to reply with:

 

[ATTACH]189.vB5-legacyid=396[/ATTACH]

 

NOTE: Notice that I had USB\ROOT\HUB listed. For me, this would be the USB wireless mouse. Your list results will vary of course.

 

Doing this should show us what is waking your PC up whenever you put it to sleep.

[mtav]

My result is identical to yours apart from the username and the string following ROOT_HUB which in my case is 4&15dae351&0.

 

Hope that's enough.

Edited February 24, 2009 by mtav

[DirtyPolo]

Okay, thankyou,

 

Now try the following:

1. Open an "Enhanced Command Window". Do this by clicking on "Start", type "cmd" into the search box and press "Ctrl, Shift and Enter" at the same time. Provide Administrative Credentials when prompted.
   
2. In the window, type "powercfg - devicequery wake_armed". On my system, this gives the following result (yours will be different):
   http://www.vistax64.com/attachments/general-discussion/9891d1233507568-computer-wakes-up-sleep-capture.png
   
3. Make a careful note of what is displayed or take a screenshot and post the results back in a reply :)
   

[mtav]

DirtyPolo, many thanks for your continuing persistence.

 

I can copy a screenprint into, for example, Word but not into the message space of Quick Reply. How do I do that?

 

Anyway the devices listed when I follow your instructions are:

 

HID Keyboard Device

HID-compliant mouse

High Definition Audio Controller

[RandyL]

I'll try to get you close mtav.

 

If you are using the windows printscreen save it to paint by opening Paint and copy. Then save it as a jpeg file.

 

Since you have Vista the snipping tool should work too and save it as a jpeg.

 

Once saved don't use quick reply. Instead click on the green button that says "Post Reply" at the bottom left of the thread.

 

Scroll down to the "Manage Attachments" buttons and click that. Click the "Browse" button and navigate to the picture. Click to highlight it and click the "Open" button.

 

Click the "Upload" button. The picture should now appear at the point in your post you attached it.

[Dalo Harkin]

DirtyPolo, many thanks for your continuing persistence.

 

I can copy a screenprint into, for example, Word but not into the message space of Quick Reply. How do I do that?

 

Anyway the devices listed when I follow your instructions are:

 

HID Keyboard Device

HID-compliant mouse

High Definition Audio Controller

 

your keyboard and mouse and the audio card is waking the PC up - this should not happen unless you are using the mouse or the keyboard at the time its asleep - strange how the audio is listed - unless its playing sound at the time of going to sleep.

[mtav]

Dalo Harkin

 

Mouse and keyboard are each wireless. If I take the battery out of one and send to sleep with the other, the computer still wakes up again as before. Thanks for the thought, though. Any other ideas?

[mtav]

I have been using the snipping tool and can save an image as a JPEG, but I can't see the green 'Post Reply' button.

 

I have tried 'Go Advanced' but can't paste into the message space there either. It has an Attach button which doesn't allow attachment of the JPEG.

[BeeCeeBee]

Just click on the paperclip or go to manage attachments below the post box and follow the directions to upload. If the jpeg is not working try using "paint" in your accessory programs.

[DirtyPolo]

Okay, when you manage to attach the screenshot then I will give the next step as having the screenshot will benefit us both.

[mtav]

The paper clip is the Attach button which I couldn't get to work.

 

Trying again. Click paper clip, browse to JPEG, click Upload. The JPEG is now shown as a 'current attachment' and is also shown as an Attach File in the Additional Options list below the message window. Click Manage Attachments in the Attach Files window. The JPEG now appears in a new browser tab headed 'attachment.php'. Reverting to the PC Help browser tab, all there is to be seen is my message text -- my JPEG hasn't been inserted into the text, and nor is there any sign an attachment will be sent with the message.

 

I'll send this now and see what is there.

 

Ah! I see it has worked.

[DirtyPolo]

Okay, now if what you have described earlier is correct, about you testing the keyboard and the mouse seperatly, then it leaves us with the only option left that it is this audio controller that is causing the problem.

 

Please follow these steps and try to put your PC to sleep again after and letting us know how you get on.

 

1. Open an "Enhanced Command Window". Do this by clicking on "Start", type "cmd" into the search box and press "Ctrl, Shift and Enter" at the same time. Provide Administrative Credentials when prompted.

 

2. In the window, type "powercfg -devicedisablewake <devicename>" where <devicename> is the name of one of the devices listed above (yours, not mine). For example, to disable the setting for the mouse, the command is as follows:

http://www.vistax64.com/attachments/general-discussion/9892d1233507568-computer-wakes-up-sleep-capture1.png

So to disable your audio controller type in the following:

 

powercfg -devicedisableawake "High Definition Audio Controller"

 

3. Press Enter and try putting your PC to sleep again. Let us know how you get on.

[mtav]

DirtyPolo

 

No change, I'm afraid.

 

Btw, the list which previously showed keyboard, mouse and HiDef audio now has only the first two. How do I get the missing one back?

Edited February 24, 2009 by mtav

[DirtyPolo]

Okay,

 

Please do the following again,

 

Now try the following:

1. Open an "Enhanced Command Window". Do this by clicking on "Start", type "cmd" into the search box and press "Ctrl, Shift and Enter" at the same time. Provide Administrative Credentials when prompted.
   
2. In the window, type "powercfg - devicequery wake_armed". On my system, this gives the following result (yours will be different):
   http://www.vistax64.com/attachments/general-discussion/9891d1233507568-computer-wakes-up-sleep-capture.png
   
3. Make a careful note of what is displayed or take a screenshot and post the results back in a reply http://extremetechsupport.com/forum/../images/smilies/smile.gif
   

The High Definition Audio Controller should have been removed from the results. Please let us know if it has been or if it still remains there.

[DirtyPolo]

Okay, in reply to your most recent edit of your previous post.

 

To restore the audio controller back into the list, follow these steps:

 

1. Open an "Enhanced Command Window". Do this by clicking on "Start", type "cmd" into the search box and press "Ctrl, Shift and Enter" at the same time. Provide Administrative Credentials when prompted.
   
2. In the window, type "powercfg -deviceenablewake "High Definition Audio Controller".
   

Now, as it shows that a USB device is waking up the PC, do you have ANY other USB devices plugged in other than your keyboard and mouse?

[mtav]

PROGRESS! BRILLIANT! Thank you.

 

Yes, I had three other USB devices attached. A LaCie external USB hard drive is no problem, but if EITHER of the others is connected the computer won't go to sleep. Disconnecting both cures the problem.

 

One is a good but old Epson Perfection 1240U photo scanner which worked well with XP but isn't recognised by Vista. And, as Epson don't have a driver for Vista, I had decided with regret that I must abandon it. So, it doesn't matter that it prevents Vista going to sleep. (Although if you know of a way I can continue to use it occasionally for photographs I would very much like to hear of it.)

 

The other is an hp Deskjet 990Cxi printer which I have been in the habit of leaving switched on all the time. Switching it off doesn't help - Vista still won't go to sleep. Unplugging the USB cable IS enough, but as the connectors are at the back of the printer and the back of the computer and both are in inaccessible positions, it is very difficult to plug it back in. Do you have any suggestion?

 

Btw, I have successfully restored the audio controller to the list.

 

I am full of admiration for you, DirtyPolo, and for RandyL for your persistence and speed of response. I will now gladly make a donation to the Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help site. May it long continue.

 

I would never have solved the problem by myself.

 

PS I have three printers: a network printer with an Ethernet connection to the broadband hub, a laser printer which uses the computer's only parallel connection, and the inkjet connected by USB. The inkjet has a parallel connection and I think the laser printer has a serial connection, so I may be able to avoid using USB for a printer altogether.

Edited February 25, 2009 by mtav