Windows 8 Pro goes to Sleep after 60 seconds of inactivity

Anonymous

I just upgraded via clean install to Windows 8 Pro. Now the computer will go to sleep / standby after 60 seconds of inactivity. Interestingly, this behavior only occurs once the machine has already gone to sleep once in that power cycle. In other words, if I start from a cold boot, the machine will follow the power plan appropriately (screen saver after 10 minutes, sleep after 2 hours) until it has gone to sleep once, after which it will go to sleep every sixty seconds of inactivity.

The system event log shows "Event 42 Kernel Power : The system is entering sleep. Sleep Reason: System Idle." But it does this after just one minute of idle.

I have reset all power plans, I have created my own power plan. Hybrid sleep is disabled. I have run system file checker (sfc /scannow) and I have searched the forums extensively without an answer.

This is a custom built desktop machine which never previously had this issue on Windows 7, it is a new behavior to windows 8.

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Anonymous

So after a lot of digging and trying many things, the below solution worked for me. But if someone can verify this worked for them, that would be great:

It seems like maybe Windows is viewing the return from sleep as a remote wakeup which apparently times out to idle faster than other wake ups. To change this function, delete the following registry key: (maybe using the power button to return to sleep as suggested would be a work around?)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\238C9FA8-0AAD-41ED-83F4-97BE242C8F20\7bc4a2f9-d8fc-4469-b07b-33eb785aaca0\DefaultPowerSchemeValues

To do this, Win Key + R (brings up the run menu), then type "regedit.exe" and navigate to the key location listed above. To be safe, you should save (export) that key before you delete it.

Alternatively, you could edit each of the sub-keys instead of deleting them. Each corresponds to one of the power plans. If you choose ACSettings you are choosing a behavior for when the machine is plugged in, DCSettings are for battery power. If you edit the key, switch do "decimal" The value listed is in seconds, and can be changed to any value you choose.

Please see this post for more information: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/da-DK/w7itprogeneral/thread/6909b30f-f71d-4dc6-9c42-12db1d38944f

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

So after a lot of digging and trying many things, the below solution worked for me. But if someone can verify this worked for them, that would be great:

It seems like maybe Windows is viewing the return from sleep as a remote wakeup which apparently times out to idle faster than other wake ups. To change this function, delete the following registry key: (maybe using the power button to return to sleep as suggested would be a work around?)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\238C9FA8-0AAD-41ED-83F4-97BE242C8F20\7bc4a2f9-d8fc-4469-b07b-33eb785aaca0\DefaultPowerSchemeValues

To do this, Win Key + R (brings up the run menu), then type "regedit.exe" and navigate to the key location listed above. To be safe, you should save (export) that key before you delete it.

Alternatively, you could edit each of the sub-keys instead of deleting them. Each corresponds to one of the power plans. If you choose ACSettings you are choosing a behavior for when the machine is plugged in, DCSettings are for battery power. If you edit the key, switch do "decimal" The value listed is in seconds, and can be changed to any value you choose.

Please see this post for more information: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/da-DK/w7itprogeneral/thread/6909b30f-f71d-4dc6-9c42-12db1d38944f

Hi,

It worked for me, thank you!

had the same issue with Windows 10 (Built 10162) on my laptop. I have removed all the registry folders under the ...\DefaultPowerSchemeValues.

After a reboot the issue has been disappeared.

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75 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-06-07T15:59:16+00:00

My computer started doing this going to blank screen after 60 seconds of idle time. That's how I ran into this thread. Mine is a Dell Inspiron 17R, running Win8-64bit.

Will start trying the regedit now, and if not then will install caffeine to keep system from thinking it's idle.

Hope this gets fixed soon.
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Anonymous

2013-06-24T17:43:20+00:00

As with everyone in this thread, and my family members, and work buddies - we all have this EXACT same issue that the OP originally described - right down to the works fine, until first suspend, and then it goes into 2 minute suspend mode: The system respects all sleep settings (rather set or not to sleep) if booted from cold boot. Once the system enters sleep mode, using keyboard/mouse to wake the system causes the system to go back into sleep after only two minutes of idle time, no matter how long you are actually active (hours in my case at work).

I'm willing to bet almost everyone here is signing in with their Passport, err Windows Live, err Microsoft Account and some do and don't are syncing their settings.

I don't. I login locally only, am not signed into any sort of Microsoft Account (e.g. not syncing anything, all metro disabled), never use a single Metro app across my host machine and two VMware Windows 8 virtual machines that I use onsite for clients. Metro doesn't exist to me, nor do the apps.

I just read today in this thread about the hardware "power on" button attempt. Unfortunately, my laptop is docked the vast majority of the time on the far end of my desk and getting up to walk around my desk, just to hit the power button, when I am just reading a webpage is not an acceptable solution.
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Anonymous

2013-06-26T15:50:21+00:00

Worked fine for me, thank you!!

Guess that Engineers form Microsoft tought that some accidental mouse movement could source great energy consumption,...

Anyway, thx for the hint!
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