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.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

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

0 comments

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.

0 comments

75 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-04-03T21:31:29+00:00

I'm having this issue on a ThinkPad T520 (4239)

Fresh install of Win8 Pro, I haven't determined if it was related to having metro apps up or not but I created my own power plan and set everything to NEVER - for both battery and plugged in. These settings are ignored and I'm forced to actively touch the computer over and over again to keep it from sleeping.

The only thing I see in the event log is the following:

"""

The system is entering sleep.

Sleep Reason: System Idle

"""

I haven't tried the proposed fix via regedit yet though.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2013-03-26T12:49:27+00:00

This is happening to me on my brand new Surface Pro. Glad to know it is a software issue and not my SP but it would be nice if MS fixed this. I do in fact want to use a functioning sleep mechanism to conserve battery life but I have had to turn them all off due to this bug.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2013-03-24T15:54:42+00:00

Some additional info i read on the Technet forums:

When waking up the laptop with the Power button instead of the mouse it won't go to sleep after 2 minutes.

Works for me so i'm happy with this workaround. However it does not seem to work for everyone.

This works for me. I use a HP EliteBook with Windows 7 Professional, and if I try to wake it from sleep with my external mouse or keyboard then it exhibits the problem. I now use the power button to avoid the problem. I have also use the registry edit, in testing it works fine but just the same I have trained myself to always use the power button.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments