Computer hibernates when I tell it to sleep

Question

Problem

When I tell my computer to sleep, it hibernates instead of sleeping. This occurs regardless of whether I tell it to sleep using the button on my keyboard or using the UI. Interestingly, when it goes to sleep by itself (as a result of user inactivity), it works normally.

Troubleshooting

Here's what I've checked:

• Windows event log confirms that it's supposed to be sleeping: Event 42, Kernel-Power with TargetState and EffectiveState set to 5. Message in log entry is:

  The system is entering sleep.

• Sleep button action is set to Sleep.
• Allow hybrid sleep is set to off.
• Timer-based hibernation is disabled.

For the skeptics

Here's why I think it's hibernating rather than sleeping:

1. The HDD indicator light and fans stay on for a few minutes before I see and hear that the computer isn't running.
2. Clicking the mouse and pressing keyboard buttons don't wake the computer up. I need to turn it back on using its power button.
3. It completes a boot sequence instead of instantly restoring its previous state like it should.
4. The HDD indicator light stays on for several minutes after starting up.
5. The whole process of "sleeping" and subsequently "waking up" takes several minutes.

Computer set-up/configuration

• Latest updates installed from Windows Update.
• This is a clean OS install done by me straight from an original DVD.
• Using drivers provided automatically by Windows.

Answer 1

Workaround

Your system might not be fully compatible with Windows 8/8.1. If you don't need hibernation, you can turn it off entirely:

1. Open a command prompt as administrator.

2. Type or paste the following command, and press Enter to run it:

   powercfg -h off
   

   Changes are applied immediately.

Remarks

• You will regain some disk space which was previously reserver for the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys). By default, that's 75% of the installed RAM.

• The fast startup feature will be disabled, too:

  Starting with Windows 8, a fast startup mode is available to start a computer in less time than is typically required for a traditional, cold startup. A fast startup is a hybrid combination of a cold startup and a wake-from-hibernation startup.

  _{Source: Distinguishing Fast Startup from Wake-from-Hibernation}

Answer 2

I had the same issue (computer hibernating when it should be sleeping). When I applied the workaround to completely disable hibernation:powercfg -h off. It solved the problem for me. My computer would finally go to sleep. The cool thing was on a whim I turned hibernation back on powercfg -h on and the problem was still fixed. Now hibernation works when I say hibernate and sleep works when I say sleep. For me at least this has completely fixed the problem.