I had problems with Windows 7, but I still use it regularly with my MacBook Pro. One new issue that has surfaced recently is related to the splash screen and power settings. I set my splash screen to start after 10 minutes, but nothing happened! I also set my computer to go to sleep after 1 hour and turn off the display after 30 minutes. For some reason, the display turned off after 30 minutes, but the computer never went to sleep!
If you are having problems with your monitor not turning off or your computer not going into sleep mode at the times you specify, a number of different problems could be causing this. In this article, I’ll try to introduce you to the various methods I’ve tried and hopefully one of them works for you.
Also, be sure to check out my other posts, The Complete Guide to Troubleshooting Sleep Problems in Windows and Windows 7 That Won’t Sleep, for other possible fixes.
Method 1. Disable your mouse / keyboard
First method – unplug the mouse / keyboard
If you have one of those fancy USB or Bluetooth or wireless mice / keyboards, try turning them off or off and see if the problem goes away. Many people have mentioned that after disconnecting the mouse, the problem just went away. It seems that some of the mice continue to send signals to the computer even when not in use, and therefore prevent the computer from sleeping. Obviously, this is not a perfect solution, as not using a mouse with the desktop is a little annoying. But first, you can at least figure out if this is the problem. If so, try Method 2.
Method 2 – Update Drivers
The second method – updating the drivers
If you are using Windows 7 64-bit, please try to find and download the correct 64-bit drivers for your mouse or keyboard. Using old drivers can cause this problem, so it is recommended to update them yourself by going to the manufacturer’s website and downloading them. Make sure the drivers are specific to your keyboard / mouse model.
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Method 3. Disconnect all USB devices
Method 3 – Disconnect all USB devices
As for method 1, you should try to disconnect all USB devices and check for the problem. This includes things like USB drives, external hard drives, or other USB hardware. Some people have noted this issue with MagicJack which connects via USB.
Method 4 – Disable Wake Up Features
Fourth method – disable alert features
Another way to possibly fix this problem is to prevent the hardware from waking the computer from sleep. This usually requires your mouse / keyboard, so there is no need to change this, but other hardware may cause the screensaver and power settings to fail to activate.
To do this, click “Start” and type “Device Manager”. Open Device Manager, then right-click on a piece of hardware, such as a network card, and select Properties.
Then go to the Power Management tab and uncheck the box next to Allow this device to wake the computer from sleep.
Please note that you will not have this tab for all items in Device Manager, only those that can actually wake the computer from sleep. You can try disabling items one at a time and see when the problem goes away. It could be some other hardware on your system that keeps the computer from sleeping or turning off the display.
Alternatively, you can find out which device last shut down your computer by going to a command prompt and entering the following commands:
powercfg / lastwake powercfg / devicequery wake_armed
Method 5 – Advanced Power Options
Fifth method – advanced power options
By default, you can choose a power plan in Windows 7 and set your power options there. However, there are also advanced power options that you can set, and sometimes the plan and advanced settings don’t match. The advanced settings will override the power plan and so you can set something there, but it won’t work due to what is set in the advanced power options.
Click “Start” and type “Power Options.” The Power Options dialog box opens. Click Change Plan Settings next to the active meal plan.
On the next screen, click Change advanced power settings.
Finally, here you can go to sleep and display mode and make sure the values ??here match the values ??stated in your power plan. If not, change them and hopefully your problem goes away.
Method 6. Turn off and on
Method 6 – Turn off and turn on
The last thing you can try, if all else fails, is to turn off your laptop or computer, remove the battery or turn off your computer, wait about 5 minutes, and then try turning your computer back on. It’s amazing how this can fix certain USB port issues that can cause problems with the power settings on your computer. But you really need to take out the battery or turn off your computer, not just turn it off.
If you still have this problem on Windows 7, post a comment here with your settings and any additional information and we’ll try to help. Enjoy!
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