PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT
Why won’t my Windows 11 PC sleep?
Q I recently bought a new Windows 11 computer, which is fully up to date. The screen doesn’t turn off after the set time, nor does the computer go to sleep after the set time. I’ve tried everything in Power Options, to no avail. You’ve previously mentioned devices that can wake the computer, but I’ve checked and I have nothing that does that. I’ve even removed the Ethernet cable. Nor can I get a screensaver to kick in, which I suspect may be related. I’ve Googled and got nowhere. Any ideas greatly appreciated!
Peter Hiden
A We’ve had to edit down your email, but we know you’ve been through the mill. That leaves us with a couple of suggestions.
First, use Windows PowerShell to check that your PC is set up to support sleep states. To do this, press Windows key+X to open the Quick Link menu and then click ‘Windows PowerShell (Admin)’. At the prompt, type powercfg /a (see screenshot 1). At least one of the S1, S2 or S3 states need to be supported by and enabled in your PC’s firmware – and this report will tell you which of them are (or are not).
If for some reason all three are listed as unsupported or disabled, you’ll need to access your PC’s UEFI/BIOS to investigate. We don’t know your computer’s make or model, but generally this involves quickly tapping a key soon after switching on – typically F2, F12 or Delete (Del). So, try that, or check with the manufacturer for the method.
Once in the UEFI/BIOS, you need to look for options relating to power management. These might be under the heading ACPI, which is an abbreviation for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface, but every manufacturer uses different layouts and labels. The same goes for the name of the page or option that controls the
