How to Solve Sleep Mode Problems on a Dell Computer

When Microsoft patched the power-saving features of Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista, certain Dell computers were affected by various issues where the computers would go into sleep mode and be unable to come out of it or error out and not go into sleep mode. Sometimes the computers would go into sleep mode and wake up only when a USB mouse was jostled. Pressing keys on the keyboard would not wake the computer because the keyboard would stop functioning.

Windows XP Service Pack

1.      Open the Dell support page on your Internet browser. See the Resources section for a link. Make sure to have your seven-digit alphanumeric (letters and numbers) service tag. Place that information into the "Choose by Service Tag" option.

2.      Make sure that the option for the "Operating System" is correct.

3.      Go to "+Bios" and click on the "+" symbol. Click on "Download" at the far right, save and run the downloaded file.

4.      Restart your computer after installing the file.

5.      Test the "Power-saving" feature once you have rebooted.

If Section I Does Not Resolve the Issue

6.      Go to "Display Properties" by right-clicking in an open area on your desktop and left-clicking on "Properties." Click on the "Settings" tab.

7.      Check if the "Display" midway down is saying "Plug and Play Monitor on..." If it is not, go to the "Device Manager." Left-click on the "X" in the top right corner of the "Display Properties" menu.

8.      Go to "Start," left-click, and then open the "Control Panel" (or "Settings" and then "Control Panel" depending on your system is set up).

9.      Select "System," go to the "Hardware" tab, and left-click on it. Left-click on "Device Manager" about 1/3 of the way down that page.

10.  Look at "Monitors" and see a "+" symbol. Left-click on it once and see if it has an exclamation point,"!," with a yellow circle around it. If it does, right-click on the "Plug and Play Monitor" and left-click on "Update Driver."

11.  Choose "Yes, this time only" and then left-click on "Next." The wizard will update the monitor drivers automatically, if possible. Restart if necessary once updated.

12.  Test the"Sleep" mode again. The computer should go into sleep mode and then wake up successfully.