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Question

Computer won't go to sleep mode. WinXP

Sep 22, 2017 5:15AM PDT

When I push a sleep mode button computer only shows the message "Preparing to hibernate" on blue screen all the time and doesn't go to sleep mode. I have to turn it off manually. Where is the problem? I never had such problem in the past. I need your advise, please.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Sleep and Hibernate are different
Sep 22, 2017 6:07AM PDT

But for both of them when that happens, usually some problem third party program that windows can't shutdown properly. Such program may tip you off during use by telling you windows can't shut it down after you've used it, but you continue doing other things on computer. It can also be settings like Wake On LAN, Wake on Keyboard, Wake on Mouse, etc that interfere, but those are more rare. Obviously something hangs up the process and that's a software problem, not always easy to track down.

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Answer
I had a XP machine do that.
Sep 22, 2017 10:19AM PDT

Since the machine was a desktop it's DISPLAY would not power off on its own so I had to tap the power button on the PC then the display. Nothing was really broken. It was just not well integrated to power down when the computer shut down.

I would not fix this one.

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Answer
I'll add this;
Sep 22, 2017 12:13PM PDT

You need to have pagefile turned on for sleep to work.

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Page file
Sep 22, 2017 1:36PM PDT

That may be true for xp but it's not for w7.
Since I don't use a page file and sleep works fine.

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It's turned on
Sep 22, 2017 2:03PM PDT

It's turned on. The problem is that one evening when I try to put it in sleep mode it works, another evening it gets stuck on the message that it is preparing to sleep mode, and never turns off, I have to turn it off manually. I don't understand why it doesn't go to sleep mode.

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Hibernate or sleep?
Sep 22, 2017 3:10PM PDT

You start out saying hibernate now your saying sleep.

You start out saying all the time now your saying sometimes it works and sometimes not.

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I mean Sleep Mode
Sep 23, 2017 2:30PM PDT

I meant Sleep Mode. I don't know how English version of WinXP writes "Preparing to hibernate" I thought, or maybe "Perparing a Sleep Mode"? In my native language it's all the same.
I meant Sleep Mode. Usually before going to sleep I don't turn off computer, but put it in a Sleep Mode. Now it doesn't work in most of the cases. Noone can help...((

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Sleep
Sep 23, 2017 4:16PM PDT

Before you try to put the pc in sleep close all running apps so you back the pc down to the desktop.

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Oh, no.
Sep 24, 2017 1:00AM PDT

I am so much sorry, I am confused a lot. I opened an article about the difference of Sleep Mode and Hibernate. I am so sorry, I meant Hebernate, because I turn off entirely computer. I meant this period, when computer preparing to save files from RAM to hard drive never comes and stands all the time on the message "Preparing to hibernate?

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Try the same test
Sep 24, 2017 3:21AM PDT

Manually shut down your open programs.
See if one of them gets stuck.

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Run a RAM test
Sep 23, 2017 8:02PM PDT

It's called memtest 86. Let it check your RAM, making sure the RAM isn't dropping some bits here and there causing this. If it's truly in Sleep mode and fails, then often it's due to RAM problems starting, because sleep keeps it all in RAM and refreshes it at times.

Have you had any other problems with programs hanging or computer freezing up at times?

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I meant Hibernate.
Sep 24, 2017 1:06AM PDT

I was wrong, because Hibernate in my native language translates as Sleep Mode. Oh, no. Just found out. I am sorry.
But I mean Hebernate, when computer starts to write RAM to Hard drive. And it stands on the message on blue screen "Preparing to Hibernate", but it doesn't write ram to hard drive, it stands all the time on thet message. So I turn off it manuall, all my opened files are lost. Please, how to find out where is the problem? Hibernate Mode is allowed on my computer.