Problems With a Laptop Hibernating
Putting your laptop into hibernation is different than putting it to sleep. When set to sleep, the computer saves open programs and documents in RAM. When hibernating, the information of your open session is written to the hard drive -- this setting uses the lowest amount of power. However, there are a few common problems that can prevent a laptop from entering hibernation properly.
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Insufficient Hard Drive Space
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Because the hibernate tool writes the information necessary to record the open session to the hard drive there must be enough space available on the hard drive. Your computer will notify you that there is insufficient space if that is the problem. Uninstall unused programs or delete large files you no longer need to free up space.
Hardware Interference
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Certain hardware can "wake" a computer from hibernation. USB mice, keyboards and other USB devices are among the most common that can inadvertently remove a computer from hibernation. For example, most computers are set to wake from hibernation when the mouse is moved. This can cause you to accidentally turn the computer back on if you unintentionally bump the mouse.
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Preventing Hardware Interference
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To prevent hardware from removing your laptop from hibernation, click the "Start" button in the lower left corner of the screen and select "Control Panel" from the menu that appears. Click "System and Security" in the window that opens then Device Manager under the "System" heading. The Device Manager will display a list of all the hardware installed on your computer. Double-click the device you want to prevent from waking your computer and double-click it. Click the "Power Management" tab in the window that opens and uncheck the box that says "Allow this device to wake the computer." Click "OK."
Software Interference
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Both the operating system and other programs can schedule tasks that will automatically begin at a specific time -- for example, your antivirus program may be scheduled to complete a scan late at night in order to prevent it slowing the computer during the day. If you computer is hibernating at the time the task is scheduled to begin, it will wake and begin the task.
Preventing Software Interference
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Prevent programs from waking your computer by clicking the "Start" button then "Control Panel." Click "System and Security" then "Power Options" in the window that opens. The next window will display a list of the power plan options currently set up for your laptop. Click the "Change plan settings" link next to the plan you use then click "Change advanced power settings." Click the "Sleep" tab, then choose "Disable" from the drop-down menu next to "Allow wake timers" for both the "Plugged In" and "On Battery" settings. Click "OK."
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