An unexpected system shutdown while putting your computer to sleep can be frustrating. It mainly leads to data loss instances, causing all your unsaved documents or partially transferred/downloaded files to be lost. There are several reasons, including outdated or corrupt device drivers, improperly configured BIOS/UEFI settings, and system file corruption, that may cause your device to shut down instead of entering sleep mode.
Fortunately, the problem can be resolved using free troubleshooting workarounds without requiring any professional assistance or costly software. In this guide, we’ll explore free methods to fix computer shutting down when put to sleep. Let’s get started!
Common Reasons for Computer Shutting Down Instead of Sleeping
Before diving into the fixes, it’s important to understand how sleep mode works and why your computer shuts down instead of entering sleep. Sleep mode reduces power consumption by putting your computer into a low-power state while preserving your work in RAM. When you resume, the system quickly restores your session.
However, if your computer shuts down directly instead of going to sleep mode, it’s important to find the exact cause of the same. Here are a few common reasons:
Outdated or Corrupted Device Drivers
If the drivers installed on your device, especially for graphics and chipset, are outdated or corrupt, it can disrupt power management and cause shutdowns during sleep mode.
Power Settings Issue
Incorrect or conflicting power options and sleep settings on your Windows PC can lead to the system shutting down instead of entering sleep mode.
BIOS/UEFI settings
Improper configuration of power management features in BIOS or UEFI firmware may cause the computer to shut down rather than sleep.
System file corruption
Damaged or missing Windows files related to power management can interfere with the sleep process, resulting in shutdowns.
Quick Methods to Fix System Shutdown Issue Instead of Sleeping
Now that you are familiar with some common reasons for this issue, it’s important to immediately proceed with adequate fixes. Go with the below free methods to fix the computer shutting down when put to sleep:
Method 01: Update Device Drivers
If an outdated driver seems to be the reason why your computer is shutting down, it’s important to immediately update the drivers. Follow the below steps to update drivers on your Windows PC:
- Press the Windows + X keys and select Device Manager.
- Expand the “Display adapters, System devices, and Network adapters” category.
- Right-click on it and select the Update driver.
- Now, click on the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
- Repeat the same process for all relevant drivers.
Alternatively, you can visit the manufacturer’s website (e.g., Intel, AMD, Nvidia) to download the latest drivers manually.
Method 02: Adjust Power Settings
Misconfigured power settings can also cause your device to shut down instead of sleep. In such a case, you can follow the below steps to modify plan settings or disable fast startup on your Windows PC:
To Modify Plan Settings:
- Type CP in the search box of your computer and launch the Control Panel.
- Go to Power Options, select your active power plan and click Change Plan Settings.
- Now, click the Change advanced power settings
- Expand Power buttons and lid, click Sleep button action and make sure it is set to Sleep.
- Lastly, click OK to save the changes.
To Disable Fast Startup:
Fast startup sometimes conflicts with sleep. You can turn off this fast startup option to avoid such conflicts:
- Launch Control Panel, go to Power Options.
- Now, click on Choose what the power buttons do.
- Tap Change settings that are currently unavailable.
- Uncheck the Turn on fast startup (recommended) option and click Save Changes to save the changes.
Method 03: Update BIOS/UEFI Firmware
Outdated BIOS/UEFI firmware can also cause power management issues, causing your device to shut down instead of entering sleep mode. To update the firmware:
- Find your motherboard model via System Information (msinfo32).
- Now, go to the manufacturer’s website to download the latest BIOS update.
- Follow the on-screen instructions carefully to update BIOS (typically done via a USB flash drive or software utility).
Method 04: Perform a Clean Boot
A clean boot allows you to resume your PC with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, helping identify if third-party software is causing shutdowns. To perform a clean boot:
- Press the Windows + R keys, type msconfig, and press Enter.
- Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services and then tap Disable all.
- Now, navigate to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
- Disable all the startup items.
- Once done, restart your computer.
How to Recover Lost Data After Unexpected Shutdowns?
You may lose files or folders on your Windows PC due to unexpected shutdowns, particularly during sleep or hibernate transitions. If the deleted file is important, it’s important to immediately attempt the recovery. If you are good at maintaining regular backups of your important files, check these backups first to restore your lost data. However, if no backup is available, you can rely on third-party free data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Free to help recover your lost files safely and efficiently.
This free data recovery software allows you to restore data lost due to several reasons, including unexpected shutdowns, system crashes, accidental deletion, or device formatting. Here are the key features of the Stellar Data Recovery Free tool:
- It supports recovery of up to 1 GB of files for free, including photos, videos, documents, and email files.
- It also allows you to restore data lost/deleted from formatted, corrupted, or accidentally deleted partitions.
- The software is compatible with a wide range of file systems, including NTFS, FAT, and exFAT.
- It offers an easy-to-use interface, which makes it best even for beginners.
Here’s how to recover files from Windows computer that shuts down when put to sleep using this free data recovery software:
Step 1: Download and install the Stellar Data Recovery Free software from its official website on your Windows PC.
Step 2: Launch the software and from the homepage, select the type of file you need to restore and click Next.
Step 3: Choose the storage location or drive where the deleted file was stored and click Scan to initiate the process.
Step 4: Once the scan completes, preview the recoverable files and choose the ones you wish to restore. Click Recover to save selected files at a desired location on your PC.
Wrapping Up
If your computer is shutting down instead of sleeping, it may be due to misconfigured settings, outdated drivers, or minor software conflicts. Irrespective of these causes, go with the aforementioned methods one by one to fix the problem without spending any money. Start with basic troubleshooting—like updating device drivers and running the Power Troubleshooter—before moving on to more advanced steps like checking BIOS or performing a clean boot.
Moreover, if you find any file missing from your device due to unexpected shutdowns, try third-party free data recovery software tools like Stellar Data Recovery Free to restore lost files smoothly and efficiently.
