Steps for Fixing Computers that Do Not Wake Up or Resume from Suspend / Hibernate Mode but Will Power On

Update the BIOS & Chipset

The first steps would be to update the BIOS and Chipset driver.

Warning: Make sure to suspend BitLocker prior to flashing the BIOS on Systems that have BitLocker enabled. If BitLocker is not suspended, the next time you reboot the system it will not recognize the BitLocker key. You will then be prompted to enter the recovery key to progress and the system will ask for this on each reboot.
How to Suspend Bitlocker

BIOS

1. Open a Web Browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc...) and go to Dell.com/Support.
2. Enter your System Service Tag or navigate to the specific Model of System you have.
3. Click on the Drivers & Downloads tab.
4. Select your Operating System in the drop down box (Figure 1).
5. Select BIOS in the Category drop down box (Figure 1).
6. Click on the most recent version of the BIOS (Figure 1).
7. Click Download to begin the download (Figure 1).
   
   Figure 1
   
8. Save the file to your Desktop.
9. Once downloaded, you can Double Click the icon on your Desktop.
10. Follow the On-Screen instructions to complete the installation. This will reboot your System and perform a BIOS update.

Chipset

1. Open a Web Browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc...) and go to Dell.com/Support.
2. Enter your System Service Tag or navigate to the specific Model of System you have.
3. Click on the Drivers & Downloads tab.
4. Select your Operating System in the drop down box (Figure 2).
5. Select Chipset in the Category drop down box (Figure 2).
6. Click on Intel Chipset Device (Figure 2).
7. Click Download to begin the download (Figure 2).
   
   Figure 2
   
8. Click Download. You may receive a warning and an option to run or save the file.
9. Click Save.
10. When the Save As window appears, designate a folder to save the file that is being downloaded and click Save. The download progress window displays.
11. Make sure the checkbox next to "Close this dialog box when download completes" is unchecked. When the download completes click Run or Allow.
    Note: The User Account Control window may appear, click Continue.
12. A small window will appear with Continue and Exit buttons, click Continue.
13. In the Select the folder where you want to unzip the files to window, click Ok.
14. If a message appears asking to create a folder, click Yes. If a message appears asking to overwrite the folder, click Yes to All.
15. In the All files were successfully unzipped window, click Ok.
16. A new window will appear, follow the prompts that appear to finish the installation.

Once the BIOS and Chipset Driver have been updated, the System should be tested to see if the issue is resolved.
If the issue remains, please go to the next step.

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BIOS and Power Options Settings

The following settings should be changed in the BIOS and in Windows.

Note: If using a Mouse and Keyboard, make sure they are connected directly to the System or Docking Station and not a USB Hub.

BIOS:

1. Power the system On and press the F2 key at the Dell logo to enter the BIOS.
2. Once in the BIOS, click the plus to the left of Power Management.
3. Then Select USB Wake Support, check the box to Enable USB Wake Support. Click Apply at the bottom (Figure 3).
   
   Figure 3
   
4. The Block Sleep Option (can also be called Deep Sleep Control) is normally only available on Desktops, uncheck it to Disable it. Click Apply at the bottom (Figure 4).
   
   Figure 4
   
5. Exit the BIOS.

Windows Power Options:

1. Search for and open "Power Options" in the Start Menu.
2. Click "Choose what the power buttons do" on the left side of the window (Figure 5).
   
   Figure 5
   
3. Click "Change settings that are currently unavailable" (Figure 6).
4. Under "Shutdown settings" make sure "Turn on fast startup" is unchecked (Figure 6).
   
   Figure 6
   

Once the BIOS and Windows Power Options have been changed, the System should be tested to see if the issue is resolved.
If the issue remains, please go to the next step.

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Update Video Driver

The Video/Graphics driver should be the next item updated in the troubleshooting process. Some Systems may have two Video/Graphic drivers that need to be updated, the Intel Integrated driver. Then the nVidia or AMD discrete driver, based on which was ordered with the system.
Video/Graphics Driver

1. Open a Web Browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc...) and go to Dell.com/Support.
2. Enter your System Service Tag or navigate to the specific Model of System you have.
3. Click on the Drivers & Downloads tab.
4. Select your Operating System in the drop down box (Figure 7).
5. Select Video in the Category drop down box (Figure 7).
6. Click on Intel HD Graphics (Figure 7).
   Note: You may need to download the nVidia or AMD driver as well, depending on if a discrete video card was ordered with the System.
7. Click Download to begin the download (Figure 7).
   
   Figure 7
   
8. Click Download. You may receive a warning and an option to run or save the file.
9. Click Save.
10. When the Save As window appears, designate a folder to save the file that is being downloaded and click Save. The download progress window displays.
11. Make sure the checkbox next to "Close this dialog box when download completes" is unchecked. When the download completes click Run or Allow.
    Note: The User Account Control window may appear, click Continue.
12. A small window will appear with Continue and Exit buttons, click Continue.
13. In the Select the folder where you want to unzip the files to window, click Ok.
14. If a message appears asking to create a folder, click Yes. If a message appears asking to overwrite the folder, click Yes to All.
15. In the All files were successfully unzipped window, click Ok.
16. A new window will appear, follow the prompts that appear to finish the installation.

Once the Video/Graphics Driver has been updated, the System should be tested to see if the issue is resolved.
If the issue remains, please go to the next step.

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Refresh hiberfil.sys File

Refresh the hiberfil.sys file by toggling the switch (Disabling and Enabling), this will reset the file if it is corrupted.

1. You will need to run this from an Administrator Command Prompt window.
   To open one in Windows 10 or 8/8.1, right-click the Start button and select "Command Prompt (Admin)".
   To open one in Windows 7, you can search the Start Menu for Command Prompt, right-click it, and select "Run as Administrator".
2. Copy and paste the command into the Command Prompt window, "powercfg -h off" and press enter to disable (Figure 8).
   
   Figure 8
   
3. Restart the System and go to an Administrator Command Prompt window again.
4. Copy and paste the command into the Command Prompt window, "powercfg -h on" and press enter to enable (Figure 9).
   
   Figure 9
   
5. Restart the System one more time. The hiberfil.sys should be refreshed.

Once the hiberfil.sys file has been refreshed, the System should be tested to see if the issue is resolved.
If the issue remains, please go to the next step.
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Windows Power Troubleshooter

You can run the Windows Power Troubleshooter to adjust your System's power settings. The Power Troubleshooter checks things like your System's timeout settings, which determine how long the System waits before turning off the monitor display or entering sleep mode.

Note: Adjusting these settings can help you conserve power and extend your Notebook's battery life.

To run the Windows Power Troubleshooter, follow these instructions:

1. In Windows, search for and open the Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel Search field, type Troubleshooting (Figure 10).
3. Click Troubleshooting (Figure 10).
   
   Figure 10
   
4. Under System and Security, click Improve Power Usage (Figure 11).
   
   Figure 11
   
5. Click Power to run the Troubleshooting tool (Figure 12).
   
   Figure 12
   
   A "Detecting Issues" window displays while Windows detects and attempts to fix any issues.
6. After Troubleshooting is complete, close the Troubleshooter, or click Explore Additional Options if needed.

After Windows Power Settings have been adjusted, the System should be tested to see if the issue is resolved.
If the issue remains, please go to the next step.

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Clean Boot with the MS Config Utility

To perform a Clean Boot using the MS Config Utility on the System, use the following steps:

1. From the Search Box, type msconfig and press Enter.
2. Click the Startup tab. Click Disable all and click Apply.
3. Click the Services tab. Check the box that says Hide all Microsoft services and then click Disable all.
4. Restart the System and check if the issue is resolved.

If it is still present, repeat the steps above to re-enable all services and startup items. Start looking at the program, driver, or device for the issue.

If the issue is not present, you will need to re-enable services and startup items one by one until the cause of the issue is identified.
This procedure is critical in avoiding unnecessary Operating System reinstalls. This process is just temporary and is needed to check to see if a Startup Item or Service is causing the issue.
To return the Boot Process to a Normal Startup In MSCONFIG.

1. From the Search Box, type msconfig and press Enter.
2. Click the General tab.
3. Click Normal startup.
4. Click OK.
5. Click Yes when you are prompted to restart your computer.

If the issue remains after testing, please go to the next step.
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Create a New User Profile

To create a new user in Windows, please make sure you are logged in with an account that has Administrator privileges.
Windows 7

1. Click on the Start Button.
2. Click on the Control Panel menu option.
3. You will now be in the Manage Accounts control panel
4. Click on Create a New Account
5. You will now be at the Create New Account screen.
6. In the New Account Name field enter the name of the new account that you would like to create.
7. To give full access to the account select the account type as Administrator.

Windows 8/8.1/10

1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC Settings.
2. Click Accounts, and then Click Other Accounts.
3. Click Add an Account, and then click Sign in without a Microsoft Account (Not Recommended).
4. Click Local Account.
5. Enter a user name for the new account.
6. If you want this person to sign in with a password, enter and verify the password, add a password hint, and then tap or click Next.
   Click Finish.

In case if the account is not an administrator account, follow the instructions below.

1. Use the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app.
2. Click Accounts.
3. Click Family & Other People.
4. Under Other people, select the user account, and click Change Account Type.
5. Under Account type, select Administrator from the drop down menu.
6. Click OK to complete the task.

The System should be tested to see if the issue happens in the new Account. If the issue does not happen with the new Account, the issue lies in the original Account.
If the issue remains in the old Account, please go to the next step.
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Restore System

As long as system protection is enabled on your system, Windows will automatically create a restore point whenever you install new Windows updates - if the last restore point is older than 7 days.

Note: System Restore will not delete any of your files, but you may have to reinstall any software, updates or drivers that were installed after the date you are taking the PC back to.

Windows 7
Use the following link and click on the Windows 7 Starts Correctly section.
Restore, Factory Reset or Reinstall Windows 7 on your Dell Computer.
Windows 8/8.1
Restoring Windows 8 to a previous Restore Point
Windows 10
Perform a System Restore in Windows 10
When the System Restore is done, the System should be tested to see if the issue is resolved.
If the issue remains or if this step was skipped, please go to the next step.
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System File Checker Scan

The System File Checker (SFC) tool is built into Windows and can scan your Windows system files for corruption or any other changes. If a file has been modified, it will automatically replace that file with the correct version.
You will need to run this from and Administrator Command Prompt window.
To open one on Windows 8/8.1 or 10, right-click the Windows button and select "Command Prompt (Admin)".
On Windows 7, you can also search the Start Menu for Command Prompt, right-click it, and select Run as Administrator.
Type the following command into the Command Prompt window: sfc /scannow
Press Enter to run a full system scan:
When the SFC scanner is done, the System should be tested to see if the issue is resolved.
If the issue remains or if this step was skipped, please go to the next step.

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Operating System Re-Installation

If the issue remains after all troubleshooting steps (except for the optional Connected Standby step) have been done.
The Operating System (OS) will need to be reinstalled.

Note: Programs and all Data will need to be backed up.

Prior to Re-Installing the OS, you may need to create Windows recovery media. Instructions on how to do this with your Dell System may be found in the following articles.

• How to Create and Use the Dell Windows Recovery Image
• Dell Windows Backup Media and Recovery Options

Windows 10
Step by step instructions for reinstalling Windows 10 can be found in the following article with videos available.
Reset or Reinstall Windows 10 on your Dell Computer
Windows 8/8.1
Step by step instructions for reinstalling Windows 8/8.1 can be found in the following article.
Windows 8.1 Upgrade and Installation Instructions
Windows 7
Step by step instructions for reinstalling Windows 7 can be found in the following article with videos available.
Restore, Factory Reset or Reinstall Windows 7 on your Dell Computer.

If you have further questions about this article, contact Dell Technical Support.
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