Waking up a Dell laptop that has gone into sleep mode is a common issue many users face. Thankfully, there are several quick and easy ways to get your Dell laptop up and running again in no time.
Try moving the mouse or trackpad
Oftentimes, a simple movement of the mouse or trackpad is all you need to wake a Dell laptop from sleep mode. Give the mouse a shake or slide your finger across the trackpad and see if that brings your laptop back to life.
Press any key on the keyboard
Pressing any key on your Dell laptop’s keyboard can also wake it up from sleep mode. Try tapping any letter, number, or function key to see if one of them does the trick.
Open the lid if closed
If you had closed the lid of your Dell laptop before it went to sleep, simply opening the lid fully should wake it back up. Just lift the lid all the way until it clicks into place.
Press the power button
Pressing the power button on your Dell laptop for a second or two can revive it from sleep mode. Just don’t hold the button down for too long, or your laptop may turn off completely.
Disconnect and reconnect the power adapter
Unplugging your Dell laptop’s power adapter from the laptop and then plugging it back in can force your laptop to wake up from sleep mode. This interrupts the power briefly and essentially reboots your system.
Use keyboard shortcuts
Most Dell laptops have special keyboard shortcuts that can instantly wake your device from sleep. For example, on many models pressing the FN key together with the power button will get it going again.
Update or reinstall display drivers
If your Dell laptop has issues waking from sleep consistently, it could be a problem with your display drivers. Try updating to the latest video drivers from the Dell website or do a clean reinstall of the display drivers.
Adjust sleep settings
You may need to adjust your Dell laptop’s power and sleep settings in Windows if it has trouble waking up. Disable hybrid sleep mode, fast startup, and automatic sleep so it does not enter sleep when inactive.
Check for malware and viruses
Sometimes malware, viruses, and other infections can prevent your Dell laptop from exiting sleep mode properly. Run an antivirus scan and malware removal tools to eliminate any malicious programs.
Turn off USB selective suspend
If you have peripherals and devices plugged into your USB ports, disabling selective suspend in your power settings can prevent interference that may keep your laptop asleep.
Troubleshoot hardware issues
Hardware problems like RAM issues, failed hard drives, and motherboard faults can also prevent your Dell laptop from waking up. If software fixes don’t work, you may need professional hardware troubleshooting and repairs.
Reset your BIOS/UEFI firmware
Resetting your Dell laptop’s BIOS (basic input/output system) to factory default settings can help eliminate any corrupted data that might be interfering with the sleep wake function.
Perform a system restore
Booting your Dell laptop into safe mode and running a system restore to an earlier point before you had wake issues may resolve software-related causes preventing sleep waking.
Reinstall your operating system
A complete reinstallation of your Windows operating system can wipe out any stubborn software bugs, conflicts, and issues that could be stopping your Dell laptop from exiting sleep. Back up your data first.
Contact Dell support
If all else fails, contact Dell’s technical support team for personalized troubleshooting help tailored to your specific Dell laptop model. They can diagnose the underlying cause and advise the best solution.
Common issues that prevent waking from sleep
There are a few common issues that can prevent your Dell laptop from waking up properly after entering sleep mode:
Display driver conflicts
Display and video drivers become outdated or corrupted over time, which can prevent sleep waking from working right. Keeping your drivers updated or reinstalling them can fix this.
Power management setting problems
Incorrect power management settings like hybrid sleep, fast startup, and automatic sleep can make sleep modes glitchy. Tweaking these settings may get sleep working again.
Heat buildup
Excessive heat buildup from heavy usage, dust, ventilation issues, etc. can sometimes prevent Dell laptops from exiting sleep mode due to thermal throttling.
Too many startup programs
Having too many apps and programs set to auto-launch when your system boots can overload your laptop and stop it coming out of sleep properly.
Malware infection
Viruses, spyware, ransomware, and other malicious infections can disrupt your Dell laptop’s ability to wake from sleep, among other issues they cause.
Faulty Windows update
On rare occasions, a bad Windows OS update may break features like sleep wake. Rolling back or uninstalling the problematic update can fix things.
Hard drive failure
If your Dell laptop’s hard drive is corrupted or failing, it can cause all sorts of problems including preventing your device from waking from sleep correctly.
BIOS configuration issues
An incorrectly configured BIOS may be to blame if your Dell laptop has issues resuming from sleep, especially if it started after changing a BIOS setting.
Low disk space
Having your hard drive too full can interfere with your system’s ability to resume from sleep properly. Free up ample disk space for smooth sleep wake functionality.
Excessive memory consumption
Running too many RAM-intensive programs can overwhelm your Dell laptop’s available memory needed for reliably entering and exiting sleep mode.
Faulty power button
If the power button itself is damaged, it could cause unexpected behavior including preventing your Dell laptop from waking up from sleep entirely.
Peripheral connectivity issues
Faulty peripherals drawing too much power when connected via USB can prevent proper system sleep wake, as can defective ports themselves.
Damaged CMOS battery
The CMOS battery keeps your BIOS settings saved even when powered off. If it fails, it can cause sleep wake and other issues.
How to prevent sleep problems
You can take proactive measures to prevent many common sleep problems with your Dell laptop:
Update drivers and Windows regularly
Keeping your drivers and Windows operating system updated ensures compatibility and minimizes bugs that can interfere with sleep functions.
Use a laptop cooling pad
Laptop cooling pads keep your Dell laptop from overheating which can disrupt normal sleep operations and cause system instability.
Here is an example cooling pad:
| Brand | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Havit | HV-F2056 | $29.99 |
Clean out dust and debris
Regularly cleaning dust buildup out of your Dell laptop’s air vents prevents overheating that can interfere with smooth sleep mode.
Disable unused startup programs
Reduce unnecessary apps loading at boot to avoid overwhelming your system resources needed for sleep functionality.
Run regular antivirus scans
Scan frequently with updated antivirus software to detect and remove infections before they can cause damage like disrupting sleep.
Use a surge protector
Connect your Dell laptop to a surge protector to regulate voltage and prevent spikes or dips that can harm hardware and cause glitches.
Keep BIOS updated
Dell releases BIOS updates to fix bugs as well as enhance compatibility and stability for optimal sleep health.
Disable Fast Startup
Fast Startup can sometimes conflict with sleep modes, so disabling it in your power settings may increase sleep reliability.
Disconnect peripherals when asleep
Unplug USB devices when your Dell laptop is asleep to prevent any interference issues when waking.
Run Dell diagnostic tests
Dell’s specialized hardware diagnostics can spot components on the verge of failure before they cause problems with sleep functions.
Check minimum sleep requirements
Make sure your Dell laptop meets the minimum system requirements for entering and exiting sleep smoothly.
How to troubleshoot sleep issues
If you continue having problems waking your Dell laptop from sleep, there are some troubleshooting steps you can take:
Check Event Viewer
Event Viewer logs can reveal insight into why sleep functions are not working right on your Dell system.
Boot into Safe Mode
Safe Mode starts Windows with only essential device drivers and services active, isolating potential software conflicts.
Use System Restore
Restoring to an earlier point may resolve software-based sleep issues caused by recent changes or updates.
Reset your power plan
Resetting your current power plan to default settings can fix incorrectly configured sleep settings.
Disable Fast Startup
Fast Startup is often a source of sleep problems and can be disabled in the power options.
Update BIOS
A dated BIOS version may be the culprit, so check for an updated version from Dell and install it.
Uninstall recent updates
If sleep issues started after a particular Windows or driver update, uninstalling it could resolve the problem.
Check connected devices
Unplug all peripherals and accessories connected to your Dell laptop to see if one is preventing sleep wake.
Perform Dell diagnostics
Run specialized hardware tests from Dell Support to uncover and isolate any component failures disrupting sleep.
Check minimum requirements
Compare your Dell laptop’s specs against the minimum requirements for sleep functions to work properly.
Repair or replace faulty parts
If diagnostics reveal a hardware issue, repairing or replacing the failing component will get sleep working again.
Refresh your PC
The Refresh Windows tool reinstalls the OS while preserving files and data to fix software-based sleep problems.
Clean install Windows
A completely clean reinstall of the Windows operating system can permanently eliminate stubborn sleep issues.
Contact Dell technical support
Dell tech support can take over troubleshooting and identify solutions specific to your exact Dell laptop model if needed.
Tips for entering and exiting sleep properly
Here are some tips to help ensure your Dell laptop sleeps and wakes up smoothly every time:
Close all apps/programs first
Be sure to close out of all open applications before putting your Dell laptop to sleep, so they don’t interfere with entering sleep mode.
Check for Windows updates
Installing the latest Windows updates can optimize performance and compatibility for properly entering and exiting sleep.
Update Dell drivers
Outdated Dell drivers, especially display drivers, can disrupt your laptop’s ability to sleep and resume reliably.
Disable Fast Startup
Fast Startup is a common source of sleep problems in Windows, so disabling it is recommended for smooth sleep.
Disconnect peripherals
Remove any USB devices, SD cards, external drives, printers, and other peripherals attached before putting your Dell laptop to sleep.
Use Dell SupportAssist
Dell SupportAssist proactively checks for driver and firmware issues that could destabilize sleep functions.
Shut down instead of sleep
Fully powering off instead of sleeping periodically can clear out any instabilities or conflicts impacting sleep modes.
Investigate noise sources
Fans, speakers, or other noisy components may be staying active and preventing proper sleep initiation.
Avoid overheating
Prevent your Dell laptop from overheating by ensuring proper ventilation and airflow which is essential for normal sleep.
Check sleep settings
Confirm your Dell laptop’s power and sleep settings align with the recommended configurations for proper sleep management.
Rule out malware
Run scans with updated antivirus software to remove malware that could be sabotaging your Dell laptop’s ability to sleep and resume normally.
Update BIOS firmware
Having the latest BIOS version from Dell maximizes compatibility and stability for entering and exiting sleep flawlessly.
Reset power plan
Resetting your currently active power plan’s settings to defaults can often resolve glitched out sleep behaviors.
Conclusion
Troubleshooting sleep issues on Dell laptops usually involves updating software drivers and Windows, tweaking power management settings, running hardware diagnostics, and isolating conflicting apps or devices. Persistent sleep problems may require professional repair or technical support from Dell to fix. Following proper usage and maintenance best practices can prevent many sleep problems from occurring in the first place.