Windows Vista Sleep And Hibernation Errors
Vista offers enhanced power saving settings that enable you to alter the period of time your computer is inactive before being entered into sleep or hibernation mode. Entering hibernation mode ensures that you use less power and you suffer less damage to your monitor when compared to leaving your computer running as normal while you are not with it. However, entering hibernation under certain circumstances can lead to errors and problems with software, hardware, and attached devices (see audio devices above and dialup Internet connections above).
Connected Devices Fail Following Hibernation
Once you wake your computer from hibernation some devices may stop working or may work incorrectly. Vista may be unable to recognize some devices attached to your PC, especially those that connect using USB. Other devices may not be immediately recognized by Vista when you first turn on your system, but in less than a minute they become recognized and ready for use.
This is a known bug and Microsoft has released a hotfix to counteract this problem. This hotfix is available by contacting Microsoft support and requesting it or by downloading the latest updates, patches, and fixes from the Microsoft update center.
Various Network Errors Following Hibernation
On waking a Vista based PC from hibernation or from sleep mode you may experience various problems that are related to your network or Internet connection. These problems include the network connection icon not updating to accurately reflect your current connection status, an incorrect status despite attaching a network cable, and you mot not receive the screen tip when hovering over the network icon or having clicked it.
These symptoms are misleading but do not actually prevent you from connecting to a network. In some cases the connection icon in the taskbar may even state that you are not connected but you are still, in actual fact, fully connected.
These errors occur when the computer enters hibernation before it has chance to update the connection settings.
Restarting your computer should remedy this situation quickly and easily. Alternatively, in order to view the correct and current status of your network connection use the Network Connection Center by following these instructions:
> Click Start
> Enter Network and Sharing Center in the search box
> Click Network and Sharing Center in the programs list that is displayed
As already mentioned these errors do not prevent you from connecting to the Internet, however they are misleading and will typically state that you are not connected even though you can access all areas of the network you have connected to. There is no immediate reason to restart your computer under these circumstances.
System Freezes Following Hibernation
When you wake a Windows Vista computer from hibernation you may experience a completely black screen followed by a seemingly nonsensical Stop error message. You will be unable to use or properly access your computer without restarting it. While the error can occur as a one off it can also happen regularly, although with seemingly no related conditions.
This error usually occurs when running a PCI-Express graphics or video card, and ASPM (Active State Power Management) is enabled on the device.
This error occurs because the graphics device did not have adequate opportunity to exit the Active State Power Management before entering sleep or hibernation mode. In order to resolve the issue you will first need to restart your computer. Once restarted you should download and install the latest patches released by Microsoft because these contain essential downloads and upgrades as well as fixes for these situations. You can set Vista to download and install these automatically or visit the Microsoft upgrade center to look for the necessary and latest patches. You can also request the appropriate hotfix directly from the Microsoft support center.
Video Camera Errors Following Hibernation
Webcam or USB digital camcorder users may experience problems receiving an image from their webcam when waking the system from hibernation. This is likely to be true if you use the camera for image capture (e.g. as a webcam), and if Vista entered sleep or hibernation while you were previewing images from the camera.
Under these circumstances you may either be greeted by a blue screen or a black screen with no image preview. Typically, restarting your computer will give you back full access and image viewing capabilities.
Microsoft have released a hotfix that was originally designed for use with Sony computers but it has proven to be effective with other makes of computer running the Vista operating system as well. You should download the latest updates from the Microsoft update center or contact Microsoft support and request a copy of the hotfix relating to this problem.
