Computer not going to sleep properly, blue light stays on and computer will not wake

[mpw101]

HP Pavilion model p6-2220t 

Windows 7 Home Premium sp1 64bit

Typically when my desktop computer sleeps the blue light on the tower turns orange.  When I touch the mouse or keyboard the light turns blue again and the computer wakes. 

There have been several times in the past year when I return to the computer after hours away and the blue light is still on.  It is not orange indicating sleep.  And I will not be able to wake it.  I eventually learned to push and hold the power button for several seconds until the light goes out completely and the computer is off. (This is way easier than crawling around to unplug it.) I then push the power button again and the computer turns on normally.

When I turn it back on there is always an event log error that says, “The previous system shutdown at (time) on (date) was unexpected.” The time is about when it should have gone to sleep and apparently shut down instead, but the blue light is on so it does not shut down completely.

It will usually be weeks or months before it happens again.  I have no idea what causes this.  All the power settings are default and I use the Balanced plan setting.  I used the Windows 7 Power Troubleshooting tool and no problems were found.

Since I installed the October Windows 7 updates on 11/02/18 it has happened three times.  Much more frequently than in the past.

On the chance it may have been various Microsoft updates causing this problem all along I thought I would ask this community.

Does anyone have any idea why my computer does not always go to sleep properly?  This is an unpredictable problem, sometimes it goes to sleep and wakes normally.

[sandytechy20]

@mpw101

Welcome to HP forums, I see that your computer is not going to sleep properly.

Perform a hard reset on the computer.

1. If Windows is open, click Start and then Shutdown.

   If Windows is not open and the computer has power, press and hold the power button on the computer until the computer shuts off.

2. With the power off, disconnect the power cord from the back of the computer.

3. With the power off and the power cord disconnected, press the power button on the computer for 5 seconds. The power light indicator on or near the power button might turn on briefly but then go out.

4. Reconnect the power cord and turn on the power.

I would suggest here is to update the Bios and Chipset drivers on your PC from our HP support website, using this link:- Click here

Also, download and install HP support assistant on your PC. It should automatically download and install the latest updates and drivers for your PC.

Refer this link to know how to use HP support assistant.

Once done, restart the computer.

I would suggest you go through all the steps suggested in the support document for - HP PCs - Sleep and Hibernate Issues (Windows 10, 😎

Let me know if that helps.

To thank me for my efforts to help you, please mark my post as an accepted solution so that it benefits several others.

Cheers.

[mpw101]

Sandytechy20,

In response to your post.

1. Windows is shut down, only the blue light of the power button is on and the computer is unresponsive.
2. I forced shut down when I pressed and held the power button until the blue light went out.
3. It has been working and sleeping fine since I posted on this community. If it happens again, after I force it to shut down I will unplug it, press the power button and hold as you describe.
4. Then restart.

I was notified some time ago the HP no longer supports this computer with updates.  It is now 6 years old.  In the past (2015) the most recent version of HPSA caused a lot of problems as it was not compatible with Model p6-2220t.  I finally stopped automatic updates and used older version until HP said there would be no more updates so I removed HPSA.  See:  https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktops-Archive-Read-Only/HP-Support-Assistant-update-on-11-20-2015-c...

Also even when the computer was only about a year and a half old (2014) HPSA kept telling me to install the wrong driver for for the Ralink Wireless LAN card.  See:  https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktops-Archive-Read-Only/HP-support-assistant-Ralink-802-11n-Wireles...

For these reasons I hesitate to install any BIOS updates or drivers.  I take HP at its word that this machine is no longer supported.  I am afraid of causing problems I don’t have with an uncompatible update of anything.

The link for sleep and hibernate issues you suggested is for Windows 8 and 10.  I have Windows 7 sp 1 64bit.  I had already done some of the items listed that could also be done on Windows 7.

Thank you for your time and for responding.  My computer is working for the time being.  It is easy to restart if the problem happens again.  I may start manually putting it to sleep instead of just letting it go to sleep after it has been idle.

[sandytechy20]

@mpw101

Thanks for the reply.

I appreciate your time and effort.

Good to know that the computer is working now.

Keep it in observations and contact us back if you need more assistance.

To thank me for my efforts to help you, please mark my post as an accepted solution so that it benefits several others.

Cheers.