Tech question on new laptop--screen not "waking up" automatically when opening lid

[6packofun]

My dd just spent a lot of money on a new Dell computer, picked up at Best Buy yesterday.  Every time she closes the lid (without shutting down; this is just to take the computer with her to another room or something) and then opens it again just 5 minutes or so later, the keyboard is lit up, the power button is lit and on, but the screen stays asleep, just black.  Touching the screen, the mousepad, keys, nothing seems to get it to wake up and take her to the log in screen.  (She can shut it down and start it up again but that's not how this should work; she needs to be able to go back to what she was working on!)

 

Is there some setting she can try to change?  Is there a driver we need to install?  Could this be related to Windows 10?  Any ideas?

 

She decorated this thing with a few special stickers she's been saving and we do NOT want to have to trade this in, it's new for crying out loud.  Everything else works fine and we've had this issue with other computers in the past but I can't remember how dh resolved it.  It seems like there must be a fix that we just don't know how to tackle.  Thank you if you can help!

Edited November 25, 2017 by 6packofun

[Lanny]

This is NOT exclusive to Dell laptops...  This is a very common issue.  I have these issues with my Dell Latitude E6410 (Windows 7 Professional, 64 bit).  She made a horrible mistake, putting stickers on something that is brand new and is under warranty.  They will not take it back... Defacing the machine would void the warranty, with regard to a possible exchange, if there were a massive Hardware issue.  

 

There are Settings in Windows, probably in the Control Panel, you will find an Applet for Power Savings or something like that.  I have fiddled with those and still it is a PITA trying to get this thing to go to Sleep and then Wake Up.

 

This could be caused by many different things. Mysterious things like a Video Driver or some other driver.

 

There may also be an Applet in the Windows Control Panel for the Video Driver that may give some control over what is supposed to happen when you close the lid, depress the power button, etc.  I have changed some of those settings, with little or no luck. Power Savings Applet or something like that in Windows Control Panel.

 

NOTE: You should check on the Dell Support web site, with the Dell Service Tag for that unit, to be sure that you have the latest Drivers for WiFi and for Ethernet (assuming that you use Ethernet, as I do the majority of the time).   

 

Update any Drivers they show as "Critical" or "Important" or whatever the term is.  

 

If I had the unit, I would also check for a BIOS Update for the machine, on the Dell Support web site. DO NOT install a new BIOS unless the machine has a fully charged battery and is connected to AC power. You would Update the BIOS by getting into BIOS setup (on the Motherboard, not part of Windows) and Flashing the new BIOS).  

 

Dell has an extremely extensive Users Forum and you might search there, for the exact model number and symptom. I assume you will get a lot of search results, because what you are experiencing is extremely common. Sleep/Hibernate/Wakeup issues.  

 

ETA: Correction to what I wrote about Flashing the BIOS.   I haven't done that for quite awhile...  Remembering back, I now think that the process of Flashing the BIOS is begun from Windows and is done automagically for the user. What actually happens is that it Flashes the BIOS in the Motherboard. 

Edited November 25, 2017 by Lanny

[almondbutterandjelly]

Turn off/disable the sleep setting.  That usually works for us.  It is a very common problem on computers.

[kiwik]

If the worst comes to the worst peel of the stickers and use oil on the residue.

[Lanny]

If the worst comes to the worst peel of the stickers and use oil on the residue.

 

The OP said everything else works properly, so the only issue is the lack of recovery from Sleep or Hibernation, which is so common that I cannot imagine any company taking a unit back for that.  However, if there are huge Hardware issues in the future (I doubt that will happen) then your suggestion of trying to remove the stickers is excellent.

 

Usually, Software issues are not covered by a Hardware vendor like Dell, Lenovo, HP, etc. They really can't try to solve all of the bizarre things that happen with Windows.    One thing that would be interesting, if the laptop has a DVD drive, would be to Download a "Live" Linux distribution and "Burn" the Image to a DVD and then boot off the DVD and run off the DVD and see if the Sleep issue happens while running Linux. If so, that would be of more interest to the vendor (Dell in this case) and might possibly indicate a Hardware issue.  There is an extremely high probability this is caused by something in Windows.

 

After participating in this thread, awhile ago, I updated the BIOS in this Dell Latitude E6410 laptop to the latest one on the Dell Support web site.  It's always a good idea to be on the most recent BIOS.