# My computer wont go to standby. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898 "2006-12-13T00:25:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WritteninStone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WritteninStone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WritteninStone)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/1 "2006-12-13T00:25:24Z")
When my computer used to go to Standby, it would basically shut off and when turned back on booted right up to the login screen on Windows XP. It starts up alot faster then would just shutting down. But after I put in a new keyboard, instead of shutting down when I pressed the standby button, it would just shut down. I changed back to the old keyboard and went to standby from the start menu. Still same problem. ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/2 "2006-12-13T00:32:43Z")
I have the same problem, and have been dancing via email with a couple of MS Windows techs. I think the best answer is to try their new system, which seems to be free right now [https://vsd.powertogether.com/Campaign.aspx](https://vsd.powertogether.com/Campaign.aspx) which I mean to do as soon as I have time to back up completely. ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/3 "2006-12-13T00:34:40Z")
Ooops! Looks like I waited too long. It’s now reading “sold out - We’re sorry; there are no more gifts available.” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/4 "2006-12-13T00:44:09Z")
I would try creating a new user/login (profile) and try that. See if it does the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/5 "2006-12-13T04:58:51Z")
Sounds like mine. Except that mine will not shut down either. All I can manage to do is restart unless I hold in the button on the tower for 4, 3, 2, 1 shutdown. PITA. But, of course, it’s Microsoft. Bob ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/6 "2006-12-13T08:49:32Z")
Go to Control Panel \> Power Options. Under the advanced tab are settings for what happens when you press the power button. Change it to stand by. You might have to restart the computer for the setting to take. I’m not sure on that. ---
**Author:** ![WritteninStone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WritteninStone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WritteninStone)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/7 "2006-12-13T12:33:05Z")
[QUOTE=Seven] Go to Control Panel \> Power Options. Under the advanced tab are settings for what happens when you press the power button. Change it to stand by. You might have to restart the computer for the setting to take. I’m not sure on that. [/QUOTE] Tried it. Doesnt help. [QUOTE=enipla] I would try creating a new user/login (profile) and try that. See if it does the same thing. [/QUOTE] Same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/8 "2006-12-13T19:26:18Z")
Have you checked the Power Management settings in the BIOS? When the computer first boots, there should be a keystroke option that takes you into the BIOS Setup screens. Somewhere in there, there may be settings for what power management functions are supported, and how. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/9 "2006-12-13T21:49:21Z")
Is it a multimedia keyboard with its own standby key? If so, the utility that runs the media keys should also have an option for what to do with the standby keys. If you didn’t install the drivers for it, doing so might help. 'Course, if you have a standby key on the tower itself and THAT is what stopped working, please disregard. ---
**Author:** ![WritteninStone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WritteninStone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WritteninStone)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/10 "2006-12-13T23:15:50Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Is it a multimedia keyboard with its own standby key? If so, the utility that runs the media keys should also have an option for what to do with the standby keys. If you didn’t install the drivers for it, doing so might help. 'Course, if you have a standby key on the tower itself and THAT is what stopped working, please disregard. [/QUOTE] It is a multimedia keyboard. As were the last 2 keyboards I had. It does have a driver but I find that Windows nativly supports most of the keys without any third party driver so I uninstalled it. Plus the multimedia driver software didnt control the sleep and power keys. I went through standby via the start menu and it still doesnt work. When I click the sleep button on the keyboard, the computer shuts down. But the sleep key can still be used to bring the computer back up. But when I shut down via the power key, I need to turn on the computer with the main switch. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/11 "2006-12-14T03:27:34Z")
[QUOTE=WritteninStone] It is a multimedia keyboard. As were the last 2 keyboards I had. It does have a driver but I find that Windows nativly supports most of the keys without any third party driver so I uninstalled it. Plus the multimedia driver software didnt control the sleep and power keys. I went through standby via the start menu and it still doesnt work. When I click the sleep button on the keyboard, the computer shuts down. But the sleep key can still be used to bring the computer back up. But when I shut down via the power key, I need to turn on the computer with the main switch. [/QUOTE] What happens when you use the Start Menu standby? ---
**Author:** ![WritteninStone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WritteninStone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WritteninStone)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/12 "2006-12-14T07:07:59Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] What happens when you use the Start Menu standby? [/QUOTE] Same thing as when I use the keyboard button. Just shuts down instead of going into the hibernation-like state that standby went to. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-go-to-standby/383898/13 "2006-12-15T00:09:05Z")
Mine just reboots when I hit the standby (“Sleep”) button…