Windows operating system comes with a lot of simple features that are a real time saver. Take the power settings, for example. Shutting down can take a lot of time and even more time to start your computer. However, you can save those precious seconds by putting your computer into Sleep or Hibernate mode. Some users claimed that the Windows PC would shut down instead of going to sleep or hibernate mode.
That said, many laptop owners are flabbergasted with the feature. Most folks complain that closing the lid or putting the laptop to sleep or hibernate mode simply shuts down the computer. That can be frustrating for multiple reasons. It wastes time and you also lose all unsaved work due to the unwanted shutdown. Here are some solutions that will help you fix the Windows 10 shutdown error for good.
Let’s begin.
1. Update Windows
Updating your Windows to the latest version may solve several bugs related issue on your computer including the shut down instead of sleep/hibernate error. Especially, if the bug is known and a patch is delivered via update. While Windows does a good job of updating itself on autopilot , you can speed things up. Press Windows key+I to open Settings and select Update & Security.
Under Windows Update in the sidebar, you will see all pending updates that are either waiting to be downloaded or installed. Download/install them and reboot your computer before moving to the next step.
2. Power Settings
Have you checked your Power settings yet? It is possible that it has changed to default settings after a recent update . Yup. A new update might have reset them to default. To check them, right-click on the battery icon at the bottom of your screen and select Power Options.
There are quite a few options and though they are self-explanatory, let’s go through them quickly. Click on Change plan settings first. Choose when you want to Turn off the display and Put the computer to sleep under different scenarios like when the computer is plugged in or when it is running on battery. Save changes when done.
Are you using a desktop? Go to Control Panel>Hardware and Sound>Power Options instead. Click on Change plan settings. In case of a desktop, you won’t see the battery power plan settings. Also, there is no option to close the lid.
Go back to the previous screen and click on Choose what closing the lid does. Again, select what happens your computer is on battery and when it is plugged into a power source.
Click on Save changes when done. Check if Windows 10 continues to shut down when you put it to sleep or hibernate. If yes, on the same screen, click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended) option, save settings, and reboot your computer. This setting is known to mess up the power settings for some reason and Microsoft support forums often recommends that as a solution.
If the computer shuts down after it stays for a while in hibernation, it is possible that the hard disk is shutting down. Click on Change advanced power settings and change the Turn off hard disk after value to 0.
That means the hard disk will not turn off automatically, and that’s okay. Put your computer back to sleep or hibernate mode, and inspect if it shuts down.
3. Troubleshoot Power Settings
Windows 10 comes with a powerful troubleshooter that can find and resolve quite a few problems on its own. Press the Windows key and search for ‘troubleshoot’ and select Troubleshoot settings.
Scroll a little to find and click on Power and select Run the troubleshooter.
Follow the on-screen instructions in case something is detected. Is your Windows computer still shutting down instead of sleeping or hibernating?
4. Intel(R) Management Engine Interface (IMEI) Drivers
Outdated IMEI drivers can break the power settings that you so thoughtfully applied. Open Device Manager by searching for it in Windows search and look for Intel(R) Management Engine Interface option under System Devices. When you find it, right-click to select Properties.
Under the Power Management tab, uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
Still, shutting down? In the same window, check the IMEI driver version. If it is anything in 11.xxx then like many others, you need to downgrade your drivers to 10.xx or 9.xx.
Click on the link below to download a previous version or 12.xx if it is available for your build and OS and download it. You can then double-click on the file to install it. Reboot your computer and check again.
Check whether your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit and download the corresponding drivers. Right-click on My Computer (or This PC in File Explorer) and select Properties to check. Also, when you click on the link below, it will display 64-bit drivers first.
You can always roll back your drivers by clicking on the Roll Back Driver option that will be visible once you have updated the drivers.
Download Intel IMEI Drivers
Get Some Sleep
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- Be sure to print in portrait mode instead of landscape mode by updating the printing preference.
- Paper size selection is important and should match the size of the physical paper.
- Adding the printer back to Windows can resolve the issue that prevented the printer from using the proper orientation.
1. Change the Default Orientation on the Printer Properties
Step 1: Press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to launch the Settings app.
Step 2: On the left pane, click Bluetooth & devices , and on the right, click Printers & scanners and select the printer you want to fix.
Step 3: Click Printing preferences to open the printer’s configuration window.
Step 4: Select Portrait from the Orientation drop-down list, then click Apply and OK .
2. Change Orientation in Page Setup
You can make specific changes to the application or document you want to print from. For example, if you are trying to print from Microsoft Word, change the page orientation before printing, which will reflect when you print the page.
Step 1: Click the Layout section in the Word document, expand Orientation , and select Portrait .
Step 2: Proceed to print the document. It should automatically choose the orientation based on the document layout.
3. Change Layout in Print Setup
If you cannot change the orientation from the app as you would on a word processor, switch to Portrait on the print setup page before printing the document, as shown below.
Step 1: Press the Control + P keyboard shortcut to initiate the print process. This should open the print setup page.
Step 2: Under the Layout section, select Portrait > Print .
4. Check for and Correct Page Size Mismatch
One reason your printer prints landscape instead of portrait is a page mismatch. That means the printer may expect A4 paper even though you have loaded A5 sheets.
Go to Print Setup > expand More settings > select a matching Paper size > click Print .
5. Confirm Network Printer Settings Are Not Overriding Local Settings
This solution will apply if you are connected to a network printer. If the network printer has a set of print preferences different from what you want, you may need to contact the administrator to resolve the issue. Alternatively, switch to a local printer to perform the print job.
6. Re-Add the Printer to Windows
You can fix this problem by removing the printer from your computer and re-adding it. This is a valid fix because when the computer is re-added, it comes with a default set of configurations, and any misconfiguration that caused the problem would be removed.
Step 1: Go to the Printers & scanners in the Windows Settings app.
Step 2: Select the problematic printer and click on Remove .
Step 3: Restart the computer and return to Printers & scanners .
Step 4: Click Add Device and follow the wizard to complete the process. The issue should be resolved.
7. Factory Reset the Printer
If your printer keeps printing sideways or landscape, resetting it to factory settings can resolve the problem. A factory reset reconfigures all printer settings and restores them to default. The procedures for performing a factory reset vary depending on the printer brand. For instructions on properly executing this operation on your printer, consult your user manual.
