- Windows 11 January Update has a new bug
- This is reportedly causing sleep mode to fail on some older PCs.
- The issue also crashes the system, requiring a hard reset, although there is a possible solution you can try to resolve.
Windows 11 has had more problems with its latest update and now some users are suffering from a bug that affects sleep mode.
Windows Latest reports that several Windows 11 users are finding that sleep mode no longer works after installing the January update (KB5074109, which was released just over a week ago).
This falls under what is known as S3 sleep state, which is the original sleep mode for Windows, so it won’t affect newer PCs (as they don’t use this, and I’ll get back to explaining why shortly). In this sleep state, everything is off (screen, processor, even the system fans) except the RAM, which remains active (maintaining whatever you’re doing).
According to one user, the problem is as follows: “After installing KB5074109, the sleep function does not work. When I go to Power and press Sleep, the screen goes blank, but the PC does not turn off. The only way to make the PC restart is to do a hard reset, that is, hold the power button on the PC until it turns off and then restart. This happens every time I go into sleep mode.”
There are similar reports on Reddit and elsewhere, and unfortunately, as described, it’s not just about sleep mode not activating, but also the fact that the PC effectively crashes and needs a hard reboot to recover.
Another Windows 11 user notes that the issue has affected three of their PCs (one running Windows 11 Home and two running Pro editions of the operating system). Additionally, they note that the issue disappears when the January update is removed and returns when reinstalled, suggesting that it is definitely an issue with KB5074109.
Analysis: sleepless computers
S3 sleep status only applies to older PCs, because newer devices running Windows 11 will use modern standby. So, as noted, if you have a PC that was bought this decade, you probably won’t have any problems sleeping, and certainly not with your laptop – all contemporary laptop models have moved to modern standby mode (known as S0 ‘lowest power sleep’). This may not be the case for all desktop computers this decade; for example, my computer is five years old and still uses S3 suspension.
But mostly, if you have a newer machine, you’ll probably avoid this pixie in the making. Those with an older PC who are having problems can simply avoid using sleep mode, which is not ideal, although there is a possible solution you can try.
According to a Feedback Center post spotted by Windows Latest, one possible solution is that if you have a USB webcam connected to your PC, you can try unplugging it. This may be enough, but otherwise there are no other suggestions on how to avoid this error.
This latest bug reported with the January update adds to problems with the classic Outlook app (with POP accounts) freezing and a bug that means some PCs won’t shut down. The latter is unpleasant, but it only affects business users with a certain feature enabled, so thankfully it’s not something the average person needs to worry about.
A third bug that Microsoft has acknowledged is an issue with remote desktop connections not working, although the good news is that emergency fixes have been implemented for those last two problems; Hopefully, solutions for the Outlook issue as well as the sleep error are coming soon.
Finally, I also noticed some user complaints about strange issues with their keyboard and mouse after installing the January update. All in all, then, it’s not a great start to the year for Microsoft.
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