Windows 11 not processing wake timers when in sleep mode

Dear Fred,

Thank you for your prompt response and for providing additional details about your system's supported sleep states. I understand your frustration regarding the lack of support for wake timers in the Modern Standby (S0) power state, and I appreciate your interest in finding a solution or workaround.

Modern Standby (S0 lower power idle) is designed to keep certain system activities and connectivity active while the system is in a low-power state. Although this mode offers various benefits concerning responsiveness and power efficiency, it may indeed present limitations compared to traditional S3 sleep mode, particularly in terms of wake timer support.

Steps to Address Your Concerns

1. Explore Developer Tools and APIs: Given your programming skills, you might find it beneficial to explore the Windows 11 APIs and developer tools. The Windows Task Scheduler and other scheduling APIs might help replicate the behavior you observe in the Windows Clock app.

• Windows Task Scheduler API: This API provides programmatic access to Windows Task Scheduler and might help create custom wake events.
  Task Scheduler API Documentation
• UWP Alarms API: Similar to the Windows Clock app, you might explore the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) Alarms API.
  UWP Alarms Documentation

1. Submit Feedback to Microsoft: Your feedback is invaluable, and Microsoft continuously works to improve its services based on user input. You can submit a feature request or feedback directly to the Microsoft development team through the Feedback Hub app.

• Press Windows + F to open the Feedback Hub.
• Click on Report a problem or Suggest a feature.
• Provide detailed information about your requirement for better wake timer support in Modern Standby mode.

Given that your new system does not support S3 mode, it's essential to stay updated with any upcoming changes or updates from Microsoft that might address the limitations you're facing. Keeping your system drivers and BIOS up to date is also crucial, as manufacturers may release updates improving Modern Standby functionality.

I understand the challenges you're facing with the Modern Standby mode, and I genuinely appreciate your efforts in seeking a solution. By exploring developer tools, providing feedback to Microsoft, and considering potential workarounds, you might find an acceptable interim solution. If you have further questions or need more assistance, please feel free to reach out.

Best regards,

Martin | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Thanks Martin, for you prompt response.

powercfg /a returns this:

The following sleep states are available on this system:

Standby (S0 Low Power Idle) Network Connected 

Hibernate 

Fast Startup 

The following sleep states are not available on this system:

Standby (S1) 

    The system firmware does not support this standby state. 

    This standby state is disabled when S0 low power idle is supported. 

Standby (S2) 

    The system firmware does not support this standby state. 

    This standby state is disabled when S0 low power idle is supported. 

Standby (S3) 

    The system firmware does not support this standby state. 

    This standby state is disabled when S0 low power idle is supported. 

Hybrid Sleep 

    Standby (S3) is not available.

I interpret this to mean my Dell Aurora R15 has no support for S3 mode.

So, does Microsoft intend to provide wake timer support (or some equivalent) for

'Modern' standby computers?

As I mentioned earlier, Windows 11's Clock app will wake my PC when I set an alarm.

This indicates that waking a 'Modern' standby computer programmatically is possible.

I suppose I can get one of those mouse shaker products (used to keep you logged in). :-)

I have some programming skills, so I will investigate whether MS developer tools are

provided which could support the same behavior I see in the Clock app.

I am disappointed that my new $4000 PC has less functionality due to 'Modern'

upgrades.

Since 'Modern' Standby has been around for several years now, I am also disappointed

that Microsoft has not upgraded Windows 11 to support 'Modern' Standby.

Can you advise how/where I could submit a request to Microsoft to have this capability

added to the Windows OS?

Thanks again for the prompt response.

Fred

Dear Fred,

Welcome to the Microsoft Community

Thank you for reaching out and providing such detailed information about the wake-up timer issue you're experiencing with your new Dell Aurora R15 desktop running Windows 11. I understand how important it is to have your system wake up correctly for scheduled tasks, and I'm here to assist you.

As you correctly observed, modern standby power management (S0 low-power idle), which your new system uses, behaves differently from the traditional S3 sleep state found in older systems. This can sometimes lead to challenges with wake-up timers and scheduled tasks.

I can see that you've put a lot of effort into resolving this problem and have attempted a wide range of troubleshooting steps and suggestions. In this case, you might consider the possibility of switching the sleep mode from S0 to S3.

Checking Supported Sleep States. To check which sleep modes your computer currently supports, follow these steps:

Press Win + X and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

Enter the following command:

powercfg /a 

The command will list the sleep states that are available and supported by your system. These typically include:

S1 (Standby): The CPU is stopped but RAM remains powered.

S2 (Sleep): CPU and RAM are powered down, and system state is saved in RAM.

S3 (Hibernate): System state is saved to disk, and the system is powered off.

S4 (Hibernate off): Similar to S3 but uses less power and takes longer to resume.

Hybrid Sleep: A combination of sleep and hibernate, where system state is saved to both RAM and disk.

Example Output:

The following sleep states are available on this system:

Standby (S3) 

Hibernate 

Hybrid Sleep 

Fast Startup 

Switching the Sleep Mode from S0 to S3: Switching the sleep mode from S0 (Modern Standby) to S3 (traditional sleep) typically requires BIOS/UEFI support as well as modifications to the operating system's power settings. Please note that modifying the registry and BIOS settings can impact system stability and should be done carefully.

Pre-requisites

• Backup Important Data: Before making any changes, ensure that you back up important data.
• Verify BIOS/UEFI Settings: Check your BIOS/UEFI settings to see if there is an option to switch sleep states (S0 to S3). This varies by manufacturer and may not be available on all systems.
• Ensure System Drivers Are Updated: Make sure that all your system drivers are updated.

Steps to Check and Switch Sleep Mode

Step 1: Check BIOS/UEFI Settings

• Restart your laptop.
• Press the appropriate key (often F2, F10, Delete, or Esc) during startup to enter the BIOS/UEFI settings.
• Look for power management settings, sleep configuration, or advanced settings.
• Check if there's an option to switch from Modern Standby (S0) to traditional sleep (S3). This setting might be listed under terms like "Sleep State", "Standby Mode", or "ACPI Suspend Type".
• If the option is available, switch from S0 to S3.
• Save and exit the BIOS/UEFI settings.

Disclaimer: Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology.

If you are going to modify BIOS Settings, please back up all your personal files first to ensure you do not lose data.

Step 2: Modify Windows Registry. After ensuring that the BIOS/UEFI supports S3, you can modify the Windows Registry to configure the sleep state.

Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support to view the article.

• Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
• Navigate to the Following Key:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power
  

• Modify the CsEnabled Value:
• In the right pane, find the CsEnabled entry.
• If it exists, double-click CsEnabled and set its value to 0.
• If it doesn't exist, right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it CsEnabled, and set its value to 0.
• Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Important Notes

• Some systems may not support S3, and forcing this change may render sleep functions inoperable.
• Changes may not take effect if the hardware or BIOS doesn’t support S3, regardless of registry settings.

Step 3: Verify the Configuration

• Press Win + X and select Power Options.
• Ensure that sleep settings under Additional power settings reflect S3 sleep options.
• Put your system to sleep and wake it up to ensure it enters and exits sleep mode correctly.

Reverting Changes

• If the changes cause issues, revert the registry setting:
• Open Registry Editor and navigate to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power
  

• Double-click CsEnabled and set the value back to 1.
• Restart your computer.

Switching the sleep mode from S0 to S3 involves checking BIOS/UEFI settings and, if necessary, modifying the Windows Registry. This change should be done with caution and thorough backup plans to avoid system stability issues.

If none of these steps work, or don't apply to your device, I suggest you head over to Microsoft Learn and post a question, more users post these issues there, you can click on "Ask a question", there are experts who can provide more professional solutions in that place.

Here is a link to the forum where you can raise specific scenarios and share your idea to help solve the problem. Sincerely hope that your question will be dealt with appropriately after contact the correct department.

Best regards,

Martin | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Best Regards,

Martin | Microsoft Community Support Specialist