Driver Power State Failure, unable to solve it

Question

Driver Power State Failure, unable to solve it

Jun 0

Hi, I have been experiencing a "Driver Power State Failure" recently. My guess is that it starts happening after update (Unsure if it is due to windows update or Lenovo Vantage update). The major problem now is that during normal boot/startup, it will always hang or be very slow. Eventually the mentioned error might pop up occasionally. Current state, going into normal boot is a hassle since it might take a good 30mins just to boot into a very laggy Windows instance.

But either way I need help, below are the solutions I have tried.

Adjusting power options to Balanced mode (Read power saving mode might cause issues)
Look at Device Manager, seem ok even for hidden devices

With subsequent hangs, a force reset had to be done and it seems to make things worse. Up till the point where a normal boot will not bring me into Windows Desktop. And even if I do, it is impossible to do anything since it is very laggy.

Step taken to isolate some issues.

Run hardware diagnostics with Lenovo in built EUFI, all hardware seems to pass the test
Run in safe mode, very smooth, no issues, so likely not a hardware issue (Currently writing this post in safe mode)
sfc /scannow, cannot find any intergrity issues
diskchk /f /r, after the disk check and fixes, the issue persist
Nuclear the machine, flash a media using the creation tool provided by Microsoft. Reinstall a clean window.
Grab Minidump, but might need help deciphering it from here. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SRpOSsYX74tpG3Ayxm0C30YaRmRigZbh/view?usp=drive_link

If anyone is able to assist me on this, that will be great. Scratching my head for a few days here now.

6 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Thanks for the details

In this case, I suggest doing the following:

Go to the Lenovo website using the link below, download the drivers listed below, and install them.

https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t14-gen-4-type-21k3-21k4/21k3/downloads/driver-list/component?name=Motherboard%20Devices%20%28Backplanes,%20core%20chipset,%20onboard%20video,%20PCIe%20switches%29&id=FB762CAD-DE8B-49C2-A04B-809B4958F608

Driver 1: AMD IO Driver for Windows 11 (Version 21H2 or later) - ThinkPad

Driver 2: AMD MEP Enumerator for Windows 11 (Version 21H2 or later) - ThinkPad

(Run the downloaded EXE file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver. Do this for each driver.)

I noticed that the laptop BIOS is outdated. I suggest you update it by following Lenovo's instructions.

Then, check if the system works smoothly.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Standard Disclaimer: There is a link to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

Answer 2

David-M 105.4K Independent Advisor

Thanks for the clarification.

Unfortunately, drivers and hardware can cause problems overnight, even if they've been working fine for years.

An easy way to identify if the USB adapter is really the cause of the problem is to uninstall its driver, disconnect it, and use the PC without it to see if everything works smoothly.

With the USB adapter still connected, uninstall the driver as instructed below.

Open "Device Manager" (Windows + X and select Device Manager);
Expand "Network adapters";
Right-click on the USB Wi-Fi adapter and select "Uninstall device";

(If you don't identify the correct one, share a screenshot. Use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.)

On the confirmation screen, check "Attempt to remove the driver for this device" and click "Uninstall";
Disconnect the USB adapter;
Restart (not shutdown) the PC.

Do not reconnect the adapter and see if the system will work smoothly.

If the problem persists after doing this, please let me know.

Feel free to ask back any questions.

Jun 0 Reputation points

2026-02-07T02:06:08.93+00:00
Hi, I followed your advice but wanted to check on this first, so it took me some time.

I did a clean install, and plug in the external WIFI USB adapter. It seem like that was the issue. I was not able to proceed with anything else since it hangs at every point

Did a clean install again, this time without plugging it in. This is better, I am able to reach the Desktop, did the latest driver updates and windows update.

However I am facing another issue now. With the 2nd solution on top, it seem that my boot time is still long, it still hangs sometimes and I still get lags if i move my mouse or open programs. (Before this issue arise, my laptop works fine, booting only takes seconds, but now it might take up to 10 mins).

Did sfc /scannow and chkdsk /f /r to make sure the files are ok. But the results seems to be the same. Safe mode is smooth and is what to be expected for a normal boot before this issue.

Just to check if there are other ways to verify or solve this? It sounds like some conflicting drivers here again, just that not as bad as the WIFI adapter one.

Answer 3

Jun 0

I have allowed access for the file. Please do try again.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SRpOSsYX74tpG3Ayxm0C30YaRmRigZbh/view?usp=drivesdk

For the third party app, I am using Lenovo Vantage to install the drivers.

Answer 4

David-M 105.4K Independent Advisor

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

If your system runs smoothly in Safe Mode, the issue is likely caused by a third‑party driver or application. Safe Mode only loads the essential components needed to start Windows, so anything extra is temporarily disabled.

Please clarify the following:

After performing a clean install of Windows, did you use any program to reinstall the drivers, or did you install them manually? If you used a program, which one?
Have you installed any third-party software, or is nothing installed yet?

Also, I cannot access the minidump file.

Check the sharing permissions of the file.

See the instructions for making the file publicly available in "Learn about public sharing & collaboration > Share a file or folder publicly" in the article below.

https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2494822#zippy=%2Cshare-a-file-or-folder-publicly

I await your reply.

Standard Disclaimer: There is a link to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

Jun 0 Reputation points

2026-02-04T01:07:14.2033333+00:00

Hi David,

Appreciate the advise, I have managed the access of the file. Resharing the link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SRpOSsYX74tpG3Ayxm0C30YaRmRigZbh/view?usp=drivesdk

Also for the drivers, I used Lenovo Vantage to update the drivers.
David-M 105.4K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-02-04T12:15:58.89+00:00

Sorry for the delay in reply. I've been offline.

Thanks.

The minidump mentions the driver "rtwlanu6.sys" as the cause of the crash. According to my search, this driver is associated with a Realtek wireless USB adapter.

Do you have a USB wireless adapter connected to your PC? If yes, what is the manufacturer and model of the adapter?

I await your reply.

Feel free to ask back any questions.
Jun 0 Reputation points

2026-02-04T19:19:33.14+00:00

Hi saw you reply my question below through my email. But arriving at the webpage, your answer is not here for some reason. Please do repost the your answer. Thank you
Jun 0 Reputation points

2026-02-04T19:57:24.25+00:00

Hi! Saw the reply. I do use a external USB adaptor. TP-Link Archer TX20U Nano. However I have been using it for almost a year without issues.

In fact, a clean install of windows, first boot in, the booting process is slow. The loading is slow "Please wait" message. Thought it might be normal for the first clean boot. But it stays the same for subsequent boots as well.

Once I'm in my desktop through normal boot, it is laggy, moving the mouse will get a reaction probably like 5-10sec later. And sometimes it just hangs.

But sometimes it's ok. So I tried to do a windows update, connect a ethernet cable. But the update will hang the system as well.

But safe mode is still smooth as usual. So at this point, I am not too sure if it's still the USB adapter

Answer 5

The "Driver Power State Failure" error (Stop Code: 0x0000009F) typically indicates that a driver is in an inconsistent or invalid power state. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

Update Drivers: Since the issue may have started after an update, check for updates for your device drivers, especially for power management and graphics drivers. You can do this through Device Manager or by visiting the manufacturer's website.
Check Device Manager: Look for any devices that have a yellow exclamation mark, which indicates a problem. If you find any, try updating or uninstalling the driver.
Power Options: You mentioned adjusting power options to Balanced mode. Ensure that the settings under "Advanced power settings" do not have any conflicting configurations, particularly for PCI Express and USB settings.
Disable Fast Startup: Sometimes, disabling Fast Startup can help resolve boot issues. You can do this in the Control Panel under Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable > Uncheck "Turn on fast startup".
Event Viewer: Check the Event Viewer for any critical errors or warnings that occurred around the time of the crashes. This can provide insight into which driver or service is causing the issue.
System Restore: If the problem started after a recent update, consider performing a system restore to revert your system to a previous state before the updates were applied.
Hardware Diagnostics: Since you've already run hardware diagnostics with Lenovo and found no issues, this step may not be necessary again, but ensure that all components are properly seated and connected.
Minidump Analysis: If you have a minidump file, analyzing it can provide more specific information about the driver causing the failure. You can use tools like WinDbg or BlueScreenView to analyze the dump file.

If the problem persists after trying these steps, it may be beneficial to consult with Lenovo support or a professional technician for further assistance.

References:

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Driver Power State Failure, unable to solve it

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