Sleep mode reverts back on, PC never wakes

[vanTorX]

I reinstalled older win10 2016 and while I use it on other computers for years, it behaves strangely on this PC even if it used to run it for years until I got bamboozled into installing your LastOS win11. This reinstall was reverting back to win10 2016 version.

This computer in question, I never want it to sleep, just to switch off display after a set time, because I need to access it remotely once in a while.
Even when it used to wake up OK in the past, it still fails for remote connections when sleeping. Start up after a power failure can't also be relied on and I installed a timer relay which 'clicks' the power button a second or two after power is restored to boot the computer. This insures that when I am in Europe for several months, I can still remote to this PC in Toronto even if a power outage happened.

After fresh win10 install, I installed all LastOS 'Apply' tweaks for win10 plus the LastOS win10 Power settings but after some hard shutdowns when the screen would stay black and not wake up, I also got UAC back on and even disabled defender was back and on restart, I would be receiving updates and I don't know what's going on anymore.

Even in the past years, I remember when I set it not to sleep in Advanced power settings, after a normal restart, often the computer would revert the setting to sleep after 20 mins (MS default....).

I also set power button to switch off display and when the computer didn't wake up from sleep, I tried holding it down for those few seconds to shut the computer down but due to ambient noise in the room, I wasn't sure it was off and in desperation pulled power cord and re-plugged the cord back in after a few seconds, maybe three to five seconds, and a weird thing happened, the display switched on and it had browser window opened on the page I left it on last time it was used.

Now searching around, I found this reddit post where somebody had the same out of body experience (I wasn't sure I wasn't dreaming it):

Also no battery in this desktop PC, only that BIOS 2032 3V battery on motherboard. Zombie computer?

 

[Glenn]

It's the Hibernation, you need to disable it!!!

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator: Search for "cmd" in the Windows search bar, right-click on "Command Prompt", and select "Run as administrator".
2. Execute the command: Type powercfg.exe /hibernate off and press Enter

I found that sometimes hibernation will occur even when you have no sleep timer set, no power button actions set. It was after I remoted into the PC and close the remote desktop. It would be on the login screen locally and for whatever reason would hibernate itself, so when it does this when you turn it back on, during the boot it load the hibernation file back to ram and your desktop is back where it was.. sounds very likely this was the case with yours too. Only the newer version of Last 10 and 11 disable hibernation by default, BUT unless you do it manually it has turned itself back on again after a major system update. I was so over Windows reverting my settings, now I only run Linux I've not had a problem with it doing anything I haven't set it to do. I mean windows often would change the setting (Wake to install updates) and I'd find my computer awake and stuck doing a 2am update, failing and reverting, then attempting to do it again, so when I got to it in the morning it had been trying all night. Like I said, I am over windows and it's updates putting things back to the default untweaked states!

The other issue I have with it is once I remote into a windows remotely it refuses to put the PC to sleep, it doesn't matter how I disconnect from it, if I use my Linux's, my phone or whatever to remote desktop in, it kills the ability to sleep and leave the PC awake until I reboot it.

One last bug was a DAMN HP printer driver, this would wake the PC after 5 to 10 minutes, regardless of what I set in advanced power management, in the end I found disabling the services ability to wake the PC was the only fix, it was annoying.

I've also had the forgot I plugged in USB controller and it would wake the PC if the analog stick wandered at all (like they all do with stick drift) so was waking very randomly on me until I accidently picked up the USB controller to move it and my PC woke up, I was like OOOOOOoooooo thats whats been going on.

 

[vanTorX]

for whatever reason would hibernate itself, so when it does this when you turn it back on, during the boot it load the hibernation file back to ram and your desktop is back where it was..

That is a very likely culprit , didn't think of it because I never used hibernation intentionally and really almost forgot such a thing exists. Restoring programs is definitely hibernation signature.

What remote access you use? I used to use TeamViewer and was able to have remote desktop (another PC on LAN) open for hours on end. That was some couple years ago. Now with this win10 reinstall, I installed TV and connected in from another PC on LAN and tested drag n drop copy on a small 20MB file and the session timed out during the transfer, was only connected several minutes. Only once many years ago I was suspected of commercial use (maybe because of concurrent two remote connections or something) and was upset since you really have no recourse (you don't even know how long before you can use it again). Now this timing out brought it back, that you can't rely on TV at all, you never know when it will cut you off, in inopportune times when you really need to do something on the remote PC.

So I am seriously thinking of using something other remote connection solution, I see you have AnyDesk, DistantDesktop (free 17 hour monthly) and HopToDesk in appz repo, I like the simple HoToDesk, just wish it supported drag 'n drop but not a big thing using their file sending panel (can't select drives in their drop down menu, need to write in the letter but otherwise OK).

Which download would should we use for LastOSLinux Mint? The first for Ubuntu or AppImage or Flatpak?

 

[Glenn]

Debian/Ubuntu is smallest, AppImage is smaller but wont self update, Flatpak is bigger but self updates (if you can get it from the Mint Software Store or via FlatHub website).

I personally only use FlatHub - https://flathub.org/ for Flatpaks

I prefer to use a PPA or the inbuilt repository for .deb files first as they are small and with a repository install it'll self update. downloading a .deb file manually will NOT self update and may not be able to find the dependencies it may need - which FlatPak and AppImages include *that's why they are bigger).

To be crystal clear:

Try to use local Repository for deb first
next try to add a PPA for the tools you want
Then use FlatHub website (or from Software Centre (Store)) next as all three can self update and find dependencies.

If that fails I use AppImage as these are self contained and not as big as Flatpaks but wont update (You need to manually download the new AppImage)

Last I will use a .deb file for apps/tools etc that are discontinued as they wont be updated anyway and some of the features they have are great.