Driver Power State Failure – How Do I Fix My Computer Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart?

BySidney

Are you having a blue screen or experiencing driver power state failure Windows 10 or 8?

You can fix the Windows error in 9 different ways.

But…

Let’s first find out what it means to have a driver power state failure.

What is Driver Power State Failure?

Also known as a Blue Screen of Death error, driver power state failure is a type of error that occurs due to the installation of an incompatible driver.

Simply install the best software for your Windows version and computer model to avoid or solve the technical error.

A simple restart of your computer can fix the error depending on its cause. Although many Windows users panic at the sight of the Blue Screen of Death, driver power state failure error in Windows can easily be addressed.

What Causes Driver Power State Failure?

The major cause of driver power state failure error is when your computer’s operating system goes into the sleep mode state. This occurs 99% of the time when such an error is reported. Installing incompatible drivers and power settings are other causes of the error.

The error usually occurs when trying to log into a Windows device. This guide shows how you can fix the error in Windows 8.1 / 10 without taking up too much time.

Some common error problems in Windows include:

  • Driver power state failure error NVIDIA – error affects your NVIDIA graphics card.
  • Driver power state failure Windows 10 Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, HP, Sony, Samsung, Alienware, etc. – error affects most computer devices.
  • Driver power state failure on boot or startup – affects computers during boot up. Computers die permanently and become unusable if the error occurs during booting.
  • Driver power state failure USB – occurs sometimes when using a particular USB device. Disconnect all USB devices to find the problematic port.
  • Driver power state failure Autocad, Photoshop – error affects different apps, especially Autocad and Photoshop.
  • Driver power state failure, McAfee, Kaspersky – antivirus, and third-party apps are the major cause of this error.
  • Driver power state failure hard drive, SSD – results from a new SSD or hard drive, and requires driver update to solve the issue.
  • Driver power state failure blue screen – screen error 0x000000f on startup. It’s caused by a driver-related issue and Microsoft has offered a solution.
  • Driver power state failure ntoskrnl.exe – indicates the file name causing an error atop being the most common driver power state failure problem.

Here’s how to solve the Windows driver power state failure error:

9 Ways to Fix the Driver Power State Failure Problem

1. Updating Your Drivers

How do I Update All My Drivers?

Here’s how.

Log into your Windows 8 or Windows 10 computer system and update your drivers to solve the Blue Screen of Death problem. Follow the procedure below:

  1. Download a Driver Updater Program and Install – Download a program for updating drivers such as the TweakBit Driver Updater and install it.
  2. The program will begin to scan your PC automatically upon installation to find outdated drivers. It checks for the latest drivers versions for correct updates. Let the scan run to completion.
  3. The program displays a scan report of drivers to update. Assess the list and choose to update the drivers all at once or individually. Next to each driver’s name is an “Update driver” menu. Click on it to update the drivers individually.
  4. Alternatively, click on the “Update all” button to automatically update all the recommended drivers at once.
  5. Follow the update prompts for each driver because some may involve multiple steps. Whichever driver updater program you choose, find out if it’s free or has some paid features.

If this solution doesn’t work, retry to update the drivers using the next procedure.

2. Log into Safe Mode and Remove Drivers You Recently Installed

Follow the next procedure to enter Windows 10 or 8.1:

  1. Access the system BIOS and set the first boot device to your DVD/CD drive.
  2. Insert Microsoft Windows 10 or 8 bootable DVD or CD into the DVD/CD drive.
  3. Reboot your Windows operating system.
  4. “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD” when prompted. Press any key on your keyboard to boot your OS from the CD media.
  5. Tap on the “Next” button or left click on the new window that appears.
  6. Click on the option for “Repair your computer” on the next window screen.
  7. Tap on the “Troubleshoot” option on the new window or left-click.
  8. Tap on the “Advanced options” button or left click on the next window.
  9. Click on the “Command Prompt” option on the Advanced Options window on your screen.
  10. Type “C:” without quotes in the command prompt and hit the Enter button to run the command.
  11. Type “BCDEDIT /SET {DEFAULT} BOOTMENUPOLICY LEGACY” on the command prompt and hit the Enter key.
  12. Type “EXIT” on the command prompt and press Enter.
  13. Remove the bootable DVD or CD from the DVD/CD drive and restart your computer.

Enter the Safe Mode when done and remove any drivers you recently installed on your system. Follow the procedure below:

  • Press the “F8” key after rebooting your computer.
  • Choose “Safe Mode” from the menu options that appear in the list.
  • Open “Device Manager” when you enter the Safe Mode.
  • Uninstall recently installed drivers under the “Device Manager” window – right-click on each driver you want to uninstall and select the “Uninstall device” option.
  • Restart your Windows 10 or 8.1 computer system normally.
  • If the error persists, repeat the procedure for uninstalling recently installed drivers until the Blue Screen of Death disappears.

Find an updated version of the drivers causing the error from the website of your computer’s manufacturer to prevent the driver power state failure problem from recurring. Make sure the driver is compatible with your PC and Windows 10 or 8 operating system.

3. Conduct an SFC/DISM Scan

An SFC scan can also solve your driver power state failure error. File corruption is a major cause of this problem.

Follow the procedure below to fix the error:

  1. Click on the combinational “Windows + X” keys. Select the command prompt option from the list (Admin) upon opening the Win + X menu. Choose PowerShell (Admin) if the command prompt isn’t available.
  2. Type sfc / scannow on the command prompt and hit the “Enter” key to run the command.
  3. Wait for scanning to complete – can take up to 10 minutes or more. Don’t interrupt the SFC scan before it stops the scanning process.

Use DISM scan if your SFC scan is neither working nor available. Follow the procedure below to use DISM scan:

  1. Log in as an administrator in your system and open the “Command Prompt”.
  2. Type the following commands and run them:
    • DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
    • DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
  3. Find out if the problem is solved after successfully running the commands.

After completing the DISM scan, re-run the SFC scan if it failed before. Running both SFC and DISM scans successfully should solve your driver power state failure problem. The error message should disappear.

4. Adjusting Your Power Settings

Power settings can also trigger the Driver Power State Failure to appear. Disable the settings to solve the problem. Follow the procedure below:

  1. Click on the Windows + S keys and select “Control Panel”.
  2. Click on “Power Options” in the window that opens.
  3. Select “Choose what the power button does” to define the function you want the power button to accomplish. Select “Change settings that are currently unavailable.”
  4. Uncheck Turn on fast startup, Hibernate and Sleep options to disable them. Click on the “Save Changes” button to save changes.

5. Uninstall or Disable Your Antivirus Program

Antivirus programs help keep your computer system safe from malicious programs and viruses. However, they can tamper with the Windows operating system and trigger Driver Power State Failure error.

Disable your antivirus temporarily to determine if it solves the problem. If it doesn’t work, you may uninstall the antivirus from your computer system.

Use a dedicated antivirus removal tool to completely uninstall your antivirus software and related files. Download one from your antivirus program provider onto your computer system.

Check if the problem persists after removing the antivirus. If it solves the error issue, either install a different antivirus program or the latest version of the one you just uninstalled.

Although users tend to report issues with Avast antivirus, other antivirus programs can also cause the error.

6. Alter Your Computer’s Power Options

Power settings can cause the Driver Power State Failure problem. Turning your device off helps save power but can trigger this issue. Disable your system’s power options as follows to solve the error:

  1. Open the “Device Manager.”
  2. Find the network adapter and double click on it to access its properties.
  3. Click on the “Power Management” tab and unselect “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.”
  4. Click on the “OK” button to save the new changes.

Your computer system should work without this error when you’re done. However, you may need to disable this power-saving feature on all problematic devices on your PC.

7. Alter NVIDIA Power Settings

Changing power settings in the NVIDIA control panel can also solve this technical error if you use NVIDIA graphics. Follow the next procedure to solve the error:

  1. Open the NVIDIA control panel.
  2. Choose “Manage 3D settings” on the left window pane.
  3. Choose your dedicated graphics card (your ideal graphics processor) on the right pane.
  4. Under settings, select “Power management mode” and click on “Prefer maximum performance.”
  5. Save changes made and find out if the error has been solved.

This solution worked for many users. Note that this mode utilizes more battery power if you’re using a laptop. Go to the Catalyst Control Center if your computer uses AMD graphics.

8. Revert to an Older Version of Your Graphics Card Drivers

Graphics card drivers are also responsible for the driver power state failure problem. Rollback to an older version of your graphics card driver. Follow the procedure below to solve the Windows system error:

  1. Open the “Device Manager.”
  2. Find the section “Display adapter” and double click on your working graphics card.
  3. Click on the “Driver” tab in the “Properties” window that pops up.
  4. Click on the “Roll Back Driver” button and wait for the process to complete.
  5. Uninstall your graphics card driver if the “Roll Back” option isn’t available. Install the “Display Driver Uninstaller” program to uninstall the graphics and all related files completely.

Visit the website of your graphics card manufacturer to download an older version of your graphics card driver after removing what you initially had running on your computer system.

Check if the issue has been solved after installing the downloaded drivers. Although this issue is common with NVIDIA graphics cards, it can also affect other graphics cards.

9. Adjust Your System Power Plan Settings

Change your power plan settings as follows to solve the driver power state failure issue:

  1. Open the “Power Options” window and find your current plan.
  2. Click on the “Change plan settings.”
  3. Choose “Change advanced power settings.”
  4. Click on the “Sleep” tab and uncheck “Hibernation” and “Sleep” or set them to “Never”.
  5. Under the “Power buttons and lid” tab, select “Do Nothing” and click on the “Apply” and “OK” buttons to save the changes made.
  6. Set “Lnk State Power Management” and “PCI Express” or “Graphics settings” to “Maximum Performance.” Apply the same settings to “Wireless Adapter Settings.” This step is optional.

Connect your laptop directly to the power outlet with the battery removed. This procedure disables the “Sleep” and “Hibernate” features in your system to solve the driver power state failure issue. Try a different method if this solution doesn’t work.

When all is said and done, you should successfully log into your Windows 10 or 8 computer system without encountering the same problem.

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