Windows 7 not going into sleep mode is most likely an issue with your power settings, drivers, or files from a previous install. However, you should be able to troubleshoot and find a solution to your problem in a couple of easy steps.

Let’s start by troubleshooting why Windows 7 will not go to sleep.

Common sleep problems:

- Windows 7 will not stay in sleep, awakes within seconds of when you put it in sleep mode.

- Windows 7 wakes from sleep at random.

- Windows 7 does not even go into sleep mode.

Possible Solutions:
Check and reset Windows 7 Power Options

1. Open up the control panel by using the path Start > Control Panel.

2. Change the Control Panel view to Large icons.

3. Click the Power Options icon.

4. Adjust the Windows 7 Power Plan settings. Select the option Balanced (recommended), and click the Change plan settings link.

5. Configure the settings for both On battery and Plugged in to your own preferences by selecting your time intervals from the drop down menus. After you are done, click the Change advanced power settings link.

6. From the Power Options pop up window, adjust all settings to your own preferences. When you are done, click the OK button.

7. Click the Save changes button in the Control Panel edit plan settings window and restart your computer.

*Sleep still not working? Try resetting options to default.*

1. Navigate the path Start > Control Panel. Click the Power Options icon.

2. Click the link that says Change plan settings under the Balanced option

3. Click the Restore default settings for this plan link. Click Yes when the power options prompt window pops up.

4. Exit out of the Control Panel.

5. Restart your computer.
Update Windows 7 Drivers

From time to time, Microsoft will release new updates for Windows 7. Because sleep mode problems could be a compatibility issue with your computer’s hardware, make sure that you are always staying up to date with updates.

1. Navigate the path Start > Control Panel.

2. Click the Windows Update icon.

3. Make sure your computer is up to date and configure the rest of your Windows 7 update settings.

Adjust which devices can wake the computer from sleep

1. Run a command prompt by using the path Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.

2. Right click on the Command Prompt listing and select Run as administrator.

3. Type the following into the Command Prompt window:

Powercfg -devicequery wake_armed

This should give you a list of all devices that are capable of waking the computer from sleep.

4. If you think that a certain device is preventing the computer sleep mode from working properly, you can disable it. To do so, enter the following into the Command Prompt window:

Powercfg -devicedisablewake “TYPE YOUR DEVICE NAME HERE”

5. If the problem persists, keep disabling one device at a time until you find the one that may be messing up your computer’s sleep function.

6. Enable devices by using the following:

Powercfg -devicenablewake “devicename”
Adjust devices using the Device Manager

If you do not want to use the Command Prompt to configure devices, you can also use the Windows 7 Device Manager.

1. Navigate the path Start > Control Panel. Click the Device Manager icon.

2. Scroll through your devices. Double click a device to open up the preferences box for that particular device.

3. Click the Power Management tab within the preferences box.

4. Toggle on/off Allow this device to wake the computer.

Update your computer’s hardware drivers

Often times, sleep and power problems with Windows 7 occur in self-built computers. Make sure that you are using the latest firmware and drivers for all of your computer’s hardware, particularly the motherboard.

Very often, when you buy new hardware you usually obtain a CD with drivers for that device. In case, if you lose the CD you can always download drivers from the manufacturer' official web-site. But this approach will not work if you do not know the exact manufacturer of the hardware or the exact device model. This article is intended to show you how to figure out with this problem.

Each device has a Vendor and Device ID associated with it. If you can find this ID, then you can easily find appropriate drivers for this device in Windows environment.

Following steps are required to be done to get the device ID:

1. Open Device Manager. Go to Start > right click on My Computer and choose Manage option. In the opened window on the left pane find Device Manager item. Click on it. All the connected devices are listed on the right pane of the window.

Note: all the devices that haven't been recognized by Windows or Windows has not found needed drivers for the unknown device is marked with the yellow question mark.

2. Choose the Unknown device (usually it appears with such name) and then right lick on it. Choose Properties.

3. Go to Details tab and select Device Instance ID or Hardware ID.

4. On the screen above Hardware ID is: PCI\VEN_1186&DEV_1300&SUBSYS_13031186&REV_10.

 Vendor ID: 1186.

 Device ID: 1300.

5. After you've got these IDs, go to PCI Database. Enter proper Vendor or Device ID to identify the device. Continue with the drivers download from the manufacturer' site.

Have you ever needed to clean out a folder with a lot of files in Windows Explorer in Windows 7 but you only want to delete selected files? Well, instead of using the cumbersome Ctrl-Select method, which is prone to errors that cause you to start over, there is an easier way.

Windows 7 allows you to select files in Windows Explorer using check boxes. Simply select the files you want by selecting a check box next to each file. You do not need to use the Ctrl key.

Start by navigating to the folder containing the files you want to select. Then, select Folder Options from the Tools menu.

The Folder Options dialog box displays. Click on the View tab and scroll down under Advanced settings until you find the Use check boxes to select items option. Select the check box next to that item to turn it on. Click Apply and then click OK.

Now when you put your mouse over a filename, a check box displays to the left of the filename. To select that file, select the check box.

Now you don’t have to worry about accidentally letting up on the Ctrl key while selecting your files and having to start selecting them all over. Any files you select using a check box stay selected unless you click the check box to unselect the file.

The disk defragmenter in Windows Vista is set to run on a schedule, automatically defragmenting drives to help keep your computer running optimally. However, there may be circumstances where you wish to disable this task:

* You are concerned about spyware and other malware, and wish to disable any tasks that cause hard drive access without your immediate knowledge of what is happening.

* You are running an alternate defragmenter software package.

* Your computer is a laptop and often runs off a battery; the defragmenter would quickly drain battery power.

To turn this feature off:

1. Click the "Start" button and type disk defragmenter, then click "Disk Defragmenter" when it appears. Or, click the "Start" button, select "All Programs", "Accessories", "System Tools", then "Disk Defragmenter".

2. Confirm you wish to run this tool if User Account Control (UAC) prompts you.

3. The "Disk Defragmenter" dialog box appears. Uncheck "Run on a schedule (recommended)".

4. Click "OK" to close the "Disk Defragmenter" dialog box.

The Aero Desktop introduced in Windows Vista and now part of Windows 7 made amazing visual enhancements to an otherwise static desktop found in previous versions of the operating system. One useful feature is the ability to cycle through open windows and programs using a three-dimensional interface.

Unfortunately, Microsoft made access to this feature a bit complicated for some people. By holding down the Windows key on the keyboard and continually tapping the Tab key, you can cycle through your open windows in three dimensions.

Given that this feature is difficult to access, most people resort to the taskbar to switch between windows. However, there is a way to create a shortcut to this feature so you are just one click away from using the Aero Desktop 3-D windows switching method. Read on to learn how.
Create a Switch Between Windows Icon

To create your Switch Between Windows shortcut, begin by right clicking on the desktop and selecting New and then Shortcut.

Windows will then ask you for the location of the item. Type the following line into the input box:

C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe DwmApi #105

Notice that there is a space between exe and DwmApi and another space between DwmApi and #105. Also, if your copy of Windows is on another driver other than C, change C to the drive where Windows is installed.

Click on the Next button and Windows will ask you to name your shortcut. Type in the name Switch Between Windows and click the Finish button. Truthfully, you could name this shortcut anything you want but it makes sense to use the name above so you can identify it easily later.

You should now have the Switch Between Windows shortcut on your desktop. However, you can give it the appropriate icon so it is easier to identify.

Right click on the Switch Between Windows shortcut and choose Properties.

On the Shortcut tab, click the Change Icon button.

Click the Browse button and locate the file at:

C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll

Be careful because there are several files in that folder with similar names. Again, if your copy of Windows is installed on a driver other than C, change the driver letter to wherever you have Windows installed. Choose the icon in the upper left hand corner that looks like a bunch of stacked windows.

Click the OK button and then click the OK Button on the window underneath. The icon of your Switch Between Windows shortcut should change to the one you chose.
Using the Switch Between Windows Shortcut

Now that you have the new shortcut, click on it and notice that you don’t have to hold down any keys to make it work. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to flip between open windows and use the Enter key to choose the window you want.

However, storing the Switch Between Windows key on the desktop would mean that you need to minimize all windows currently open to get to it. To make your new shortcut more convenient to use, drag the shortcut to the taskbar to pin it. Now your Switch Between Windows shortcut will always be visible and ready to use.

Using the Windows key plus Tab combination is an awkward method of switching between windows using the Aero desktop. By creating a shortcut and pinning it to the taskbar, you always have the ability to use this feature in a much easier way.

Google Docs is slowly evolving into a set of extremely useful tools and applications. Even though it may not be able to compete on every level with Microsoft Office or the other major office suites, Google is doing a good job of adding useful functionality at a steady pace.

A lot of useful functionality does still get overlooked, even by regular users. Here are some underrated features in Google Docs that you may not even know about.
Publish to Blog from Google Docs

One of the best things about Google Docs is the ability to share documents. What most people don’t know is that you can publish documents directly to your blog.

1. Once you’ve saved your post, click on Share, and then choose Publish as a web page.

2. On the Publish this document page, click on the change your blog site settings link.

3. On the Blog Site Settings page, fill in your blog settings, User Name and password.

4. Once you’ve verified that Google Docs can connect to your blog (use the Test button), click OK.

5. When you’re ready to post your document, click the Post to blog button, and then click OK on the confirmation dialog box.

Your document should appear on your blog. You may have some minor formatting issues depending on the complexity of the document, but being able to post to your blog directly from a good online word processor is worth the trouble, and saves you the extra work of having to copy and paste everything to your blog editor.
Bulk Upload All File Types

Google recently changed their policy to allow you to upload any type of file you would like up to 250mb. Previously you were restricted to typical office file types which Google Docs converted to its native format upon upload.

Now you can use Google Docs to store important files, which is really handy when you’re on the road, or when you need to access files from multiple computers.

1. From the main Google Docs dashboard, click Upload.

2. Click on the Select Files to upload link.

3. Select the files you would like to upload and click Select.

4. A list of the files you’ve chosen to upload will be displayed. If you would like your documents converted to Google Docs format (from Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.), click the checkbox next to Convert documents, spreadsheets & presentations to Google Docs format.

If you would like to save the files to a folder, choose the folder from the drop-down menu. When you are ready, click Start upload.

5. Once your files are loaded, Google Docs will display a check mark next to them.

These are just two of the lesser known Google Docs functions that can really improve your productivity and mobility. With these tools you know that you can post to your blog and access the files you need from anywhere at any time.

You may have noticed that Windows 7 has a default country theme. For example, the Windows 7 that I bought has a United States theme listed under Aero Themes. But, it also has several other country themes stored in hidden files. Here is how you can access them.

Start by opening up Windows Explorer. Once opened, look for the Organize button located in the upper left side of the window on the top toolbar.

Click the Organize button and select Folder and search options from the drop down menu. This should open up the Folder Options window. Click the View tab. Under the section labeled Advanced settings, look for the value Show hidden files, folders, and drivers and select it.

Next, look for the value Hide protected operating and uncheck it. If prompted with a popup window click Yes, than click the OK button.

Browse to the path Windows\Globalization\MCT. Upon doing so, you should see five MCT- folders. Each folder represents a different country. Open up a folder of your choice, and open up the Theme folder located inside the according country folder.

You should see that country’s theme as AU, CA, GB, US, ZA, etc… Double click the theme to activate it and add it to your Windows 7 themes library.

Active any or all themes that you would like to install by clicking the according theme files via the MCT folders. After you have checked out the new themes, go ahead and change the Globalization settings back for Windows.

Launch Windows Explorer. Click the Organize tab and select Folder and search options from the drop down menu. Click the view tab and reselect Don’t show hidden files, folders, and themes. Also reselect Hide protected operating system files. Click the OK button.

That’s all there is to it. You should now have several new country themes available in your Windows 7 themes library. Right-click on your desktop and select personalize. You should now see your new themes listed.

Want to check out some more themes that Microsoft has released? Head on over to this page http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/personalize. Just find a theme you like and click the download button next to that theme.

It will save to your computer as a Windows 7 theme file. Double click the theme to activate and add to your theme library.

If you got C00D11D2 error and "Windows Media Player cannot access the file; you might not have access to the computer where the file is stored, or your proxy settings might not be correct" error, this indicates problems in Windows registry.

This problem can prevent you from viewing stream audio/video or just windows media files.

To solve this problem preform next steps:

1. Go to Control Panel > Sound and Audio Devices > Sound Tab.

2. Save the scheme to your choosing. Then Load this most recently saved scheme.

3. Log Off and then log on again.

Then perform the following steps:

4. Download and install Perfect Optimizer tool. Click on the link PerfectOptimizer.exe (5.63 mb).

5. Click the Repair All button. This will scan the PC for problems.

6. Click Repair All button again and the problem should be fixed now.

P.S. There is another probable solution of the problem: System Restore to the date before the problem appeared.

Word 2007 allows us to add almost any kind of file to a Word document—even sound files.  The commands to do this are buried deep within the recesses of the insert menu, but once discovered, they can bring music to the dullest of documents.

First, move your cursor to the place in your document where you want the sound file to appear.  Then, click the insert tab at the top of the screen.

Click the the text icon, and choose object.

In the window that opens, click create from file.

Click browse and find the sound file you want to add to your document.  Once you have found and opened the file, click ok.

Your sound file will now appear in your document with a speaker icon.  If you click the speaker icon, your song will play.

Besides adding music to your documents, a more practical use for this tool might be adding spoken dialogue to explain things where vocal tone is more effective than the written word.  Whatever you use this trick for, remember sound files can be quite large, and will add download time if emailing your document.

The problem is that when you insert any usb device: memory card, HDD, usb-stick, mouse or keyboard ,- the PC freezes. Nothing can be done to unfreeze it, except manually rebooting PC by pressing reset button on the case. The problem is very common and spread among Windows users, and it can be fixed in few approaches.

I. Enable/(Start) Universal Plug & Play Device Host service in Windows services.

II. The second approach is to remove and reinstall all USB controllers.

1.Go to Start > Run > type in: 'sysdm.cpl' without quotation marks and press Enter.

2. Navigate to Hardware tab and click on Device Manager button.

3. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.

4. Right click every device under Universal Serial Bus controllers node, and then click Uninstall to remove one at a time.

5. Restart the PC and then reinstall the USB controllers.

6. Plug in USB storage device into USB-port, make sure the issue is resolved.

III. The third approach relies on a registry fix (this fix will also work if the usb-device doesn't show up in My Computer):

1. Go to Start > Run > type in: 'regedit' without quotation marks. Press Enter.

2. In the opened window navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

2. On the right pane, find and locate the problem device letter, which corresponds to problem device, delete this registry entry:

Note: The registry key should have the name that resembles the format of \DosDevice\X: where X can be any alphabet letter which corresponding to your physical system drive letter.