What causes a STOP screen with the error DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE?

A. This error occurs when you try to put the system in standby mode. The cause is a third-party driver that doesn't comply with the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) standard for power management. When the system goes into standby mode, it tells all drivers that the system is changing power state. If a driver doesn't respond correctly, the system displays a blue screen. Almost any kind of driver (e.g., CD-ROM drivers, network drivers, keyboard filter drivers) can cause this problem.

The easiest way to fix it is to perform the following steps:

  1. Create a hardware profile and boot into it.
  2. Go to the device manager (My Computer, Manage, Device Manager), select View, Show hidden devices, and disable all suspect devices (i.e., non-Microsoft devices) for the current hardware profile. (You disable a device on the General tab of the device's property sheet.)
  3. Reboot using the same hardware profile and try to reproduce the problem. If you can't, start re-enabling drivers and rebooting until the problem reappears. Then delete or update the offending driver.
  4. If the problem persists, disable all unnecessary drivers, update the necessary ones, and try again.
See Microsoft article Q246243 for more information.

Discuss this Article 5

Anonymous User (not verified)
on Dec 10, 2004
I found on one system it was a PCanyWhere was installed.
Anonymous User (not verified)
on Jun 26, 2005
I have literally spent days installing and uninstalling windows and software to find out it was PCAnywhere causing this problem. Of course, only after I was trying to find out what part of PCA was causing the problem did I find this article. Shame on Symantec for not having one word about this in their knowledgebase. Follow the instructions in this article and disable the AWLEGACY driver. You don't need it anyway.
Anonymous User (not verified)
on Dec 30, 2004
Using your instuctions disabled a GARMIN USB controller device. Windows was able to shut down properly. Thanks

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