How to prevent the PC from entering sleep mode during backup hours

Introduction

One of the main causes of failed backups are devices that have entered sleep mode or turned off entirely. As many people set their backups to run at hours when they’ll be away from their desk, without configuration, most PCs will enter sleep mode if left unused for a set amount of time. The BackupVault client, cannot run when a Windows PC is in Sleep Mode. During this state, all open files and programs are stored to memory and essentially put on hold until the PC is woken up. This guide will help you prevent sleep mode from activating. 

Solution

To change the sleep settings follow the instructions below:

1. Open up the Settings menu. To do this, open the Start Menu by pressing the windows key or clicking the Windows icon on your taskbar. Then either click the gear symbol, or type “settings” and choose Settings from the results shown.
2. Select “System”.
3. From the sidebar, select “Power & Sleep”.
   • If on a notebook:
     • Where it says “When plugged in, PC goes to sleep after”, select “Never” from the drop down menu.
   • If on a desktop:
     • Where it says “PC goes to sleep after”, select “Never” from the drop down menu.

Your PC or Notebook should now remain on unless you manually set it to sleep.