New Gateway power management/Win 98 problem!

John,

   Is there any way you could disable your laptops' screen sleep mode when the display is closed?  If you can disable your laptops built in powersave option for the LCD, it wouldn't be a duplicate of events for standby mode.  I have had two laptops running 95 and haven't experienced this problem--then again, it is 95.  

I don't know if you read this article by MS, but it is in the vicinity of your problem:

When you attempt to resume your computer from Standby mode, your computer may appear to stop responding (hang), and only a blinking cursor may be displayed on a black screen.

CAUSE
This problem can occur if all of the following conditions exist:

You use the keyboard or a power management timer to put your computer into Standby mode.
An MS-DOS Prompt window is open when your computer goes into Standby mode.
Your computer uses Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) features.

RESOLUTION
To work around this problem, press ALT+TAB to resume your computer from Standby mode.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Also, Toshiba laptops also have/had this problem and they have issued a fix for it.  Something Gateway has yet to do--although they won't admit to it! So i think GateWay is telling you a half-truth.  And instead of saying we are working for a fix for it, they blame it on MS until they issue a fix and save the day.

Toshiba 4500 Reboots After Resuming
Last reviewed: June 23, 1998
Article ID: Q132333
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q132/3/33.asp

Sorry, none of your comments are relevant to answering my question.  The Toshiba issue is totally different.  And there is no point to disabling my laptop's sleep mode once the panel is closed (which I cannot do anyway).  The other MS knowledge base issue does not relate to my problem (I have read it).  I think I need to find someone who is running Win 98 on a laptop.  Thanks for your time & effort.

John

Heat,

  Actually, i don't think you entirely understood my question.  You say [or Gateway] that closing the LCD lid after the laptop goes into suspend causes a duplicate of events.  That is, the machine is built to go into 'suspend' mode when the LCD panel is closed even though it is already in suspend mode.  And this duplication of events causes a conflict and evidently freezes up the machine.  I suggested that perhaps you could disable this built in mechanism to stop this auto suspend mode on closing the lid.  I pointed you to Toshiba to show that sometimes there are peculiarities and that the solution [more often than not] resides with the manufacturer--not Microsoft.  You talked to Gateway [the maker of the laptop themself], you talked to MS [the maker of Windows] and they have told you the reason for this problem.

I stopped by Comp Usa this morning to pick up some Zip disks and i tried to duplicate your problem on other win 98 laptops--and guess what, they didn't have that problem.  :)

I think it is between you and Gateway.  

Thanks very much for clarifying your previous comments and especially for trying to duplicate the problem on other systems.  I thought of doing that but thought that because of the way the demo laptops are displayed (for security reasons), one could not close the LCD panel.  How did you manage that?  At the Comp-USA here, the LCD panel is retained vertically by a metal security bar!!!  Just want to make sure here before I tell Gateway that they are full of you know what!  

By the way, I cannot disable whatever mechanism Gateway is referring to which puts the system into suspend mode when closing the LCD panel.  Also, while Gateway tried to give me a reason for "the problem" , Microsoft claims they have no info. on such a problem.  Looks like Gateway is trying to simply pass the buck.

In any case, if this problem does not occur on other Win 98 laptops, as you claim, then the answer is obvious.  Let me know how you were able to close the LCD panel at Comp-USA.  I would like to make the trip there to satisfy myself so that I can give Gateway a piece of my mind.

You have been very helpful and I thank you.

Heat,

   All i did was mention the problem to a sales rep and he removed the security bar so i can test it out.  Tell them that it is a known problem with certain laptops and you don't want to purchase a machine with that problem!  I am sure he will bend over backwards to prove that it won't do that.  

Heat,
   
   It also helped that i knew most of the people that worked there.  :)

Heat,

    Keep me posted with your journeys.  :)

I went to Comp-USA today and confirmed your observations.  No problem when testing a Toshiba and a NEC.  So much for Gateway's bullshit!!  Again , thanks for your help.

John,

  Are you sure you can't do anything about shutting off the auto-suspend mode when the LCD panel is closed?  I remember my old NEC laptop gave me options as to what to do when closing the lid.  You might want to double-check in the BIOS.

Also, what is the status of your question?