How to Troubleshoot “Driver Power State Failure” in Windows 10

Last Updated on: 4th January 2023, 07:50 am

“Driver Power State Failure” in Windows 10

Did you face an issue where your screen turned blue and you didn’t know how to overcome this issue? In technical terms, we call this error a “blue screen error“. It displays a message about your system crashing and occurs mainly due to failure of any of the Windows drivers. 

In this article, you’ll find the detailed cause of the Driver Power State Failure error that often coded as  DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE, as well as what you can do to fix it easily. We’ll walk you through several methods for fixing this error.

What is the blue screen error “Driver Power State Failure” in Windows 10?

Driver Power State Failure or Blue screen error is an unpredictable and frustrating experience. It often occurs when there is a faulty driver, incompatible hardware  or due to some incompatible power settings of the computer. Also,if there is an outdated driver that is not supporting Windows, this error may occur.

To avoid this power failure state on your PC, you must do the following:

• Ensure all the driver updates are installed.
• Make use of built-in programs and keep repairing the damaged Win 10 files (System Files).
• Keep the drivers updated and remove unused drivers.
• Ensure proper boot settings.

Methods to fix Driver Power State Failure error in Windows 10

• Method 1. External hardware is removed

If the CPU causes issues due to a broken or corrupt peripheral driver, disconnect your peripherals one by one to see whether there are any defective components. It could be useful to unplug your peripherals. This will allow you to see whether there are any defective components.

• Method 2. Safe Mode Booting

If the problem is occurring to start Windows 10 and booting in the normal way is not possible, it is better to switch on to safe mode. You can try the following methods

• • To access the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) on your computer, reboot it and press the F8 key while the boot screen is visible. On certain devices, you may need to press the Fn (function) key as well.
  • If the Windows Recovery Environment won’t start using the keyboard shortcut, keep turning your computer on and off until it automatically starts in WinRE. On average, you need to turn the computer on and off about three times.
  • You can navigate to open advanced repair options as Advanced repair options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

• • You’ll now see a selection of several restart choices. By pressing F5 on your keyboard, you’ll enable Safe Mode with Networking. Wait for your system to restart and see if it successfully boots.
  • If you can boot Windows in Safe Mode without seeing the blue screen error, you can troubleshoot further. For example, scanning your computer for malware with the Windows Defender is a great first step.

• Method 3. Fast Startup Method

You can configure your computer to start up more quickly by enabling the Fast Startup feature. This will help your computer to boot up more quickly or recover from hibernation, but it can also cause Windows to fail to launch correctly or revert to earlier faults. It may lead to the DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE blue screen error as well.

Click on >Windows-> Control Panel or launch the application from the search results.

Click on Power Options. To view clearly , you can select large icons option or small icons view mode.

The power button will redirect you to the next page.

To unlock the options -> click on the “Change settings” link.

Change settings.-> choose the sleep and display settings, Once you select the changes, click on save changes option.

• Method 4. Removing New Drivers

If you recently installed some new drivers to use with a new peripheral or as an update for existing ones, removing those drivers may fix your DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE BSOD.

Press the Windows + X keys to switch on Device Manager

Click on the arrow icon in front of the problematic device to expand its category. Uninstall the device you’re having trouble with (look for a yellow exclamation mark) by right-clicking it.

Choose Scan for hardware changes from the Action menu in Device Manager. As shown in the image below, you can also use the shortcut icon:

After driver reinstallation, check for the same error in Device Manager

• Method 5. Driver Updates Rollback

If you’ve recently updated one or more drivers, you can quickly revert to the previous functional version of a driver. This is easier and faster than uninstalling and reinstalling a driver from scratch. If you know which drivers you’ve recently updated, we recommend undoing the update.

On your keyboard, press Windows + X at the same time, then click Device Manager.

Click on the arrow icon in front of the problematic device to expand its category. Choose Properties from the right-click menu of the device you are having problems with (look for a yellow exclamation mark).

A new pop-up window will appear. Now open->Driver tab -> click on the Rollback driver button (if available).

• Method 6. Driver Updates

If you haven’t updated your drivers in a long time, a bug or compatibility issue may be causing the Driver Power State Failure  blue screen error.

Steps to automatically update drivers in Windows

You can automatically update outdated drivers with Windows Update. Without checking for new versions individually, you can quickly find and update some of your drivers this way.

Click the Windows symbol in the lower-left corner of your screen, then choose Settings to access the Start menu. You can also bring up the menu by pressing Windows + I.

From the drop-down menu, select Update & Security. You can find most of your Windows Update settings here.

See which drivers need to be updated right now by expanding the Driver Updates section. Check the boxes next to the drivers you want to update, then click Download and Install.

Before restarting your computer, let Windows update your outdated drivers

• Method 7. Manual updating Drivers on Windows

To update a driver that may be out of date, follow the steps below. Please note that only legitimate sites should be used to download drivers! Some fraudulent websites may try to trick you into downloading malware-infected driver files.

Using the Windows + X keys on your keyboard, choose Device Manager from the context menu.

Right-click any driver you want to update in the Network adapters category. From the context menu, select Update driver.

Choose how you want to update your driver. You may either let Windows find a driver for you automatically or manually seek a fresh driver file on your machine.

• Method 8. Removing Recent Updates

If you recently installed a new application and then got the DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE blue screen error, it’s probably because the software isn’t compatible with your system. Uninstalling it should fix the BSOD.

Press the Windows + X keys to choose Apps and Features from the context menu.

Sort your apps by date to see which are the most recent. Click Uninstall when you find a recent app you want to uninstall.

If you wish to completely remove the app from your device, including any user configuration files and residual data, follow the instructions on the screen. If you encounter the DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE error after uninstalling recent applications, restart your computer.

• Method 8. Corrupt system file Repairing Method

The System File Checker (SFC) scan can fix corrupt system files. Click on run and open the command prompt. Open it as an administrator.

Let the System File Checker finish scanning your computer. If there is a discrepancy, the utility will restore system files and fix all errors. Enter “C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow”

However, DISM is another way to locate locations of your device where corrupt data may be stored. 

To detect corrupted files,  you need to execute the DISM command under System32 directory.

Simply type in the following line and press Enter: “DISM.exe /Online/ Cleanup-image/ Restorehealth”

After you run the commands, wait for the processes to finish. 

Once finished, close the Command Prompt window and restart your computer to see if the Driver Power State Failure error has been fixed.

• Method 9. Use a System Restore point

If your computer has stored a restore point before the blue screen of death appeared, you should be able to return your system to that previous state. This may fix the problem, as it’s like traveling back in time before an error took place.

Click on Windows + S keyboard shortcut.

Type in System Restore and click on Recovery from the search results. This should be on the top, in the Best match category.

The Control Panel will open . Here, click on the Open System Restore link that can be seen in the Advanced recovery tools section.

If Windows 10 offers you a recommended restore point, don’t forget to check what files and applications will be affected!

After choosing the options , click on the Finish button and wait for Windows to restore your computer. You’ll be able to tell whether or not this worked after your computer restarts with the loaded restore point.

• Method 10.Reinstall Windows OR Start Refresh

If your PC is unable to recover from a blue screen error, resetting Windows 10 is the last resort. You don’t have to worry about losing your files or data; you may choose between making a clean reset (which deletes everything) or saving your files and applications.

Reboot your computer and hold the F8 key on your keyboard while the boot screen is visible to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). On certain devices, you may need to hold down the Fn (function) key as well.

Navigate to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC from the Choose an option screen.

Pick from one of the available options, and then follow the on-screen instructions to reset or refresh Windows 10. After the process is complete, you should be able to boot into your system without the loop happening.

If you’re looking to reinstall Windows, check out our How to Install Windows 11, 10, 8.1, or 7. Using a Bootable USB guide for detailed, step-by-step instructions. This is the best way to go when installing an operating system because it helps avoid crashes and blue screen errors down the road.

Conclusion

These methods will surely help you avoid the Windows Power system failure error. But still ,if there are any questions left unanswered or problems not addressed, please feel free to reach out to the Driver restore’s team.

On the other hand, Driver Restore is an excellent option for those who want to avoid the hassles of updating drivers. You can also download Driver Restore to scan your PC and find outdated, missing, or corrupt drivers.