What is DRIVER-POWER-STATE-FAILURE?
DRIVER-POWER-STATE-FAILURE shows up as a high-severity system driver fault. Stop code 0x0000009F indicates a driver failed to handle a power management state change properly. This BSOD is triggered when Windows transitions power states (sleep, hibernate, resume) and a driver does not respond correctly to the IRP_MN_SET_POWER request. Very common on laptops after Windows updates change USB, network, or GPU driver power management behavior. Follow the steps below to fix it.
Common Causes
- USB driver not completing power transition
- Network adapter failing to enter/exit sleep
- GPU driver power management conflict
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Update all device drivers, especially USB and network
powercfg /energy generates a detailed power analysis report identifying drivers that fail power management requests.
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2
Disable fast startup in Windows power settings
Disabling Fast Startup forces a complete shutdown cycle that resets power state tracking and avoids many resume-related BSODs.
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3
Check Device Manager for power management conflicts
"Check Device Manager for power management conflicts" is worth trying when USB driver not completing power transition turns out to be the culprit.
Commands & Diagnostics
powercfg /energy
powercfg /sleepstudy
Frequently Asked Questions
DRIVER-POWER-STATE-FAILURE is most often triggered by USB driver not completing power transition. Other reports point to network adapter failing to enter/exit sleep and GPU driver power management conflict as contributing factors.
Try "Update all device drivers, especially USB and network" first — it resolves most DRIVER-POWER-STATE-FAILURE cases on its own. Only work through the rest of the guide above if it comes back.
DRIVER-POWER-STATE-FAILURE is a high-severity error. It won't damage your PC instantly, but repeated occurrences usually point to a deeper problem worth addressing soon.
Usually. DRIVER-POWER-STATE-FAILURE is fixable with the steps above; a full Windows reinstall is rarely necessary unless everything else has failed.
Sometimes. Microsoft regularly releases patches that fix known BSOD triggers including DRIVER-POWER-STATE-FAILURE. Make sure Windows is fully up to date via Settings → Windows Update before attempting more advanced fixes.
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