Solving the "Disappearing Hibernation" problem on my Toshiba Tecra M4 TabletPC

(Plus some information on what Toshiba processes can be stopped.)

Everything on this page worked for me. You follow these guidelines at your own risk. If something happens, you have my sympathies but you're on your own and can't sue me or anything like that.

In February, 2006 I ordered a custom-built Toshiba Tecra M4 TabletPC. I purchased a machine with a 2GHz processor, Bluetooth support, wireless ethernet, a big hard drive, and a 128MB NVidia video card. The machine came with 128MB of RAM, and I upgraded this to 2GB with SODIMMS from Crucial. (Toshiba wanted an insane amount of money to do this upgrade. Their 1GB upgrade was easily twice as much as both the 1GB DIMMS I ordered from Crucial.) There were a few false starts with the machine, but overall it's a decent laptop. The one big issue that really bothered me was this: After putting the machine into Hibernate mode several times, the Hibernate option would disappear.

So I put up with this annoyance for a while, thinking it was unique to my laptop and the Toshiba Power Saver applet which came with the machine. In September 2007, I decided enough was enough and really looked into the problem. It turns our that for me there was a very simple solution, but it was kind of tough to find, so I decided to put everything I found here for others to use.

After doing some tracking, it turns out that my system would hibernate three to five (3-5) times before having a problem, but there was no way to predict what would cause it to stop showing the Hibernate option. I thought the problem was the Toshiba Power Saver application installed at the factory, so I removed it. This didn't solve anything, which makes sense because all the Toshiba applet does is hook into the Windows Power subsystem.

Now that I knew it had to be a problem with Windows XP Tablet PC edition, I went back to Google and did some more searching. There were several pages with possible causes, including a very specific issue at Microsoft's Support Site1 and a comment about VGA drivers at TabletPC Questions 2. None of the issues I found exactly matched what I had, but I downloaded the fixes, just in case. One web site made a comment in passing that the Windows Terminal Service caused problems with laptops and hibernation.

Rather than apply a fix from Microsoft that may or may not fix the problem, I decided to do the easiest thing first. Shutting off the Terminal Services service would be easy, and would not affect any of the Windows Services I use on a daily basis3. I'm happy to report that turning off the Terminal Services service did solve my laptop's problem with the disappearing Hibernate option. Actually, it fixed the problem for about two days, then cropped up again. See the October 5 update for more information. I don't know that it will work for you, so be warned.

Disabling the Terminal Services Windows Service

  1. Right click on My Computer.
  2. Select Manage from the pop-up menu.
  3. Double click Services and Applications.
  4. Double click Services.
  5. Double click Terminal Services from the list of Windows Services.
  6. Stop the service by pressing the Stop button.
  7. Make sure the service will not start up automatically by selecting Disabled from the Startup type: drop down list.
  8. Press the OK button.
  9. Close the Computer Management window.

I restarted my laptop and the Hibernate function remained. In fact as I write this the Hibernate option has been available every time I've needed it in the past four days. Previously I was lucky to get two days of hibernation.

References

  1. The computer occasionally does not hibernate and you receive an "Insufficient System Resources Exist to Complete the API" error message in Windows XP with Service Pack 2, in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, or in Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
  2. Hibernate tab missing from Power Options
  3. Service supported by TS: These two services rely on Terminal Services: Fast User Switching Compatibility and Infrared Monitor. If you use either of those, you should either find another solution or change the Startup type to Automatic so your system will activate the needed services at the appropriate time. Just remember to turn off Terminal Services when you're done.
  4. Process RAM use: It doesn't sound like much, but each of the processes use CPU and RAM that I would rather dedicate to Dreamweaver and Photoshop. 15 * 3 = 45MB of RAM. And keeping the count at 3MB is being generous. Most of these processes used closer to 7MB.
  5. How to troubleshoot hibernation and standby issues in Windows XP
  6. When you click “Turn Off Computer” on the Start menu, the Hibernate button does not appear in Windows XP Service Pack 2 or in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
  7. Computer stops responding after you put it into hibernation, and then resume it from hibernation many times

Stopping the Toshiba Processes

After solving the disappearing Hibernate option, I turned my attention to the plethora of Toshiba processes that were running on the laptop. Surely they all couldn't be needed. My count showed at least fifteen of the things, taking up at least 3MB of RAM each! This was crazy!4 So I did a little research and found Jonathan Hardwick's site which had some information about startup processes on a Tosiba M400. It's not exactly the same model, but it looked like there were a lot of similar processes. So I experimented with the processes listed and made the discoveries in the following table. (Some of these entries are directly copied from Mr. Hardwick's site.)

Process Description Notes
000stthk.exe Toshiba function-key component Disabling this file caused my Toshiba Function Keys (Fn + [F1-F12], controlled by 00THotkey.exe) to stop operating.
Note that the Fn + F5 and Fn + F8 combinations are allegedly handled by other applications. Only the Toshiba Wireless Hotkey (Fn+ F8) actually stopped working on my laptop. The Fn + F5 key combo for video display options continues to function.
00THotkey.exe Enables use of function keys to control laptop functions. Don't stop this. It's important for the Toshiba Function keys on the function key row (F1-F12).
APntEx.exe Touchpad driver (from Alps) Actually spawned by APoint.exe. See APoint.exe below for more information.
APoint.exe And another touchpad driver (from Alps) When not running, the laptop will accept mouse input from both the touchpad and the eraserhead on the keyboard. If you run APoint.exe, it will read the setup options from the Dual Pointing Device tab of the Mouse Control Panel. After running the file I have been able to end both the APoint.exe and ApntEx.exe processes and keep the Dual Pointing Device configuration I want (all eraserhead, no touchpad).

I'm currently working on a program to run these when the laptop starts, then killing their processes to free the 8MB of RAM they use.
CrossMenu.exe Toshiba CrossMenu Main Basically a tool to access frequently used programs and settings while laptop is in Tablet Mode. Press and hold the little joystick on the display to see these options. Allows you to switch tasks, mute system, access settings (power, network, rotation utilities, Tablet & Pen settings, etc.), start applications, and switch windows. can be stopped.
TAcelMgr.exe Toshiba Acceleration manager This is the software that provides access to the onboard accelerometer. Needed by other programs like the hard drive park and Acceleration Shaker utility.
TEDTray.exe Toshiba Dual Pointing Utility Puts an icon in the system tray to turn the Tablet buttons on and off. Since it takes up 3MB of RAM, I disable it and had no problems.
ThpSrv.exe Parks your hard disk if you knock the laptop Sudden blows to the laptop can cause the hard drive heads to skip across the platters. This program is designed to freeze the heads in place if the laptop is struck or dropped.
TMESRV31.exe Toshiba MobileExtension3 Service From what I can gather, this provides docking station support for the laptop. It appears to be the main service that all the other Toshiba MobileExtension programs (TME*) need in order to function. Perhaps provides common functions?
TMETEMnu.exe Toshiba MobileExtension, spawned by TMESRV31 Toshiba MobileExtension3 Menu (mnu)?
TSkrMain.exe Acceleration "shaker" utility Toshiba Acceleration Shaker allows you to configure the laptop to start a program or take some action when you slap the side of the computer. This seems pretty stupid to me. I spent over $2000 for this device, now I'm going to hit it? I don't think so.
TFNF5.exe Switch laptop video output using Fn-F5 I was able to turn this off without any problem. Apparently the keyboard shortcut is supported by 00THotkey.exe
TRot.exe Match screen orientation to rotation of tablet screen When you move from one screen orientation to another, this will automatically change the screen based on your preferences.
TFncKy.exe TFncKy Something to do with hotkeys? Haven't disabled it yet. Found in C:\Program Files\Toshiba\TOSHIBA Controls
TPSMain.exe Toshiba Power Saver applet On my Tecra, starts the battery monitor, TPSBattM.exe.
TPSBattM.exe Spawned by TPSMain, probably battery-specific Takes up 3MB RAM, but no idea what it's used for.
TMERzCtl.exe Toshiba Mobile Extension3 Toshiba MobileExtension3. Possibly the control (ctl) interface?
tmesbs32.exe "tmesbs32.exe" Hot swap support for Slim Select bay(?). May need the Toshiba Mobile Extensions to function correctly. May be started by the TME3 process.

From Process Library tmesbs32.exe is a process associated with the Toshiba laptops Mobile Extension Slim Select Bay Service. It is a part of the software for the CD/DVD writer.

CFSvcs.exe Toshiba ConfigFree application Something to do with Toshiba's ConfigFree application family. ConfigFree is designed to make it easier to set up and troubleshoot network connections, whether wireless, wired, or over a modem.
1XConfig.exe Found in C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin Something to do with my Intel Wireless Ethernet Card. Properties page lists it as: 8021XConfig Module
ZCfgSvc.exe Found in C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin Something to do with my Intel Wireless Ethernet Card. Something to do with Zero Configuration Networking. Properties page lists it as: ZeroCfgSvc.
Before I started using the wireless ethernet card, I disabled this service by following these steps:
  1. Right click My Computer
  2. Select Manage
  3. In the window that comes up, select Services and Applications
  4. Select Services. You'll get a really long list.
  5. Find the service in the list named Wireless Zero Configuration. Double click it to bring up the Properties menu.
  6. About halfway down the page is a drop down select list named Startup type. Select Disabled from this list.
  7. Press the OK button.
  8. Restart the PC.
Does this really make a difference? Well, on my PC it freed up about 22MB of RAM and the associated CPU time. You'll have to decide for yourself if it's worth it.
EvtEng.exe EvtEng Module
Found in C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin 		Something to do with my Intel Wireless Ethernet Card.
RegSrvc.exe RegSrvc Module
Found in C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin		 Long article about this program at Ian Griffiths website. Apparently it's a part of Intel's ProWireless system, which allows you to create profiles, troubleshoot wireless connections, etc.
From the Help file: "The Intel PROSet/Wireless Main Window allows you to:
  • View the current connection status (signal quality, speed and current network name).
  • Scan for available wireless networks.
  • Manage profiles.
  • Auto-connect profiles to available networks in a specific order defined in the Profile list.
  • Connect to infrastructure and ad hoc networks.
  • Configure adapter settings.
  • Troubleshoot wireless connection problems.

Of course, all this sounds like a duplication of functions already in Windows and the Toshiba ConfigFree utility.
S24EvMon.exe Event Monitor - Supports driver extensions to NIC Driver for wireless adapters.
Found in C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin		 Wireless Driver

From Aaron Tiensivu's Blog: "Intel's wireless driver component - S24EvMon.exe leaks memory - version 9 and version 10 of the 29xx/39xx wireless drivers
I don't know if I should call it a memory leak or a memory hog but either way, wireless drivers shouldn't be using 512MB of ram just for tracking events. No wonder performance suffers as the day progresses. For now, I am just going to strip the driver components to the bare minimum and see if S24EvMon.exe behaves better. "

nvsvc32.exe NVidia support Provides system and desktop level support to the NVIDIA Display Driver. This is NOT the display driver itself. I've disabled it with no problem.
TPSODDCtl.exe Found in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 I found the program and looking at the icon it looks like this is the program that supports the CD-ROM ejection keyboard shortcut (Fn + TAB).
tfswctrl.exe Found in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\dla and C:\Program Files\Sonic\DLA\install Something to do with my DVD-RW drive. I should probably end it since I mostly use an extra battery in the SlimSelect Bay.
DVDRAMSV.exe Found in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32
DVD-RAM Utility Helper Service		 Something to do with my DVD-RW drive.

From Process Information: "dvdramsv.exe is a process associated with DVD-RAM Utility Helper Service from Matsushita Electric Industrial."

RAMASST.exe Found in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32
RAMASST		 Something to do with my DVD-RW drive.

From Process Information: "ramasst.exe is a process that get installed together with common DVD drives. It is used to disable the XP built-in CD burning functions. This process should not be removed if you do not have a problem with your CD/DVD burning applications."

SMAgent.exe Found in C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX
RAMASST		 SoundMAX service agent component
ctfmon.exe Text input panel controller Windows program that controls the Text Input Panel. Don't turn it off.
wdfmgr.exe Found in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 Properties page says Windows User Mode Driver Manager. Don't mess with it.
wisptis.exe Found in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 Properties page says Microsoft Tablet PC Component. Don' mess with it.
ALG.exe Found in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 Application Layer Gateway Service. Don't mess with it.
agrsmmsg.exe Found in C:\WINDOWS
SoftModem Messaging Applet		 Something to do with my laptop's Software Modem. Can probably kill it without issue since I'm not using the modem for anything.

Once I had a good idea what each program did, I used the Computer Management console, the appropriate Control Panel, or otherwise modified the RUN registry entry to shut down the process. This saved me quite a bit of RAM as well as reducing startup time.

Interestingly, after trying to reinstall the Toshiba Power Saver application, I discovered that it didn't work. Apparently Toshiba used a 16-bit version of the install utility to create the downloadable package from their website. This results in a package that I can't get to install on my laptop. Oh well. I'm sure there are other power management utilities out there somewhere.

Toshiba Provided Programs and Utilities

Several of the utilties and programs provided by Toshiba were useless to me for various reasons, so I removed them. This includes the Toshiba Assist application (a duplicate collection of Control Panels and program configuration options that exist in the separate programs), and the Toshiba PC Diagnostic Tool, a watered down version of hardware testing programs. I already had better ones available, so I wiped them from the drive.

This page was created on September 24, 2007.

September 25, 2007 Update

I discovered that there is a program called Toshiba Application Installer on the System Recovery DVD's I made. It's on the second disk. This application allows you to select individual programs from the original system load to put onto the laptop. I tried to install the Toshiba Power Saver utility, but it didn't work. When I restarted the laptop, I received the same "Fatal Error" message box I've been getting all along. Frustrating, but I guess I'll deal with it.

October 5, 2007 Update

Well, the problem didn't resolve itself. On September 30th, after a long day of working with Photoshop, Seamonkey, and Microsoft Office the system presented the same error as before. This time I applied the fix available from Microsoft and restarted. So far the problem has not returned.