Windows 7: Computer sleep

I would like to set the sleep option for my laptop when on commercial power. I need to know what determines the state in which the computer thinks it's okay to commence sleep. Is it a lack of keyboard/mouse input or is the OS smart enough to understand that an application is running. I do not want the computer to start sleeping while Acronis is performing a timed image backup and I'm fairly certain that Acronis cannot wake up a computer that's sleeping to start its function.



Mark

From what I understand (with Vista), in power options you can set your computer to wake when something is scheduled, but it will go back to sleep during the process. This was true for Vista, don't really know about Windows 7, but I would assume that it has not changed. No mention of it in new features with 7, or in any SP or update.

You may be correct but to me the option is not clear.

On Power Options, Advanced settings are two options that might be connected to my initial question but I do not understand their significance or where they would be further specified: Allow hybrid sleep and Allow wake timers?

Mark

Wake timers

Thanks, but I didn't see where wake timers are specified and set?

Mark

I believe it just allows sleep to be interrupted, period.

There is also frequently a Power Management tab on the closest related driver to the hardware that needs to be allowed to wake.

I do not think that is the case. Both Acronis and SecondCopy failed to run last night. I'm moving the sleep start forward in time.