Switching my desktop lamp wakens the computer!

[Stevekir]

The computer is sleeping. I switch on my nearby desktop lamp (11 W fluorescent fed by its own transformer), and the computer wakes up 80% of each time the lamp is switch on! This has suddenly started a few days ago. The 230 V plugs for the computer and the lamp are not near each other mains-wise (for example, they are not plugged into the same extension strip). I didn't do anything at all to either item around the time the behaviour started.

Its not a disaster, but it is odd. Any ideas?

 

[maxseven]

Only thing that comes to mind is if you have an optical mouse and the fluorescent light somehow wakes it. Did you get a shiny new mousepad maybe? Put the mouse in a drawer or throw something over it and see if that works.

What does this cmd.exe say about why the PC woke?

powercfg -lastwake

 

[Stevekir]

Only thing that comes to mind is if you have an optical mouse and the fluorescent light somehow wakes it. Did you get a shiny new mousepad maybe? Put the mouse in a drawer or throw something over it and see if that works.

What does this cmd.exe say about why the PC woke?

powercfg -lastwake

Thanks. An optical mouse but no mousepad. Nothing new added. Attached gives reply to powercfg -lastwake

I will now cover mmouse and see if the comp. wakens

 

[maxseven]

Attached gives reply to powercfg -lastwake

And the result was...what?

Another thought might be if the act of switching on the desktop lamp causes vibration to excite the mouse. I have had mice that were very sensitive to any sort of bumping for example.

But unless you recently changed the mouse attributes to e.g. assert a higher resolution or different movement setting I dunno why it would change by itself.

 

[Stevekir]

Thanks. An optical mouse but no mousepad. Nothing new added. Attached gives reply to powercfg -lastwake

I will now cover my mouse and see if the comp. wakens

I covered the mouse completely. I also completely wrapped the lamp in a blanket ans switched it on. The comp. woke!

I conclude that there must be some interference caused by the switching on (and once, switching off) of the light via the mains, but why it started without any changes in my system is a mystery. Or perhaps electromagnetic waves from the light can travel through blankets. Perhaps they can, in which case I will need to wrap the light in al.foil. I will do that and report. But then, aluminium is not magnetic. Jeez! I'll look for a metal box. Even my garden barrow is plastic. Biscuits come in paper wrappers, not tins big enough.

 

[Stevekir]

Attached gives reply to powercfg -lastwake

And the result was...what?

Another thought might be if the act of switching on the desktop lamp causes vibration to excite the mouse. I have had mice that were very sensitive to any sort of bumping for example.

But unless you recently changed the mouse attributes to e.g. assert a higher resolution or different movement setting I dunno why it would change by itself.

I have been careful not to cause any mechanical vibrations to disturb the mouse. Perhaps my next step is to lift the lamp in the air in case vibrations are travelling through the desks to the mouse.

I will unplug the mouse at the back of the case, which will eliminate the mouse as the source of the problem. (But there's an interesting TV program coming on...)

 

[Stevekir]

I have been careful not to cause any mechanical vibrations to disturb the mouse. Perhaps my next step is to lift the lamp in the air in case vibrations are travelling through the desks to the mouse.

I will unplug the mouse at the back of the case, which will eliminate the mouse as the source of the problem. (But there's an interesting TV program coming on...)

I unplugged the mouse, and the comp. woke up when the light was switched on. So I think the mouse is not implicated. Perhaps if I bought a 230 V power strip with surge protection, like:

Belkin 4-Way Economy Surge Protector, 1m Cable: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

I will ring Belkin in the morning for advice.

 

[maxseven]

Again, powercfg -lastwake should help you with at least what Windows thinks is waking it.

If the problem turns-out to be electrical interference from the lamp, that it's acted-up only recently could owe to a failing ballast in the lamp, or I suppose a deterioration of the light bulb itself. Replacing one or both of those might fix the problem.

 

[Stevekir]

Again, powercfg -lastwake should help you with at least what Windows thinks is waking it.

If the problem turns-out to be electrical interference from the lamp, that it's acted-up only recently could owe to a failing ballast in the lamp, or I suppose a deterioration of the light bulb itself. Replacing one or both of those might fix the problem.

I tried powercfg. The attachment shows the result.

I will also pursue the lamp as the problem. It is only a year old. Thanks.

 

[AddRAM]

It`s the vibration, move the lamp across the room, try it again.

 

[Stevekir]

It`s the vibration, move the lamp across the room, try it again.

I lifted it up and held it on the air. It still woke the comp.

 

[Stevekir]

I rang Belkin (who make power strips with built - in mains interference suppression) and was told that my problem is not caused by that. So I am stumped. I will need to switch the lamp on or off before I sleep the computer, and put up with the comp. waking up unnecessarily when I just want to use the desk.

Next time I am grovelling in the rat's nest I will make sure that the comp. and the light are not fed from the same power strip.

 

[maxseven]

I tried powercfg. The attachment shows the result.

Since "Wake History" shows nothing this implies perhaps something amiss with Windows' Sleep.

This morning's result for me, whereby I awaken the computer with a Logitech wireless mouse and accompanying USB "wireless Unifying receiver":

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Max>powercfg -lastwake
Wake History Count - 1
Wake History [0]
  Wake Source Count - 1
  Wake Source [0]
    Type: Device
    Instance Path: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_8C31&SUBSYS_05BE1028&REV_04\3&11583659&0&A0
    Friendly Name:
    Description: Intel(R) USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller
    Manufacturer: Intel(R) Corporation

And this in the System log:

Log Name:      System
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Power-Troubleshooter
Date:          1/14/2016 7:09:18 AM
Event ID:      1
Task Category: None
Level:         Information
Keywords:      
User:          LOCAL SERVICE
Computer:      MaxSeven
Description:
The system has resumed from sleep.

Sleep Time: ‎2016‎-‎01‎-‎14T12:34:44.724176300Z
Wake Time: ‎2016‎-‎01‎-‎14T13:09:16.682067600Z

Wake Source: Device -Intel(R) USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller