My home build PC windows 7 turns itself on during the night.

[danno2]

This same problem was posted here by another member and I read the other thread responses, but no answer was discovered. I am having the same issue the system boots on its own every night. I have done all the scheduled task checks and disabled everything I could find, but it still turns itself on nightly.
I have checked the BIOS to no avail can't find anything there either. Looking for help. Thanks in advance!

 

[AddRAM]

You can always turn off the surge protector, then it can`t come on at all.

And you`ve already checked this, correct ?

And make sure "Allow this device to wake the PC" is unchecked.

 

[danno2]

I have now, thanks addRAM, I hope that this is the fix... Let you know in the morning when I get back to work...
Thank you!

 

[MrWhoopee]

I had it happening to me a few years ago. I was on dial-up at the time, the phone would ring and the computer would start up. Check to make sure Wake-on-Lan and Wake-on-Modem are disabled in the BIOS.

 

[carwiz]

I have now, thanks addRAM, I hope that this is the fix... Let you know in the morning when I get back to work...
Thank you!

If this is a work PC, you should leave it alone. The wake process could be how updates get applied to your PC. Ask your Administrator. You may not be able to change the options anyway. If your company is using MEI (Management Engine Interface), you don't have a choice.

In any case, you may get bad marks if you disable the updates for a work PC.

 

[AddRAM]

Agree 100% ...... Unless it`s your business, I wouldn`t think twice about it, it`s not your problem.

 

[danno2]

Thanks guys, it is my own business. I built the machine, and I don't want it phoning home without my permission.
At any rate, I came in this morning and it was not on! I was a little earlier than usual so the big test will be after the weekend, but I'm hoping addRAM's suggestion was the fix... I will let you all know next week! Thanks again!

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Probably not this,
But I had this issue before and it was Windows media center updating it guide,
It's set for I believe 12:am by default even if not used,
Cheers.
View attachment 312499

 

[badger906]

Do you have it plugged into a power adaptor with a built in RCD? my paint machine at work has this issue and its because the default position for an RCD breaker switch is "ON". if your area id rebound for micro power cuts (the type that last a second or 2) will cause the RCD to switch back to on over night.

also to eliminate a sticking momentary switch I.e the power switch unplug it from the mobo and see if the issue persists.

alsoooo while im waffling on. I power resistor on the mother board thats not letting go of its charge could trigger a random power on.. its unlickely but its not impossible.

 

[danno2]

Bad news, came in this morning and it was powered up again. Thrashzone, how do I find that page to change those settings??? I've looked in the the Media player and can't find those options... edit (my bad you said Media Center) It isn't even set up yet...

 

[ThrashZone]

Open Windows Media Center,
Go to Settings, once you open wmc you'll most likely have to use your Up arrow key to get to Settings,

Then the General section, (Not Pictures as this image suggests)

Then you'll see all of the sections you need to look at,
Auto download would be the first then Startup and windows behavior,
You can use these settings if you wish too,

Startup and windows behavior,

Also look at the Optimization section to disable that feature.

 

[dsperber]

This same problem was posted here by another member and I read the other thread responses, but no answer was discovered. I am having the same issue the system boots on its own every night. I have done all the scheduled task checks and disabled everything I could find, but it still turns itself on nightly.
I have checked the BIOS to no avail can't find anything there either. Looking for help. Thanks in advance!

If you put the machine to SLEEP when you go home, then it WILL be capable of getting awakened by scheduled tasks, including (as has been mentioned) Windows Media Center nightly GUIDE updates. But this requires that you've configured and activated WMC and are actually using it for TV, where the GUIDE updates are required and normally performed each night at around 3AM.

There are also other standard Windows functions and services (e.g. defrag, Windows updates and auto-restart, etc.) which also are automatically scheduled as part of a new "retail" Windows install, and must be configured by you to disable them or configure them to your liking. Again, when the machine is in SLEEP mode these types of services can wake the machine up.

Same with other software products (e.g. anti-virus), which also may do daily periodic updates, and might be configured and able to bring the machine out of SLEEP state.

So, you might try NOT putting the machine into SLEEP state when you go home for the night. Instead you might try using HIBERNATE (requires enabling in Windows, as it is not enabled by default). Then put it into that state when you go home for the night. In HIBERNATE state it is much less likely or impossible to awake from without your manual push of the POWER button on the case, or a button or mouse-click or keyboard-touch (if your BIOS can wake the machine that way) the next morning.

Or... just SHUT DOWN. Now it absolutely cannot be automatically powered up except by you, manually doing what you need to.

I don't think the BIOS of the machine can do an auto-power-on and self-initiate the boot process, but check you motherboard's manual to see if it is the BIOS itself which is currently awakening your machine from whatever "soft-OFF" state you are placing it in when you go home for the night.

 

[AddRAM]

Bad news, came in this morning and it was powered up again. Thrashzone, how do I find that page to change those settings??? I've looked in the the Media player and can't find those options... edit (my bad you said Media Center) It isn't even set up yet...

So why not do as I mentioned in post #2 ???

 

[MrWhoopee]

Or... just SHUT DOWN. Now it absolutely cannot be automatically powered up except by you, manually doing what you need to.

I don't think the BIOS of the machine can do an auto-power-on and self-initiate the boot process, but check you motherboard's manual to see if it is the BIOS itself which is currently awakening your machine from whatever "soft-OFF" state you are placing it in when you go home for the night.

On the contrary:

" Powered-down or turned off computers capable of Wake-on-LAN will contain network devices able to "listen" to incoming packets in low-power mode while the system is powered down. If a magic packet is received that is directed to the device's MAC address, the NIC signals the computer's power supply or motherboard to initiate system wake-up, much in the same way as pressing the power button would do."

 

[dsperber]

" Powered-down or turned off computers capable of Wake-on-LAN will contain network devices able to "listen" to incoming packets in low-power mode while the system is powered down. If a magic packet is received that is directed to the device's MAC address, the NIC signals the computer's power supply or motherboard to initiate system wake-up, much in the same way as pressing the power button would do."

You're right. I stand corrected.

It's just that in my experience the default BIOS settings to enable this are DISABLED. You'd really want to have such a situation available, and then explicitly ENABLE the switch in the BIOS, to facilitate this. Clearly this will vary by board and manufacturer, but my experience with ASUS has always been this way. And having no such need for this ability I've never turned the feature on.

Obviously it can't hurt to double-check the BIOS to see if there is such capability, and if it is ENABLED or DISABLED. But my own hunch is that this is a very very low probability possibility.

And even then, there would have to be a magic packet sent from somewhere (seems unlikely to be within the LAN), reaching the PC by getting through the router's firewall which also takes a very conscious setup. You need to WANT to wake up the PC this way, and take very explicit actions to enable it. You'd clearly remember doing it, if you had.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi all,
I never setup wmc and the settings were activated,
This bugged me for a while
Easy to verify,
Cheers.

 

[Ranger4]

I would suggest you do what AddRam has suggested in Post#2 & turn off the power outlet at the wall as well. If the power to the computer is turned off it cannot start.

 

[UsernameIssues]

In your first post, you stated:
"disabled everything I could find, but it still turns itself on nightly"
Does this mean that you turned the computer off before leaving work?
Or do you just let the computer go to sleep after a period of inactivity?
If you let it go to sleep, then maybe the info below will help.
If you turn it off, I'm not sure if the commands below will report anything useful.

According to this website...
Powercfg Command-Line Options
...this command:

powercfg -lastwake

...might tell you:

Reports information about the event that woke the computer from the last sleep transition.

I realize that you have already look into wake on lan, but this command...

powercfg -devicequery wake_armed

...might still be worth running.

You might also look around in BIOS for settings that wake the computer. I have several computers at the office that are set to turn themselves on each night or after power has been restored. Some retail motherboards do not have BIOS settings that support such power on options.

 

[danno2]

The Media Center isn't even set up yet, would those settings still be active in Windows itself?
P.S. the "mcupdate" disabling didn't work either it was on again when I came in this morning...

 

[dsperber]

What are your "Windows Updates" settings?