How to stop Windows 10 from suspending a particular application (RStudio)

Question

First off, I wasn't sure if this was a question better suited to Super User or one of the other communities like Cross Validated, so please let me know if this is in the wrong place.

I'm having an issue where while I am actively using RStudio, Windows 10 suspends the Rstudio App process and RStudio freezes.

This shows up in Task Manager with the new little green leaf symbol as seen here. The leaf icon shows up in Task Manager next to Apps/Background processes that have at least one sub-process that is suspended, which you can see when you expand the list on the process tab of Task Manager OR if you look at the blue/ 'Status: Suspended' processes in Resource Monitor.

I've looked for info on whether other people are having the same issue specifically with RStudio and didn't find anything useful. I also searched for general information on how to tell Windows 10 not to suspend a particular app.

• Most people seem to search for info on these suspended processes because they aren't able to kill a process once suspended. However, I'm not having any issues killing the process once its suspended, simply trying to avoid it being suspended in the first place.

• Other general info I've found says that Windows suspends processes like Cortana, reminders, etc. that run in the background or are pre-launched, to save battery and/or resources. However, I am actively using RStudio when this happens so I'd really like to find a way to create an exception or exclude RStudio from apps that can be suspended this way.

Software Info: I am using RStudio (Version 1.1.453 / R version 3.5.0 (2018-04-23) -- "Joy in Playing") with the 'enhanced R distribution from Microsoft (Microsoft R Open 3.5.0, CRAN mirror snapshot taken on 2018-06-01) on Windows 10 (Version 10.0.17134 Build 17134).

A few more details:

• This happens inconsistently, but it's usually when I run multiple code chunks in an RMarkdown file in RStudio. RStudio simply freezes and must be restarted. Specifically, it is the 'App' process (rstudio.exe) listed under RStudio in Task Manager that is suspended when it happens.

• There is no apparent way to un-suspend a process in Task Manager, but in Resource Monitor you can right click on a suspended process and 'Resume Process'. When I tried this RStudio did unfreeze but I am unable to save or do anything else (I get an error saying 'Unable to establish connection with R Session') until I restart RStudio.

Answer 1

Not sure if this helps anyone with similar issues, but I've had similar issues with other software (Qt and Java), and after reading a lot of advices to disable anti-virus software (I don't have any), found the culprit. In my case it was Acronis Active Protection. Not exactly an anti-virus, but something very similar. I usually turn it off right after installing Acronis, but either didn't do it this one time, or it turned back on after an update. After disabling it, processes no longer get suspended. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Settings>Privacy>Background_Apps

Set master slider to OFF.

This worked for me. In my case the settings app itself was freezing within seconds of logging in, so I had to work fast. Infuriating to put it mildly. I see people have been encountering similar problems for the last 5 years...