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I have recently upgraded two PCs to Windows 10. Both computers do use "hibernate" extensively. Both are set up in a way so that keyboard, mouse and ethernet commands are not waking the PC. Unfortunately, both PCs have startet to wake up in the night and stay awake for hours on end. This is totally annoying and costs a lot in terms of energy, so I'm investigating why this happens. Powerconfig often fails to show any reason, but most often updates seem to be the culprit. Is there any way to force the PCs to stay shut down in the night? Unplugging is not really an option, since one of them is a laptop.

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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Both PCs have started to wake up in the night

You need to check two things:

  1. Automatic Maintenance settings.

  2. Scheduled Tasks.

Automatic Maintenance

Windows performs Automatic Maintenance at a set time (usually in the middle of the night).

Note:

  • By default, Automatic Maintenance is set to wake up your computer and run maintenance tasks at 2 AM.

  • You must be an Administrator to change the Automatic Maintenance settings.

  • See below for instructions on how change the time.

This includes tasks such as software updates, Windows Updates, security scanning, and system diagnostics. This maintenance will run daily if you aren't using your computer at the time you've chosen. If your computer is in use at the scheduled time or maintenance is behind schedule, Automatic Maintenance will run the next time the computer is not being used.

Scheduled Tasks

There may also be other Scheduled Tasks that will wake your PC. To check these:

  1. Run the Task Scheduler.

  2. Click on "Task Scheduler Library".

  3. Check if there any tasks scheduled to run during the night.

How to Change Automatic Maintenance Settings in Windows 10

  1. Open the "Control Panel" (icons view),

  2. Click the "Security and Maintenance" icon.

  3. In "Security and Maintenance", expand "Maintenance"

  4. Click on the "Change maintenance" settings link under "Automatic Maintenance".

    enter image description here

  5. Select the time that you would like to have Automatic Maintenance run daily at.

  6. Allow (check) or not allow (uncheck) "Allow scheduled maintenance to wake up my computer at the scheduled time".

  7. Click "OK".

    enter image description here

  8. If prompted by UAC, then click "OK".

  9. Close "Security and Maintenance".

Source How to Change Automatic Maintenance Settings in Windows 10

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  • Thank you, but that setting was already unchecked :(
    – Christian Sauer
    Commented Sep 19, 2015 at 7:45
  • @ChristianSauer Run the Task Scheduler, click on Task Scheduler Library and see if there any other tasks scheduled to run during the night.
    – DavidPostill ♦
    Commented Sep 19, 2015 at 7:53
  • Thanks for the pointer from my question. In my case, the checkbox was already unchecked and maintenance is scheduled to run at 2 a.m. and yet ran at 4 p.m. instead. I changed the time to see if this is just a setting mismatch, but if not, I'll be back at square one (with no scheduled tasks that are allowed to wake the machine up according to their settings).
    – Adam Lear ♦
    Commented Sep 22, 2015 at 23:51
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Check within Control Panel on your Installed Programs list in Add/Remove Programs if you have by any chance "Intel SmartConnect" installed. It's an application/program intended to periodically wake up computers to connect to internet and synchronize e-mail and stuff.

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  • Thank you, but that program is not installed :)
    – Christian Sauer
    Commented Sep 19, 2015 at 17:51

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