Computer Turning Itself On - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: SuperShermanTanker
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 07:31:53 pm
content: So my PC turns itself on and yes you heard me right it turns itself on and I already narrowed it down to only having the motherboard and my Corsiar CX750M power supply hooked up with only the CPU and a single stick of RAM in on the old motherboard and it still turned itself on then I RMAd the motherboard and it was fine until I started to overclock my CPU and now it turns itself back on again. Now the motherboard is brand new and it did work fine without self powering on for a few months until I tried overclocking the CPU and now I'm wondering if it's just my power supply since it isn't the highest quality one and probably might not like the voltages from the overclock. Now my electrical in my house the electrical cables in the wall are so old they are made of aluminum and the house is wired so badly that if you do something like turn on the microwave the lights flicker a bit so I'm thinking it's just the fact of bad electrical in my house messing with the machine making it turn itself on this time and not the motherboard. I bought a new 80+ Platinum rated PSU from Seasonic (it's a Seasonic Platinum Series 750watt PSU) and according to what I have heard Seasonic is a very very good quality brand so I'm hoping that fixes it. I'm really curious why it even does that too and if bad electrical from the wall can cause that with certian hardware configurations since I have 2 other PCs using EVGA branded power supplies. One PC has a EVGA 500watt 80+ efficiency unit and that machine has a FX6300 and a GTX 950. The other PC is a ITX PC and has a i5 4590 and a R7 370. And I have no issues with those machines and they are only plugged into power strips. Also those 2 machines aren't overclocked and consume under 350 watts total from the wall compared to the PC that is having the self powering on issue that pulls over 350 watts and has a overclocked CPU.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 07:36:27 pm
content: Do you mean it literally turns itself on or does it just wake from sleep mode?Modern systems can be woken up by some of their external peripherals, for example a network port or a USB port.Also I came across a system once that would wake up at 3am because it had a "check for Windows updates every day at 3am" setting enabled.

author: SuperShermanTanker
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 07:39:30 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on January 22, 2017, 07:36:27 pmMy computer literally turns itself on randomly from a fully off state after hitting the shut down button in windows

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 07:58:25 pm
content: It can be anything. My wife's laptop turned itself back on at 3:00 in the morning to install updates. I discovered that by accident because I had to reinstall the whole damn thing and in one dialog it showed it wanted to install updates at 3:00 by default. The PSU is also a good suspect. Try to switch on fluorescent lights (or something else which sparks) near the computer.

author: SuperShermanTanker
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 08:01:29 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 22, 2017, 07:58:25 pmI'm going to install the new power supply to see if that fixes it and I just want to say the machine is not turning on from a sleep state it's turning on from a fully shut off state before the UEFI off so windows has nothing to do with it since windows isn't even loaded in the completely off state that my machine turns on from

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 08:11:02 pm
content: My wife's laptop did the same. It somehow started from the power-off state. I guess Windows can somehow program a wake-up event in the system's realtime clock.

author: Twoflower
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 08:20:14 pm
content: Assuming you're using Windows: If it happens again: Start up a cmd window and type:Code:powercfg -lastwakeThis will show you what was the last event triggered the PC to start. Maybe that helps. Usually events: Mouse-movement, LAN traffic, scheduled events (I think MS did something on Win10 that caused this).<edit>If you suspect that the mains grid is wonky and causing your PC to wake up you can probably configure your PC to stay off in case of power loss. That's somewhere in the BIOS/UEFI. I think that's very unlikely with the huge primary cap in the PSU, except your power loss is in the range of seconds. But it may help if for some reason the 5V stand-by voltage of the PSU is faulty.But I would not assume the PSU as root cause.<end edit>

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 09:47:40 pm
content: Try to get a good UPS. They clean the power and get rid of major dips and irregularities.

author: Don Hills
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 10:06:58 pm
content: As has been said above, most ATX motherboards can be programmed to power on from many triggers. Common ones are:- "Wake On LAN", when an Ethernet port receives a special control frame.- "Wake on Ring", when a serial port connected modem receives an incoming call- "Wake on alarm", where the system clock alarm can be set to power on at a given time.- "Wake on keyboard/mouse event", where a key press (usually a specified key) or mouse click will power on.

author: fable
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 10:45:14 pm
content: Bad power button, maybe?

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 11:22:41 pm
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on January 22, 2017, 10:03:35 pmUse Server 2016 if you have an MSDN or Imagine account. It's Windows 10 with no forced updates, no crappy alternate windows applications, thing (What Edge runs on).Speakng of Edge, just to go on a tangent. What a stupid name for a browser, all it makes me think of is the slow as balls 2G EDGE network.But if it's cold turkey turning on, I doubt it's windows.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 11:24:52 pm
content: By "turns itself on" do you mean it does it randomly, a fixed period after you turn it off, or every day at around the same time? If it's random, I suspect defective/inadequate pullup/pulldown on the pin that connects to the power button, meaning a slight charge can build up and trigger it.

author: joseph nicholas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 11:51:05 pm
content: Check to see if PXE is enabled in the bios. You could have someone turning your computer remotely.

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2017, 12:14:15 am
content: I've seen some BIOS that have a power-on setting - timed against the motherboard RT clock.Might be worth looking for.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 23, 2017, 12:24:00 am
content: Quote from: joseph nicholas on January 22, 2017, 11:51:05 pmPXE is for network booting and has no effect on power. The option you want to look for is "Wake on LAN" (or WoL) in your CMOS set up (probably under "Integrated Peripherals"). Not all network cards support it so the option may not appear at all. That said, unless you have another machine on the network which you've configured to send a "Magic Packet", that's not going to be the cause of your problem. NICs don't wake machines up just based off random traffic, it needs a specific packet of data to do it. Unless you're using something like TeamViewer to remotely manage your system, you probably don't need WoL anyway.Other things I would check: As someone else has pointed out, usepowercfg -lastwakeat the command prompt. That might give you a clue as to what caused the power-on.Also check the "last state" or "after power failure" setting in your CMOS set up (most likely under power options). Check that it's set to "remain off" otherwise, if your AC power fails, it will switch the machine on when power is restored. While you're in there, make sure any other "wake" settings are off (some USB devices can cause the machine to power on).Make sure there is nothing in the Task Scheduler that may trigger the machine to wake up (it'll be underStart > Programs > Accessories > System) or just run the taskschd.msc console.If you're running Windows 8 or newer, Windows might be switching your machine on to perform "maintenance". Check that setting inControl Panel > System and Security > Action Center > Maintenanceand look for the "Change Maintenance Settings" option.

author: joseph nicholas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2017, 10:16:26 am
content: Using the PXE option it is possible to turn on the power from one computer to another, load an os, and operate the remote computer. Others have suggested this is not possibe, they are wrong.

author: Wirehead
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2017, 10:27:55 am
content: Quote from: joseph nicholas on January 23, 2017, 10:16:26 amPXE is the booting standard. WoL (a "magic packet") is what turns them on.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2017, 11:28:48 am
content: If overclocking triggered it to start occurring on your original motherboard and then on the replacement i would suspect your cmos settings may have got a little corrupted at some point. Maybe due to a too aggressive overclock crash.I would force a full clear cmos using the jumper and then see if the problem continues.You may want to take some photos of the current settings first, just in case you cant get your current OS to boot after the clear due to some setting changing.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2017, 02:38:29 pm
content: Quote from: Psi on January 23, 2017, 11:28:48 amSomething funny, I actually have a Socket 3 board that doesn't even have a clear CMOS jumper. It doesn't have a socketed battery either. There are three unpopulated through holes in the board, with a jumper running across 2 (If it was a jumper it would be normal operation). To clear CMOS you have to short that jumper with the other pin.A stopgap measure is whenever the machine is off, use the power switch at the back sorta like an old AT supply. That way, no power to the board, no power to power on with.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 23, 2017, 03:08:52 pm
content: I'd be checking for anything that might be bridging the 'power on' control circuit. From dust and dirt contamination to dead bugs or foreign (conductive) objects. This could be anywhere from the front panel switch to inside the PSU.

author: suicidaleggroll
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2017, 04:24:28 pm
content: Windows 10? It doesn't shut down, when you tell it to shut down it just hibernates, and will turn itself back on to install updates or similar.There is some kind of "fast boot" option you can turn off that causes it to ACTUALLY shut down when you tell it to shut down, that might stop this nonsense.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 01:29:19 pm
content: What? None of my Windows 10 machines fail to actually turn off everything when I select the shut down option. That's 3 desktops and a laptop. They go as off as they always did with any previous version of Windows, that is the 5V SB is still live from the power supply but the main rails are turned off. The computer isn't in some hibernation mode with memory retained, it's OFF.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 04:59:14 pm
content: Quote from: rrinker on January 24, 2017, 01:29:19 pmYes, actually, it is hibernating. You should really look up what that means: Hibernation powers the computer off, AFTER retaining memory state in non-volatile storage.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 02:28:16 am
content: No, it is not hibernating, it is not in some oddball saved system state mode - I'd know if there was a 16GB hibernation file on any of my machines (they all have 16GB RAM). I know all about hibernation, it absolutely sucked in XP and really I had nothing but problems with laptops all the way up and it was always the first thing I turned off. Particularly important with relatively small early SSDs, 16GB (or 12GB in newer versions) was a significant chunk of the drive space. Disable hibernation, free up disk space. It's pointless with an SSD anyway.I can keep my computer running and not reboot for weeks. But when using hibernation, it goes tits up in a matter of days, somewhere in that "save all the information to a file" and "restore all that stuff to memory and cpu" it must get a bit out of whack somewhere. This was always on a laptop, I never saw the point on a desktop. But if I let it hibernate and close the lid, odds are something will crash when I start using it again. If I shut it down, it always runs for as long as I need it on startup. And since it only takes a second to boot with the SSD, I'm not concerned.powercfg /a on my machine returns in every option that hibernate is not enabled. My machine is NOT hibernating when I power it off.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 02:34:04 am
content: Quote from: rrinker on January 25, 2017, 02:28:16 amSo you've disabled hibernation. Okay, good for you. Last I checked, Windows 10 enables it by default and uses it instead of shutting down. Your post suggested you were not aware of this - now I realise you weren't aware in an entirely different way.ps. used hibernate on a variety of platforms for years, never been a big issue, still valuable even with SSDs, perhaps your software needs rewriting to fail less.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 02:21:56 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on January 25, 2017, 02:34:04 amActually, no, hibernating sucks. It leaves massive files on my drive, doesn't delete them, and only occasionally pisses itself and dies.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 02:29:22 pm
content: I've seen the same happen with Windows 7. After a shutdown (not hybernation!) it restarts the PC at a certain time to install updates and then shuts down again.

author: suicidaleggroll
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 02:54:57 pm
content: Quote from: rrinker on January 25, 2017, 02:28:16 amOk, but you're not the one who started this thread complaining that his computer is turning on by itself, so you turning off hibernation on your computer is pretty irrelevant to the thread.OP - check the fastboot setting on your computer (if you're running Win 10, maybe Win 8 as well). "Fastboot" basically means "when I tell you to shut down, hibernate instead". It doesn't say that, but that's what it does. It causes ALL KINDS of problems for people, and it's on by default.

author: SuperShermanTanker
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2017, 04:01:03 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on January 25, 2017, 02:34:04 amDisabling the machine going into sleep mode when I hit the power button and actually have the button do what it's supposed to do and turn the machine off is the first thing I do on ANY computer I own. I reset the bios back to the one I had saved in the second bios chip on the board (gotta love dual bios boards). Also I installed the new PSU which is a 80+ Platinum rated PSU and I heard how good the componentry is in the Seasonic PSUs so I installed that to help with filtering out the junky electrical in my house. Now the only problem is I accidently bent a pin then snapped it off when trying to unbend the pin in the USB 3.0 header on the board and now one of my front USB ports don't work... Just my luck...

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2017, 05:03:51 pm
content: Probably keyboard. I know, hear me out. There was this PC which was randomly shutting itself off, and it turned out to be the keyboard. Apparently, these keys were the ones to blaim:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_management_keysBad keyboard controller sending wrong commands, turning on or off the PC.I have also a good story, when a not properly inserted displayport cable was causing BSOD.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2017, 05:04:37 pm
content: Quote from: SuperShermanTanker on January 27, 2017, 04:01:03 pmWhich has absolutely nothing to do with what we were saying.

author: SuperShermanTanker
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2017, 06:46:05 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on January 27, 2017, 05:04:37 pmOk then I misunderstood what you guys ment by hibernation but the PC was turning on from a full shut off I never really put the PC into sleep or hibernation mode and I did the fix with the new PSU and bios reset and it hasn't turned itself on yet

author: suicidaleggroll
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2017, 07:20:51 pm
content: Quote from: SuperShermanTanker on January 27, 2017, 06:46:05 pmWe're not talking about choosing to go to sleep or hibernation, changing what pushing the power button does, etc. There is a specific option in new versions of Windows called "fast startup". When this is selected, which it is by default, the computer does not shut down when you tell it to shut down, it does some wacky hybrid shutdown/hibernation instead.There are MANY MANY reports online about computers waking themselves up from this mode to install updates or similar, and then not shutting themselves back down when finished, meaning people "shut down" their computer and then come back a few hours/days later and it's running for no apparent reason. It also is the cause of NUMEROUS problems regarding bugs and irregular behavior not clearing up after shutting down like normal. Since the computer never actually shuts down, problems can persist for days/weeks/months, even though you THINK you're shutting the computer off and clearing everything out.

author: SuperShermanTanker
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2017, 08:30:59 pm
content: Quote from: suicidaleggroll on January 27, 2017, 07:20:51 pmThanks for explaining I'll take a look and make sure it's disabled because I'm not a fan of my PC turning itself on to do updates because that is just plain creepy