Windows 10/11 computer turns on by itself? We got the right fix for you

There is a specific Windows 10 issue that left many users confused. Most of them reported that after installing the latest updates, their computers started turning on by themselves for no reason.

Apparently, the Windows update triggers certain system changes that were not set as default before.

The changes that trigger this unusual PC behavior could be related to power management settings or certain features.

In order to help you fix this issue, we came up with this list of fixes.

Stop your PC from booting up by itself

  1. Use professional software for Windows optimization
  2. Attempt to turn off Fast Startup
  3. Turn off Wake Timers
  4. Change Startup and Recovery settings
  5. Restore to default power settings
  6. Turn off Automatic Maintenance
  7. Turn off Reboot Scheduled Task

1. Use professional software for Windows optimization

This issue can have more than one cause, so using reliable software that addresses various system errors is recommended.

Do you think manually repairing Windows bugs and errors is counterproductive? It opens up a lot of human error and oversight.

When your computer boots up for no apparent reason, it could be a registry problem or an update caught in a loop, and you may not be able to stop it manually.

This is only one of the many reasons why you should keep your registry clean and healthy, removing any obsolete, corrupted, or redundant entries.

That’s why we recommend utilizing a third-party app that can automatically analyze your device for corrupted or damaged files and then repair them to restore normal operation.

⇒ Get Restoro

2. Attempt to turn off Fast Startup

Some users reported this issue being caused by the Fast Startup feature.

Disable Fast Startup by following these steps:

  • Open Control Panel > select View by Large Icons
  • Select Power Options
  • Click Choose what the power button does in the left pane
  • Under the Define power buttons and turn on password protection section > select Change settings that are currently unavailable
  • Uncheck the box next to Turn on fast startup (recommended)
  • Click Save changes > restart your computer and see if it made any difference.

3. Turn off Wake Timers

Wake Timers are programmed events that wake the computer up at specific preset times.

Disable the Wake Timers by following these steps:

  • Open the Control Panel > select View by Large Icons
  • Select Power Options
  • Under the Choose or customize a power plan, select Balanced > click Change plan settings
  • Select Change advanced power settings
  • Expand the Sleep section > expand Allow wake timers > select to disable the Setting from the drop down menu
  • Click OK > restart your computer to see if it made any changes

4. Change Startup and Recovery settings

There is a feature that forces the computer to automatically restart upon system failure.

Disable this feature by following these steps:

  • Open the Control Panel > select View by Large Icons
  • Select System
  • Click Advanced system settings in the left pane
  • In the System Properties window, select the Advanced tab > under the Startup and Recovery section, click Settings
  • Under System failure, make sure to have the box next to Automatically restart unchecked
  • Click OK > restart your computer to see if it had any impact.

5. Restore to default power settings

Performing a default power settings restore should bring your system to the pre-update state.

Restore to the default settings by following these steps:

  • Type Command Prompt in the search box > right click Command Prompt > Run as administrator
  • Type powercfg –restoredefaultschemes in the Command Prompt and hit Enter
  • Close the Command Prompt > reboot the PC and see if it fixed the issue.

6. Turn off Automatic Maintenance

Automatic Maintenance is a tool that helps your computer stay in a healthy state by running security checks and virus scans.

Scheduled Automatic Maintenance could turn on your computer in order to perform the preset process.

Disable Automatic Maintenance by following these steps:

  • Open the Control Panel > select System and Security
  • Select Security and Maintenance
  • Expand the Maintenance section > select Change maintenance settings
  • Under Automatic Maintenance, make sure to have the box Run maintenance tasks dailyunchecked
  • Click OK > restart the computer and see if it fixed the issue.

7. Turn off Reboot Scheduled Task

There could also be a scheduled task set to reboot your computer and trigger this unexpected PC power up.

Disable this task by following these steps:

  • Press the Windows logo key + R on your keyboard > type Taskschd.msc in the Run box and hit Enter to open the Task Scheduler
  • Navigate to this location from the left pane: Library/Microsoft/Windwos/UpdateOrchestrator
  • Find the Reboot task and double click it
  • Open the Conditions tab > under the Power section, make sure to have the box next to Wake up computer to run this task unchecked > click OK
  • Right click Reboot > select Disable
  • Type Command Prompt in the search box > right click Command Prompt > Run as administrator
  • Type the following commands in the Command Prompt and hit Enter after each:

takeown /f C:WindowsSystem32TasksMicrosoftWindowsUpdateOrchestratorreboot

cacls C:WindowsSystem32TasksMicrosoftWindowsUpdateOrchestratorreboot /G Your_Username:F

  • Restart your computer and see if it fixed the issue

Eventually, if none of the above solutions worked, make sure to check that your hardware is functioning properly.

You can try unplugging your keyboard and mouse. Keep in mind that if your power button is stuck on your keyboard this may explain why your PC boots up on its own.

— Update: 07-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article Does Your Computer Randomly Turn On By Itself? from the website www.online-tech-tips.com for the keyword computer turns on by itself windows.

You swear that you turned off your Windows computer when you left, but when you sit down in front of your PC again it’s powered on. How can that be? Then, one day you catch the computer red-handed turning on without any human intervention. 

Why is this happening? Can you stop it? If your computer seems to randomly turn on there are multiple possibilities behind this spooky behavior.

Something Touched the Keyboard or Mouse

When your computer is in sleep mode, it’s not really off. Most people probably know that, but did you know that you can wake your computer from sleep by just using a mouse and keyboard?

This is a handy feature for anyone who doesn’t have easy access to the buttons on their PC, but it can also result in unwanted power-on behavior.

If you want to stop this from happening, check out Prevent a Mouse or USB Device from Waking Windows from Sleep Mode and finally put the problem to rest.

A Scheduled Task Is Responsible

Windows 10 has a robust task scheduler which you can use to automate a variety of tasks to save you time and effort. For example, you can schedule a backup every night while you’re asleep.

Task Scheduler can also execute its jobs on a computer that’s been put to sleep. If you don’t want this to happen you can actually disable wake timers with ease.

  1. Go to Power Options under Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Change Plan Settings.
  1. Next, select Change advanced power settings.
  1. Look for the Sleep entry and select the small plus sign to its left to expand it.
  2. Now, expand Allow wake timers.
  1. Under On battery (if applicable) and Plugged in, change the settings as desired.

Now your computer will only execute scheduled tasks when powered on.

The Network Woke Your Computer

If your computer is connected to the internet via an Ethernet cable, it might be powered up thanks to a feature known as “Wake on LAN”. This can cause the computer to turn on by itself. You can usually switch Wake on LAN off in the BIOS settings. However, if you aren’t comfortable with that:

  1. Open Device Manager
  2. Select the plus sign next to Network Adapters
  3. Choose the relevant Ethernet adapter, right-click on it and select Properties.
  1. Under the Power Management tab, uncheck Allow this device to wake the computer.
  1. Select OK.

If you have multiple network adapters you may need to repeat the process for each one.

Your Computer Turns On By Itself After Power Outages

When a computer loses power it will either stay off or reboot itself. This is behavior which you can set, usually as a setting in the computer BIOS. If your computer is in Sleep Mode and the power goes out, it might interpret that as a situation where it needs to boot up again as soon as the power comes on. 

If you live in a part of the world where there tend to be short cuts in power or big dips in the electricity supply, then that might be what’s causing the computer to turn on each time. So consult your motherboard’s manual on how to set the computer’s behavior after a power loss.

Disable Automatic Restarts

Windows has a feature known as Automatic Restarting. Like the BIOS setting discussed above, this tells Windows what to do in the event of a system failure. If that failure happens while the computer is in sleep mode, it might explain why your computer seems to have “turned on” by itself while you were away.

Turning this feature off is easy:

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Then open System and Security > System.
  3. Scroll down and select Advanced system settings.
  1. Go to the Advanced tab.
  2. Under Startup and Recovery, select Settings.
  1. Under System failure, uncheck Automatically restart.
  1. Select OK.

Now your computer should stay off should a system failure cause it to power down.

Check Your System for Malware

Rootkits, Trojans and other computer malware infections could be behind all sorts of weird computer behavior. While it’s not super-likely that your computer is turning itself on because a hacker is telling it to, it can’t hurt to do a nice thorough scan of your computer using high-quality anti-malware software.

Hardware Issues

While there are plenty of sophisticated reasons your computer may be booting up sometimes it’s something more simple than that. If you have a desktop computer, you might want to open it up and double check that very component and cable is properly inserted. There should be no frayed wiring or any visible damage anywhere.

It may be worth having a power surge protector between your computer and the wall outlet as well, we’ve heard stories of unruly mains power causing strange behavior with computer power states, although haven’t seen them first hand. It can’t hurt, since a surge protector is a good investment either way.

Some motherboards have backup power and reset buttons on the motherboard itself. These are there to make bench-testing before chassis installation easier. While you’re looking around the guts of your computer and it happens to have such buttons, make sure nothing could potentially be pressing against them

Rare and Random Causes

There are many reasons why a computer might turn itself on or wake from sleep and the ones we’ve listed above are some of the more common ones. However, sometimes the issue is caused by rare or just plain weird issues.

For example, it’s possible that there’s something wrong with the power button on your computer. Perhaps it’s worn down over the years and is making contact when it shouldn’t. 

It’s also possible that your computer isn’t shutting down or going to sleep in the first place. Sometimes there’s an errant program or hardware driver that causes an abort and returns the computer back to the desktop. In which case you should make sure your drivers are up to date and stick around to make sure your computer is actually completing the shutdown command you’ve given it.

Don’t rule out mundane causes either. Perhaps an animal or a child is switching the computer on while you’re away, as one example.

You Have Ghosts

If the reason your computer keeps turning on by itself isn’t any of the common issues detailed above, then we’re sorry to say that it’s probably ghosts. Sadly there are no software packages that can perform an exorcism, but you can try phoning your local Ghostbusters to see if they have any advice.

In all seriousness, having an unpredictable computer isn’t fun for anyone, so hopefully your computer will now stay off until you decide to turn it on again. If your mysterious power problems persist despite your best efforts, taking it to a professional may be your next best step.

— Update: 15-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article PC Turns On By Itself (Causes, Fixes) from the website www.thetechwire.com for the keyword computer turns on by itself windows.

Your computer may run into many power-related issues, such as the system not turning on or restarting by itself.

Among these issues, the computer turning on by itself may be a highly unlikely issue that seems weird and unsolvable.

The issue happens especially when you put the computer to sleep.

However, a wide range of factors can cause your computer to turn on without you being involved.

This article covers all these factors and how you can resolve them.

PC Turns On By Itself (Causes, Fixes)

1. Fast Startup

Fast startup is a built-in Windows feature that allows you to boot up your computer fast by putting the system in a powered-down state between hibernation and shutdown.

As a result, your computer isn’t completely shut off, and the Windows kernel is saved on the hard drive to speed up booting.

However, the fast startup feature can cause different issues for your computer, although it’s generally a harmless Windows feature.

Since the computer doesn’t truly shut down in the fast startup mode, you may run into issues like the PC turning on by itself.

How To Fix

If Fast Startup is causing your PC to turn on itself, the simple fix is to disable it.

Right-click the Start button and select Power Options.

You can also access it in the Control Panel if you can’t find it there.

On the right side, click the “Choose what the power buttons do” link and select “Change settings that are currently unavailable.”

Remove the checkmark next to Turn on fast startup (recommended) and save changes.

2. Scheduled Wake

Windows has a feature that automatically turns on the computer at a certain time every day.

This feature is perfect for those who use their PC for work and want it to turn on at a fixed time.

In addition, you can schedule a certain task, such as a Windows update, and get Windows to wake the system and get the task done.

It saves your time by hibernating the system when it’s idle and waking the system up when you schedule.

Whether you’ve enabled this feature intentionally or by accident, it may cause your PC to turn on by itself.

How To Fix

You can simply disable the scheduled wake-up feature and see if your issue goes away.

Here’s how to do it:

Under Preferred plans, click on Change plan settings in front of Balanced (recommended).

If you have a laptop, you’ll see two options for when the computer is on battery and when it’s plugged in.

Select Disabled for both options and click Ok to save changes.

Now, you can turn off your system to see if it turns on by itself.

A. Remove Scheduled Tasks

If you have already set scheduled tasks, try removing these tasks and see if it helps.

Type Task Scheduler in Cortana’s search box and press Enter.

Select the first result and then Task Scheduler Library.

Go to the Conditions tab and uncheck Wake computer to run this task.

You could also disable the task if you don’t need it by right-clicking the task and selecting Disable.

Alternatively, click on Properties and select Delete.

B. Scheduled Updates

Another scheduled task that can automatically turn on your computer is scheduled updates.

Scheduled updates set a specific time for Windows updates, and if your system is in the sleep or hibernation modes, it will wake up the computer to install the updates.

You can disable these scheduled updates and see if it solves your issue.

To do so, type Local group policy editor in the taskbar’s search box and press Enter.

Alternatively, you could open the Run box by pressing Windows and R keys and typing gpedit.msc.

In the new window that pops up, click on Computer Configuration to open the menu.

Here, you should expand different menus to get to Windows Updates.

Click Administrative Templates under Computer Configuration and select Windows Components.

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Here, you can scroll down to Windows Updates and select it.

In the right pane, you can see a list of options to enable or disable for Windows updates.

Scroll down to find Enabling Windows Update Power Management to wake up the system to install scheduled updates automatically.

Double-click this option to open a pop-up window and select Disabled.

Click Apply to save changes.

C. Third-Party Apps

While the task scheduler feature is a good Windows tool that helps users wake their computers at a specific time, some third-party apps do the same.

You may use these apps because they’re more straightforward and automate the wake-up schedule more easily.

If you use one of these apps, it may be the culprit turning on your computer by itself.

Uninstall the app and see if it helps.

3. Automatic Restart

Automatic restart is a Windows feature that helps the computer restart when it crashes or has a blue screen of death.

Suppose you have your computer on standby and the system crashes.

In that case, the system will automatically restart, and you think the system has turned on by itself.

How To Fix

You can fix this issue by disabling Automatic Restart.

Some experts suggest disabling this feature permanently to prevent the system from restarting when it crashes.

This way, you can see the error message that tells you what’s wrong with the system and what triggered the crash.

Here’s how to disable automatic restart:

Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.

In the Settings window, click on Advanced system settings on the right panel.

Go to the Advanced tab and click on Settings under Startup and Recovery.

In the new window, go to System failure and uncheck Automatically restart.

4. Automatic Maintenance

Windows built-in Automatic Maintenance is another feature that may lead your computer to start on its own.

This native Windows feature automatically takes care of optimizing your system and keeping it healthy.

It runs once a day to perform these maintenance tasks, including updates, defragmentation, or security scans.

This feature runs when your computer is on, but you don’t use it actively.

If it’s scheduled when your computer is off, you’ll miss optimization on that specific day.

As a result, some users schedule the maintenance routine at a specific time that they’re sure their computer is on.

If your computer is on Sleep, system maintenance will turn the computer on to optimize your system.

How To Fix

You can disable Automatic Maintenance to prevent the system from waking up by itself.

Here’s how to do it:

Expand the menu under Maintenance and go to Automatic Maintenance.

Select Change maintenance settings and uncheck Allow scheduled maintenance to wake up my computer at the scheduled time.

Click Ok to save changes.

5. Hardware That Can Wake Your Computer

When your computer is in sleep mode, you can use different hardware to wake it.

These devices include mice, keyboards, network and wireless adapters with the Wake on LAN feature, and the laptop’s touchpad.

If these devices are accidentally moved, your PC will turn on automatically.

How To Fix

You can disable the hardware and peripherals that can wake your PC and see if it helps with your issue.

At first, you need to see which devices can wake your computer via the command prompt.

Type “command prompt” in the taskbar’s search box and right-click the first result.

Select Run as administrator to open the command prompt window.

Type powercfg -devicequery wake_armed in the command line to see the list of hardware that can wake your PC.

You can also see which hardware last woke your PC to get a better idea of what to disable and what to keep.

Type the following command in the command line:

powercfg -lastwake

And press Enter.

After discovering which devices can be problematic, you can disable their ability to wake the PC via Device Manager.

Go to Device Manager by typing it in the search box and find the problematic device in the list.

For example, if it’s the mouse, expand the menu under Mice and other pointing devices and right-click your mouse.

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Select Properties and go to the Power Management tab.

Disable Allow this device to wake the computer by unchecking the box next to it.

You can repeat the same steps for all the devices and peripherals that can wake your computer.

A. Wake On LAN

If you need to wake your computer remotely for gaming or business, you may have enabled Wake on LAN for your network adaptors.

Many users have reported that the ethernet cable is behind this issue.

If you think the network adaptors are causing the PC to turn on accidentally, you can disable this feature, too.

You should also go to the Advanced tab, and under Property, select Wake on Magic Packet.

Expand the menu under Value, and select Disabled.

If you can’t disable it in the Device Manager, you can do it via the BIOS.

To enter the BIOS menu, restart your computer and press the manufacturer-specific key as the computer boots.

Once you enter the BIOS, go to the Power Management tab.

Depending on your system, you may need to find it under different menus, so you may need to dig deeper or search the internet for your specific brand.

The Wake on LAN option may also be differently phrased on different systems, so you may need to consult your user manual.

While you’re in the BIOS menu, you may also want to disable SATA Power Management.

It’s a feature that allows SATA-connected devices to come back to power from standby, but it can cause your computer to turn on by itself.

6. Hardware Issues

Your computer may turn on by itself not because of software that wakes it but because of purely hardware-related issues.

Different hardware components can cause this problem, but the most likely culprit is the power button.

Since it’s a piece of hardware used frequently, it may go faulty or get stuck, especially if the system is old.

How To Fix

At first, you should determine whether the power button is stuck or it’s faulty.

Inspect the power button physically to make sure it’s not stuck.

You may also want to clean it by running a toothpick around it to remove any dirt or debris built up around the button.

Use a damp microfiber cloth to clean it thoroughly.

After making sure the power button isn’t sticky, you need to ensure it’s working properly.

To do so, power off the computer and disconnect all the cables and peripherals.

Press and hold the power button for a few seconds to drain the remaining charge.

Disconnect the power switch from the motherboard and locate the two pins that the power button was plugged into.

Place a flathead screwdriver on these two pins and check and turn on the computer.

If it doesn’t, the power button may be faulty.

You may also want to test your power supply using the paperclip test.

You’ll need a paperclip bent into a U shape to perform the test.

Turn off the power supply unit by flipping the switch on the back of the case to 0.

Unplug the power supply unit from the motherboard and locate the green cable going into pin 16 on the 24-pin connector.

Connect the pins 16 and 17 by inserting each end of the paperclip into one pin.

Pin 16 has a green wire plugged into it, and pin 17 has a black wire.

Turn on the power supply unit by flipping its switch to position 1 and see if it turns on.

If it doesn’t turn on, the power supply unit has an issue, and you need to replace it.

Another power-related hardware you need to check is the power socket.

If the power socket or the surge protector is faulty, you may experience power surges that cause the computer to turn on or off by itself.

Plug your computer into another socket and see if the computer turns on by itself again.

If you don’t experience the issue, you should switch to another power outlet.

You may also want to inspect all the physical connections inside the case to ensure there are no frayed wires or weak connections.

Look for any visible damage or loose connections and ensure all the components are correctly plugged in.

If wires are touching each other or other components, they may cause power issues that turn on the computer by accident.

If your motherboard has a reset button, check it to ensure it’s not stuck or another component is pushing against it.

7. Other Issues

If none of the above solutions worked, try the following and see if it helps.

A. Virus And Malware Infection

If your computer is infected with a virus or other malware, you may experience different symptoms, including power issues.

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In extremely rare cases, hackers may have control of your system and force it to turn on.

It doesn’t hurt to run a full system scan to detect any vulnerabilities or threats that may have caused the issue.

You can use Windows built-in Defender if you don’t have a third-party anti-malware program.

B. Pending Updates

If your system isn’t up-to-date, you may experience issues for which you can’t find any specific causes.

Your Windows may have issues or bugs that Microsoft resolves through frequent updates.

You must ensure that your entire OS and other hardware drivers are updated.

You can make sure your Windows is updated via System Settings.

Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.

Click windows Updates and select check for updates.

If there are any new updates available, install them.

Make sure to check optional updates, too.

C. Run The Troubleshooter

If you can’t find any specific cause for your computer turning on by itself, you can rely on Windows built-in troubleshooter to detect it.

Open the Windows Settings app and click on Troubleshoot on the left pane.

Select Additional troubleshooters and scroll down to Power.

Click on it and select Run the troubleshooter.

If Windows finds any issues, it may suggest solutions, so follow the on-screen prompts to solve the problem.

D. Shutdown Issues

It may seem like an unlikely cause, but your computer may not have turned off in the first place.

If you use the power button to power off the computer, it may not shut down because of the above-mentioned power button issues.

You may want to wait until the computer shuts off completely if you use the Start button to turn it off.

A corrupt file or program may prevent the system from shutting down.

Stick around and check for any messages that indicate a program is preventing Windows from shutting down.

— Update: 15-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article Windows computer turns on by itself randomly from the website www.thewindowsclub.com for the keyword computer turns on by itself windows.

A computer turning on all by itself randomly can be very annoying. I have faced this situation multiple numbers of times, and I had to make sure to turn the switch off, so there is no chance of it turning on automatically. There could be multiple reasons why your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC turns itself on and wakes up from sleep, standby, or even when it’s shut down. Let’s have a look at all the possible factors, but before that, there is a way to find out what woke up your computer.

Find out what woke your computer

Open a command prompt with admin privileges, and type the following command, and hit Enter:

powercfg –lastwake

This will show you the last device which woke up your PC.  The second command is:

powercfg –devicequery wake_armed

This will show a list of all devices which can wake up your PC. The idea to run these commands is to understand the reason if it’s on the hardware level.

You can see from the list that there are three devices that can wake up my PC. You have the keyboard, mouse, and the Gigabit Network connection, i.e., Ethernet.

Windows 11/10 computer turns on by itself

If your Windows computer turns on by itself from Sleep at night or at any other time randomly, it can be a hardware or a software problem, and the resolution will depend on this. Here are a few suggestions that may help you.

  1. Disable Fast Startup
  2. Prevent Task Scheduler from waking up the PC
  3. Disable Automatic Restart
  4. Keyboard or Mouse Waking up your PC
  5. Wake on Lan
  6. Prevent Scheduled Windows Update & Automatic maintenance

Some of these will need admin permission.

1] Disable Fast Startup

Windows 10 comes with Fast Startup mode which doesn’t turn off your PC the usual way. Instead, it keeps it in a mixed state so when you turn on the PC again, it is much faster. According to a few experts on the form, this can be an issue, and the solution would be to disable Fast Startup.

2] Prevent Task Scheduler from waking up the PC

Sometimes it’s more of a software problem, than a hardware problem. It is possible that you are using a Scheduled Task to get some of your work done at a specific time of the day or multiple times of the day. So we need to get rid of them, and instead of deleting those tasks, we can change the Power settings of Windows to make sure it ignores those tasks when on Standby or Hybrid mode.

  1. Open Power Options > Click on Change Plan Settings.
  2. Make sure to select the right power plan, and then choose the option Change advanced Power settings.
  3. Look for the Sleep tree and expand it to find the option which says  Allow Wake Timers. Disable it.

This will make sure that none of those programs can wake up your PC when it’s in sleep mode or shutdown mode. This applies only to Laptops.

Read: What is a Wake source for Windows PC?

3] Disable Automatic Restart

Many a time the computer crashes, and the system restart itself. This is by design. If you have left your PC on standby, and this happens, the computer will restart, and if the problem repeats, this will keep waking your PC.

  • Type System on the Search bar.
  • When it appears, click to launch.
  • On the left, select Advanced system settings > Advanced tab
  • Click on Settings under Startup and Recovery.
  • Uncheck mark on Automatically Restart and click on OK.

4] Keyboard or Mouse Waking up your PC

The keyboard and mouse are some of the major culprits when it comes to waking up your PC. Maybe somebody just went by your PC, and slightly hit them, and your computer turns on. On my PC, I have set the keyboard to boot up my PC, and when my kid just pretends to be working on the keyboard, the computer comes alive.

These devices come with a power management option, and you can disable it to make sure they don’t wake up your PC unless you really want to wake them up.

Open Device Manager (Win+X and then hit M). This will list all the hardware on your PC. Select your mouse or the keyboard.

Apart from the mouse, and keyboard if you are using any gaming rig to play games on your PC, you need to disable power options for them as well. You can figure that out with the powercfg –lastwake command we shared above. You will need to do trial and error to figure out which device is waking the device.

Note: Make sure to have at least the keyboard or mouse to have the ability to wake up.  You don’t want to hit the Power button every time to wake your PC.

5] Wake on Lan

If your PC is connected to a network, Wake On Lan can also bring back your PC online. This feature comes in handy when a computer wants to communicate or send data or files to a network computer which should only come online when it is requested. Built into the hardware, i.e., network adapter, this could be one possible reason. If you check the screenshot where we ran the command, you will notice that we do have the ethernet adapter as one of the wake-up devices.

Open Device Manager (Win+X and then hit M). Under Network adapters, find the one that was listed above. Do not change anything with those listed as Miniport.

This will make sure no PC on the network can wake your PC. However, make sure to remember this in case you need it.

6] Prevent Scheduled Windows Update & Automatic maintenance

Depending on your active hours or a predefined schedule, it is possible that its the Windows Update that has restarted your PC to complete the update. Windows also has an in-built Automatic Maintenance mode which wakes up the PC at the set time and performs all the updates on your PC.

To change the time for Automatic maintenance, type Automatic maintenance in the search bar, and click on it. Here you can change the timing or just uncheck the box ‘Allow scheduled maintenance to wake up my computer at the scheduled time‘.

I hope all these help you solve the problems which had been waking up your Windows 11/10 PC all of a sudden.

A little more here:

  1. Windows computer wakes from sleep automatically
  2. Prevent Computer from waking up from Sleep.

Why is my PC turning on over a slight movement?

Some users put the PC in sleep mode and forget about it. When they come around it, and if accidentally a key is pressed, or the Bluetooth mouse moves a bit, the PC turns on. This is normal behavior, and we would not recommend disabling this feature; else you will have to press the Power button to turn it back on.

Why does my PC keep restarting?

If your PC keeps rebooting every time it comes back from sleep mode, then it’s a hardware issue. It can be because of a recent update that is not compatible with Windows. You will need to follow the linked guide to resolve it.

Can I leave my PC on sleep overnight?

Yes, you can but let’s not make it a habit. Sleep mode is useful when you need to keep a set of files open and come back the next day to resume quickly. However, once in a while, you need to restart the PC to clear off a few things stuck or when you need to update.

— Update: 19-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article Computer Turns On By Itself? Here’s How To Fix It from the website www.technewstoday.com for the keyword computer turns on by itself windows.

Your computer randomly turning on by itself can be a spooky experience, especially if you’ve never had it happen before. Haunted jokes aside, though, there are legitimate reasons for this.

If your computer turns on by itself at certain times, such as midnight or 11 AM, a scheduled update or similar task is likely waking up the PC. Because of hardware issues, users also face situations where the computer randomly shuts down and turns back on by itself.

In this article, we’ve detailed more reasons for this issue, as well as appropriate solutions for both Windows and Mac.

Why is My Computer Turning On By Itself?

How to Fix If Computer Turns on By Itself?

As the peripherals are the most common reason for this issue, figuring out which component is waking up your computer will be the best way to start troubleshooting.

Check What’s Waking Up Your PC

Generally, a malfunctioning USB Hub generates false input from the peripherals, which is why the computer turns on by itself. On the other hand, numerous users also reported that their pets pressed the mouse/keyboard, making the PC randomly power on at night. 

Regardless of the outlying cause, you can figure out the device that made the computer wake up using the powercfg utility. Here are the steps to do so:

  1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
  2. Use the powercfg –lastwake command to check which device last woke up your PC. Usually, your keyboard, mouse, or network adapter will be the culprit.
  3. Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
  4. Right-click the device from Step 2 here and select Properties > Power Management.
  5. Uncheck the Allow this device to wake the computer option.
  6. Additionally, you can also use the powercfg –devicequery wake_armed command to list all the devices which can currently wake up your PC and disable them in the same manner.
  7. With the network adapters, it’s also worth disabling all the Wake-on-LAN options from the Advanced tab.

Fix Hardware Issues

If your computer is randomly shutting down and turning on by itself, it’s most likely a hardware issue. Here’s what you can do in such cases:

  1. First things first, you should monitor your CPU temperature. If your system reaches 90 °C+, the CPU will either throttle performance or shut down the system to prevent damage to the components.
  2. If your PC is overheating, you should clean the components and, if necessary, take further steps to lower the CPU temperature.
  3. If the temperature isn’t an issue, you should turn your attention to the components. When booting your PC, check the POST indicator on the motherboard. If any component is faulty (usually the RAM), you can figure it out with POST.
  4. In case the RAM is the issue, reseating is often all that’s needed. It’s also worth trying different slots.
  5. Finally, if you suspect your PSU is causing the shutdowns, you can test the PSU with a multimeter.

Check BIOS Settings

In the section above, we detailed how various components can cause the system to crash and restart on its own. The auto-start after a shutdown happens because of a power loss related BIOS setting. Additionally, you’ll also want to check the Wake-On-LAN option, which allows someone to remotely power on your PC. Here’s how you can configure these:

  1. When booting, press the BIOS key (Fn keys or Del).
  2. Look for the Restore on AC/Power Loss, Power Status After Power Failure or a similar setting.
  3. Configure it so that your PC doesn’t automatically start up after receiving power.
  4. Disable the Wake on LAN setting as well.
  5. Press F10 to save the changes and exit.

This is quite niche, but some motherboards, such as the ones from ASRock, have a dehumidifier feature. When enabled, this feature allows your computer to power on automatically if the system needs to be dehumidified. As such, turning this feature off is likely to help.

Check Scheduled Tasks

Your PC likely has a bunch of maintenance and update-related tasks scheduled, causing your computer to turn on randomly. This isn’t limited to Windows updates either, as scheduled third-party program updates can also cause this. Here’s what you can do in such cases:

  1. Press Win + R, type powercfg.cpl, and press Enter.
  2. Select Edit plan settings > Change advanced power settings.
  3. Expand Sleep > Allow wake timers, select Disable or Important Wake Timers only, and press Ok.

If you’d like to deal with specific scheduled tasks instead, you can do so through the Task Scheduler. Here are the necessary steps:

  1. Press Win + R, type taskschd.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Click on Task Scheduler Library and check the list. If your PC routinely turns at 4 AM or something similar, look for a task scheduled around that time. Usually, this will be a scheduled update.
  3. You can run the task right now, disable it, delete it, or change its triggers and timing as you see fit.

Disable Auto Restart

Your system is likely set to auto restart in the event of system failure. This can cause your computer to be stuck in a crash and restart loop and make it seem like your computer is turning on by itself. Here’s how you can configure this setting:

  1. Press Win + R, type systempropertiesadvanced, and press Enter.
  2. In the Startup and Recovery section, click on Settings.
  3. In the System Failure section, uncheck the Automatically restart option and press OK.

How to Fix if Mac Turns On By Itself?

The hardware fixes discussed earlier are applicable to Macs as well. But aside from those, there are a few additional solutions unique to Mac.

Before we get into those, you should know that Macs models made after 2016 will power on by simply opening the lid or connecting the power adapter. Additionally, MacBook models introduced after 2018 turn on when you press the trackpad or any key on the keyboard.

Such behavior is intended by design. As they were not present in earlier models where you needed to press the power button, users often misinterpret them as the computer turning on by itself.

Check Scheduled Tasks

Macs have a scheduling feature that allows you to set a wake-up time. Here’s how you can check it out:

  1. Click on the Apple Menu and select System Preferences > Energy Saver > Schedule.
  2. Either change the wake-up time or disable this setting entirely and press Apply.

Disable Wake for Network Access

If you’re sharing resources such as your system’s printer, other users accessing said resources can cause your Mac to wake up. Here’s how you can disable this feature:

  1. On Desktops, go to Energy Saver and uncheck the Wake for network access option.
  2. On Notebooks, go to System Preferences > Battery > Power Adapter and disable the option from here. 

Disable Enhanced Notifications

MacBook models introduced after 2015 can get woken up by notifications such as messages or FaceTime photos or calls. You can disable most such notifications by using Do Not Disturb mode. Here are the steps to do so:

  1. Click on the Apple Menu and go to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus > Focus.
  2. Toggle on the Do Not Disturb option here.
  3. If you want to manage notification settings for individual apps and alerts, you can do so by switching back to the notifications tab.

Disable Bluetooth Devices

Your Mac can also get woken up because of the connected Bluetooth devices. If you suspect this is the issue, you can prevent them from waking up the Mac with the following steps:

  1. Go to System Preferences > Bluetooth.
  2. Click on Advanced and disable the Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer option.

Reset the SMC

The System Management Controller (SMC) controls various hardware functions on your Mac. Resetting the SMC is worth trying if nothing else has helped. The steps for this will vary on MacBooks and desktops.

On Desktops, first, disconnect the power cable. Hold the power button for 30 seconds, plug the power cable back in, and turn on the Mac.

On MacBooks, there are a few more steps:

  1. Power off the MacBook, but keep the adapter attached.
  2. Hold down the Shift + Control + Option keys. 
  3. Power on the MacBook and keep holding the keys for about 30 seconds.
  4. The SMC will reset, and the Mac will boot as usual afterward.

— Update: 25-03-2023 — us.suanoncolosence.com found an additional article [FIXED] Why Does My Windows 10 Computer Turn on by Itself from the website www.drivereasy.com for the keyword computer turns on by itself windows.

It’s 3 AM, and you were sleeping safe and sound. A light flashed in your room, jolting you out of your slumber. You were surprised to see your computer light up, but you swear to God that you shut it down before you went to bed.

It can be really annoying (and sometimes scary) to see your computer turn on by itself. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
The easiest way to stop your computer from turning on by itself is to unplug your PC or take off your laptop battery. Except for this, the article provides other methods to easily fix the problem.

Before you start, let’s do a self-check.

Use Command Prompt to diagnose your PC

You can use Command Prompt to check what woke your computer. By following the below steps, you can know what device can wake up your PC and help you determine whether the problem is caused by hardware or software.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R key at the same time to invoke the Run box.
  2. Type “cmd” in the search box and press Shift+Ctrl+Enter together to open Command Prompt in the administrator mode.
    Note: Do NOT click OK or just press the Enter key as that won’t allow you to open Command Prompt in the administrator mode.
  3. Type “powercfg –lastwake” and press Enter. This will show you the last device which woke up your PC.
    Type “powercfg –devicequery wake_armed” and press Enter. This will show you the list of devices that can wake up your PC.

If you see the device that last wakes up the PC, that could be the reason for the PC’s self-boot. You can use Method 3 to solve it.
If the problem isn’t on the hardware level, there are still a few things to try.

Try Fixes below

  1. Disable Fast Startup
  2. Change system settings
  3. Disable hardware wake up settings in the Device Manager
  4. Disable scheduled tasks
  5. Disable automatic maintenance

Method 1: Disable Fast Startup

Fast Startup is a default setting in Windows10. By saving the operating system state to a hibernate option, it can help your PC boot up faster to save time. But it could be the reason for the computer turns on by itself. Disable Fast Startup mode to solve this issue.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R key at the same time to invoke the Run box.
  2. Type “control panel” in the search box and press Enter.
  3. Set Control Panel view by Large icons and click Power Options.
  4. Click Choose what the power buttons do.
  5. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable. Then you’re able to uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended). Click Save changes.
  6. Back to the Power Options window. Click Change plan settings.
  7. Click Change advanced power settings.
  8. In the pop-up window, click Sleep > Allow wake timers > Disable. Then click OK.

Your PC should not turn on by itself again. If it does, try the next solution.

Method 2: Change system settings

In the System settings, there’s a default option that will automatically restart your PC in case of system failure. This could be the reason why the PC turns on by itself. So, turning off the automatic restart option can solve it.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R key at the same time to invoke the Run box.
  2. Type “systempropertiesadvanced” in the search box and press Enter.
  3. Click Settings under Startup and Recovery section.
  4. Uncheck Automatically restart under System failure and then click OK.
  5. Click Apply then click OK in the System Properties window to finish setting.
    The problem should be fixed.

Method 3: Disable hardware wake up settings in Device Manager

In the “Use Command Prompt to diagnose your PC” paragraph, you see the list of devices that can wake up your PC after diagnosing. You can go to the Device Manager to disable these devices.
In the below content, we’ll take the keyboard as an example.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time to invoke the Run box.
  2. Type “devmgmt.msc” in the search box and click OK.
  3. Click Keyboards and right-click on the device name. Click Properties.
  4. In the Power Management tab, uncheck Allow this device to wake the computer.

Repeat the above steps to disable all your devices on the diagnosed list.
It is possible that you may see the network connection in the diagnosed list. The way to disable it is the same as the above steps.

Click Network adapters in Device Manager. Then find the network connection and open its properties to change Power Management setting.

Your PC should not wake up by itself again.

Method 4: Disable scheduled tasks

The Task Scheduler enables you to automatically get some of your work done at a specific time of the day or multiple time of the day. To complete its job, it has to wake the system up and perform routine tasks. So your computer could be turning on by itself because of your previous scheduled tasks.
Follow the steps below to disable scheduled tasks.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R key at the same time to invoke the Run box.
  2. Type “taskschd.msc” in the search box and press Enter.
  3. Check your Task Scheduler Library. If you see the task that will run every morning at 3 AM something like that, you can disable it, delete it or change its Conditions.
  4. Right-click on the task, click Disable/Delete to end it. There will be one more step if you click Properties.
  5. In the Conditions tab, uncheck Wake the computer to run this task. Then click OK.

Your PC should not wake up by itself again.

Method 5: Disable automatic maintenance

Windows has in-built Automatic Maintenance to keep your PC updated. But it may lead your PC to turn it on by itself in order to finish updating.
So, disable automatic maintenance to prevent your computer from waking up by itself.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R key at the same time to invoke the Run box.
  2. Type “control panel” in the search box and press Enter.
  3. Set Control Panel view by Category and click System and Security.
  4. Click Security and Maintenance.
  5. Click Maintenance and then click Change maintenance settings.
  6. Uncheck the box says Allow scheduled maintenance to wake up my computer at the scheduled time. Then click OK.

Your PC should not wake up by itself again.

We hope the above methods can help. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to comment below.

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Source: https://windowsreport.com/computer-turns-on-by-itself/

Article post on: us.suanoncolosence.com

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