You lot swear that you turned off your Windows computer when you left, but when you sit down in front of your PC again information technology's powered on. How tin can that be? So, one twenty-four hour period you catch the computer red-handed turning on without whatever human being intervention.

Why is this happening? Can you cease information technology? If your computer seems to randomly turn on there are multiple possibilities behind this chilling behavior.

Something Touched the Keyboard or Mouse

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

This is a handy feature for anyone who doesn't take like shooting fish in a barrel access to the buttons on their PC, but it tin too result in unwanted ability-on behavior.

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

A Scheduled Chore Is Responsible

Windows ten has a robust task scheduler which you tin utilise to automate a diverseness of tasks to relieve you fourth dimension and try. For example, y'all can schedule a fill-in every night while you're asleep.

Task Scheduler tin can as well execute its jobs on a calculator that'southward been put to sleep. If yous don't want this to happen you can really disable wake timers with ease.

  1. Get to Ability Options nether Control Console > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Modify Programme Settings.
  1. Next, select Modify advanced ability settings.
  1. Look for the Slumber entry and select the small plus sign to its left to expand information technology.
  2. Now, expand Permit 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 cyberspace via an Ethernet cable, it might be powered upwards thanks to a feature known every bit "Wake on LAN". This can crusade the computer to turn on by itself. You lot can commonly 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, correct-click on information technology and select Properties.
  1. Under the Power Direction tab, uncheck Allow this device to wake the computer.
  1. Select OK.

If you accept multiple network adapters you may need to repeat the procedure for each one.

Your Estimator Turns On By Itself After Power Outages

When a computer loses power it volition either stay off or reboot itself. This is beliefs which you can ready, normally as a setting in the computer BIOS. If your figurer is in Slumber Style and the power goes out, it might translate that equally a situation where it needs to boot upward once more equally presently equally the power comes on.

If y'all live in a office of the earth where at that place tend to exist curt cuts in power or large dips in the electricity supply, then that might be what's causing the reckoner to turn on each time. So consult your motherboard's manual on how to set the computer'southward behavior after a power loss.

Disable Automated Restarts

Windows has a characteristic known as Automatic Restarting. Like the BIOS setting discussed above, this tells Windows what to do in the consequence of a system failure. If that failure happens while the calculator is in slumber mode, it might explicate why your computer seems to take "turned on" by itself while you were away.

Turning this characteristic off is easy:

  1. Open the Command Panel.
  2. So open System and Security > System.
  3. Scroll downwards and select Advanced organisation settings.
  1. Go to the Advanced tab.
  2. Under Startup and Recovery, select Settings.
  1. Nether System failure, uncheck Automatically restart.
  1. Select OK.

Now your calculator should stay off should a system failure cause information technology to ability downwards.

Bank check Your Arrangement for Malware

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

Hardware Problems

While there are plenty of sophisticated reasons your computer may be booting upwards sometimes it'southward something more simple than that. If you have a desktop computer, you might desire to open it upward and double check that very component and cablevision is properly inserted. In that location should exist no frayed wiring or any visible damage anywhere.

Information technology may be worth having a power surge protector between your computer and the wall outlet likewise, nosotros've heard stories of unruly mains power causing foreign behavior with computer power states, although oasis't seen them kickoff hand. It can't hurt, since a surge protector is a adept investment either mode.

Some motherboards accept backup power and reset buttons on the motherboard itself. These are there to make demote-testing earlier chassis installation easier. While you're looking effectually the guts of your computer and information technology happens to have such buttons, make sure zero could potentially be pressing against them

Rare and Random Causes

There are many reasons why a computer might plow itself on or wake from sleep and the ones we've listed higher up are some of the more than common ones. Notwithstanding, sometimes the issue is caused past rare or just plain weird issues.

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

Information technology's also possible that your computer isn't shutting down or going to sleep in the get-go place. Sometimes in that location's an errant plan or hardware driver that causes an abort and returns the computer back to the desktop. In which case you should brand sure your drivers are up to date and stick around to make sure your figurer 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 estimator on while you're away, every bit one example.

You Have Ghosts

If the reason your computer keeps turning on by itself isn't any of the common problems 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 lot tin can effort phoning your local Ghostbusters to run into if they accept whatsoever advice.

In all seriousness, having an unpredictable computer isn't fun for anyone, so hopefully your figurer will now stay off until you lot decide to turn it on again. If your mysterious power problems persist despite your all-time efforts, taking it to a professional may be your side by side best footstep.