Standby Hell - Version Two

[mxcrowe]

Ever since the now-famous BIOS fix for the "resume from S3 standby" problem, my system has been absolutely fine. Until recently...
A few days ago, I noticed that it is spontaneously waking from standby every two hours for 2 minutes. I suspected some MCE issues, but have found no specific culprit in the task scheduler. While in (S3) standby, the system will spontaneously wake up every two hours and then put itself back to sleep after a couple of minutes. The system event logs show the system waking up exactly 2 hours after I put it into standby. It posts a resource publication, a couple of TCPIP events, then says the system has resumed from sleep. Then there is a User PNP event, a Browser event, another resource publication event, then it shows the system entering sleep mode again. The whole thing takes exactly 2 minutes (to the second). Two hours later, it does the same thing (as long as I didn't wake it up manually in that interval).
I cannot find anything in the task scheduler that allows the system to be woken up. And I certainly DO NOT want the system to wake up from standby unless I press the keyboard!
Does anyone know how I can track down whatever is causing this to happen???

[ed1]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Media Center guide updating the TV schedule? Anti-virus update check? Firewall update check? Java update check? Adobe update check? IE/Outlook/Firefox/Thunderbird program or addons update checks? Windows Defender checks? Anti-spyware update check? Email check?

Just throwing out ideas. . . .I don't know if any of these are listed in the Task Scheduler or not.

[svcglobal]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Check the Power Management tab in the Device Manager's Realtek Network Adapter if it is able to wake up the computer.

[mxcrowe]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Yeah, I tried all that. Nothing in task scheduler appears to have the ability to wake the system. And all auto-wake capabilities are disabled in BIOS, except keyboard. Checked everything in the device mangler and no wake-up abilities are enabled. There must be some way to trace the activity of an app that forces a wake up state?? I guess I could start disabling programs and see if I can make it stop. I don't even use MCE, so that damn thing better not be the culprit.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Yes, I was about to suggest maybe something in the network is scanning the system every two hours. Anything such as above mentioned can wake the board as well

Wake by LAN disabled in the BIOS?

[mxcrowe]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

I've checked BIOS settings a few times...nothing is enabled to allow waking except the keyboard.

[ed1]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

I think the Vista built-in HDD defragmenter tool has an automatic scheduler setting that perhaps has not been disabled. I don't know if it could wake a sleeping computer though.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Ya, there is quite a few things that could bring it out of standby software wise. Not sure what all those would be out of Vista's actual apps though. Screensaver for sure can, but I am not sure what else could. Being as it happens every 2 hours exactly I would think it is something software wise or within the network. I dont think a BIOS error would cause it to be so exact

[mxcrowe]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

But is there at least some way to track what brings it out of sleep? I've searched through the event logs, but what I see in the system logs doesn't tell me what is causing it, just shows that it is happening.

[svcglobal]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Check with Windows Defender, Tools, Software Explorer. There you will see every program running during startup and in fore/background.
Disable one by one, for sure you will be able to find the culprit.

[mxcrowe]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Yes, that was my next strategy...
Then I found this: The computer may unexpectedly resume from standby or hibernation and then automatically return to standby or hibernation after two minutes
Just the right sequence of words in a new Google search and this comes up.
Seems like my symptoms, so I tried the workaround. I don't know what might be sending out "magic packets" every 2 hours...my router? My ISP?
In any case, I'm going to try it.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Hmm, you could disable your connection when you plan to leave your system, that should help. If you can, disconnect your actual LAN Cable, and then put the system to sleep. If it does not wake up on it's own then you know it is network related

Have you ran this command to see if it give you any insight, it may or may not, but it should tell you wake history and source >>>

Windows key + R, then CMD >>>

powercfg -lastwake

Also run this one to see what "Should" be able to wake you system, not always the case though >>>

powercfg -devicequery wake_armed

You may also want to check your Network adapters properties, power tab in device manger and set them to not be able to wake the system (Disable Wake on LAN)

Maybe some further help here >>>
The Green Button - Vista keeps waking up. Why?

I do see many places to also disable the USB Root Hub in device manger from being able to Wake on LAN, so be sure to disable it as well.

Ohh, found you someone else mentioning this "Magic Packet" and they said it fixed it for them >>>
My PCs wake up by themselves from standby or hibernation! - Page 2 - Vista Help

And I found a VERY Nice write up on Vista Sleep options, Hopefully this will all help you get to the root of the issue. I think the first thing I mentioned should let you know though if it is LAN related or not >>>
Power Options and Sleep Mode Problems - Vista Forums

[mxcrowe]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Good work, L. I'll try it with the workaround from MS tonight and see if it has woken up during the night. Will report tomorrow.
-MXC

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Good luck, Hope some of what I found gets you somewhere!

[mxcrowe]

Re: Standby Hell - Version Two

Well...no luck. The system still came on after I used MS's workaround on the network adapter wake settings. I used the "powercfg -lastwake" command, which gives me:
Wake History Count - 1
Wake History [0]
Wake Source Count - 0
Type: Fixed Feature
Timer Expired (RTC)

Fixed feature, I assume, is ACPI Fixed Feature. I'll have to look into this. RTC is real time clock. So not sure what this is telling me. In the System event log, every auto wake event logged by the power-troubleshooter says "Wake Source: RTC".

I read through all those sites you listed, but I'm pretty certain I've tried everything they suggest. Last night, I unplugged the LAN cable, and it still comes on every 2 hours. It must be some software issue. But I have gone through every single item in the task scheduler and looked at the settings and history for each listing. None of them are allowed to wake the computer, and none of the histories match my wake up times.
There is one piece of software that I installed relatively recently that makes me suspicious...it's MS's Mobile Device Center and Sync Center (used to be known as ActiveSync). It's really handy for syncing Outlook to my smartphone, but this s/w has historically been one of the worst I've ever used. The same install gave me some problems on my HP notebook, and HP had me update the BIOS and disable the ACPI Fixed Feature, if I recall correctly. Maybe there is a connection?

Here is the event log: 10:40PM on 10/16 is when I put the computer to sleep manually and and 7:53AM on 10/17 is when I woke it up via the keyboard. All the events in between are auto-wake.