Machine keeps waking up throughout the day

[ParryJM]

My neighbor (husband & wife) each have the same HP laptop.  The wife's computer is constantly waking up each time it goes to sleep, even when nobody is at the computer.  The husband's laptop goes to sleep and stays asleep.  From what I can tell , both laptops are configured the same and use the same software.

The Wake Timer is enabled because a backup software utilizes this Wake Timer to ensure the computer is awake in order to do a backup.  This backup software runs the same time every night.

The power option is configured when plugged in to turn off the display after 15 minutes and sleep after 20 minutes.  The only hardware devices configured to wake up the computer are the mouse & keyboad.  The network cards are not configured to wake up the computer.  There are no jobs scheduled to run.

When we run the powercfg -lastwake as soon as the laptop wakes up, it indicates svchost.exe (wuauserv), which is the Windows Update Service, was the service that woke up the computer.

The Windows Update is confgured to run every night at 3:00 AM to check for updates, so why would this be running repeatedly around the clock and waking up this sleeping laptop.  Is it possible some Windows files got corrupted?  If so, is there a simple way to resolve this issue?

[Mrstenter]

Hi @ParryJM,

Thank you for visiting the HP Forums! A great place where you can find solutions for your issues with help from the community!

I came across your post about the Notebook, and wanted to assist you! Thank so much for the very detailed explanation of what is happening and what you have noticed, very very helpful.

I have looked into your issue about your HP Pavilion g6t-2000 CTO Notebook and the Notebook keeps waking up throughout the day. You are correct to assume this is an issues with Windows updates. I would first try to click the Windows icon, type services in the Search box, and then click or tap View Local Services. Scroll down to the Windows Installer. Startup type should be - Automatic, and Service Status should be - started. Restart the computer.

You could  try using the Windows Update Troubleshooting tool to fix any updates that have not come through for Windows.  Please restart the Notebook twice to make sure all update have been completed!

Please let me know how this goes.

Thanks.

[ParryJM]

Mrstenter,

I followed your instructions regarding the local services. Startup type was "Automatic"  and Service Status was blank.  I changed status to "Started" and restarted the computer.  Problem still exists.  2 "Important" WIndows updates did get applied successfully befoe I rebooted. The laptop went to sleep and woke up by itself numerous times during the afternoon yesterday.

When I looked at the Windows Update History, it did show some "Optional" updates that had failed.  Not sure whey the optional updates were tried.  I thought these only got applied if one selected these updates to be installed.

I checked the Scheduled Tasks.  There were around 8 of them and none had the option checked to wake up the computer.

Will try your next suggestion "Try using the Windows Update Troubleshooting tool to fix any updates that have not come through for Windows.  Restart the Notebook twice to make sure all update have been completed" later today.  Will let you know how that turns out.

[ParryJM]

Mrstenter,

Ran the Windows Update Troubleshooting tool to fix any updates that have not come through for Windows. 

The results...

• Windows Update error 0x80070057 (2015-10-07-T-01_03_47P)     Not Fixed

                       RootCause: RC_DataStore

                       Collected File: CheckSURlog.cab

• Service registration is missing or corrupt                                                      Fixed
• Problems installing recent updates                                                                 Fixed
• Problems installing recent updates                                                                 Fixed

Ran Windows Updates -  said there were no new important updates.  There are 11 "optional" updates, which we have not selected to download to install.

Restarted Notebook twice to make sure all update have been completed!  Checked for updates - said there were none.

Problem still persists  - laptop would  sleep then wake up throughout the afternoon while nobody is using the laptop.

[Mrstenter]

Hey @ParryJM,

You could try resetting the power plan options to defaults. This way you can change what allows the Notebook to wake. I think the options for the 11 optional are the issue.

Click Change plan settings , and then select Change Advanced Power Settings .
Figure 6: Advanced Power Settings

You might want to run the Power troubleshooter to fix problems in Windows 7 or Vista.

Here is a link to Microsoft on this issue. The only other thing you could try is to disable or change the Windows updates.

Hope something here helps.:smileyhappy:

Thanks.

[ParryJM]

Mrstenter,

I reset the power plan options to the default. The good news is that the laptop stayed asleep. However, one option of interest is the “Allow Wake Timers”. This got changed from “Enabled” to “Disabled”. This had been enabled because one of their scheduled backup programs requires this option to be enabled. As a result of this option being disabled, the scheduled 12:00 AM backup did not run. We need this option enabled in order for the scheduled backup to run. “Allow Wake Timers” seems to be the source of the problem, but don’t know why.

Windows Update is scheduled to run at 3:00 AM every morning. Yesterday morning it said the last time Windows Update checked for updates was 9:35 AM. Not sure why it was 9:35 AM and not 3:00 AM. Around this same time my neighbor manually ran the backup that was scheduled to run at 12:00 AM. Don’t know if by doing this she caused Windows Update to also run? Will check again later this morning.

Regarding Windows Updates, I selected the 11 optional and 1 important updates to download and install. After the install and restarting the computer, 1 of 12 updates failed. The failed update (April 2007) pertains to an external monitor – “Samsung – Display – SyncMaster 2232BW/2232GW,SyncMaster Magic CX2232GW(Analog)”. The error Code 80246001. In looking at the Windows Update History, this update has continued to fail. Have not yet pursued the reason for this failure.

I ran the Windows Update again to see if there were any new updates and there were several more “Important” updates, so I download, installed and restarted Windows. Several of these failed, of which 1 was “Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3075226)”. Error code was 80070308.

Do you think these failed Windows Updates has anything to do with my issue of the laptop continuously waking up from sleep? I will continue using the default power options (Allow Wake Timers disabled) to continue collecting information. I will also try to resolve why these particular Windows Updates are failing.

I welcome any other thoughts as to why this laptop keeps waking up when the “Allow Wake Timers” is enabled.

[Mrstenter]

Hey @ParryJM,

Thanks for all the information you provided. Did you check to see that in your services the Windows Installer is on Automatic and the service has started?

Windows 7: sfc /scannnow on the command link as it will do a complete System File Check. (please note that there is a space between sfc and /scannow.

Here is something from Microsoft that might help.

Thanks.

[ParryJM]

Mrstenter,

I know I checked once after starting the Windows Installer after I got it started and restarting Windows and it was still Automatic and Running.  However, I have not checked it since.  Did setting the power options back to default setting turn this back off?  I will check on Wednesday when I am back over at my neighbor's house.

Is running the Windows 7 SFC command and the "something" from Microsoft related to my laptop waking up issue or are these pertaining to the two error codes (80246001 & 80070308) associated with failed Windows Updates?

Do you think these failing updates are related to my original issue or are a result of going back to default power options or by Windows Update not running?  When I last looked the Windows Update checked for updates, it was @ 1:41 PM, and that was because I initiated a Windows Update check at that time.  I was expecting the next day to see a Windows Update check time stamp of 3:00 AM, but it still said 1:41 PM.

[Mrstenter]

Hey @ParryJM,

Honestly it could be either. I just know sometimes my Notebook does not work correctly if the updates are not done.

Thanks.