# PC starts up on it's own - Won't stay turned off



## DogmaDogma (Jun 13, 2010)

I have a Dell desktop that used to run XP. Since getting a new hard drive and installing Win7, I've had this problem: PC won't stay turned off. Every time I shut it down it turns off normally (goes completely dark, fans off, etc), but then after about 3 minutes it comes to life again on its own and starts back up. 

I do not think this is a BIOS setting issue, as the BIOS hasn't changed and it didn't do this in XP. I don't think it's a wake-on LAN issue, as it does it even when I power my router off. I've checked the various sleep settings in Windows, but everything is set to 'on' or 'off', no sleeping or hibernating. Effect is the same regardless of whether I shut down from the Start menu, or whether I do it from the login screen after a restart. And yes, I really am choosing "Shut Down", not "Restart" or any of the other options.

Any idea why my PC seems to be possessed?


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## 1ginman1 (Sep 2, 2009)

Open a command prompt and type the following without the quotes, "shutdown -r".


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## steve.hick (May 26, 2010)

Change the setting in power options, go to start/control
panel/performance and maintenence/ power options button at the bottom, and
make sure power scheme buttons are all set to never
To access performance and maintenence, make you the control panel is not in
classic veiw


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

Run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor --> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx

You may need BIOS update if its from XP-era.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.


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## al_v (Jun 15, 2010)

Check if your computer Wake-On-LAN enabled - http://wakeonlan.me/kb/tech/wakeonlan.php


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## DogmaDogma (Jun 13, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions. Here is what I learned:

@1ginman1: I tried shutdown -r and instead of waiting 3 minutes before restarting, my PC restarted immediately.

@steve.hick: Monitor is set to shut off after 10 minutes, everything else is set to Never.

@jcgriff2: I updated the BIOS to the latest version on your suggestion. Initially I thought the problem was solved, but after a few more tests I'm back to not being able to stay shutdown. I ran the Windows upgrade advisor before installing Win7 and had no red flags other than a few pieces of software that have since been upgraded. My current "windows experience grade" or whatever it's called is 6.8.

@al_v: I'll have to check Wake on LAN again tonight, as I did not do so after updating the BIOS yesterday. I will also double check the LAN card settings. I'll report back.


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## i MaRk i (Dec 29, 2009)

type "shutdown.exe -s -t 5" at the start menu. Does it stay off?


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## DogmaDogma (Jun 13, 2010)

OK, the problem appears to be solved for now. I turned off wake-on-LAN in the BIOS, and the PC stayed off all night. I have mixed feelings about this, as I may want to use WOL at some point and apparently won't be able to. I'm also not sure why it worked correctly when I had XP installed, but not with Win7 installed. I'm still unsure how WOL was starting the PC, even when the router/switch was powered off so there was no LAN traffic. :4-dontkno 

At least now I can shut down though. :smile:

Thank you all for the help!


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## gman7104 (Jan 18, 2010)

lol I had this same problem with my Dell Inspiron Desktop running Vista. I would put it on hibernate and it would randomly turn on at night, like ***. I might try doing what you did to fix it when i get it fixed.


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

"So, many months ago, when I was using windows xp home 32bit and was at college, I was having problems with internet, so a tech guy came and did some stuff... something like tcp/ip repair and upgrading to service pack three (this probably isn't the problem... I'm just mentioning it in case it is). Sometime after that, after shutting down my computer it would randomly start itself back up. Not a problem, I would just unplug it before it turned back on.

So I just recently reformatted, and then did a clean install of 7 ultimate 64bit. Now my computer never turns off. I click shut down, and it just "restarts"."

Hey, I started this thread, so I can post here and you can delete that one if you want or whatever you like to do. I'm sorry I completely missed this one somehow.

I've tried everything in this thread - neither of the shutdown commands did anything, upgrade advisor said I was good, I didn't have the same paths but I tried to turn everything to never, but all it had was stuff like "when to turn off monitor", etc. I also tried WOL, all to no avail.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, after a shutdown, go to start, all programs, accessories and right click on command prompt select "run as administrator" at the prompt type:-


```
powercfg lastwake  press enter
```
This will tell us what is starting the computer.


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

Here is the attachment.

In case you need to know this, the USB devices I have hooked up right now are: a logitech mic, logitech mouse, and microsoft keyboard.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, this problem is reported as being caused by the logitech mouse, either lose it or go to start and type devmgmt.msc locate your USB devices and right click on each select uninstall then reboot computer. Windows will reinstall all USB devices and you should be OK. If not, as I said lose the Logitech mouse..


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

Uninstalling didnt work, clicking properties and unchecking "allow this to wake up computer" didn't work, and then uninstalling everything to do with my logitech mouse and removing it completely and then uninstalling all under the usb devices and then hooking up a new, unrelated USB mouse didn't work.

Sigh.


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

Assuming the drivers are still uninstalled repeat the command above so we can see what is waking it this time.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, this is difficult to remotely analysis the powercfg command should enable you to sort this, open command prompt as administrator and type :-

powercfg /? this will give you the options, with the lastwake info you can run:-

-DEVICEDISABLEWAKE <devicename> disable the device from waking the system


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

Sorry I haven't replied, I was on vacation.

Well, I ran the command again, this time making sure everything was perfect. It now says that nothing woke the computer up. I think before, it said my mouse because it was asleep and I generally use my mouse to wake the computer from hibernate or sleep.


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

Dont know what the red folder means, but bump.


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

Have you investigated the BIOS for any settings that could be a possible cause?


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## wilsonang (Jul 11, 2010)

So its that problem...met it myself,a few years ago.
I wrote a script to prevent it from ever happening again.
It still works.
==========================================================

"If your attack is going too well, you're walking into an ambush."
-Infantry Journal

==========================================================


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## DT Roberts (Jun 22, 2009)

wilsonang said:


> So its that problem...met it myself,a few years ago.
> I wrote a script to prevent it from ever happening again.
> It still works.
> ==========================================================
> ...


That's a quote from *Call of Duty*...

Regardless, when it "restarts", does it go through the BIOS screen or does it boot directly into Windows? If you see the BIOS screen beforehand then it's not related; operating systems don't have access to the low-level system software such as the BIOS.


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

reventon said:


> Have you investigated the BIOS for any settings that could be a possible cause?


I disabled all of these awhile back, and it didn't seem to do anything.

PME event wake up
modem ring on
usb resume from suspend
power on by alarm
power on by mouse/keyboard



> Regardless, when it "restarts", does it go through the BIOS screen or does it boot directly into Windows? If you see the BIOS screen beforehand then it's not related; operating systems don't have access to the low-level system software such as the BIOS.


Goes directly to windows. It also seems to, as soon as my desktop pops up, have everything already loaded, as if it was coming out of sleep or hibernate or something.


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## DT Roberts (Jun 22, 2009)

That's exactly what I was thinking - hibernate. That I can _almost_ understand. When you '"shutdown", do you go *Start*>*Shut Down* or press the power button? 

Windows still can't power itself on, but it may be able to come out of sleep or hibernation. I'll look into it.

EDIT: I'd also like to see some system events. Please follow the instructions here: http://cid-120d9bfa03f629fd.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!120D9BFA03F629FD!184.entry

We'll only need you to run task 2.


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

Yes, I go to start, then shut down. I also tried pressing the power button, but it did the same thing.

Support attached.


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## DT Roberts (Jun 22, 2009)

I swear, this is the weirdest problem I've seen...

System events show a normal system shutdown, followed by a normal system startup. Note that the events are going in chronological order, newest being on top.

```
Event[898]:
  Log Name: System
  Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-General
  Date: 2010-07-10T12:51:06.702
  Event ID: 12
  Task: N/A
  Level: Information
  Opcode: Info
  Keyword: N/A
  User: S-1-5-18
  User Name: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
  Computer: Bees-PC
  Description: 
The operating system started at system time ?2010?-?07?-?10T17:51:06.375200000Z.

Event[899]:
  Log Name: System
  Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-General
  Date: 2010-07-10T01:18:01.096
  Event ID: 13
  Task: N/A
  Level: Information
  Opcode: Info
  Keyword: N/A
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: Bees-PC
  Description: 
The operating system is shutting down at system time ?2010?-?07?-?10T06:18:01.096600000Z.
```
The hardest thing to understand is that it's not going into hibernate at all according to Windows, it believes that it's shutting down. However, I did find this - only once, though.

```
Event[676]:
  Log Name: Application
  Source: Microsoft-Windows-WMI
  Date: 2010-06-23T23:58:41.000
  Event ID: 5611
  Task: N/A
  Level: Information
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: Bees-PC
  Description: 
The Windows Management Instrumentation service has detected an inconsistent system shutdown.
```
There are also many application hangs while the computer is starting up, but I really don't see anything that could be causing this. If all of your programs stay up, it's not shutting down. But if it's not shutting down, Windows should recognize it to be doing whatever it is.

Next time you "turn it off", unplug the power after Windows completely shuts down and plug it back in. If it starts back up on own, it has nothing to do with Windows, more like a motherboard or power issue. Also let us know if all of your programs and such from your last use open up again.


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

Okay, holding the power button for a force shut off works, but you know, thats bad so i don't really want to do that. Unplugging and replugging keeps it shut off. 

You mentioned my motherboard. I've had unsolvable problems in the past that I personally chalked up to a faulty motherboard since i tested everything else (well, except PSU, but mobo makes more sense to me) and it was all fine, so this problem could also correlate. 

This is my board, if it helps any.


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## DT Roberts (Jun 22, 2009)

Progress! I have NO idea what I'm saying FYI, this is all just speculation as I've never seen this problem.

When you "normally" shut down Windows, all power leaves the computer piece by piece and systematically. When you cut the power, though, the computer immediately loses power to all of its components. What I think is happening is that a component of your computer - most likely either the motherboard or the power supply - is keeping enough of a charge to turn itself back on sporadically. 

I'll look into it more, just thought I'd share my thoughts.


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

That sounds plausible. Before my computer never turned off, it would, if left plugged in, sporadically turn itself back on, always randomly. It could've been immediate or it could've been six hours later.

Maybe... it is haunted.


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## DT Roberts (Jun 22, 2009)

todothis said:


> Maybe... it is haunted.


That seems like the best explanation thusfar... Also, be sure to try another power source just in case it's the power outlet itself that's causing the computer to turn on.


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## todothis (Aug 26, 2008)

Tried a different source and a different short protector. Same ole, same ole.


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