Ghost in the machine?

Hi Windows XP user

I use my computer at various times of the day and although I leave it switched on at the mains I never leave it on standby.

But I shut it down in the normal way by first clicking the Start Button at bottom left of the screen.

Then clicking Turn off Computer then clicking TURN OFF as opposed to Standby or Re-Start.

My Computer then Shuts down and Turns itself OFF.

So far so good!

Then on the Stroke of Midnight my Computer turns itself on and then boots up!

This is not a joke or a wind up, it actually happens every night on the Stroke of 12pm

I don't so much want to stop it for reasons I will explain a bit later on but I would like to know if there is a logical explanation for this strange phenomina.

This may or may not have anything to do with the above but could someone please explain what Computer Hibernation is all about and what it does as I have never been sure what it means.

When my Computer boots itself up at Midnight every night, it is kind of unsettling and scary, has anyone ever come across anything like this before?

Many Thanks

John

If your machine is indeed OFF, and it starts on its own at midnight, there is something in the bios instructing it to start. Look for "Wake on ..." settings, usually associated with LAN's, Modems, etc.

(From: Where can I Hibernate? - WorldStart Computer Tips and Computer Help )
Hibernate shuts down your computer after saving everything in memory to your hard disk. When you bring your computer out of hibernation, all programs and documents that were open are restored to your desktop. This also helps conserve laptop batteries.

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Location: Alberta, CanadaD-A-L Hardware Scan

Hi and Thank you for your reply but as I'm a bit of a newbie I am not sure where I look for the 'Wake on Settings'

I am guessing that when I start up I would hold down the delete key to take me into the bios but am not sure what to do or where to look for the wake on settings.

Please could you help point me in the right direction.

Many Thanks

John

This article > bios < should assist you in navigating around the bios.

Basically, just use your ARROW keys to move around, then use the ENTER key to enter or open your high-lighted choice. The keys to be used for navigation and changes are in every bios screen, usually in a lower corner of the screen. Hunt around each screen and sub-screen for "Wake on ..." settings. They may be in a sub-section under a major section such as PERIPHERALS.

__________________
It's a good day when you learn something
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Location: Alberta, CanadaD-A-L Hardware Scan

Hi Thank you for replying

I will have a look at the bios settings and then come back and tell you what I have found.

Many Thanks

John