How do I prevent the Windows 10 "Maintenance Activator" from waking my PC randomly (even after disabling wake timers)?

Windows 10 wakes randomly after putting it to sleep.

I have tried all proposed solutions from this old question: I have added a disable flag for the automatic maintenance in the registry, disabled the Media Center update scheduled task, disabled "wake on x" on my network adapter, disallowed scheduled maintenance tasks to wake in Security and Maintenance, and disallowed wake timers in the Power Options.

The Event Viewer lists Wake Source: Unknown for all random wake events.

After querying for wake timers I get:

I'm assuming this is the culprit. How do I disable it?

EDIT: This problem subsided after all the steps above, but now reoccurs for me again (presumably due to an update). I've just done the following steps that might help: First, Open the "Task Scheduler" and go into the tree as follows: Microsoft\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator\Reboot. Rightclick -> Properties -> Conditions -> Uncheck "Wake the computer to run this task". Second, change registry entry hkey_local_machine\software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon\PowerdownAfterShutdown to 1.

Wuschelbeutel Kartoffelhuhn

Posted 2016-10-04T06:44:45.803

Reputation: 1 240

Without giving the Windows version (Win 10, ver 1703, etc.) answers that list how to find a setting are well intentioned but often unhelpful, because MS keeps changing their location, even eliminates them. – Bilateral – 2018-01-28T07:32:21.680

Answers

The first step is to deactivate Wake Timers in your power saving profile. To do this, go to PowerOptions > Advanced Settings > Sleep > Allow Wake Timers > Setting: Disabled.

Next go to Control Panel > System and Security > Security and Maintenance > expand Maintenance section > click on Change maintenance settings. Uncheck the option that allows the PC to wake up. You may need to change the time first, or the option will stay unchecked but the task will remain armed. This may not happen, but it is possible.

This will disable the Maintenance Activator. If this does not work, there is another fix.

First, open Regedit. Then navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\Maintenance. If this doesn't exist, create it. Create a 32 bit DWORD value named MaintenanceDisabled, if it is not already there. Set it to 1. Then reboot your computer. This will disable the automatic maintenance.

Sir Platypus

Posted 2016-10-04T06:44:45.803

Reputation: 95

Thanks for the answer. Both these options were already tried, however. From my original post body: "disallowed scheduled maintenance tasks to wake in Security and Maintenance, and disallowed wake timers in the Power Options" – Wuschelbeutel Kartoffelhuhn – 2017-06-30T05:49:03.893

A recent update made the problem reappear for me. I just opened the "Task Scheduler" and went into the tree as follows: Microsoft\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator\Reboot. Rightclick -> Properties -> Conditions -> Uncheck "Wake the computer to run this task". Hopefully this will work. – Wuschelbeutel Kartoffelhuhn – 2017-11-08T20:31:39.177

I also just set (=1) this reg entry via some MS thread hkey_local_machine\software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon\PowerdownAfterShutdown – Wuschelbeutel Kartoffelhuhn – 2017-11-08T20:52:47.640

With the box unticked, I changed my time, even rebooted, and the timer remained armed. To properly unarm it, I had to retick the box, click OK, then untick the box. At that point, powercfg /waketimers reports that there are no active wake timers. – drglove – 2018-02-03T20:11:40.057

Follow the instructions pertaining to the registry, this should solve it for you if you still have the problem. – Sir Platypus – 2018-06-28T18:54:10.820

This worked for me:

Configure power options > Advanced settings > Hibernate > Allow activation timers > "Setting: Disable" > Apply > OK

And that's it!

Happy Bird

Posted 2016-10-04T06:44:45.803

Reputation: 109

Has no effect on the problem. – Sod Almighty – 2020-02-09T22:01:29.943