PC auto starts after shut down

[cyitling]

My pc was running fine all this while.. but yesterday.. after I have successfully shut down.. a few seconds later.. it started up by itself again..

I have checked and disabled all the wake by LAN, timer, mouse, keyboard in Bios and in Windows.. I have also tried to change the power cable and plugged it into another socket in my Belkin surge protector..

Does this mean my PSU needs to be changed? Or is there something else I should be trying?

I am using I believe the Silverstone ST56F.. it's quite an old PSU.. and my motherboard is Gigabyte GA-H87-D3H..

 

[R4lNM4N]

So...this happened just once? I would question the power button itself. Or even the connection from the power switch to the header on the motherboard. I've never heard of a PSU suddenly turning a system ON.

 

[stoned_ritual]

Do you have log me in or team viewer installed? There are options to prevent system shutdown when AC power is detected in those programs. Perhaps that could be it?

 

[cyitling]

@R4lNM4N: Since the first instance.. it's happening constantly.. So now I have resorted to pulling the plug/turning the PSU switch off after I click shut down in windows.. Once the pc is on.. things seems to work just fine..

I am doubtful it's the power button either.. as once I re-plug the power cable.. or turn on the switch on the PSU.. it won't auto start itself up.. it's once it is started up once that it just can't shut down after..

@stoned_ritual: Nope.. don't have any of these installed...

 

[R4lNM4N]

Look for the Power Settings menu item within the BIOS and the AC Power Recovery, or similar setting. You are looking for a power-based setting that affirms that the PC will power on when power becomes available.

If this is set to on, it may have caused a reboot if your system didn't shut down properly

Not the power cable...I'm talking about the wire inside your case that runs from the power switch on the front to the motherboard

 

[cyitling]

Look for the Power Settings menu item within the BIOS and the AC Power Recovery, or similar setting. You are looking for a power-based setting that affirms that the PC will power on when power becomes available.

If this is set to on, it may have caused a reboot if your system didn't shut down properly

Not the power cable...I'm talking about the wire inside your case that runs from the power switch on the front to the motherboard

I have just checked in the BIOS.. the AC Power settings has been set to always off..

I didn't open my case recently, what would cause the wire inside to suddenly not work? is there a way to reset my PSU?

the things is.. if it's shut off complete by me pulling the plug.. once I plugged it back in.. it won't auto start itself up again..

One thing did happen though.. I was cleaning my room and accidentally moved the case while my pc is on.. which caused it to restart.. could this have short my PSU?

 

[R4lNM4N]

Look for the Power Settings menu item within the BIOS and the AC Power Recovery, or similar setting. You are looking for a power-based setting that affirms that the PC will power on when power becomes available.

If this is set to on, it may have caused a reboot if your system didn't shut down properly

Not the power cable...I'm talking about the wire inside your case that runs from the power switch on the front to the motherboard

I have just checked in the BIOS.. the AC Power settings has been set to always off..

I didn't open my case recently, what would cause the wire inside to suddenly not work? is there a way to reset my PSU?

the things is.. if it's shut off complete by me pulling the plug.. once I plugged it back in.. it won't auto start itself up again..

One thing did happen though.. I was cleaning my room and accidentally moved the case while my pc is on.. which caused it to restart.. could this have short my PSU?

Interesting. Did you move it accross a carpeted floor? I guess static shock is possible although that would be really weird if the case was closed when you moved it.

You could try draining the charge from the PSU. Unplug it and hold the power button on your case down for a while. You should here a click when the charge is drained. Repeat at least once then try it.

Also - when you shut down...are you using the power button or clicking "shutdown" in Windows?

 

[cyitling]

Look for the Power Settings menu item within the BIOS and the AC Power Recovery, or similar setting. You are looking for a power-based setting that affirms that the PC will power on when power becomes available.

If this is set to on, it may have caused a reboot if your system didn't shut down properly

Not the power cable...I'm talking about the wire inside your case that runs from the power switch on the front to the motherboard

I have just checked in the BIOS.. the AC Power settings has been set to always off..

I didn't open my case recently, what would cause the wire inside to suddenly not work? is there a way to reset my PSU?

the things is.. if it's shut off complete by me pulling the plug.. once I plugged it back in.. it won't auto start itself up again..

One thing did happen though.. I was cleaning my room and accidentally moved the case while my pc is on.. which caused it to restart.. could this have short my PSU?

Interesting. Did you move it accross a carpeted floor? I guess static shock is possible although that would be really weird if the case was closed when you moved it.

You could try draining the charge from the PSU. Unplug it and hold the power button on your case down for a while. You should here a click when the charge is drained. Repeat at least once then try it.

Also - when you shut down...are you using the power button or clicking "shutdown" in Windows?

The case is on a wheeled wooden plank so I can move it around easily.. it's also on a wooden floor.. I am using the CM Storm case.. and it's closed when it happened.. and I live in Malaysia which is pretty humid.. so I don't think there are lots of static in the air neither..

I have tried both the power button and the windows shut down..

I will try the unplug it and hold the power button method later to see if it helps.. will update here with what I get later.. Thanks a lot for your help..

 

[cyitling]

I tried the hold power button method.. didn't help..

Is this a motherboard problem.. or a PSU problem?

 

[R4lNM4N]

I tried the hold power button method.. didn't help..

Is this a motherboard problem.. or a PSU problem?

Not sure at this point. This is easily one of the strangest things I've ever heard of. I want to check one thing though. In the control panel, go to power options. Click "change plan settings," click "change advanced power settings," and run through those settings looking for anything that may relate to this issue. In particular, the power button setting. Also double check that you are clicking the option to shut down, not the reset option when you are turning the computer off. Is this Windows 7/8/10? Recent upgrade? It's worth going to your motherboards website too and making sure that you are using the latest mobo/chipset drivers for your specific system.

 

[cyitling]

I am using Windows 10.. I upgraded it about 1 week after its launch.. and it has been working fine all this time.. only have the restart when I was cleaning the floor that this happened...

And my power button action in settings is set already at Shut Down.. and sleep has been set to never..

I have tried using the power button.. using the Shut Down at the Start button.. also using the Shut Down when I was prompted to key in password before entering Windows.. nothing seems to help..

Any other suggestion..???

My apologies in advance if I do not reply for the coming 12 days.. as I will be leaving on a planned holiday to New Zealand starting from tomorrow.. I will give whatever you have noted down a try when I come back.. Thanks..

 

[R4lNM4N]

I am using Windows 10.. I upgraded it about 1 week after its launch.. and it has been working fine all this time.. only have the restart when I was cleaning the floor that this happened...

And my power button action in settings is set already at Shut Down.. and sleep has been set to never..

I have tried using the power button.. using the Shut Down at the Start button.. also using the Shut Down when I was prompted to key in password before entering Windows.. nothing seems to help..

Any other suggestion..???

My apologies in advance if I do not reply for the coming 12 days.. as I will be leaving on a planned holiday to New Zealand starting from tomorrow.. I will give whatever you have noted down a try when I come back.. Thanks..

I'll keep this case in mind. It seems moving the case may have caused something to go wrong, I just can't think of what would cause this auto-starting phenomenon though. Post here when you return from your holiday and perhaps we can ask the rest of the community for extra help if I'm still coming up empty

 

[cyitling]

Thanks a lot for your help... it's quite inconvenient to having to unplug the socket all the time.. I need to look at the power button LED once it's off I would need to immediately unplug.. else it will turn on again..

I just wanted to know what is wrong with it so if need be.. change that part out.. I don't want to have to spend a few hundred changing parts which I don't need..

 

[cyitling]

I am back from my holidays.. anyone else has any ideas what may be causing this? Thanks..

 

[R4lNM4N]

Check a few things here...

The "Wake on LAN" setting in BIOS. Also - here are two solutions I found on other forums for you


I. Under hardware properties I opened Realtek PCIe GBE Family Properties. Box is checked that says allow this device to wake the computer.


II. Apparently you don't shutdown your PC in Win10 even when you choose shutdown option. Instead the OS sends your PC into hibernated state, and I guess something in the settings causes the PC to wake up either at random or specific times (for me it was ~16.10 and 20.00). So I did the following:

1) I disabled hibernation. Open Run, type cmd, press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run it as admin. Type powercfg -h off in the box.

2) I disabled Fast Startup option. To do so, go Control Panel -> Power Options -> Choose what the power buttons do -> Change settings that are currently unavailable -> Turn on fast startup (recommended) — uncheck, save changes.

The reason I disabled fast startup was a suspicion that it caused Win10 to send PC into a hibernated state instead of shutting it down. After I disabled it, there were no more wake-ups, though the loading time increased.

Not sure if you are using Windows 10 but I found these tips in a previous thread I worked and solved someone else's problem. Also...in the advanced power options there settings for the computer to wake on USB mouse/keyboard. Disable those too.

 

[cyitling]

I don't think it's the LAN cable.. I have tried unplugging it.. it still starts up after I shut down..

I have also run the command in CMD.. but am unable to find the fast startup option.. in my screen.. I can only see 'password protection on wake' section.. and 'shutdown settings'.. under the shutdown settings .. it is only to set if sleep and lock option is visible in the menu..

the problem still persists after running the command in CMD..

 

[andy_Man]

Do it again, and open a command prompt window and type powercfg lastwake

It will tell you what woke the computer last.

Also try disabling fastboot in the BIOS.

 

[cyitling]

I ran another 'powercfg -h off' the perform a shut down.. it's still starting up..

using 'powercfg lastwake' shows this.. don't know what it means though.. Wake History Count - 0

fastboot is disabled in BIOS..

 

[harryfishrules]

Hello, I have a couple of steps that could highlight an issue. I doubt that they will but I don't want to rule anything out until they've been checked.

First of all, could you work through this checklist please: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-post-boot-video-problems

It's made by the Moderators here and covers most bases so it's important to carry out every step.

Could you also follow these steps please:
1. Press "Windows + R" at the same time
2. Enter "control wuaucpl.cpl" (without speech marks) followed by enter
3. Select "Scan for Updates"
4. Install all updates including optional ones

5. Restart your PC into the normal desktop

6. Restart your PC into Safe Mode

7. Press "Windows + X" at the same time
8. Select “Command Prompt (Admin)
11. Enter "sfc /scannow" (without the speech marks) into Command Prompt followed by enter
12. Let the scan complete

Let me know how this goes.

 

[cyitling]

@harryfishrules
Thanks for the reply. I have checked out the other thread.. I do not believe it to be the cause as I am able to boot into Windows.. my problem is that my PC refuses to shut down.. And I can't remove one RAM as my motherboard is using dual channel.. overheating is not an issue either.. I have monitored my temps and once my PC is on.. it stays on just fine for more than 24 hours..

if I unplug the socket.. wait for a few mins.. then plug back the power.. my PC won't restart itself in this way..

I have tried to run this 'control wuaucpl.cpl' nothing happens after I entered it..

I have run this 'sfc /scannow' as well.. and this is what I got..

C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

 

[R4lNM4N]

I'm 99.9999% sure this is not related to RAM but just FYI - dual channel RAM is a motherboard feature, not a memory feature. You can remove a stick of RAM and it will just run in single channel mode. One other thing to check might be your surge protector. Try plugging the PC directly into the wall. I really doubt a faulty surge protector would cause this issue but it's worth a shot.

Also, did anything else change at all when this issue began? Or did it start pretty much immediately after moving the PC across the room?

 

[westom]

@harryfishrules
Thanks for the reply. I have checked out the other thread.. I do not believe it to be the cause as I am able to boot into Windows.. my problem is that my PC refuses to shut down..

A useful reply can first say what / where this happens. How many discuss the power controller. Only this processor determines when a PSU can power off or on. It even decides when the CPU can execute. CPU (and therefore RAM) are not pertmitted to operate until the power controller decides power is on and stable.

So, what are the inputs to a power controller? One is the front panel power button. If it sees the power button pressed for a short time (but long enough), then it powers on the PSU. If that power button is held down too long, then the power controller powers off that PSU. Anyone responding to your question must know of and understand inputs to a power controller.

Again, and obviously, RAM is completely unrelated to this function.

Other inputs include a Power On Request line from peripherals. For example, a modem would hear the phone line ring, and send a request to the power controller to power on. Or Ethernet interface would see network traffic and request a power on. This power on function is best disabled in BIOS. If every input is not turned off in the BIOS, then residual charges on any power on requiest line (due to no peripheral card) can become a 'please power on' request. A problem that can occur because a resistor on that line has failed.

BIOS has another function called power on restart. That can also cause a power controller to restart your machine. But in this case, that function would not be disabled by removing the power cord. Reason for the power controller to cause a power on is (apparently) discharged (turned off) when power is removed from the power controller computer.

Another input is voltage to that controller. Your PSU is actually two completely separated power supplies. Second one is only for the power 'system'. Obviously those above functions connect to a completely different computer system here called a power controller. Is that voltage stable? Only measuring with a layman simple tool (called a digital meter) can say.

In some designs, a battery voltage may cause this problem. That also must be measured with a meter.

Some of the more common reasons for your power on. Finding the offending one start by first learning what controls a power on - and why. Any recommendation that does not know about the power controller was only wild speculation. For example, RAM (and other functions controlled by the CPU) clearly had no relationship to this function. Since a CPU cannot do anything until the power controller permits it. That vastly reduced the number of suspects.

 

[cyitling]

@R4lNM4N
yes.. it only started after I accidentally moved it..

@westom
I have tried discharging my pc by holding down the power button.. but once turned on.. it doesn't want to turn off again by restarting over and over again..

I have also turn off anything wake by peripherals on BIOS I can find.. I have also tried unplugging the Ethernet cable when starting up .. didn't help..

power on restart has been turned off as well.. and I didn't make any BIOS changes when this started happening..

unfortunately.. I do not have any meter that can measure the voltage on the power controller..

everything was working perfectly fine until I accidentally moved it while it is powered on.. could it has shorted out the power controller?

 

[westom]

@R4lNM4N
I have tried discharging my pc by holding down the power button.. but once turned on.. it doesn't want to turn off again by restarting over and over again..

Holding down the power button does not discharge anything. If it did, then holding down the ESC key on a keyboard also discharges the PC. Both only connect to a processor; not to anything that would discharge.

I also do not have any food in the house. Therefore I must starve? Of course not. I go to a store that is local to everyone to buy food. You can do same for a meter sold in any store that sells hammers. Often for as little as $14 in Walmart or even $5 in Harbor Freight. Without a meter, then nobody can say what the power controller is making a PSU do or what inputs are problematic.

You have no reason to believe shorting causes any failure. If we short power to that controller processor, then it stops working due to no electricity; computer never powers on again.

Nobody can even suggest moving caused damage. That would only be coincidence until some hard fact says otherwise. Only items that define an eliminated suspect were 'power on reset' setting disabled in BIOS. Nothing else listed has relevance to identifying the fault or locating a solution. Holding down its power button does not discharge anything.