iMac spontaneously starting up every day (but NO schedule)

[MikeELL]

Hi Guys

I have an iMac PPC 2.0GHz (the 20" model from mid 2005) running Tiger (10.4.11) and it has taken to turning itself on every day at approximately 645pm (give or take 45 minutes - quite variable).

I looked in the system prefs and found the scheduling control panel where you can set it to turn itself on at a given time but this was not activated. It has continued this habit almost every day for about 2 months so far. I'm pretty sure it started when my brother set up a wireless relay station so I could get internet access (Our main wireless modem is out of range - I've been using the iMac to watch TV in another part of the house). The thing is it now turns on regardless of whether the relay station (or airport for that matter) is switched on.

There was one day recently where it didn't happen, but I couldn't see anything different about that day.

Question: has anyone seen this kind of behaviour and know how to fix it? (or do I have a poltergeist )
Thanks

 

[Peace]

Are you sure it's not waking up instead of starting up cold ?

There is a setting to wake a computer on network access.

 

[MikeELL]

Are you sure it's not waking up instead of starting up cold ?

There is a setting to wake a computer on network access.

Yep - starting up from absolutely stone-cold OFF. The power cord is still plugged in though - that would be poltergeist material

 

[MikeELL]

Yep - starting up from absolutely stone-cold OFF. The power cord is still plugged in though - that would be poltergeist material

Seriously though - anyone have any ideas?!?

It's not particularly annoying, just weird. If I can't figure out what else to do I guess I'm just going to have to get my butt in gear and buy Leopard.

 

[macman44]

Do you have eyeTV installed? When I first got my iMac it kept starting up at about midnight each day until I changed some settings on eyeTV.

 

[amiga]

Do you have eyeTV installed? When I first got my iMac it kept starting up at about midnight each day until I changed some settings on eyeTV.

That happened to me too! I had to change a setting re remote scheduling whereby you could use another computer, at work say to set eyeTV to record something and it was trying to talk to the server at regular intervals, even if the computer was shut down...

 

[beige matchbox]

Switch it off at the wall.

Even when its shut down it'll be taking a good few mA, if you have a bus powered firewire device plugged in it'll be powering that too


Fixing the problem it self i can't help with, tis a strange one

 

[mac2mac]

Go to -
/library/preferences/systemconfiguration
And delete "com.apple.AutoWake.plist"

See if that works

 

[MikeELL]

That happened to me too! I had to change a setting re remote scheduling whereby you could use another computer, at work say to set eyeTV to record something and it was trying to talk to the server at regular intervals, even if the computer was shut down...

Thankyou

Go to -
/library/preferences/systemconfiguration
And delete "com.apple.AutoWake.plist"

See if that works

THANKYOU
Will check if it works tonight

 

[ergdegdeg]

And I thought I was alone
My MBP starts up every night at 2 AM (exactly) and I can't prevent it from doing so by simply unplugging . I will try these suggestions too.

 

[MikeELL]

And I thought I was alone
My MBP starts up every night at 2 AM (exactly) and I can't prevent it from doing so by simply unplugging . I will try these suggestions too.

Yep it's the remote scheduling option in EyeTv preferences that does it. I switched it off and haven't had a problem since. Thanks all.

 

[ergdegdeg]

Oh my... I switched off the EyeTV-thingy and checked the abovementioned file and it still boots. Though I noticed it does not do this every night, but always at the exact same time.. Any other suggestions?

 

[merl1n]

Oh my... I switched off the EyeTV-thingy and checked the abovementioned file and it still boots. Though I noticed it does not do this every night, but always at the exact same time.. Any other suggestions?

Yes, the setting may have been cached somewhere.

Do the following:

1. PMU reset
2. Reset PRAM
3. Perform a SAFE BOOT

Whatever was cached, should be deleted or reset.