Wake the computer for a scheduled run

Wake the computer to run is a scheduled-task setting that lets a run happen while the computer is asleep: on Windows, Oda keeps a wake entry for the task that wakes the computer shortly before each run, and it is on by default. To create or change tasks, see Schedule recurring tasks; Scheduled runs and history covers what happens when a run starts.

What the wake entry does

• When you save a task with Wake the computer to run on, Oda registers one wake entry for it in Windows Task Scheduler, for your signed-in user.
• The entry is set to wake the computer about two minutes before the run's time, so the computer is awake when the run is due.
• The entry does nothing else: it wakes the computer and exits at once, and Windows allows it one minute. The task itself runs as any scheduled run does.

When waking works

Waking needs all of these:

• Windows. Waking is a Windows feature; other systems do not support it.
• Plugged in. The wake entry does not start on battery power, and it stops if the computer switches to battery.
• Signed in. The entry runs only for your signed-in session; it does not wake the computer from the sign-in screen.
• Wake timers allowed. If wake timers are turned off in the computer's power settings, or only system timers are allowed, Windows does not wake the computer for the task.

Two situations stay asleep anyway:

• A Modern Standby computer may not wake for timers; its wake status says may not wake for timers.
• A computer that is shut down does not start for a task. Waking brings the computer out of sleep, not out of a powered-off state.

Check waking on your computer

Open the task from Scheduled in the sidebar and read its wake status. It reports four things:

• whether waking is supported on this computer;
• whether wake timers are allowed in the computer's power settings;
• whether the computer uses Modern Standby, which may not wake for timers;
• whether the computer is on battery.

To see the entry itself:

1. Open Task Scheduler on Windows.
2. Look under the DataMind Oda folder: Oda's entries sit in a subfolder named with eight hexadecimal digits, such as \DataMind Oda\1a2b3c4d.
3. Each entry is described as Wakes the computer for the DataMind Oda scheduled task "…".

Pause, resume and delete

The wake entry follows the task:

• Pause removes the task's wake entry; Resume registers it again.
• Delete removes it for good. When no entries remain, Oda removes its folder from Task Scheduler too.

Oda registers and removes the entries as your signed-in user, with no administrator prompt, and the entries never run with administrator rights.

Questions, answered

Why did my computer not wake for a run?

Waking works only when the computer runs Windows, is plugged in, is signed in, and allows wake timers; a Modern Standby computer may not wake for timers, and a shut-down computer does not start. Check that Wake the computer to run is still on for the task and read its wake status. If the computer slept through a slot, the run history records the reason; see Scheduled runs and history. Common messages and what to do about them are listed in Troubleshooting.

Will a shut-down computer start for a scheduled run?

No. A wake entry wakes a computer that is asleep, not one that is shut down: a powered-off computer does not start for a task.

Does waking work on battery power?

No. The entry starts only while the computer is plugged in, and it stops if the computer switches to battery. The task's wake status shows whether the computer is on battery.

Will the computer wake if I am signed out?

No. The entry runs only while you are signed in, so it does not wake the computer from the sign-in screen.

What does may not wake for timers mean?

It is the wake status of a computer using Modern Standby, a low-power sleep mode on some computers. Windows may not deliver timer wakes on these machines, so the computer may stay asleep at a run's time.

How can I check the wake entry for a task?

Open Task Scheduler on Windows and look under the DataMind Oda folder. Each entry sits in a subfolder named with eight hexadecimal digits and is described as Wakes the computer for the DataMind Oda scheduled task "…".

Does waking need administrator rights?

No. Oda registers and removes the wake entries as your signed-in user, no administrator prompt appears, and the entries never run with administrator rights.

Can I turn waking off for one task?

Yes. Open the task, turn Wake the computer to run off and save. The task then runs only while the computer is awake. Saving with the setting on registers a wake entry for the task.

What happens to the wake entry when I pause or delete a task?

Pause removes the task's wake entry and Resume registers it again. Delete removes it for good.

Does the wake entry run my task?

No. The entry only wakes the computer and exits at once; Windows allows it one minute. The task itself runs as any scheduled run does.