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Tasks start when powered-up before log-on?

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9 replies

by healer

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When scheduling a task we can specify if it will start before logon after the computer is powered-up. What if a task was running when the computer was put in to hibernation such as a laptop that has its lid closed and was configured to hibernate. Once in a while I download some big files. When I can't wait for it to finish I simply close the lid and the computer will go into hibernation. When I am ready next time I power up the computer and log on, the download will continue from where it stops previously. I always wonder whether it is necessary to log on before the download will continue. I expect that the task should resume without user intervention. That's what I understand hibernation is.

9 replies

by seanferd

You don't want your user tasks to start if another user logon on after waking from hibernation, would you?

And unless you specifically created a download task to run under the System account, this will likely not occur. (If it does, I's say it was a serious security bug.)

When I can't wait for it to finish I simply close the lid and the computer will go into hibernation. When I am ready next time I power up the computer and log on, the download will continue from where it stops previously.

You are apparently lucky that you are always using a download server which supports resume. :)

by healer

When the computer is put under hibernation it means the computer is temporary halted. So in every possibility the computer is expected to resume from where it has been stopped. It is quite reasonable to expect the task to continue straight off after computer is powered-up. Moreover, I am talking about the computer is powered up but before log-on, which means no third party is involved so no security breach could possibly be created.

When I say big files I mean files like movies downloaded with peer networking programs or operating system files from Microsoft. The file sizes are often in gigs. The downloads always resume correctly.

by seanferd

It's hibernation with a logon. If it was set to autologon, user processes would resume immediately. This is like it would be for old OSes with no user accounts by default and no screensaver/suspend password. But in this instance, your user account processes are not loaded until you log on. None of your per-user settings will be in effect.

What if one user starts a spyware process and hibernates a machine, the next user who logs in has that process running.

As for the downloads, I don't refer to particularly large files or anything, but simply that not all download servers support resuming interrupted downloads. It's good you don't have to worry about dealing with them if you need to hibernate when a download has started.

by healer

One thing that I have never been sure. What if I start the download or any process for that matter and then switch usr to log on as somebody else. I wonder if the download with the first user that has logged on would still continue, an anti-virus program would still be scanning if it had started before switching user, an email program would still retrieve email at the right interval and so on.

by seanferd

doesn't include the first user logging off: The first user's processes, I think, should continue.

You can switch to the Admin account and check for per-user processes to see.

by healer

You are right. It seems to me that all processes still go on.

by seanferd

I hope it works for the downloads and whatever else you need.

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