Steps to fix Windows computer that randomly wakes up to check for updates

Does your computer randomly wake up and pop up a window saying 'Checking for Updates'? Usually, this is caused by the program MoUSOCoreWorker.exe - a Microsoft task that helps coordinate the installation of Windows updates.

Fortunately, you don't have to worry too much - fixing this error is really easy. TipsMake will teach you how to fix errors so that your PC won't wake up abnormally to check for updates.

1. Override the MoUSO Core Worker process

The MoUSO Core Worker process (MoUSOCoreWorker.exe) arranges Windows update sessions in the background. That's pretty important, but if the process keeps waking up the PC randomly, you can override it so it won't be annoying.

Following are the steps to override the MoUSO Core Worker process:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Type CMD and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open CMD with admin rights.

Step 3: Type the following command and press Enter:

powercfg /requestsoverride process MoUSOCoreWorker.exe execution

When the process is complete, close Command Prompt and then restart the PC to save these changes.

2. Turn off the computer wake-up timer

The wake timer on your PC could be the reason why you're having this problem. So let's see how you can turn them off to prevent your PC from waking up randomly:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Type control.exe powercfg.cpl,,3 and then press Enter to open the Power Options window.

Step 3: Click the Sleep drop-down menu and then select Allow wake timers.

Step 4: Next, click the On battery and Plugged option, select Disable from the drop-down menu.

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When done, click Apply and then OK to save these changes.

3. Configure some settings in Task Scheduler

PCs are more likely to wake up randomly based on the settings you have configured in the Task Scheduler. So let's see how you can tweak some of the Task Scheduler's settings to solve the problem:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.

Step 2: Type taskchd.msc and then click OK to open Task Scheduler.

Step 3: On the left pane, navigate to Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > UpdateOrchestrator.

Step 4: Next, right-click the Schedule Scan task in the middle and select Disable.

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Finally, close the Task Scheduler window and restart the device.

4. Turn off Update Orchestrator Service and Windows Update Service

To prevent your PC from randomly checking for updates, you can disable the Update Orchestrator Service and Windows Update Service. Here's how you can do this:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.

Step 2: Type services.msc and then click OK.

Step 3: Locate the Update Orchestrator Service, right-click it, then select Properties.

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In the next window, select Disabled in the Startup type drop-down menu, then click the Stop button.

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Click Apply and then OK.

When you are done, right click on Windows Update Service then disable it similar to the previous steps. Finally, restart your PC to save these changes.

5. Restore default power settings via Command Prompt

In some cases, this problem can be caused by the way you have configured the power settings. If you're not sure which settings you should edit, resetting the power settings to default can help.

Here's how you can restore your PC's power settings via Command Prompt:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Type CMD and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Command Prompt with admin rights.

Step 3: Type the following command and press Enter:

powercfg -restoredefaultschemes

When the process is complete, close Command Prompt and restart the device.

6. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter and Power Troubleshooter

Since this is a 'system update' and 'source' issue, the Windows Update troubleshooter and Power troubleshooter can be helpful.

First, let's see how you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter:

Step 1: Navigate to Start menu > PC Settings > Update & Security, then click Troubleshoot in the left pane.

Step 2: Scroll down on the right pane, click the Windows Update option, then click the Run the troubleshooter button. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

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Next, here's how you can use the Power troubleshooter to solve the problem:

Step 1: Find the Power troubleshooter, click it, then click Run the troubleshooter.

Step 2: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process and then restart your PC when it's done.

7. Pause Windows Updates

Pausing Windows updates can also help with this problem. Refer to the article: How to turn off Windows Update on Windows 10 for more details.

8. Activate Metered Connection

By default, Windows does not automatically check for updates over a Metered Connection (a type of internet connection with limited data). In this case, you will have to manually check for updates if you want to upgrade your PC.

9. Edit Windows Registry

You can easily solve this problem by editing a few keys in the Windows Registry. But since you'll be dealing with sensitive information, it's best to start by backing up the Registry. That way, you'll be safe if anything goes wrong.

Now, here's how you can solve the problem through Registry Editor:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Type Regedit and then click OK to open Registry Editor.

Step 3: Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows > WindowsUpdate > AU

Step 4: Double-click the NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers value on the right side to edit it.

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In the next window, set Value data to 1 and then click OK.

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