Beware KB 4579311

[Dick Berg]

I ran the available updates today, three of them for me, and I discovered that KB 4579311 managed to reset all the USB power management options (in Device Manager) to the "default" of allowing the computer to turn off the devices to save power! Not only that, it reset my general power and sleep settings (in the Settings/System/Power&Sleep tab) to turn off the screen and to go to sleep after 30 minutes or an hour.

If you apply this update, and if you care, then be sure to reset these things to your desired settings. Also, don't forget about power management settings for the network card(s) in the Device Manager. I'm just sayin'...

Twice today I had to go out to the observatory and "wake up" the computer so I could connect to it from the house using ACP or RDP, before I figured out what was going on.

[Eric Dose]

Everyone: also check your network controller (Device Manager / Network Adapters) to ensure "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" is unchecked. You remote observers like me: you'll want to do this very soon.

And don't forget to reboot *twice* after any update that requires a reboot. Once doesn't get the done, however Microsoft may haver otherwise.

Sigh.

[William Bristow]

To avoid this repeated problem with Windows changing your USB suspend options during updates it is a simple task to create a custom Power Plan for your PC.

With a Custom Power plan in operation it does not matter that Windows resets the default USB suspend options as your custom plan takes precedence.

Following is a step-by-step guide how to create a custom power plan, try it and see if it helps.
I have had a custom plan on my observatory computer for several years now and over multiple updates and feature builds my own Power Plan is still active and USB suspend remains disabled.

First:

1. Make sure all USB devices are connected and powered up and then in Windows Device Manager, all USB Root hubs, Hubs and Ports that have the Power Management tab present are checked and that the USB suspend settings "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" are disabled.

Next:

2. Create a Power Plan for the Observatory PC.

In Settings select "Power and Sleep" (1).
Click > "Additional power settings" (2).
Click > "Create a power plan" (3).

Power Plan 1.jpg


Under "Create a power plan" select > "Balanced (recommended)" (1).
Enter a plan name i.e. "Observatory" (without the quotes) (2.)
Click > "Next" (3).


Power Plan 2.jpg

Change "Put the computer to sleep" to > "Never" (1).
Click > "Create" (2).

Power Plan 3.jpg

Under "Preferred plans" the new plan "Observatory" will appear and be active.
Click > "Change plan settings" for the Observatory plan.

Power Plan 4.jpg

Click > "Change advanced power settings".

Power Plan 5.jpg

Confirm that the plan name is shown "Observatory [Active]

Scroll down to Sleep settings and expand the tree.
Expand "Allow hybrid sleep" and select Setting > "OFF".

Scroll down to "Hibernate after"
select setting > "Never"

Power Plan 6.jpg

Scroll down to "USB settings" and expand the tree.
Select "USB selective suspend setting" and set > "Disabled" (1).

Scroll down to "PCI Express" and expand the tree.
Select "Link State Power Management" and set > "Off" (2).

Click > "Apply" (3).
Click > "Ok" to exit (4).

Power Plan 7.jpg

The "Observatory" power plan is now active and this plan should not be affected by Windows updates or feature releases.

If you use the observatory computer in multiple rolls you can change the active power plan between "Observatory" and for general home/office operations use "Balanced" mode. If the computer is a laptop be aware that in "Observatory" power mode that battery drain will be significantly higher.

William.

[Bob Denny]

Wow William ... Thanks for the very detailed instructions. Very very useful for astronomers!

[Eric Dose]

Those are great instructions, William. We should all do them.

However, I've done all that, and STILL some Windows 10 updates have re-activated USB Selective Suspend and or reset USB ports to "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". I haven't noticed this as often lately--hallelujah for small favors.

But the most recent Win 10 Update changed my network adapter properties to "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". This is not my imagination--I know exactly what my properties were. Microsoft must have a (sizeable) department charged with developing new ways to decrease Windows 10's value to users. In any case, Microsoft's change to my network adapter properties was unauthorized, unannounced, and very probably illegal (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1984, unauthorized access causing harm).