SOLVED Mystery internet activity

[John Devalle]

Recently I saw that my laptop, though switched off, had two of its front lights lit, orangey red. And the internet connection was active, something was being downloaded. Thinking it might be an update I left it, but could it be something undesirable? Computer has worked fine since this incident, but anyone got any idea what happened?

Any enlightenment would be much appreciated.

 

[Tim Locke]

Could it be the telemetry that Windows can send to MS? Ideally you turn that off when installing Windows but a machine bought preloaded might have it on.

 

[Bighorn]

Also note that the computer always has power to the motherboard when plugged in, usually noted with lights on the Ethernet/NIC port or cable plug. That was a change with ATX motherboards several years ago [think the late '90s] from the AT board. The AT power switch connected directly to the power supply. The ATX board connects to the power supply with the power switch connecting to the board, the switch tells everything to wake things up.

 

[davehc]

Not something I have ever given a lot of thought to. I use Laptops more than anything else. My main one is normally permanently connected to the Main power. When I switch it off, that is exactly what it is. The power is still idling on the internal battery, but there is no way that anything associated with the OS, could be operating.
That general statement applies to all the laptops in my grasp.
I don't intend to offend, but, with a laptop, surely Bighorns suggestion cannot be correct???

But Can I ask, John Devalle, how you are switching off? Are you merely putting it into standby, or really off with the OFF button.

 

[Bighorn]

Mea culpa, missed that it is a Notebook and spoke as if a Desktop. My Notebooks have only the power light illuminated when plugged in but off.

 

[John Devalle]

Mea culpa, missed that it is a Notebook and spoke as if a Desktop. My Notebooks have only the power light illuminated when plugged in but off.

Not something I have ever given a lot of thought to. I use Laptops more than anything else. My main one is normally permanently connected to the Main power. When I switch it off, that is exactly what it is. The power is still idling on the internal battery, but there is no way that anything associated with the OS, could be operating.
That general statement applies to all the laptops in my grasp.
I don't intend to offend, but, with a laptop, surely Bighorns suggestion cannot be correct???

But Can I ask, John Devalle, how you are switching off? Are you merely putting it into standby, or really off with the OFF button.

Thanks to all who replied. The laptop was switched off, and disconnected from the mains. I always do that when I've finished. The lights had gone off before I turned the laptop on. I couldn't find anything that had been downloaded and Windows Defender found no malware.
It's odd, I've not yet found anyone, on this forum or elsewhere, whose had this experience.

 

[John Devalle]

Could it be the telemetry that Windows can send to MS? Ideally you turn that off when installing Windows but a machine bought preloaded might have it on.

Thanks for replying. I first had to look up the meaning of 'telemetry', having done so saw that as you say Microsoft uses it. This might be the explanation of what happened, I'll investigate.

 

[davehc]

This intrigued me. I have also been investigating. No, Microft cannot do it. One suggested wy I discovered, is that malware may have been planted on your computer before you switched of. The hacker, under rare circumstances, could switch the computer on again. But, again, having done his mischief, it would be unlikely that he would switch it off sgain.
Only other reasonable explation would be a left over residue of power, in the nature of a surge.
Bottom line - have a good go at your laptop with something like Malwarebytes.

 

[John Devalle]

This intrigued me. I have also been investigating. No, Microft cannot do it. One suggested wy I discovered, is that malware may have been planted on your computer before you switched of. The hacker, under rare circumstances, could switch the computer on again. But, again, having done his mischief, it would be unlikely that he would switch it off sgain.
Only other reasonable explation would be a left over residue of power, in the nature of a surge.
Bottom line - have a good go at your laptop with something like Malwarebytes.

The mystery deepens! I may not have made it clear that the laptop was switched off when the activity was happening. I asked a relative whose in the tech business and he'd not heard of such an incident before. Is my experience unique? Though Windows Defender found no issue I'll give Malwarebytes a go. I'll let you know if it finds anything.

 

[davehc]

It is unique to me also. I have been on forums for countless years, learning and offering help when able. I have never heard that one before. I gave you one possibility, but it was a most unlikely event
Your original post left off a couple of items, and I should have asked. If my Laptop(s) are in the middle of an MS update, and I have not noticed it, immediately when I switch off and close the lid, the machine completes the update before turning off. You??
Also, for those very security reasons, I am normally only on wireless. Unless anyone comes and parks very close to my house, there is no way they could interfere, by whatever trickery, in my computer.

 

[rohitkashyap89]

Recently I saw that my laptop, though switched off, had two of its front lights lit, orangey red. And the internet connection was active, something was being downloaded. Thinking it might be an update I left it, but could it be something undesirable? Computer has worked fine since this incident, but anyone got any idea what happened?
No Idea
Any enlightenment would be much appreciated.

 

[John Devalle]

It is unique to me also. I have been on forums for countless years, learning and offering help when able. I have never heard that one before. I gave you one possibility, but it was a most unlikely event
Your original post left off a couple of items, and I should have asked. If my Laptop(s) are in the middle of an MS update, and I have not noticed it, immediately when I switch off and close the lid, the machine completes the update before turning off. You??
Also, for those very security reasons, I am normally only on wireless. Unless anyone comes and parks very close to my house, there is no way they could interfere, by whatever trickery, in my computer.

Firstly let me apologise for being slow to reply. The possibility of the internet activity being a Windows update had occurred to me but that turned not to be the case. It may have been other software, like Office, as there's no notification of its updates.
WD and MB found no malware and the laptop is working fine, but if a key logger has been installed and it's clever enough to avoid detection it would only become apparent if I purchased something online, which I only do occasionally. This still concerns me. And curiosity makes me want to know what this event was. I'm going to leave this thread open for a while in case somebody does come up with the answer.

 

[PowerBattery]

I had a similar weird experience with a Win 10 Dell computer. For months, I'd turn it off but in the morning I'd find that it had turned itself on. I got fed up with it and called Dell who analyzed my machine and told me that I had a virus. That was strange because I hadn't used it online although I installed antivirus on it. After a few weeks, it stopped.

Several months later, I bought a used machine off eBay to use strictly offline. The same thing happened. It had never been online and could never go online. The machine was a U.S. Army liquidation. I called the seller and he had no idea what was going on. After a few days, it stopped.

 

[John Devalle]

I had a similar weird experience with a Win 10 Dell computer. For months, I'd turn it off but in the morning I'd find that it had turned itself on. I got fed up with it and called Dell who analyzed my machine and told me that I had a virus. That was strange because I hadn't used it online although I installed antivirus on it. After a few weeks, it stopped.

Several months later, I bought a used machine off eBay to use strictly offline. The same thing happened. It had never been online and could never go online. The machine was a U.S. Army liquidation. I called the seller and he had no idea what was going on. After a few days, it stopped.

I had that experience with a former PC. Turned out that as I had land line phone on the same extension and my PC was set to turn itself on if anything else on its circuit did. It's a way of switching a number of computers on with one switch. Changing the settings stopped the PC turning itself on
A difference with my recent experience is that the laptop didn't turn on, but something was happening as indicated by two of the front lights lighting up and the light on the internet USB slot.

 

[John Devalle]

hanks to all who've tried to help but the matter is now settled as the computer has packed up! I don't think the incident I described had anything to do with the computers demise. So I'm now going to close this thread, though I'm still curious as to what did happen.