Refuses to Power Up... at 3 AM [mystery question, and I'm serious]

[Katarn]

As the title says. My computer refuses to power up, but only at a specific time interval. It appears to be around 3 AM (earliest I've tried was 2:45), and it lasts until after sunrise, when it powers up without any issues. It has done this for four nights in a row so far.

 

It works just fine throughout the day. I can work, I can game, I can have it on for hours on end without any kind of problem. If I turn it off at 7 PM and then try to turn it on again an hour or two later (which I usually do), it powers up and it works.

But if I turn it off and then try to use it again after midnight, usually around 3 AM, it does not. It shows no signs of power in the time interval I have so far experienced between 2:45 AM and 11 AM.

 

Nothing happens when I press the button. The fans don't spin, the diodes don't flash. It is as if I am trying to power it up during a power outage.

What could be causing this?

If it is hardware malfunction, why should it malfunction at this time interval specifically? A failing PSU/mobo would be failing at any time of day, not at a specific time - for four consecutive nights, no less.

But if it is a software setting, then, wouldn't it be the case that the computer should receive enough power to recognize the setting before it realizes it should be off? Memory does not load before the fans afaik.

 

So I'm at a loss here. Should I suspect some kind of ultra-insidious malware setting a timer of sorts? Maybe tinkering with the mobo, idk... If so, how does it work; and how would I go about removing something that sneaky? How paranoid should I be about somebody having control over my system?

 

My PSU and mobo are as follows:

Antec Edge Silent 550W 80+ Gold

MSI B450 Tomahawk Max
Obviously decent quality, and they are only around two and a half years old, so, by no means too old. I don't think I should start replacing these parts before we rule out anything else.

 

I hope we can figure this out, and I'm open to suggestions.

[Dedayog]

Is the outlet working at 3am?  There are various power saving initiatives that municipalities or utility companies can use to decrease drain on the power grid.

 

For example here in Atlanta, we can enroll in a 15 minute every hour HVAC shutdown where your air conditioning is nonfunctioning for 15 minutes to reduce the strain during the day.

[AbydosOne]

1 minute ago, Katarn said:

I hope we can figure this out, and I'm open to suggestions.

What's the power like in your part of the world? I'm wondering if the line voltage is being pulled low enough that the PSU refuses to start... admittedly, that voltage is very low (like 100VAC for 120VAC PSUs), which would reek havoc with other systems too.

 

Have you tried resetting the BIOS? There are some rudimentary Power-on-by-clock settings sometimes that maybe is effecting it?

[Somerandomtechyboi]

The title reminds me of those clickbait youtubers that do something at 3 am

 

 

Maybe buy a ups so you can use your pc during this brown out or whatever that lasts between 3-11 am

[Katarn]

15 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

Is the outlet working at 3am?

It is. I have a monitor, speakers, and a small neon lamp plugged into it through an extension cord, and they work. I've also tried plugging the computer into another outlet, on the adjacent wall, using a different cable.

 

19 minutes ago, AbydosOne said:

What's the power like in your part of the world? I'm wondering if the line voltage is being pulled low enough that the PSU refuses to start...

I think the power is ok. The TV in the other room works well, and so do the other two computers in two others rooms.

 

22 minutes ago, AbydosOne said:

Have you tried resetting the BIOS? There are some rudimentary Power-on-by-clock settings sometimes that maybe is effecting it?

I have not. I might do it if/when it does the same thing later tonight.

Why would it be set to stay off at that time of day though? I haven't tinkered with any such settings. Could this point to somebody tinkering with my computer through software?

 

20 minutes ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

The title reminds me of those clickbait youtubers that do something at 3 am

I know, right;

That's why I added "and I'm serious." I was worried people might mistake the title for a joke.

[Katarn]

I tried something yesterday, and here's another thing to consider:

When the computer stays on, even if it is past 3 AM, it is fully operational.

 

Yesterday I decided not to shut down my computer around 2 AM, when I usually do, and to leave it running instead. I used it until after 5 AM, and it worked without a problem. So, apparently, the issue appears only when it is turned off at the specific time interval and I try to power it up - otherwise the computer has no problem staying on if it is still active during this time interval.

 

So can we rule out a hardware/electricity issue at this point?