Why is full scan running when it's not scheduled to run at that time

Norton 360 for Windows
1

I have a full scanned schedule for everyday at 1am, however it runs in the morning (while i am working) during the morning time. Why? How can I fix this?

2

Hello @christy_zingraf
Sorry, for asking the obvious.

  1. Did you opt Save?
    image

  2. Is your device asleep at 1 AM?

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    image519×200 24.5 KB

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AI Mode
The reason your Norton 360 full scan runs in the morning while you are working, instead of at the scheduled 1 a.m. time, is most likely that your PC was powered off or in a sleep/hibernation state at 1 a.m. Norton only runs scheduled scans when the computer is on and, often, when it’s idle. When the scheduled time is missed, the scan runs later, as soon as it detects that the system is available and idle.

Why the Scan is Delayed

  • PC was Off or Asleep: Norton scans cannot run if your computer is shut down, in Sleep mode, or hibernating at the scheduled time.
  • Idle Time Trigger: Norton 360 generally defaults to running its automated tasks, including missed scheduled scans, only when the computer is in an “idle” state (you aren’t actively using the mouse or keyboard). When you start working in the morning, the scan is likely starting after a period of idle time (e.g., you turn the PC on, go grab coffee, and it starts before you sit down to work) or is simply running the missed scan as a high priority background task because it hasn’t run in a while.

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Norton 360 scheduled scans do not run when the PC is in a low-power sleep state. The computer must be powered on and active or idle for the scan to run.

When Scans Will Not Run

  • Sleep Mode/Hibernation: When a computer is asleep or hibernating, most functions are paused, and the scheduled scan will not initiate.
  • Computer Off: If the device is completely powered off, the scan cannot run.
  • Missed Scan: If a scheduled scan is missed due to the PC being asleep, it will be skipped, and the next scheduled scan will cycle around.

How Scans Function

  • When Active/Idle: Norton is designed to run automated tasks, like scans, when the computer is on but you are not actively using it (idle time).
  • Preventing Sleep During Scan: Once a scan has started, Norton has an option to prevent the computer from going back to sleep until the scan is complete.
  • Real-time Protection: The software’s primary layer of defense is real-time protection, which constantly runs in the background to scan files as they are accessed, downloaded, or opened, providing continuous security regardless of scheduled full scans.

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Daily full scans with Norton 360 are largely needless because the software’s real-time protection provides continuous, immediate defense against new threats, making frequent deep scans redundant for most users.

Real-Time Protection is Key
The core of Norton 360’s security strategy is its always-on, real-time protection. This feature constantly monitors all activity on your computer:

  • On-Access Scanning: Files are automatically scanned as they are opened, downloaded, created, or modified. This stops most malware from getting a foothold in your system in the first place.
  • Behavioral Detection: Norton uses heuristic and behavior-based methods to watch programs as they run, allowing it to spot and stop suspicious activities even from brand-new, unknown malware (zero-day threats) that may not yet have a specific signature.
  • Automatic Updates: The software receives regular, sometimes multiple, virus definition updates daily. After these updates, a quick scan is automatically run to check for any new threats based on the latest information.

Drawbacks of Daily Full Scans
Running a full system scan every day offers minimal extra benefit but comes with several downsides:

  • High Resource Usage: Full scans are computationally intensive operations that read every single file on your system, which can significantly slow down your computer’s performance and impact usability.
  • Time Consuming: Depending on the amount and type of data on your hard drive, a full scan can take a long time, from hours to potentially days for very large systems.
  • Redundancy: Since real-time protection is already scrutinizing files as they are accessed, the benefit of a daily, separate scan of every dormant file is low after the initial full scan of the system has been completed.
  • Interference: Scheduling too many overlapping scans (like both daily full and idle quick scans) can sometimes cause conflicts or unnecessary notifications.

Recommended Scanning Practices
For optimal security without unnecessary performance impact, security experts and Norton itself suggest:

  • Rely on the always-on real-time protection for primary defense.
  • Run an initial full system scan after installing the software to ensure the system is clean.
  • Use the automated, regular Quick Scans which check the most vulnerable areas (memory, system files, common malware locations) and run in the background during idle time.
  • Consider a manual Full Scan only periodically (e.g., weekly or monthly), during off-hours, or if you suspect a threat has somehow bypassed real-time defenses.

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To ensure the scan runs at 1 a.m. or during the night when it’s convenient.
Keep the PC Awake at Night (Recommended for Scheduled Scans)
The simplest fix is to prevent your PC from going to sleep automatically overnight.

  • Windows Power Settings:

    1. Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
    2. Click Change plan settings next to your selected power plan.
    3. Set “Put the computer to sleep” to Never for the overnight period (or permanently if you don’t mind the PC staying on).
    4. Click Save changes.

  • Reconfigure Windows Task Scheduler (Advanced)
    For complete control, advanced users can use the Windows Task Scheduler to “wake” the PC from sleep specifically for the Norton scan. This requires careful configuration within Windows settings to allow wake timers and a specific task.

AI Mode may make mistakes

1 Like
3

Thanks for the information! Yes, it’s definitely set for 1am. It must be because it doesn’t wake up. My acronis backup is scheduled for 10pm and it runs every night without an issue.
I will try changing the power options, as you suggested and see if that works.

1 Like
4

That worked! I set it to ‘never’ go to sleep and it ran. But, I wonder why acronis backup wakes itself up to run. Why can’t norton do that?

5

Hello @christy_zingraf
Daily full scans with Norton 360 are largely needless because the software’s real-time protection provides continuous, immediate defense against new threats, making frequent deep scans redundant for most users.

Running a full system scan every day offers minimal extra benefit but comes with several downsides:

  • High Resource Usage: Full scans are computationally intensive operations that read every single file on your system, which can significantly slow down your computer’s performance and impact usability.
  • Time Consuming: Depending on the amount and type of data on your hard drive, a full scan can take a long time, from hours to potentially days for very large systems.
  • Redundancy: Since real-time protection is already scrutinizing files as they are accessed, the benefit of a daily, separate scan of every dormant file is low after the initial full scan of the system has been completed.
  • Interference: Scheduling too many overlapping scans (like both daily full and idle quick scans) can sometimes cause conflicts or unnecessary notifications.

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Norton 360 does not include a built-in feature to automatically wake your computer from sleep or hibernation to perform a scheduled full scan. This design choice is generally to prevent unexpected system activity and maintain the system in the power state the user left it in.

Norton scans only run when the computer is:

  • Powered on and active.
  • In an “idle” state (no keyboard or mouse activity).

If a scheduled scan time is missed because the PC is asleep or off, Norton will run the scan later, as a low-priority task, when the system becomes available and idle. Once a scan begins, the software does have an option to prevent the computer from entering sleep mode until the scan is complete.

Workarounds
Advanced users can utilize Windows’ features to schedule scans. One option is to modify Windows power settings to prevent sleep during the desired scan time. Another method involves using the Windows Task Scheduler to wake the PC prior to a scheduled Norton scan.

Norton’s main security feature is its real-time protection, which continuously monitors files, offering protection independent of scheduled full scans.

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Norton 360 does not include a built-in feature to wake a computer from a low-power sleep state for scheduled scans. Instead, it is designed to run its scans when the computer is already on but idle, or as soon as the computer becomes available after a missed scheduled time.

The design philosophy behind this approach appears to be:

  • Performance Management: Running resource-intensive tasks like full scans while the user is actively working can slow down the system. By defaulting to “idle time” scanning, Norton aims to minimize disruption to the user’s experience.
  • Idle Time Focus: The software is designed to intelligently detect when the computer is not in use (no keyboard or mouse activity) and run its automated tasks in the background.
  • System State Limitations: Scans simply cannot run if the computer is fully shut down, hibernating, or in a low-power sleep state at the exact scheduled time.

Alternative Solution
While Norton 360 does not offer the “wake” option within its own settings, advanced users can configure the Windows Task Scheduler to achieve this functionality.

  1. Use Windows Task Scheduler: You can create a custom task in Windows that has a trigger to “wake” the PC from sleep at a specific time.
  2. Trigger the Scan: Configure this task to then initiate the Norton scan using command-line arguments.
  3. Adjust Power Settings: You may also need to adjust the Windows power settings to ensure the computer remains awake during the scan and, optionally, returns to sleep afterward.

This manual method allows for greater control over scan times and the system’s power state, effectively bypassing the default limitations of the Norton interface.

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Acronis uses two primary methods to wake up a computer for a backup: enabling wake timers in the operating system’s power settings, or using a magic packet over the network Wake-on-LAN for systems that are shut down or in a low-power state. For modern systems, it can also directly trigger a wake-up from low-power states by interacting with the power management service.

How Acronis wakes a computer

  • Wake Timers: If a computer is in sleep or hibernation, but still has power, Acronis can use the operating system’s scheduled wake-up function.
    • You must enable this option in the power settings of your operating system for the computer to respond to a scheduled event.
    • In Windows: Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings and set Sleep > Allow wake timers to Enable.
  • Wake-on-LAN (WoL): For computers that are shut down, Acronis can send a special network packet called a “magic packet” to the network card.
    • This feature is available in more advanced Acronis editions and requires the network card to support WoL and be enabled in the computer’s BIOS and the Acronis backup policy settings.
  • Direct wake-up command: For systems in low-power states, such as Modern Standby, Acronis can use a direct command to wake the system for the scheduled task.
    • This is an internal process that relies on the task scheduler to trigger the wake event.
    • You may need to ensure a separate option to “Wake the sleeping/hibernating computer” is checked within the Acronis schedule settings.

What you need to do

  • Enable wake timers in your operating system’s power options.
  • For Wake-on-LAN, enable the feature in both the BIOS of the target computer and in the Acronis backup policy settings.
  • For modern systems, check the advanced schedule options for a setting to “Wake the sleeping/hibernating computer”

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Acronis can wake a computer from a low-power state to run a scheduled backup using Windows wake timers or the Wake-on-LAN (WoL) technology, depending on the product and configuration.

Using Windows Wake Timers (Local Backups)
For local backups on a single machine in sleep or hibernation, Acronis uses the built-in Windows “allow wake timers” feature:

  • Mechanism : The Acronis software schedules a timed event with the Windows Task Scheduler. At the appointed time, if the “Allow wake timers” option is enabled in the computer’s power settings, the operating system’s power management system receives a signal to wake the computer and run the task.
  • Configuration: The user must ensure that “Allow wake timers” is enabled in their Windows Power Options (Control Panel > Power Options > Change advanced power settings > Sleep). This setting may also be available as an option within the Acronis backup schedule settings.
  • Behavior: The computer will wake up, perform the backup, and if configured, return to sleep or shut down after the task is complete.

Using Wake-on-LAN (Networked Backups)
For managed environments involving remote computers (e.g., in Acronis Backup Advanced/Cyber Protect), Wake-on-LAN is used:

  • Mechanism: The Acronis Management Server sends a special data packet called a “magic packet” to the network interface card (NIC) of the target computer if the computer is powered down or not responding to network requests.
  • Prerequisites:
    • The target computer must be shut down but still have power supplied to its network card.
    • WoL must be enabled in the computer’s BIOS/UEFI settings.
    • WoL must be enabled in the network adapter’s properties within the operating system.
    • The WoL option must be enabled in the advanced settings of the backup policy on the Acronis Management Server.
  • Behavior : The magic packet triggers the NIC to send a power-on signal to the system’s power management, which starts the computer for the scheduled backup task. The computer can be configured to shut down again after the procedure.

AI Mode may make mistakes