How to keep Windows 7 from sleeping while scanning the PC

Question

So, I've been using Microsoft Security Essentials lately. And it usually takes a couple hours or more for it to full scan my hard drive. Because of that, I commonly leave it scanning while I go do something else. Problem is: 10 minutes later, windows 7 goes to sleep, and the scan is (obviously) paused. That's What I'd like to stop happening.

So far, the only way I've been able to avoid it was to create a power plan, and switch to it while away, to keep the PC from sleeping. Problem is that I have to keep switching power plans and I'd like the PC to be able to go to sleep in case MSE finishes scanning and I'm still not back.

Maybe I'm just asking for too much, but I've been surprised by the users here plenty of times already. So let me know if you know how to keep the PC from sleeping while MSE is scanning.

Thanks

Answer 1

The perfect solution would be if MSE could run some custom commands when it starts and some others after it finish, like it's explained here for O&O.

But something tells me that it isn't near that smart, so you might be able to make it smart by using the EnentGhost's Task Create/Switch Events plugin and combine the knowledge of powercfg command from previous post you could make it work.

Answer 2

have you tried keeping the scanning window maximized and not minimized/resized if not already?

I noticed that when watching movies not in fuill screen, it goes to sleep but if i go fullscreen, does not go to sleep. Funny thing is when the movie ends, it goes to sleep right away...

seems dumb suggestion, but perhaps it works the same way?

Answer 3

Insomnia is a free tool that prevent a machine from going to sleep

Answer 4

Just a thought, but perhaps setting the priority higher through task manager (or other means) would help.