![[Complete Guide] Let Your PC Do the Work: Easy Steps to Manage Automatic Maintenance in Windows 10/11](https://www.auslogics.com/en/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/How-to-Manage-Windows-Automatic-Maintenance-in-Windows-10.png)
- What Is Windows Automatic Maintenance?
- How to Start or Stop Automatic Maintenance Manually
- How to Customize Automatic Maintenance in Windows 10/11
- How To Deactivate Automatic Maintenance Using the Registry Editor
- Essential Tasks Windows Automatic Maintenance Carries Out
- Windows Automatic Maintenance Problems and How to Fix Them
- Keep Your PC Running Smoothly with Windows Automatic Maintenance
- FAQ
Regular system maintenance is crucial for keeping your PC performing at its best, and Windows Automatic Maintenance has just made things better. Windows has simplified the maintenance process by introducing intelligent automation that adapts to your computer usage patterns.
With Automatic Maintenance, your system quietly performs its maintenance tasks by itself. This smart scheduling ensures that important tasks like defragmentation, malware scanning, and system diagnostics don’t interfere with your productivity. Most importantly, it ensures that your system stays healthy.
Read on as I show you in detail how Windows allows everyone to have access to professional-grade system maintenance with this tool.
What Is Windows Automatic Maintenance?
Windows Automatic Maintenance is a built-in feature that operates as a collection of scheduled tasks that run daily to improve your computer performance. The default time for automatic maintenance is 2 am daily, but you can reschedule it if you wish.
The maintenance session lasts a maximum of one hour per attempt and is designed in a way that it does not disturb you. So, if you happen to be using your computer at the scheduled time, the system will defer the maintenance. The suspended task will resume during the next idle period.
Automatic Maintenance also works in sleep mode
If your device is asleep but connected to power, Windows can intelligently wake it up, complete the necessary maintenance, and return it to sleep mode. This ensures maintenance occurs even when you’re not actively using your computer.
The range of tasks varies across computers
During each maintenance session, Windows performs different essential tasks to keep your device running smoothly. However, the range of tasks can vary between computers since software developers can integrate their own maintenance routines into this system.
How to Start or Stop Automatic Maintenance Manually
If your computer is running intensive tasks or seems sluggish, you can manually start maintenance to quickly optimize system performance.
This allows you to proactively address potential issues and refresh your system’s performance without waiting for the Automatic Maintenance schedule. Whatever your operating system, the steps to follow for Windows 11 maintenance are the same for Windows 10.
Method 1: Using Control Panel
Step 1: Type control panel in the Windows Search and click Open or hit Enter.
Step 2: Select Large icons in the View by: drop-down menu in the upper left-hand corner of the Control Panel window.
Step 3: Scroll down, on the lower right corner of the page, find and click Security and Maintenance.
Step 4: In the new page that opens, click the arrow next to the Maintenance option to expand it. Then, under Automatic Maintenance, click the link that says, Start maintenance.
Step 5: The entire maintenance process runs in the background, so you won’t see a new window. However, you might notice a slight reduction in system speed. Also, while in progress, the maintenance status will change to Maintenance in progress.
A system notification will confirm when maintenance is finished, and you might notice improved system responsiveness afterward.
Stopping an ongoing maintenance can potentially cause problems. If maintenance is in a critical stage like disk checking or system file repair, stopping it could risk system stability or leave your computer in an unstable state. It’s better to let the maintenance process complete uninterrupted.
Method 2: Using the Command Prompt
This is a faster approach, but it’s only useful if you are comfortable using the Command Prompt.
Step 1: In your Windows Search, type command prompt and then click Run as administrator. Click Yes on the next screen prompt to allow admin privileges.
Step 2: Once you are in the Command Prompt window, type in mschedexe.exe start and hit Enter to start the maintenance process.
How to Customize Automatic Maintenance in Windows 10/11
You can use any of these methods to change the default behavior of Automatic Maintenance. Windows allows you to make the following changes:
- Set maintenance time.
- Allow maintenance to wake your computer while sleeping.
Tip 1: Set maintenance time using Control Panel
Step 1: Open Control Panel and go to Security and Maintenance.
Step 2: Click on Maintenance to expand the tab, and then click Change maintenance settings in the submenu.
Step 3: Click on the default time and select a convenient time from the list displayed.
Step 4: Click OK to finish up. You will receive a UAC (User Account Control) prompt. Click OK to grant permission.
Tip 2: Set maintenance time using the Registry Editor
Step 1: In the Windows Search, type run and click Open.
Step 2: Type Regedit in the Run box that opens. Click the OK button or press Enter. Click Yes when presented with the UAC prompt.
Step 3: Now, back in the main Registry Editor window, copy the following path and paste it in the navigation pane:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\Maintenance
Step 4: Double-click on Activation Boundary displayed in the right pane and enter the time you want Windows to run the maintenance into the Value data field.
From the picture above, you will notice the Value data field only takes time in a special format. To enter the time of your choice, you can copy the corresponding date value from the table below.
If you don’t see Activation Boundary in the right pane of the Maintenance key, you will have to create it yourself.
To do this:
- Open the Registry Editor and copy and paste the following in the search field:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\Maintenance
- Next, right-click on the blank area and click on New from the context menu that opens, then select String Value.
- Name the new string value Activation Boundary.
Using the registry to manage Automatic Maintenance is mostly useful for IT professionals or advanced users who want to fine-tune the maintenance process for multiple machines or have specific timing requirements. If all you want is to make basic changes, it’s better to use Control Panel.
How To Deactivate Automatic Maintenance Using the Registry Editor
Although Automatic Maintenance is a useful feature that keeps your computer running seamlessly, you can still disable it if you wish. For instance, you can disable it to prevent the tool from running background processes that could impact your PC’s performance.
Some advanced users who prefer more control might also turn off the feature for a more tailored system management experience.
To do this, you will have to perform some registry modifications.
Deactivation, however, prevents the service from running altogether. When you stop maintenance, it will resume at the next scheduled time, whereas deactivating through the registry permanently disables the feature until you re-enable it.
Step 1: In the Windows Search, type regedit and press Enter or click Open. If you get a prompt, click Yes to proceed.
Step 2: In the Registry Editor, paste the following path:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\Maintenance
Step 3: When you open the Maintenance key, right-click on a blank area in the right pane and hover your mouse pointer over New, then click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Step 4: Enter MaintenanceDisabled as the name of the new DWORD.
Step 5: Now, double-click on the newly created MaintenanceDisabled DWORD and type 1 in the Value data field. Click the OK button and restart your computer.
How to reactivate Automatic Maintenance
Windows Automatic Maintenance will be deactivated after you perform the above steps. If you wish to enable it again, all you have to do is delete the MaintenanceDisabled DWORD in the Registry Editor.
Simply follow the same procedure as shown above. When you get to the Maintenance key in Step 5, right-click on MaintenanceDisabled in the right pane and select Delete. Confirm the prompt that follows.
Disabling is generally not a good idea unless you have very strong reasons to do so. By disabling it, your PC may require manual intervention to address potential issues like system errors or software updates. This may potentially cause inconvenience and performance issues over time.
If you disable Automatic Maintenance, make sure to regularly perform cleanups of your PC and run regular diagnostics. As an alternative to Automatic Maintenance, you can choose one of the PC optimizers, which usually offer an even wider range of functions to perform regularly and independently.
Essential Tasks Windows Automatic Maintenance Carries Out
Automatic Maintenance on Windows 10 and 11 performs several critical tasks to keep your computer running smoothly. Here are the key maintenance operations and their importance:
- Security scans with Windows Defender: Windows Defender automatically scans your system for malware, viruses, and other security threats. These regular scans help identify and remove harmful software before it can damage your system or compromise your data. The maintenance system also ensures that virus definitions are regularly updated to protect against new threats.
- Software updates: The maintenance system manages both Windows system updates and application updates. This ensures your computer has the latest security patches, bug fixes, and feature improvements. Regular updates are crucial for maintaining system security and stability while giving you access to the newest features and improvements.
- Disk defragmentation and optimization: Part of the automatic maintenance is to optimize storage devices. It defragments traditional hard drives and carefully optimizes solid-state drives. This helps maintain fast file access speeds and extends the life of your storage devices.
Further read: What Does Defragging Do: Easy Explanation of Disk Defragmentation
- System diagnostic operations: During maintenance, Windows runs routine system checks automatically. It scans critical areas like system files, performance, hardware, and resource usage. These checks catch potential problems early, preventing serious issues from developing.
- System cleanup tasks: Automatic Maintenance removes unnecessary files and frees up storage space, helping your PC run smoothly… That said, it may not catch everything, so use specialized PC cleaners for better results.
Windows Automatic Maintenance Problems and How to Fix Them
Windows Automatic Maintenance is designed to work seamlessly in the background, making sure your system is running at its best. While you may not notice it is working, the tool may also run into problems with this feature from time to time. The following are some issues that may arise and how to fix them:
| Problem | How to Fix |
|---|---|
| Windows Automatic Maintenance stops running.
There are many reasons why this can happen. For instance, third-party applications may be interfering with Windows’ built-in maintenance processes. In some cases, it might be that some of your critical system files were damaged during unexpected shutdowns or malware infections. |
|
| Automatic Maintenance starts at the wrong time.
While it is set to run when your computer is idle by default, you can schedule it to run at a specific time. However, the feature may go astray and begin to interfere with your work and make your Windows PC slow. This usually happens when Windows incorrectly detects idle time due to power setting misconfigurations. The problem could happen if the Task Scheduler service encounters synchronization issues with your system clock. |
|
| Automatic Maintenance takes too long to complete.
This issue may arise due to your computer performing disk defragmentation or running an anti-malware scan, which can cause Windows maintenance to last longer. In some situations, this can force your PC to freeze or run slower than usual. |
|
| Windows Automatic Maintenance causes high CPU usage.
If Automatic Maintenance conflicts with other software or there are bugs in the OS, your computer can become noticeably slower and develop other issues. |
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If your Windows maintenance issue persists, you may want to disable the feature and switch to a dedicated PC optimizer to improve computer performance. You’ll find all the necessary details and instructions below.
Windows Automatic Maintenance might seem helpful, but it doesn’t provide the comprehensive maintenance your PC regularly needs, nor does it allow you to customize its settings. If you want automated optimization with the ability to control which tasks are performed on your machine, it’s better to choose a PC optimizer, like Auslogics BoostSpeed . BoostSpeed is an all-in-one performance optimizer that automates essential tasks such as:
- Disk defragmentation
- Junk file removal
- Disk cleanup
- Privacy protection
- Registry cleaning
- Startup optimization
- And more
With its user-friendly interface, you can easily schedule maintenance, fine-tune tasks, and resolve issues like high CPU usage.
Unlike Windows Automatic Maintenance, BoostSpeed offers real-time performance monitoring, automated disk cleanup, and advanced system optimization, giving you more control and better results.
Keep Your PC Running Smoothly with Windows Automatic Maintenance
The key to enjoying your PC is establishing a maintenance routine. Whether you are doing it manually or using automated solutions like Automatic Maintenance on Windows 10 or 11, it is vital that your PC receives the care it needs at the right time.
Like you have read, Windows Automatic Maintenance offers a built-in solution that helps automate these critical maintenance tasks, making system care more accessible and consistent. While this native feature provides basic maintenance coverage, power users or those seeking more comprehensive system optimization may benefit from third-party tools.
Tools like Auslogics BoostSpeed offer additional features and customization options that allow you to get more system optimization done. Whichever approach you choose, the most important factor is ensuring your system receives regular, thorough maintenance to maintain peak performance and reliability.
If this article helped you, don’t forget to drop a comment below!
FAQ
If disabled, the following issues may arise:
- Missed updates: Critical Windows and software updates might not install automatically, leaving your system vulnerable to security risks.
- Performance issues: Tasks like disk defragmentation and file cleanup won’t occur, leading to slower performance and reduced storage space.
- Increased manual work: You’ll need to manage maintenance tasks like malware scans, software updates, and optimization manually, which can be time-consuming.
- System vulnerabilities: The absence of routine maintenance can increase the risk of errors, system crashes, and exposure to cyber threats.
