How to control Automatic Maintenance in Windows 8

Maintenance Windows 8

Windows 8 makes it easier for users to keep their PCs optimized with Automatic Maintenance. This is a tool that will automatically runs on a defined daily scheduled and it will automatically performs software updates, system diagnostics, and security scan.

Microsoft by default set Windows 8 to run the maintenance tasks on a daily basics at 3:00am when the computer is not being used. If the computer is in use at the scheduled time, Windows will postpone the tasks until the computer becomes idle once again.

If you want to change the time to run the maintenance tasks, follow these steps:

1. While in the Desktop, click the flag on the system tray and then click Action Center.

Open Action Center Windows 8

2. In Action Center under Maintenance, find Automatic Maintenance and click on Change maintenance settings.

Automatic Maintenance Windows 8

3. From here you can configure 2 things: when Windows should run the maintenance task and whether or not allow Windows to wake up the computer run the task, if the computer is in the sleep mode. Once you done choosing your settings, click OK to finish.

Action Center Windows 8

It is that easy! Also if you want to manually start the maintenance tasks, just click Start maintenance ant to manually stop it, only click Stop maintenance. This is a really good feature that now comes included in Windows 8 and it will help users to worry less about maintaining Windows and keep focus in other things that are more important.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.