When a Windows Vista-based computer is awakened from sleep by a magic packet, and the WakeOnLAN feature is enabled, the computer's desktop is displayed unexpectedly

Consider the following scenario:

• A Windows Vista-based computer is awakened from sleep by a magic packet.
• The WakeOnLAN feature is enabled on the computer.

In this scenario, the computer desktop is displayed unexpectedly.

Note For more information about magic packets, see the "More information" section.

This problem occurs if there is an active process when the computer enters sleep mode. For example, this problem occurs if a mouse is moved or if any key is pressed on the keyboard as the computer enters sleep mode.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

A magic packet is a standard wake-up frame that targets a specific network interface. In most cases, a wake-up frame or a magic packet enables remote access to a computer that is in a power-saving state. However, some networking protocols use these packets for other purposes. For example, routers use Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packets to periodically confirm the presence of a computer. Such protocols do not use these packets to wake computers. However, on some networks, network traffic may mistakenly wake a remote computer. These unwanted wake-up events may occur in especially noisy environments such as enterprise networks. By default, the WakeOnLAN feature is disabled in Windows Vista.