Please Help! Automatic Shutdown/Wakeup Windows XP 1

[noodle786]

Hello,

I need to setup my network pcs to automatically shutdown at a certain time and then automatically wakeup at a certain time in order to run a few group policies (most of the policies are for installing critical service packs, software, etc.)

All of the computers have Windows XP, most are dell (some old, some new), and I believe all of them have a 3com 3c905x network card.

I have no idea how to do this, if I can do it without buying software, etc.

Any and all help would be so appreciated!

 

[Jontmke]

I know of ways to shutdown a PC, but not one of how to restart it and log it in.
But, can't you just put in a scheduled task? Make a batch file and run it to do what you need?
Have you ever tried KIX? It is a nice batch runner, and FREE!!

Jon

There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)

 

[linney]

Someone has to turn on the power or press the button on the machine, perhaps you could look at "Hibernation" as an alternative.

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
There are devices out there that can turn the power on at a specified time ( or when paged )..Try a google advanced search for the phrase 'unattended power up' ( without the quotes..

 

[Freestone]

Wake-On-LAN technology may be a way to get the PCs running again, though I've never used it. This link has some info about WOL:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article04-101

 

[noodle786]

Thanks for the info. I will look into these options, and let you know what happens. But in the mean time if anyone has more suggestions that would be cool.

Thanks,

 

[dellis77]

The shutdown part is easy in XP.

Use the command: "shutdown -s" in a cmd file. There are other command line switches that might be added, as well as a comment that will appear on the display of the system to go down.

To see the options run "cmd", then type "shutdown /?" in the DOS window.

Dale

 

[WalksAbout]

There's a wake-up feature in the BIOS of at least the new Dells - you can tell it a time and days of the week, and it will dutifully turn itself on. I don't remember which year Dell had the feature, but at least the last couple. There are several good suggestions for shutdown already posted.