start pc on timer switch

[frosco]

Is there a way to automatically start up a PC running XP when the PC gets power - ie without having to push the switch on the box.

i want to start the PC on a timer switch with no human intervention.

thanks

 

[Mifa]

If you PC has Wake on LAN enabled in the BIOS and the NIC supports it, you could power on a hub,cable modem or router through the timer switch instead and the PC will turn on as soon as it sees the network connection is live.

 

[bcastner]

frosco,

I doubt a timer would work on any PC built in the last several years. If your PC shows that it has ACPI support in the BIOS, or an even easier test, if when you push the button on the machine to turn it off it takes a few moments before the machine turns off, a timer is not going to work. The button is not an on/off button in the traditional sense, but rather makes a momentary contact to signal your motherboard that you desire the machine on or off.

I have never tried this, and do not recommend it, but if you would manually shut-down any open processes (and this could be scripted), logged off, and had the BIOS setting (if available) to recover from a power failure by restarting, if all of this was true you could use the timer to turn off the machine and try to see if it restarts.

I have seen BIOS that permit various Wake-on triggers. Wake-on-lan, wake-on-ring, and wake-on-usb activity. Perhaps one of these could be set on a timer and used to awaken the machine, if available in your BIOS. A Wake-on-USB seems doable, just put the timer on the USB device.

 

[wcburton]

I think most BIOS now have a built in timer where you can set a time to power on. Is there a reason you need an external timer as opposed to setting the auto power on time in the BIOS?