Automatically turn off display, and back on again?

[chrisk]

Hey all;
I am setting up a computer in a display case. This is a Windows XP machine.

Here is what I would like to do:

1. each morning at 7am, display turns on
2. each day at 7pm, display turns off

I would like this to happen automagically. VLC player will be looping a video while this is happening. I am just worried about complaints due to electricity use.

Any utilities anyone used to do this? Or are there power options in Windows XP already?

[but2002]

Try out "NirCMD" Google it.

It's a command line application that lets you do many thigns via command line such as change volume etc.. Would work great for your needs.

(Just tested on my laptop, worked great.)

EDIT: I forgot to mention, then you would use scheduled tasks to execute the script for turning off and on at the appropriate times.

Now I must thank you, because I could actually use this myself. ^-^

[JD]

Easiest solution: plug the monitor into one of those timers. You could plug the whole computer into it actually, and set the BIOS to "Always Power On". Granted it won't be shutting down cleanly, but it would work!

To make that even better, you could setup a scheduled task (using built-in task scheduler) to shutdown the computer at 7PM daily. Then use the timer to kill the power at say 7:10PM and restore it at 7AM, at which point the BIOS will allow it to auto-boot Windows.

Something like this: Heavy-Duty Grounded Timer | Canadian Tire

[but2002]

Originally Posted by JD

Easiest solution: plug the monitor into one of those timers. You could plug the whole computer into it actually, and set the BIOS to "Always Power On". Granted it won't be shutting down cleanly, but it would work!

To make that even better, you could setup a scheduled task (using built-in task scheduler) to shutdown the computer at 7PM daily. Then use the timer to kill the power at say 7:10PM and restore it at 7AM, at which point the BIOS will allow it to auto-boot Windows.

Something like this: Heavy-Duty Grounded Timer | Canadian Tire

Actually to expand on this, most BIOS has a feature called RTC alarm, or something similar which you can set a specific time in the BIOS for the computer to boot up. Cleaner IMO than cutting the power and restoring it.

[chrisk]

Good ideas guys. The shutdown grounded timer is something simple that I never considered.

I'll try software first, and if that does not do it for me then the timed plug will do it. I may just train a small animal to do it and lock it in the display case.

[JD]

Originally Posted by but2002

Actually to expand on this, most BIOS has a feature called RTC alarm, or something similar which you can set a specific time in the BIOS for the computer to boot up. Cleaner IMO than cutting the power and restoring it.

Well cutting the power would remove any standby power ;) If energy concerns are of utmost importance, it's the best way.

No software is going to be able to fully shutdown the computer and then start it at a certain time. Only sleep/standby would work, then you could have wakeup timers.

[but2002]

Originally Posted by JD

Well cutting the power would remove any standby power ;) If energy concerns are of utmost importance, it's the best way.

No software is going to be able to fully shutdown the computer and then start it at a certain time. Only sleep/standby would work, then you could have wakeup timers.

There's a few power strips I know of that actually cut power to the rest of the devices on the srip if the one designated "computer" is drawing under a certain power.. Althought I don't think that's pertinent..

If you do go with a physical timer, I would try to find some way the PC was cleanly shut down first, or at least load from an image on each boot so there's no risk of data corruption.

[frontier204]

For the timer, IIRC some BIOS allow you to turn on the computer or bring it out of sleep mode at certain times of the day.
Set BIOS to turn the computer on in the morning, and have a task in Task Manager to call the "shutdown" script (assuming Windows or Linux) to cleanly shut down the computer BEFORE the timer trips.

[zoob]

If you use a power outlet timer, the only issue with new LCDs is the stand-by mode.

When you resume power, it will sit in the stand-by "off"... I haven't seen any LCDs that will resume to full power on after pulling & reinserting the power plug.

[bissa]

I would combine both. have the start-up setting in the BIOS running so start it. have a shutdown script on a schedule for every day at 7PM. but then beyond that, have a physical power timer there set to as close to 7:00 AM as you can. then have it shut off about 7:15 PM. this way you have clean start and clean shutdown but you also cut any other power draw during the 12 hours downtime.